Vik is one of the larger towns in southern Iceland (which honestly isn’t saying much, and the town is still tiny by most standards), and many travelers to Iceland will spend at least some time in this area. If you are travelling along the Ring Road, whether all the way around or just along the south coast, you will definitely pass through Vik, and possibly even overnight there. We visited Iceland in August, 2021, and drove all the way around the Ring Road, spending about half a day in the wider Vik area. While there are infinite things to see and do in Iceland, and we didn’t see everything there is to see, this guide talks about some of the more popular places to stop around Vik.
A couple things to not. Firstly, in order to visit all these places, you will most certainly want a car, although some of them are popular stops on group tours around Iceland. Secondly, I’m defining “around Vik” as pretty much the area between Skógafoss and Skaftafell. Basically, I’m writing a post about things we saw in this area that don’t fit nicely into other blog posts I’m writing about Iceland, so while most are very close to Vik, a couple of these stops might involve driving a bit beyond the town. These stops are all within an hour’s drive.
So without further ado, here’s my list of things to see around Vik!
Sólheimajökull Glacier
Located a little ways west of Vik, Sólheimajökull is a small part of a larger glacier called Mýrdalsjökull. Sólheimajökull is the closest glacier to Reykjavik on which you can do a glacier hike, which makes it a popular stop in particular with visitors who are only in Iceland for a few days. If you are not on a tour, you can still walk up to the edge of the glacier and admire its beauty.
Dyrhólaey
Dyrhólaey is a peninsula jutting out into the sea just outside of Vik, from which you can view a cool rock arch. It is a popular viewpoint, but for the more adventurous, there is some walking to do around the area as well. During the summer, it is also possible to spot puffins in this area.
Reynisfjara Beach
One of the most famous beaches in Iceland is the Reynisfjara black sand beach. There are a few black sand beaches around this area, and really all over Iceland, but this one stands out because of the stunning rock formations along the beach. There are some basalt pillars, which you can climb for a cool photo, a large cave, and some tower-like rocks standing out of the water. It is very cool! Be warned that the water here is pretty fierce, so absolutely no swimming, and the distance you are able to walk along the beach is largely dependent on the tide.
Vik i Myrdal Church
This little church sits at the top of a small hill overlooking Vik. It’s a very photogenic spot, and you’ve probably seen pictures of this church on Instagram. The view is nice if you have time for a quick stop, though.
Fjaðrárgljufur
Fjaðrárgljufur is a spectacular canyon located an hour or so east of Vik. This is one of the most popular stops in Iceland, made famous after Justin Bieber filmed a music video here. I think it was also in Game of Thrones at some point. There are two parking lots, one at the top and one at the bottom of the canyon, and the distance between them is less than a mile, so it’s definitely worth the walk. This place is insanely beautiful, but can get crowded. We stayed at a guesthouse just up the road and visited first thing in the morning, so we had the place all to ourselves, which was awesome.
Bonus: DC-3 plane crash
One place we did not visit, and one of the most Instagrammed spots in Iceland (which doesn’t make sense to me when there is so much beautiful nature) is a small crashed plane on the south coast, less than half an hour from Vik. It’s a bit of a walk to reach this plane crash, and we chose not to visit because it seemed like it was mainly just a photo-op, but it is a popular spot, and may be worth the stop if you are not on as tight a schedule as we were.
Well, that does it for my list of the top places to see in Vik. I really want to go back and spend more time in South Iceland. It is such a stunning part of such a stunning country, with lots more places to see and explore.
Leave a Reply