South Coast & Glacier Lagoon Kayaking Tour

A South Coast day trip from Reykjavík built around a glacier lagoon kayaking tour on the small lagoon at Sólheimajökull. You visit Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss waterfalls on the way, then paddle a two-person kayak among floating ice.

• Kayaking among floating icebergs on the Sólheimajökull glacier lagoon
• Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss, two of the South Coast's best-known waterfalls
• All kayaking gear included: kayak, paddle, dry suit and safety equipment
• A certified instructor guides the paddle, no experience needed
• Warm tea or coffee back at base camp after the water

Your day, stop by stop

2SeljalandsfossA waterfall you can walk behind on a path around the back.

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.

Tip · wear a rain jacket if you walk behind the falls

Read our Seljalandsfoss guide →

3SkógafossA wide, powerful waterfall, seen in Thor: The Dark World.

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.

Facilities · toilets and a café nearby

Read our Skógafoss guide →

4Kayaking briefing and gearChange into a dry suit and get a safety briefing at base camp.

At the base camp your instructor fits you with a dry suit, life jacket and paddle, and runs through the basics before you get on the water. The minimum age for the kayaking is 14.

Age · minimum 14

5Sólheimajökull glacier lagoon kayakingAbout an hour to an hour and a half paddling among icebergs.

You paddle a two-person kayak across the small lagoon in front of the glacier for about 1 to 1.5 hours, weaving between floating chunks of ice, with your instructor nearby. It is easy and needs no experience.

Time on the water · about 1–1.5 hoursDifficulty · easy, no experience needed

Read our Sólheimajökull guide →

6Warm drink at base campTea or coffee back at base camp after kayaking.

Tea or coffee back at base camp after kayaking, a chance to warm up before the coach ride back to Reykjavík.

About the glacier lagoon kayaking tour

This tour turns the classic South Coast waterfall run into a longer day with an activity added at the end: kayaking on the small glacier lagoon that has formed in front of Sólheimajökull, an outlet glacier of Mýrdalsjökull. You start with the coach ride out of Reykjavík, stopping at Seljalandsfoss, where you can walk behind the falls, and Skógafoss, one of Iceland's widest and most powerful waterfalls.

At Sólheimajökull you change into a dry suit and paddle a two-person kayak between chunks of glacier ice that have calved into the lagoon, with a certified instructor guiding the group. No kayaking experience is needed, and the paddling itself takes about an hour to an hour and a half within a longer stop at the lagoon.

This is a seasonal add-on to the South Coast route, running in spring, summer and autumn when the lagoon and access conditions allow, rather than through the darkest winter months. Lunch is not included, so bring a packed lunch or snacks; the day is long, with a lot of time on the coach between stops.

As with any glacier lagoon, conditions and the shape of the ice change from year to year, and your guide will confirm on the day whether the water is calm enough to paddle.

Questions people ask