Southern Iceland Road-Trip in Winter in 10 Days – Day 4
Your Iceland itinerary is incomplete without visiting the extraordinary waterfalls here. When it comes to choosing which waterfalls are worth visiting here, it is quite difficult to make up your mind. There are hundreds of them, and seeing all of them is practically not possible. Hence, we narrowed down our choices to visit the most popular ones this time. We already visited the mightly Gullfoss during our Golden Circle day tour from Reykjavik. On the way to Vik from Reykjavik, we chose to visit the two stunning waterfalls of Iceland’s southern coast. They are Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss. We also halted at the beautiful Dyrholaey Peninsula and the famous Reynisfjara beach. Our overnight stay was at The Barn Hostel in Vik.
Highlights of the Day
- Seljalandsfoss
- Skogafoss
- Dyrholaey
- Reynisfjara Beach
- The Barn Hostel Vik
Seljalandsfoss
We checked out from Hallgrims Guesthouse in Reykjavik at around 8 AM. The sky was dark. We stopped by Bonus supermarket in Selfoss village and brought fruits for breakfast, and few vegan groceries to prepare lunch-on-the-go as we were really not sure what to expect on the way. We drove through dark and enjoyed sunrise on the way to the one of the country’s most famous and visited falls – Seljalandsfoss. It is around 125 km away from Reykjavik, which will approximately take around 2 hours to reach.
Seljalandsfoss
Seljalandsfoss waterfall is a part of the river Seljalandsa, which is fed by the glacier-capped Eyjafjallajokull. It is the same glacier that has a volcano beneath it, which erupted in 2010. This caused havoc at airports across Europe. The North Atlantic Ocean is located across a stretch of lowlands opposite Seljalandsfoss.
You must wear a rain gear if you intend to circumnavigate the waterfall, as that will surely get you get. I also recommend some good and sturdy shoes as it gets very slippery and muddy under the waterfall.
Route From Seljalandsfoss to Skogafoss
The distance from Seljalandsfoss to Skogafoss is just 30 km away, which means a 30-min drive. The drive took us almost 1 hour. The scenery is amazing and we kept taking multiple stops to take photographs, videos and drone shots.
Skogafoss
Skogafoss is located on the Skoga river, near the small village of Skogar, south of the Eyjafjallajokull glacier volcano. It is one of Iceland’s most visited waterfalls because of its proximity to the Ring Road. Skogafoss is also one of Iceland’s biggest and most beautiful waterfalls often visited along with Seljalandsfoss. It is 25 m wide and 60 m high.
In Skogar village, apart from Skogafoss waterfall, you can visit Skogasafn folk museum. It is an open-air museum with both old wooden houses and turf houses. There is also Skogasafn Regional Museum with various artifacts from this area. There is also a steep staircase by the side of Skogafoss that leads to an observational platform above the cascade. Further than that, there is Fimmvorduhals pass – one of Iceland’s most famed hiking routes. The 22-km trail takes you along Skoga river, between two famous glaciers, Myrdalsjokull and Eyjafjallajokull.
Dyrholaey Peninsula
After Skogafoss, we drove 30 min further along the coast to the famous Dyrholey Peninsula. It is famous for its breathtaking views in all directions. It is a 120-m high peninsula in front of which there is a huge black double-arch lava rock outcropping from the vast North Atlantic Ocean with the same name – Dyrholaey. Dyrholaey literally means “the hill island with the door hole”.
When driving on the main road Highway 1 or Thjodvegur, you take a turn to the right to road 218 that takes to the top of Dyrholaey Peninsula. There are two options to drive to the end, because Dyrholaey is divided into two parts – Higher Dyrholaey and Lower Dyrholaey. You either drive it all the way straight to Lower Dyrholaey, also known as Reynisfara Viewpoint or make a right turn up the hill to Higher Dyrholaey, also known as Dyrholaey Viewpoint.
Higher Dyrholaey – Dyrholaey Viewpoint
I will recommend to drive to the right as it will take you all the way to the Higher Dyrholaey. Also known as Dyrholaey Viewpoint, from here, you can enjoy magnificent sights of the Iceland’s southern coast. That road is full of gravel, rutted, and a bit harrowing, but we made it in our car.
Lower Dyrholaey – Reynisfjara Viewpoint
After visiting Upper Dyrholaey, we drove back and took right to finish road 218 as there is the Lower Dyrholaey, which also offers a great view of the Southern Iceland coast from Reynisfjara Viewpoint.
