Iceland · City guides
Vík
The village at the end of the classic south-coast day, next to Reynisfjara’s black sand beach and the Reynisdrangar sea stacks.
Know before you go
Best time & quick facts
- Best time
- June to August for long days and calmer seas (Reynisfjara’s waves are dangerous year-round)
- Budget
- $200–$400 USD/day
- Getting around
- About 2.5 hours from Reykjavík on Route 1 by car, or on a South Coast day tour.
Get oriented
The overview
Vík í Mýrdal is the small village at the far end of the classic south coast day trip from Reykjavík. On our August 2023 south coast tour we stopped at Reynisfjara, the black sand beach just west of Vík, with its basalt columns and the Reynisdrangar sea stacks offshore. The waves there are powerful, so we kept our distance from the water. Our tour then continued east toward Höfn rather than stopping in the village itself.
Vík is a handy overnight base if you’re driving the south coast yourself, since it sits between the waterfalls, Sólheimajökull and Jökulsárlón further east.
Tours near Vík
- South Coast tours: most stop at Reynisfjara and turn around near Vík.
- Sólheimajökull glacier hike: the glacier is about 25 minutes west of Vík.
More in my Iceland itinerary.
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Explore Vík
Guides & stories
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Highlights
- Reynisfjara black sand beach, just west of the village
- The Reynisdrangar sea stacks offshore
- Sólheimajökull glacier about 25 minutes west
Weather in Vík
One of the wettest, windiest corners of the south coast, but mild for Iceland. Summers are cool and bright.
Best time to visit: June–August for long daylight and milder weather.
- Best
- Good
- Mixed
- Poor
Map of Vík
Places from this trip — tap a pin for details