What to do in Vik i Myrdal, Iceland? The most beautiful places to see

Vik i Myrdal is a stop you can’t really skip on Iceland’s south coast, for several reasons. First, because there’s genuinely loads to see around it, whether it’s waterfalls, glaciers, black sand beaches… but also because it’s the only (or almost the only) place on the south coast where you’ll find a bit of civilisation, accommodation, a supermarket.

So Vik makes an excellent base for exploring the south coast. You can head out for the day and come back in the evening, without the hassle of hunting for somewhere else to sleep further along.

But as I was saying, if you go to Vik, it’s mostly because it’s stunning! Let’s take a look 🙂

The most beautiful places to see around Vik i Myrdal

The black sand beaches

The moment you think of Vik and the south coast (Iceland), you think of those huge black sand beaches, unique and quite startling. And sure enough, Reynisfjara is probably the best-known black sand beach in the country. For its sand, but not only!

Because you’ll also find some surprising basalt columns right by the sea, and seriously impressive rocks out in the water, a kind of gorgeous lava chimneys, the trolls of Reynisdrangar.

But this isn’t the only beach: there’s one in Vik itself too, really nice, especially for its view of more end-of-the-world rocks. Reynisfjara, meanwhile, sits between Vik and Dyrhólaey.

Dyrholaey

Dyrholaey is great for several reasons. First of all, this cliff gives you a fantastic view over the area, and above all over the black sand beaches. On its left you’ve got Vik and Reynisfjara, while on its right there’s another beach stretching as far as the eye can see.

But at Dyrholaey you also get gorgeous rock formations and, best of all, you’ll find puffins there! Those clumsy, ridiculously cute birds. That’s where I saw my first ones, so it’s a place I recommend.

There are also several really nice walking trails on site, so yes, it’s an essential stop for more than one reason, honestly.

4 recommended places to stay in Vik

The glaciers around Vik

With some of the biggest ice caps in Europe and glaciers all over the place, Iceland’s south coast is perfect for seeing them, and you’re bound to come across some around Vik.

So near Vik, you’ll find several glaciers. Sólheimajökull is THE big classic around Vik, and close to Reykjavik. And it’s really great. Very beautiful, very big and educational! Because you can see how it has retreated over the years; it’s hard to imagine just how much more impressive it must have been barely 10 years ago.

Further on, there are the Skaftafell glaciers, including the two easy ones to visit, Skaftafellsjokull and Svinafellsjokull. But they’re still 2 hours’ drive from Vik. So not exactly next door.

There are several ways to discover the glaciers. First, get close and stand in front of them, maybe take the paths along the sides. That’s the easiest way, and it already gives you quite a few options.

Or you can decide to walk on one, go for a walk of 1h or more and have your first go at glacier hiking. I’ve done it, it’s great fun! More on that just below.

Walking on the Sólheimajökull glacier

Now that is a great activity, one of the things you really have to do in Iceland, I reckon.

Glaciers draw us in. And to get even closer, you can actually walk on some of them, including Sólheimajökull.

But be careful: walking on a glacier is dangerous even for trained people, so you absolutely have to go through an agency, unless you’re a genuine expert.

You’ll get crampons (compulsory), an ice axe, a helmet, a quick bit of training and hey presto! Off you go 🙂 And honestly, if you follow the guide, it’s not difficult. Depending on the option, you’ll walk for between 30min and 4h, go more or less far onto the glacier, and learn to climb with the ice axe.

Hike the Sólheimajökull glacier!

The ice caves

One of Iceland’s big specialities is its ice caves, sculpted by the glaciers and by time. These caves move every day, change, melt, re-form, which means they’re different every single day. Some are blue, others black, depending on where they are.

Near Vik, you’ll find the Katla ice cave. An impressive blue and black ice cave in the Myrdalsjokull glacier, which covers the Katla volcano.

This ice cave, like all the others really, can only be visited with guides, for obvious safety reasons.

Discover the Katla ice cave!

Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon

A small canyon that’s really, really lovely and super photogenic, with an unpronounceable name. Let’s just call it “the canyon”, eh, that’ll be simpler.

It’s practically right by the main road, so very easy to get to. For a while now, access has been more regulated, with barriers in particular, to stop people getting too close to the edge, but there are superb viewpoints, and you can go along the top or the bottom, depending on the level of the river running through it.

The abandoned village of Núpsstaður

Discovered completely by chance on my first trip quite a while ago, this abandoned village is lovely and set in a magnificent spot, surrounded by mountains. It’s a great testament to life in the old days, to the conditions in this tough country.

