458 km from Reykjavík · ~6h 0m· Updated
Our assessment based on current conditions. Always verify with road.is and vedur.is.
Live images from the Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration (Vegagerðin). Click to enlarge.
The full South Coast run: 458 km on Route 1, about six hours of driving without stops. Fuel is sparse east of Kirkjubæjarklaustur - top up there or at Freysnes (Skaftafell). The final approach threads between glacier tongues and the sea and is exposed in storms. Höfn is the natural base for Vestrahorn and the southeast, with the region's best services.
Dramatic mountain with a distinctive pointy silhouette on the Stokksnes peninsula. Black sand dunes, Viking village film set. Photographer favorite.
Glacial lagoon filled with icebergs calved from Breiðamerkurjökull. Diamond Beach on the opposite shore with ice on black sand.
Black sand beach where icebergs from Jökulsárlón wash ashore. Glittering ice crystals on volcanic sand - looks like diamonds.
Glacier-covered mountain range on the northern edge of Vatnajökull. Ice caves and hot springs. Remote. 4x4 required.
Requires 4x4
Nature reserve in Vatnajökull National Park. Glacier hiking, Svartifoss waterfall, and access to the ice cap.
Waterfall framed by black basalt columns in Skaftafell. Inspiration for Reykjavík's Hallgrímskirkja architecture. 1.5km hike from visitor center.