Vík í Mýrdal, Iceland: travel guide
Iceland's southernmost village, ringed by black-sand beaches, the Reynisdrangar sea stacks and Reynisfjara. A key South Coast stop between the Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss waterfalls and the glaciers of the east.
- Country
- Iceland
- Currency
- ISK
- Time zone
- Atlantic/Reykjavik
Top places to visit in Vík í Mýrdal
Dyrhólaey
Viewpoint · 4.8 rating · about 1 h
A 120 m promontory with a lighthouse and a huge sea arch, offering sweeping South Coast views and summer puffin colonies.
Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach
Beach · 4.8 rating · about 1 h
A dramatic black-basalt beach with columnar cliffs and the Reynisdrangar sea stacks — beware powerful, unpredictable sneaker waves.
Hjörleifshöfði (Yoda Cave)
Viewpoint · 4.2 rating · about 1 h
An isolated tuff headland on the Mýrdalssandur sands, home to the Yoda-shaped Gígjagjá cave and a settlement-era burial site.
Reynisdrangar Sea Stacks
Viewpoint · 4.8 rating · about 0.5 h
Towering basalt sea stacks off Vík, said in legend to be trolls caught by the sunrise; best seen from the village cliff-top.
Víkurkirkja
Church · about 0.3 h
The little red-roofed hilltop church above Vík, the village's emblem and its designated safe refuge from a possible Katla glacial flood.
Skógafoss
Waterfall · about 1 h
A 60 m curtain waterfall on the old coastline, throwing rainbows on sunny days; a staircase climbs to a clifftop viewpoint and the Fimmvörðuháls trail.
Seljalandsfoss
Waterfall · about 0.8 h
A slender 60 m waterfall you can walk fully behind — one of Iceland's most photographed falls, floodlit in winter.
Sólheimajökull Glacier
Nature · about 2 h
An accessible outlet glacier of Mýrdalsjökull, a popular base for guided glacier hikes and ice climbing.
Sólheimasandur Plane Wreck
Heritage · about 2 h
The skeletal wreck of a 1973 US Navy DC-3 on a black-sand plain, reached by a flat 4 km walk — an eerie photography favourite.
Things to do
- Sólheimajökull Glacier Hike Adventure · 3 h · from ISK 13,990 per person
- Katla Ice Cave Super Jeep Adventure · 4 h · from ISK 22,900 per person
- Mýrdalsjökull Snowmobiling Adventure · 3 h · from ISK 29,900 per person
- Reynisfjara Black-Sand ATV Adventure · 1.5 h · from ISK 14,900 per person
Day trips and tours
- Katla Ice Cave & South Coast 7 h · from ISK 22,900
Where to stay in Vík í Mýrdal
- Vík Village about ISK 34,000 per night
The small South Coast village, a convenient base between the waterfalls and the glaciers with the black beaches nearby.
Hotels
- Hótel Vík í Mýrdal 3-star · ISK 26,000 to ISK 48,000 per night
- Hótel Kría 4-star · ISK 30,000 to ISK 60,000 per night
- Puffin Hostel Vík ISK 8,000 to ISK 26,000 per night
Where to eat
- Suður-Vík Restaurant Icelandic, Asian, International · about ISK 5,000 per person
- Halldórskaffi Icelandic, Pizza, Café · about ISK 4,500 per person
- Black Beach Restaurant Café, Icelandic, Soup · about ISK 3,200 per person
- Skool Beans Café, Coffee · about ISK 1,200 per person
- Ströndin Bistro Bistro, Icelandic, International · about ISK 4,200 per person
Getting around
- Car Rental Self main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Walking main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
Safety and scams to avoid
"Free" photo guide tips pressure
Reynisfjara / Vík
Occasionally individuals offer to guide you to photo spots then press aggressively for cash.
How to avoid it: Politely decline; all viewpoints here are free and well signposted.