The village is really well preserved, full of wooden houses huddled together, and a tiny, super cute little church. Nature is taking over again, so the grass is starting to properly cover the houses 🙂

Plus point: it’s not touristy in the slightest, so you may well have the village all to yourself 🙂

The Westman Islands

A really lovely surprise. The Westman Islands are an archipelago of 18 volcanic islands; the main one is Heimaey, and it’s the only one tourists can visit. There’s a big crater there, which erupted in 1973 and made the island considerably bigger. It’s still steaming! You can climb up this bright red crater, it’s seriously impressive.

Heimaey has loads of birds, including gannets. But above all it’s the largest puffin colony in the world! So the best place to see them… normally 😀 Because when I went, they were all out at sea haha

People usually spend a day there, but staying the night, especially to see the puffins in the evening and morning, can be a good idea. For example in these pretty, cheap cabins.

To get to the Westman Islands, you need to take a ferry (cars and foot passengers) from Landeyjahöfn to Heimaey. The crossing takes 40min and costs about 30 euros. You can get more info here.

Skogafoss and Seljalandsfoss waterfalls

On the south coast, and especially around Vik, there are loads of waterfalls, including some of the most beautiful in the country, notably Skogafoss and Seljalandsfoss.

Skogafoss is hugely famous, powerful, imposing and visible from miles away. 25m wide and 60m high, it makes one heck of a racket! It’s 40min from Vik.

Seljalandsfoss is also super famous because you can walk behind it along a little path that’s a touch soggy and slightly treacherous 😀 But it’s also really beautiful, super photogenic, especially at sunset.

Right next to Seljalandsfoss you’ll find the lovely Gljúfrabúi, hidden among the rocks. Expect to get absolutely soaked!

And still in the area, there’s the lesser-known but very pretty Kvernufoss, a mini version of Seljalandsfoss; you can go in behind it too.

The Katla Geopark

OK, so the Katla Geopark is actually huge and includes areas that are inaccessible or only reachable via F-roads. But along the road from Vik to Skaftafell, you’ll cross the park and some surprising landscapes, especially the moss. Thousands of hectares of volcanic rock covered in moss, which makes for magnificent sights, as you can see in the photo.

There are several places to stop, a few hiking trails, and a few roads you can take to get away from the Ring Road.

The DC3 plane wreck

A curiosity that nobody really knew about the first time I went, and which is now pretty touristy. The plane crashed in 1973, with no one hurt, in an isolated but really cool spot, a black sand beach. Mind you, you have to walk 45min from the Ring Road to get there, but it’s worth it!

I’d recommend going very early or late in the day to avoid the crowds, especially the people who climb all over the plane’s carcass.

It’s one to do, it’ll take you 3 hours but it’s one to do 🙂

What to do around Vik i Myrdal

Above, I told you about the two main activities in the area: walking on a glacier and visiting an ice cave. Let’s see what else you can do!

Seeing puffins

Iceland is the best country for watching puffins and luckily, you’ll find them on Iceland’s south coast. First things first, you should know that puffins are only around from late April to late August.

During the day they’re mostly out at sea, so it’s better to see them early or late in the day. Personally, at Dyrholaey I saw them in the evening, while at Cape Ingólfshöfði (bless you), it was during the day. Whereas on the Westman Islands, I didn’t see a single one during the day. Apparently I was really unlucky that day, because the weather was gorgeous, and the birds prefer to be at sea when it’s sunny. For once the weather was nice 😀

So here are the main places where you can see them on the south coast, and especially around Vik:

• Heimaey, in the Westman Islands, is the largest colony in the world. But as I said, during the day they’re mostly at sea, so stay overnight or take the late ferry back.
• Dyrhólaey, right next to Vik, is an excellent place to see them. There are quite a few, the marked paths let you see them well, and it’s super easy to get to. So you can start here
• Cape Ingólfshöfði, but quite a bit further, 2h from Vik, near Skaftafell. A fun trip that starts with a tractor ride across the black sand beach to reach the Cape, where you’ll see puffins and other birds
• Reykjavik, yes really! On the uninhabited islands of Lundey and Akurey, you can see them on tours. They’re usually combined tickets with a whale-watching trip, so that can be really worthwhile 🙂 Find out more here !

Hiking

There are hundreds and hundreds of hiking trails in Iceland. But there are a few places nearby you really have to see. I should point out that I haven’t done them myself, because I go to the area outside summer, when these areas are inaccessible. But you’ve got:

• There’s Thorsmork valley, which takes you into landscapes from another planet, and it isn’t difficult, doable in a day
• There’s Landmannalaugar, which isn’t next door, but you can reach it from the south if you’ve got a good 4×4, and it might just be the most beautiful hike in the country, full stop.
• Then you’ve got some great, easy-to-reach options, like climbing the volcano on Heimaey, the hike above the falls at Skogafoss

Going horse riding

You’ll definitely have seen Icelandic horses. Really stocky, small, quite sturdy, super hairy (all to cope with the cold) and with the cutest faces. Well, in Vik you can go horse riding.

