South Coast & DC-3 Plane Wreck Tour

After pickup in Reykjavík, the first stop comes about 90 minutes east in Hvolsvöllur, at the LAVA Centre. This is a comfort break rather than a sightseeing stop, so entry to the exhibition isn't included, but there's time for restrooms and to buy food for the road. Do buy lunch here, because there's nothing included later. The building has a reason to be where it is: five active volcanic systems surround the town, among them Hekla, Katla, and Eyjafjallajökull.

A short drive on, Skógafoss drops 60 meters (197 feet) over a cliff that was Iceland's coastline before the sea retreated inland. The falls are 25 meters (82 feet) wide, and a staircase beside them climbs to a platform level with the lip. Look up at the rock faces on either side, and you'll spot fulmars nesting. They're protected in Iceland and listed as endangered on the European Red List, so keep back from the cliff edges.

Reynisfjara is the lunch stop, which buys you more time here than most South Coast itineraries allow. Lunch itself isn't included. The sand is black and volcanic, worn down by the surf, and the cliff at the western end, Garðar, is a wall of columnar basalt that fractured into rough hexagons as the lava cooled. Offshore, the Reynisdrangar sea stacks rise straight out of the water. Local folklore explains them as two trolls caught dragging a ship ashore when the sun rose, turning them to stone.

Your guide will say this, and it's worth taking seriously: don't turn your back on the water. Reynisfjara is known for sneaker waves that sweep much farther up the sand than the waves before them, and the beach slopes steeply into a strong undertow. Stay well back from the waterline and behind the warning signs.

From Reynisfjara, the route heads back west to Sólheimasandur, a black outwash plain built up by floodwater from beneath Mýrdalsjökull. Nothing grows out there and there's no shelter, which is exactly why most people never make it to the wreck. A US Navy DC-3 came down here in November 1973. Everyone on board survived, and the fuselage was left where it stopped.

Your ticket covers the shuttle, so you skip the 4-kilometer (2.5-mile) crossing on foot in each direction, an 8-kilometer (5-mile) round trip over loose sand. Bring windproof layers even in summer, because there's nothing between the plain and the sea to break the wind.

The stop in Vík is at the church on the hill above the village, and the short climb is the point of it. From the churchyard, you’ll look back over the rooftops to the black beach and the same sea stacks you saw from the sand, now from above.

A few kilometers west, Dyrhólaey is a headland with a natural arch cut through it and a lighthouse on top. It's a nature reserve managed by the Environment Agency of Iceland, and puffins nest on the cliffs through the summer. Access can be restricted between May 1 and June 25 to protect nesting birds, with the decision made each year on an ornithologist's assessment, so your guide will know on the day which viewpoints are open. Kirkjufjara beach below has been closed to visitors since a series of rockfalls; that closure stands year-round.

Sólheimajökull is an outlet glacier flowing south off the Mýrdalsjökull ice cap, and this is a viewpoint stop. There's no glacier hike on this tour, and you won't be walking on ice. What you get instead is the view down onto the glacier tongue and the meltwater lagoon at its snout.

Seljalandsfoss is the last stop before the drive back. It's a waterfall you can walk behind, following the trail past the curtain of water, though that path usually closes through winter once it ices over. Whether you can walk it comes down to weather conditions on the day. Drop-off is at your original pickup point.

Pickup is at 8:00 AM from your chosen collection point in Reykjavík, with drop-off at the same location. Pickup can take up to 30 minutes, so please be ready from the start of your selected time. With a 13- to 13.5-hour day, expect to be back in Reykjavík in the late evening.

• The tour lasts 13 to 13.5 hours in total.
• Lunch and food are not included. Buy what you need at the Hvolsvöllur stop, as later stops have no facilities.
• The shuttle to the DC-3 plane wreck is included in your ticket.
• This tour visits the Sólheimajökull viewpoint only. No glacier hike or ice walking is included.
• Access to Dyrhólaey can be restricted between May 1 and June 25 to protect nesting birds. Your guide will confirm on the day.
• Reynisfjara has powerful, unpredictable waves. Follow your guide's instructions and stay behind the warning signs.
• Waterproof and windproof clothing is essential. Bring warm layers and sturdy footwear.
• Warm clothing and boots can be rented during booking.