Reynisfjara Beach
We drove back to the ring road from road 218 and then took a right to road 215. We took around 30 min to reach Reynisfjara Beach from Dyrholaey. Reynisfjara Beach is the most famous, also the most beautiful beach in all of Iceland. This beach is featured on any travel blog or video on Iceland, also on postcards and brochures throughout the country. Reynisfjara Beach is mostly famous for its expansive basalt stacks forming the Gardar Cliff, interesting Halsanefshellir Sea Cave at the foot of Reynisfjall Mountain, breathtaking panoramas, roaring Atlantic waves, mysterious Reynisdrangar rocks, and of course the incredible black volcanic sand beach. The sea stacks themselves are home to thousands of nesting seabirds, such as puffins. But they can be only spotted during summers. So we could not see them now.
Reynisdrangar
Halsanefshellir Sea Cave
Gardar Cliff
Dyrholaey from Reynisfjara
Extreme Caution at Reynisfjara Beach
You must be well aware of the dangerous sneaker waves at Reynisfjara Beach. They are unanticipated waves whose force and height are unusually greater and powerful that any one can expect. These are caused mainly because there are no significant landmasses between Antarctica (you read it right) and the Reynisfjara beach. Hence the waves have thousands of kilometers to build, often pushing further up the beach, even on completely still weather. So you should never go very close to the beach.
Reyniskirkja – Surprise Stop
After a long day of sightseeing, we headed to a nearby hostel in Vik village that we had booked online. The hostel is 4 km from the Reynisfjara beach. Located mid-way, is a beautiful church called Reyniskirkja where we could not resist ourselves. I had to get out of the car and take a few pictures. We could not get inside the church though. Finally, we parked at the hostel and checked in.
The Barn Hostel
The Barn Hostel is ideally located close to all the prominent attractions of Iceland’s Southern Coast. Reynisfjara Beach is just 4 km away, Dyrholaey is around 19 km away, and the center of Vik village is 7 km away. It consists of shared dormitories with bunk beds, both double and single type, with maximum of 6 beds in each of the rooms, with shared bathrooms and shower rooms. There are also private rooms on the upper floor, offering a picturesque view over the mountains and the glacier. Receptionists and bartenders are on site to assist from early morning hours until midnight.
Dinner at The Barn Hostel
We checked in and were feeling very hungry. We had packed few groceries in Selfoss for lunch but as we already had lunch in Bistro at Skogafoss, we used them for dinner. The hostel has an amazing kitchen setup where I toasted the multigrain breads, added on few veggies, and introduced vegan cheese slice. Finally, we had that amazing vegan sandwich with vegan red wine that we had picked up from the duty-free section in Keflavik International Airport. Cheers to a wonderful day and now a cosy, comfortable night!
Total Distance Traveled: 220 km
NET EXPENSE FOR 1 PERSON (IN USD)
Let us have a look at the shared expenses of Day 4 in Iceland – Seljalandsfoss, Skogafoss, Dyrholaey, Reynisfjara & The Barn Hostel Vik
- The Barn Hostel (1 night): 30
- Food and Miscellaneous: 30
Total expense (roughly): 60 USD
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Seeing Seljalandsfoss must be such an amazing experience. It looks fabulous! It was definitely worth waking up early and driving two hours to get there for the sunrise. Your photo of the sun rising, from behind the waterfall, is incredible! Reynisfjara Beach looks pretty impressive as well. It looks like you had both an amazing sunrise and sunset.
Yes, we experienced both sunrise and sunset.
What a country unlike any other. I flew over Iceland and noticed the many geothermal plants with steam coming from them. I only wish my layover was longer. Iceland is on my list to visit, one day.
Sure, you should spend 2 weeks there.
I enjoyed watching the sunrise in between your road trips. On this journey, Seljalandsfoss is my favorite part. But it was the Dyrholaey Peninsula that drew my interest, particularly the large castle-shaped lighthouse and the arch. Thank you for featuring Iceland in your article; it has given me a newfound appreciation for this country.
Stay tuned for more about Iceland.
Great sunrise view behind the Seljalandsfoss curtain and an exciting walk straight to the water of Skogafoss. Excellent views from the beautiful Dyrholaey Peninsula and the fabulous Reynisfjara beach. Thanks for a peek at an overnight stay at a hostel in Vik.
These are amazing destinations located in Iceland that are breathtakingly beautiful. The Seljalandsfoss waterfalls view from the caverns overlooking the sunset is just awesome! And the drive to the Skogagoss waterfalls along highway Thjodvegur is our of this world! The natural basalt formations of the Harder cliff are unbelievable.
Iceland is truly magical!