It’s a small-group outing to explore the surroundings, especially the black sand beaches, on super friendly horses. Several breeders offer it; after passing through Vik so many times I’ve come across quite a few of them, even though I’ve never done it myself, and I have to say it looks pretty good 🙂

The good news: it’s under 100€, which is pretty decent for Iceland!

Explore Vik's beaches on horseback!

Seeing the Icelandic Lava Show

I found out about this too late and it looks really interesting. The Icelandic Lava Show is the only public place in the world where real lava gets handled. It’s not really a show as such, because it’s something very hands-on, to learn all about lava, where it comes from, how it forms, and to recreate a volcanic eruption.

During your visit, they “simply” use real molten lava, handle it in front of you, and explain everything. Honestly, it looks brilliant, the feedback is excellent and apparently it’s super interesting! The creators are passionate and it really shows 🙂

Easiest thing is to watch the intro video below. And like me, you’ll probably want to go 🙂

Book your Icelandic Lava Show ticket

Where to stay in Vik i Myrdal

All along Iceland’s south coast, finding accommodation can be a bit of a struggle, and even though it’s the main town, Vik is no exception. Especially since all the way to Hof and even Höfn, there are very few options, so Vik is one of the very rare ones.

Let’s look at the accommodation in the village and the surrounding area

I’ve stayed twice at the Katla Hotel. Honestly, really good. Wooden rooms, a bit old school, but very comfy beds. The setting is great, outside Vik so you’ll need the car, but right out in nature. And the breakfast buffet is excellent. So honestly, it’s an excellent option.

Another very good option, though not cheap—Hotel Vík í Mýrdal, a 3* not far from the beach.

While a very popular and cheaper option is the Puffin Hotel Vík, still 150€ mind you, but great value for money for Iceland 😀

There are also apartments such as Black Beach Suites, a guesthouse that won’t break the bank, the Puffin Hostel Vik (Hostel, not Hotel), and also, for small budgets, beds in a dorm, at the Barn.

• if you’d like a more complete list, in the following article I list practical places to stay in the south of Iceland

Find your hotel in Vik i Myrdal!

Campsites in Vik

In Vik there’s a campsite, but it isn’t open all year round. Well, it’s open from 1 June to 31 October, costs 1800 ISK per person (with a campervan), and has all the facilities like a kitchen, showers, toilets… I found it pretty good.

The rest of the year, the pitches are available but all the facilities are closed. You can find out more about this campsite here.

Otherwise, a bit further on, right in the mountains and nature, there’s the campsite at Thakgil. It’s open until 15 September; after that the weather gets far too temperamental. Find out more here!

For a campsite open all year round, you’ll need to go to Skogafoss.

Can you come to Vik i Myrdal and visit the area without a car

Yes, it’s possible, “but”. First of all, you can get to Vik by bus. There’s one (or even two) a day, stopping at Selfoss, so getting there is doable, which is already something.

Once there, you can see most of the nearby sites by walking a bit, and do several activities.

To get to the famous Reynisfjara beach, you can walk there and it takes close to 1h30. You take a shortcut along the hiking trail. It also takes you up to the top of the cliffs overlooking the two beaches (the Vik side and the Reynisfjara side).
You’ve also got the black sand beaches in Vik itself, which are really pretty too.

On the other hand, all the sites like Dyrholaey, the DC3, the canyon… are out of reach because there’s absolutely no transport. And no agency runs trips there from Vik. Likewise, there don’t seem to be any glacier hikes with pick-up in Vik. They all meet you on site or else leave from Reykjavik (we’ll look at the ice cave alternative).

That said, you’ve got several interesting trips, visits, glacier outings, ice caves. Here’s what you can do in detail in Vik or outside it with an agency departing from Vik:

• The famous Lava Show which is right in the town centre
• A visit to the Katla ice cave
• You can go horse riding on the black sand beaches

And that’s it, it’s pretty limited really, unless you go on a hiking spree, but even then you’ll need to get to Þakgil, which is THE starting point for the amazing spots. And it’s a bit further away.

Seeing Vik and the surrounding area in a day from Reykjavik

If you’re in Reykjavik and don’t have loads of time, you can visit the south coast in one (long) day.

Usually you do:

• the Skogafoss and Seljalandsfoss waterfalls
• Vik’s black sand beaches, the basalt columns
• the Sólheimajökull glacier

And then each tour adds extras. Some go to Jokulsarlon, others add a glacier walk, an ice cave visit, the canyon…

It’s super popular from Reykjavik and it has the advantage of being cheap, around 90€ depending on the option you choose and how far you go.

Discover Iceland's south coast from Reykjavik!

