Private South Coast Tour with Reykjaböð Hot Springs

Seljalandsfoss drops 60 metres from what was once the edge of the coastline, before sea levels fell after the last ice age. The Seljalandsá river is fed by meltwater from Eyjafjallajökull, the volcano that erupted in 2010 and grounded flights across Europe. It is one of the few waterfalls in Iceland with a path behind the falling water, so expect to get wet and bring a waterproof jacket. In winter the path behind the falls can close because of ice.

A 40-metre waterfall hidden inside a narrow, moss-covered canyon, about 10 minutes' walk along a flat path from Seljalandsfoss. From the outside you only see the top of the falls. To see it all, you step on stones along a shallow stream into the canyon, so waterproof shoes help.

Skógafoss falls in one broad curtain about 60 metres high and 25 metres wide, right beside the village of Skógar. On sunny days the spray usually throws a rainbow, sometimes a double one, across the pool at its base. A staircase of 527 steps leads to a viewpoint at the top, where you can see the river before it drops.

Kvernufoss, 'mill waterfall', drops 30 to 40 metres over a basalt ledge into a narrow green gorge just east of Skógafoss. Because it is a short walk off the road, it stays much quieter than its famous neighbour. A path leads around the side and behind the curtain of water into a shallow cave, and the walk is about 1.5 kilometres there and back.

Vík í Mýrdal is the southernmost village in Iceland and the natural stopping point on the South Coast. It sits under the Mýrdalsjökull ice cap, which covers the Katla volcano, and has a black sand beach with sea stacks, a hilltop church, a supermarket and a filling station. Your guide stops at a restaurant here for lunch, which you pay for yourself.

Reynisfjara is a black sand beach with the sea stacks of Reynisdrangar rising out of the water offshore. At the western end, a cliff of hexagonal basalt columns, stacked like organ pipes, stands beside the cave Hálsanefshellir. It is also one of the most dangerous beaches in Iceland, because of sudden, powerful waves that run far up the sand. Keep well back from the water and follow the warning signs.

On the way back to Reykjavík you stop in Hveragerði. Reykjaböð Hot Springs is a new bathhouse at the start of the Reykjadalur valley, just above Hveragerði, where steam rises from the hillsides. Reykjaböð entry is included with the Classic admission: the natural, chlorine-free hot springs and the outdoor ritual area with a sauna, cold plunge pools and a Kneipp pool, with use of a towel. If you want more, you can upgrade to the Signature admission when you book, which adds the adults-only Bathhouse, a bathrobe and slippers, and a drink at the in-water bar. You have about 2 hours at the baths. Bring your swimsuit.