Glacier and Waterfall Day Trip from Reykjavik

Join your private driver-guide for this 8-hour day trip to experience Seljalandsfoss Waterfall and Sólheimajökull Glacier, two of Iceland’s most unforgettable sights. 

With collection from your Reykjavík hotel, join your driver-guide to avoid the hectic rush and queues associated with group tours. Upon arrival, spend as much time as you’d like at each destination while your guide shares fascinating Icelandic folklore and legends as you wander behind Seljalandsfoss’s cascading falls, then onto touch ancient glacial ice before returning to Reykjavík.

Highlights of Our Iceland Glacier & Waterfall Day Trip

Private Hotel Pick-Up from Reykjavík

Seljalandsfoss Waterfall Walk

Scenic South Coast Drive

Picnic Lunch with a View

Sólheimajökull Glacier Exploration

Customizable Itinerary

Our Waterfalls and Glacier Day Trip itinerary

All our day trips are totally customizable, and this Seljalandsfoss Waterfall and Sólheimajökull Glacier experience is no different.

While we recommend pick-up outside your Reykjavik accommodation at 8 AM for a bright and early start, we are completely happy to begin at any other time that suits you.

Similarly, we have outlined the day trip and lunch stop below, but if you would like to add additional destinations, reserve a restaurant for lunch, or make any other amendments you wish, simply let us know, and we will arrange it for you.

Serene Seljalandsfoss Waterfall Experience

Arriving at Seljalandsfoss around 9 AM, your driver will park just steps from the trailhead. 

Instead of rushing through a quick photo opportunity, your private guide will ensure that you have plenty of time to explore at a relaxed pace. 

Begin by strolling behind the curtain of water—feel the mist on your face and hear the constant roar while pausing at several vantage points for both wide-angle and close-up shots. Your guide ensures you have plenty of time to experiment with different compositions, whether you prefer the dramatic silhouette against the morning light or the intricate details of water droplets catching the sun. 

Adjacent moss-covered paths lead you to secluded nooks where fewer visitors venture, giving you a feeling of discovering a hidden corner of Iceland’s natural splendor.

As you wander, your guide shares captivating local lore: tales of huldufólk (hidden elves) said to dwell in the cliffside caves and stories of how Seljalandsfoss carved its cavern over centuries. With each step, they point out subtle geological clues—the weathered basalt layers that hint at ancient lava flows and the gradual erosion patterns that shaped this waterfall’s unique amphitheater. 

This deeper context transforms the moment from a simple sightseeing stop into an immersive and unforgettable experience, combining culture and geology.

If you would like to explore further then there is a grassy track nearby, where a smaller cascade hides behind a rocky bend, an intimate spot to admire a less-frequented waterfall before you regroup. 

After returning to the base of Seljalandsfoss for one final, sweeping panorama, your guide will ensure everyone is ready to depart, leaving you satisfied that you’ve truly absorbed every nuance of this iconic Icelandic landmark.

Scenic Drive & Picnic Lunch En Route to the Glacier

Departing Seljalandsfoss, the scenic drive toward Sólheimajökull will take around 75 minutes.

Your driver will pause at a scenic pull-off overlooking rolling black-lava fields transitioning to distant ocean cliffs. Guests can stretch their legs and breathe the fresh mountain air as you savor a picnic lunch featuring charcuterie-style sandwiches, fresh fruit, and local Skyr snacks. 

As you eat, the guide highlights volcanic history and explains how glaciers shape the landscape. 

Extended Glacier Tongue Exploration

Arriving at Sólheimajökull, first, spend some time at the trailhead listening to your guide’s orientation: learn how this glacier formed over millennia, what forces drive its seasonal advance and retreat, and how it has visibly receded in recent decades. This brief introduction sets the stage so you appreciate the landscape’s slow-moving power before stepping onto the moraine.

Armed with that introduction, you’re ready for the 30-minute guided walk across the rocky terrain toward the glacier’s peak. Your guide points out subtle color shifts in the ice—those brilliant blue hues where ice is most compressed—and identifies frozen meltwater pools that glimmer like mirrors in the sun. 

You’ll skirt small crevasses as your guide explains the internal ice dynamics that create these fractures. At each pause, you’ll learn about the glacier’s flow patterns and the rocky moraines left behind by retreating ice.

Arriving at the ice front, feel the ancient ice under your fingertips—some of it is thousands of years old. This is an ideal moment for photographers to capture time-lapse sequences of shifting light across the ice. If the weather permits, hear the distant thundering of ice calving into meltwater lagoons, a reminder of the glacier’s ongoing journey.

With a deeper understanding of Sólheimajökull’s past and present, you’ll depart, carrying with you a profound sense of this glacier’s fragile, ever-changing beauty.