Practical info on Vik i Myrdal

Why stay in Vik i Myrdal

Oh, that’s easy, there are loads of reasons. As I mentioned at the start, Vik is superbly located, in the middle of loads of beautiful sites (the waterfalls, the beaches, the glaciers…). And all these sites take quite a few days, so staying 2/3/4 nights is a good idea to explore the area.

On top of that, around Vik, I’d say there are very few options, especially as you carry on east. In fact you’ll see signs saying “last petrol station / café for X km”

Finally, it’s a really pleasant setting. I wouldn’t say there’s a microclimate, because it’s still Iceland with its cheeky weather, but you feel good in Vik and pottering about around it.

How long to stay

Most people only spend one night in Vik. Personally, even after 3 trips there, I find that’s too short.

2 nights let you see the essentials, but without hiking. I think that’s the minimum and it’s already not bad. That gives you 3 days to explore this part of the south coast.

More than 2 nights means taking your time and, above all, wandering around or just chilling out, because between the sea and the landscapes, the area really lends itself to taking it easy, I find.

So for me, I’d say a minimum of 2 nights; 3 is good because it leaves you 2 full days.

If you need more information, don't hesitate to ask me by clicking here 🙂How can I help you ?

What’s the best season

The good thing is that Iceland can be visited in any season.

The southern hikes heading into the interior are generally only doable from mid-June to mid-September.

But all the tourist sites can be done all year round, so you can come any time to Vik. Each season has its perks:

• hiking and the midnight sun in summer
• the northern lights from September
• snow once winter arrives
• milder temperatures and longer days in spring

How to get to Vik

Ideally, you should come by car. It’s only a good 2 hours from Reykjavik (not counting all the photo stops you’ll make). And it’s easy, it’s straight along Iceland’s Ring Road. Have a look at the following article to find out which type of car you need.

If you’re travelling in Iceland without a car, you can also come by bus. Buses leave from the “Mjodd” bus station outside the city centre. From there you go to Selfoss on line 51 (just under an hour), and from Selfoss there’s only one connection to Vik, which leaves at 14:00 and takes about 2h. The big problem is that once you’re there, you have hardly any way of getting around, because there’s no agency running tours of the surrounding area.

Finally, as I said above, with agencies it’s also possible, for under 100€, to come to Vik and visit the whole area in a day. Find out more here !

Practicalities

Vik i Myrdal is also super practical, the last town (well, village) with everything you need for many hours.

Because in Vik you’ll find:

• a supermarket open every day
• a petrol station
• cafés and restaurants
• shops, including sports and warm-clothing shops
• a swimming pool with showers, handy if you’re in a campervan

In conclusion

So there you go, you now know pretty much everything about Vik i Myrdal and its gorgeous surroundings. I hope I’ve made you want to stay a bit longer than just passing through, especially for the beaches, the puffins if you’re there at the right time, discovering the glaciers, the caves, going hiking… and above all, don’t forget there are loads of little roads and canyons around here just waiting to be discovered! They have no name, no GPS location, but if you spot something in the distance, try to find your way there; I did, and it’s really worth it 🙂

I’ve written quite a lot about Iceland. The following articles should interest you, or at least I hope so!

Key information on Iceland

• Essential information before you go to Iceland – all the info you need to make a success of your trip to this beautiful country.
• Who to rent a car from in Iceland – tips on choosing the vehicle and the insurance, and which agencies to watch out for
• Which itinerary along the Ring Road – all the places not to miss on the ring road
• The most beautiful sights in Iceland -over 30 places you really have to visit
• The main things to do in Iceland – my recommendations for a one-of-a-kind holiday
• The best interactive map of Iceland – with waterfalls, hikes, accommodation and the big highlights on a single map
• How to get from Keflavik to Reykjavik – every possible way of getting there
• A free travel guide to Iceland – to plan your trip to this beautiful country the easy way
• When to go to Iceland to avoid the worst weather – the pros and cons of each season

Articles on Reykjavik

• Discovering Reykjavik in a few days – all the best things to do in the Icelandic capital
• Find the right northern lights guide in Reykjavik – how to pick your agency and avoid the traps
• Cheap places to stay in Reykjavik – hotel, apartment or hostel: how to choose?

Other regions of Iceland

• The best things to do around Vik i Myrdal – explore the stunning surroundings of this little town, with loads to see
• The most beautiful places to see in the south of Iceland – beaches, glaciers and plenty more!
• Where to stay on Iceland’s south coast – hotels, hostels and campsites
• What to see in Myvatn – the most beautiful places to see in the north of Iceland
• The Golden Circle in a day – here are the 5 iconic places to see in this area
• Where and when to see puffins in Iceland – I’ll tell you everything you need to see them: places, times of year
• How to get to Landmannalaugar easily – find out how to reach this stunning area