Vik: what to see, where to stay and how to get around
Vík is the southernmost village in Iceland, and it sits on a coast with no land between it and Antarctica. Everything here is about that sea: black sand, basalt stacks and waves that come in harder than they look. The loop runs from the church on the hill, round the mountain to Reynisfjara and out to the arch of Dyrhólaey, about 40 km in all. Wear a windproof layer even in July, and check the tide before the cave.
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A short history of Vik
Vík í Mýrdal is the southernmost village in Iceland, with only a few hundred inhabitants. It has no harbour, and fishermen went to sea straight from the black beach. Above it lies the Mýrdalsjökull glacier, and beneath that the Katla volcano. In its last eruption, in 1918, a huge glacial flood pushed the coastline out by several kilometres. Since then residents have practised evacuating to the church on the hill, as they believe it is the only building that would survive such a flood. Off the shore stand the Reynisdrangar rock stacks, which according to legend are trolls caught by the sun beside their boat.
The ten best sights in Vik
1VíkurkirkjaClimb up for the view of the sea stacks over the red roof; this is also where the village gathers if Katla erupts
2BrydebúðThe oldest house in Vík holds the Katla Geopark exhibition and a café; a good rainy-hour stop
3Skógar MuseumTurf houses, a church and old fishing boats next to Skógafoss; give it at least an hour, more than people plan
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4Þorvaldseyri Visitor Centre
A short film about the 2010 eruption, made by the family whose farm sits right under the volcano
5ReynisfjaraNever turn your back on the sea: sneaker waves reach far up the sand without warning, and people have drowned here
6ReynisdrangarThe stacks look best from the east end of Vík beach, which is calmer and emptier than Reynisfjara
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7Hálsanefshellir
The basalt-column cave at the end of Reynisfjara; at high tide the waves reach its mouth, so check the tide first
8DyrhólaeyPuffins nest here in early summer; parts of the headland close to cars during the nesting weeks
9SkógafossWalk close in for the spray, then take the stairs up for the river trail above; bring a rain jacket either way
10SeljalandsfossThe path runs behind the water; it is soaking wet and closed when icy in winter
Scan with your phone camera to open the map there
What is an audio walk?
Tours in Vik →A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Vik:
Free walking tours in Vik
Vík and the black coast
Vík is the southernmost village in Iceland, and it sits on a coast with no land between it and Antarctica. Everything here is about that sea: black sand, basalt stacks and waves that come in harder than they look. The loop runs from the church on the hill, round the mountain to Reynisfjara and out to the arch of Dyrhólaey, about 40 km in all. Wear a windproof layer even in July, and check the tide before the cave.
- Víkurkirkja · The church was built in 1934 on the hill above the village, and it is the official gathering point if Katla erupts under its glacier. In 1918 the last big eruption sent a flood of meltwater and ice across the plain east of Vík, and the low ground is still thought to be at risk.
- Reynisdrangar · The tallest of the stacks rises about 66 metres from the sea. The folk tale says they are trolls who tried to drag a three-masted ship ashore at night and were turned to stone when the sun came up.
- Reynisfjara · The waves here travel thousands of kilometres of open ocean before they hit the sand, which is why a calm-looking sea can suddenly run 30 or 40 metres up the beach. The warning signs at the entrance are there for a reason; stay well back from the water line.
- Hálsanefshellir · The columns formed when a thick lava flow cooled slowly and cracked into regular, mostly six-sided pillars. In summer puffins nest in the cliffs of Reynisfjall right above the cave and fly in and out over the beach in the evening.
- Dyrhólaey · Dyrhólaey was the southernmost point of Iceland until 1918, when the Katla eruption pushed so much sand into the sea east of Vík that a new point, Kötlutangi, took the title. The great arch below the cliff is big enough for boats to pass through in calm weather.
- Dyrhólaey Lighthouse · The white lighthouse on the top of the headland was built in 1927, at the end of a steep, narrow gravel road that is best driven slowly. From the top you see the whole coast: Reynisdrangar to the east and the black sand running west towards Skógar.
Waterfalls and the glacier on the way in
Most people reach Vík from Reykjavík, and the last 60 km of Route 1 pass the best-known waterfalls in the south, all fed by the ice caps above. This route puts them in order, so the day becomes the drive itself. Expect crowds at Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss from late morning; early or after five is calmer, and in summer it is light until close to midnight. Rain trousers and waterproof shoes make the difference here.
- Seljalandsfoss · The river drops about 60 metres from the old sea cliff, which once marked the coastline before the land rose. The water comes from Eyjafjallajökull, the glacier-capped volcano whose 2010 eruption stopped most flights over Europe for about a week.
- Gljúfrabúi · The name means 'the one who lives in the gorge'. The fall drops about 40 metres inside a narrow cleft, so from the road you see only the top, and the only way in is up the stream itself.
- Seljavallalaug · Local farmers built the pool in 1923 so the young people of the district could learn to swim, and at 25 metres it was the largest pool in Iceland for years. After the 2010 eruption it filled with ash, and volunteers dug it out by hand the following summer.
- Skógafoss · The fall is about 60 metres high and 25 wide. The saga tells that the settler Þrasi hid a chest of gold behind it; boys from the farm later caught its ring, but the chest slipped back, and the ring is said to have hung on the old church door at Skógar.
- Kvernufoss · It is about 30 metres high and sits in a side gorge just east of the museum, which is why it stayed off most itineraries. The path behind the water is drier than the one at Seljalandsfoss, though not by much.