I couldn’t agree more when you mention that Iceland is truly magical.
Glad you liked it.
We went along the same route last summer! But we missed the wonderful Basalt columns at Gardar Cliff! The hostel in Vik looks very comfortable too. We went in summer and camped most of the time! But in winter I would stay at this hostel!
Summer in Iceland is interesting. I would love to visit the country in summers and do camping.
This is really a spectacular trip that I want to follow. The sunrise view from behind the Seljalandsfoss is incredible and the the waterfalls you saw are just unbelievable. What’s more, it’s not an expensive trip for the day!
Yes, that’s true.
It looks like it is possible to plan a reasonably priced visit to Iceland. I love the waterfalls and black volcanic rock beaches in Iceland — so dramatic and beautiful! And I’ve never heard of sneaker waves — thanks for the tip!
Yes, sneaker waves sound cool but crazily dangerous.
Wow, I don’t think I’ve seen such an amazing collection of natural beauty on one trip before! From the stunning waterfalls (I can almost hear the roar), to the tranquility of the remote buildings in the landscape, each is more stunning than the last. Also, I had no idea there were basalt columns outside the Giant’s Causeway in Ireland. What a gorgeous place to visit!
Giant’s Causeway in Ireland?
We didn’t make it to any of these places when we visited Iceland. Skogafoss looks incredible as does Dyrholaey. I like the look of the Barn Hostel too, it looks cool and inviting.
Which part of Iceland you visited?
This is such an amazing area with so many gorgeous waterfalls. I visited in the winter and the spray from Seljalandsfoss had created a thick sheet of ice, I had to crawl to get up somewhat close. I want to return and do this in the summer, great to know there is a hostel in Vik!
The hostel in Vik is amazing! You must try out next time you are there.
We visited some of the amazing waterfalls in Iceland when we visited. But we knew there were many more for a return trip. A hike around Seljalandsfoss would be a lovely way to enjoy the waterfall and the surrounding area. Sunset through a water veil would indeed be magical. And a drive along the Dyrholey Peninsula is definitely now on the plan! Those cliff views remind me of the Algarve where we are headed soon.
Wow, I am thrilled to know that you are heading to Algarve.
Iceland is truly a magical destination and one of the few European countries we are yet to visit. Your post gave a great account of this beautiful country. Some of the views are just amazing like the Seljalandsfoss waterfalls view from the caverns. And the drive to the Skogagoss waterfalls so refreshing. Thank you for sharing and motivating me to plan a trip.
Would love to read your new blogs, Roy.
Really enjoyed reading about your road trip, I went back and read the previous days too. We did a road trip in Iceland but in the height of summer and it’s really interesting to read about your winter experiences. The quality of the light is quite distinct and you were more often driving in sunrise and sunset, which looks stunning! Our route for this segment was similar to yours and we enjoyed the waterfalls and many different landscapes too.
The days are so short in winter, so driving through sunrise and sunset is common.
Eek! I’m headed to Iceland soon, and this makes me so excited about it. This is such a great area to explore. The waterfalls and sunset would be a sight to see!
Yes surely, loved the place.
OMG – these are some surreal waterfalls. I first thought that Seljalandfoss would be my favorite – especially with that curtain of water till I came across Skogafoss. Your first shot completely bowled me over. I love the feel of Gardar cliff – especially the textures that you have showcased. Definitely a roadtrip that I need to do once in my life.
P.S: Loved all your pics here.
Thanks for liking the pictures Ami.
Iceland is one dream destination. I am yet to land there. So, whenever I read anything about Iceland, I basically travel virtually. Look at those waterfalls. These are simply breathtaking. But, what made my jaw-dropped literally is sunrise behind the curtain of Seljalandsfoss. This has to be one of the incredible sights to behold. It’s a great read.
It’s like a different planet inside Earth.
The barn hostel looks like a great place to stay in the south. I’ve visited iceland twice during different seasons and loved it. I really love Seljalandsfoss waterfall and how you can walk behind it. I missed the Dyrholaey high point though, those views are brilliant. I need to go back and adding here to my next trip. I also need to revisit Vik, both times I went we hit the worse weather and wasn’t safe to go down to the beach.
I understand, the beach is pretty rough and risky. Hope you can visit it soon.
Wow your photos are amazing. I have visited some of the places you went to when I was in Iceland but as I did one of the tours then I didn’t get to see it all. I would love to go back and hire a car and travel around the Island, I would love to see Dyrholaey arch and some of the beaches and coastline you were at, was simply stunning. Can’t wait to get back there and do a road trip.
That’s really exciting.