- Sólheimajökull · This tongue of ice flows down from Mýrdalsjökull, an ice cap of more than 500 square kilometres that sits on top of Katla. Along the path from the car park, posts mark where the edge of the glacier stood in past years, and the distance shows how fast it is melting back.
Ash, wrecks and settlers
Behind the famous stops is a quieter story: a farm that lives under an active volcano, a museum built by one man's collecting, a plane that came down on the sand and the place where one of the first settlers was killed. These stops are spread along 80 km of Route 1, so the route works best split between the drive in and the drive out of Vík. The sands east of town can be very windy; check road.is before crossing.
- Þorvaldseyri Visitor Centre · In April 2010 the family farming here watched Eyjafjallajökull erupt directly above their fields, and ash buried the farm. They cleared the fields and kept farming, then opened the visitor centre to tell the story with their own footage.
- Skógar Museum · The museum opened in 1949 around the collection of Þórður Tómasson, who kept gathering tools, boats and houses from the region for decades and lived to be 100. The fishing boat Pétursey, rowed off the open beach where there was no harbour, is one of the pieces he saved.
- Sólheimasandur plane wreck · On 21 November 1973 a US Navy Douglas transport plane ran into trouble and made a forced landing on the sand. Everyone on board survived, and the stripped fuselage was simply left where it stopped.
- Brydebúð · The timber house was built in the Westman Islands in 1831 and later shipped to Vík to serve as a trading store. Inside, the Katla Geopark exhibition explains the volcano that sits under the ice just north of the village.
- Hjörleifshöfði · The hill is named after Hjörleifur, foster brother of Iceland's first settler Ingólfur Arnarson, who landed here around 874 and was killed by his Irish slaves. Ingólfur hunted the slaves down on the islands to the west, which is why they are still called Vestmannaeyjar, the islands of the 'west men', the Irish.
- Laufskálavarða · A farm called Laufskálar stood here before an eruption of Katla destroyed it in the early centuries of settlement. Travellers crossing the sands for the first time add a stone for a safe journey, and the field of small cairns keeps growing every summer.
Getting to Vik and getting around
- Vík bus stop · Public buses between Reykjavík and Höfn stop here only a few times a day; check the Strætó timetable before counting on one
- Landeyjahöfn · The Herjólfur ferry to the Westman Islands leaves from here, about 35 minutes at sea; in summer book the car a few days ahead
Cheap eats in Vik
Vík is one main road with two petrol stations, a supermarket and a handful of cafés, and that is the whole food scene for 70 km either way. Iceland is expensive, so a plain soup or a hot dog is the budget lunch, and tap water is free and excellent everywhere. Most places close early outside summer, so eat before the evening drive.
- Black Crust Pizzeria · Pizza with black charcoal dough, about 3,500-4,500 ISK
- Skool Beans · Coffee and cake in an old school bus, about 700-1,500 ISK
- Smiðjan Brugghús · Burgers and own-brewed beer, about 3,500-4,500 ISK
- Halldórskaffi · Lamb soup and fish in the old house, about 3,000-5,500 ISK
- N1 Vík · Hot dog and coffee at the petrol station grill, about 800-1,200 ISK
- Krónan Vík · Sandwiches, skyr and fruit for a picnic, about 1,000-2,000 ISK
Museums in Vik
- Skógar Museum · Turf houses, boats and a transport hall; at least an hour
- Þorvaldseyri Visitor Centre · The 2010 eruption told by the farm under it
- Brydebúð · Katla Geopark exhibition in the oldest house in Vík
- Víkurkirkja · The 1934 church on the hill, with a view over the stacks
Nature and day trips near Vik
- Reynisfjara · Black sand and basalt columns; keep well back from the waves
- Dyrhólaey · The arch and the lighthouse; puffins in early summer
- Sólheimajökull · Guided glacier walks from the car park
- Skógafoss · The big curtain of water; stairs to the top
- Seljalandsfoss · Walk behind the water; rain jacket required
- Hjörleifshöfði · A lone hill on the sands, with a settler legend
Things to do in Vik with kids
- Seljavallalaug · A warm 1923 pool in a valley, short walk in
- Gljúfrabúi · Step through the stream into the hidden waterfall
- Kvernufoss · A quiet waterfall to walk behind, 15 minutes from the car
- Laufskálavarða · Build your own cairn on the lava field
- Sundlaugin í Vík · The village pool with hot tubs; the evening plan when it rains
- Icelandic Lava Show · Real molten rock poured in front of you; book a time slot
Where to eat in Vik
- Suður-Vík · Lamb and fish in a house above the main road; book in summer
- Strondin Bistro · Fish of the day and lamb stew, next to the petrol station
- Smiðjan Brugghús · Craft beer and burgers; busy and loud in a good way
- Halldórskaffi · Dinner inside Brydebúð, the oldest house in town
- Black Beach Restaurant · Lunch or early dinner at Reynisfjara, facing the columns
Frequently asked questions about Vik
What is there to see in Vik?
The top sights in Vik are Víkurkirkja, Brydebúð and Skógar Museum. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.
How many days do you need in Vik?
Three to four days are enough to see the best of Vik without rushing, including at least one walking tour.
Is there a free walking tour in Vik?
Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Vik, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: Vík and the black coast.
How do you get to Vik and get around?
The main ways are Vík bus stop and Landeyjahöfn. Full details are in the transport section on this page.
Where to stay in Vik, and for how much?
sleepntrip shows only rooms in Vik that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.
Looking for a hotel in Vik for your dates?
Only rooms that meet nine conditions, up to $80 a night.