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Voykit pocket guide · Iceland
Vík í Mýrdal
Vík
Stay 1 night in Vík as the south-coast midpoint: see Reynisfjara at a set hour, then drive on east or back west.
Vík is the largest village on Iceland's south coast, roughly halfway between Reykjavík and Höfn, and the natural overnight stop for the waterfalls, glacier and black-sand beaches around it. The village itself is small and walkable; the sights that justify the stop are 15–45 minutes away by car, so a hire car or a tour is what makes Vík work. One night covers it; two nights only if you want an ice-cave tour or a weather buffer.
- Country
- Iceland
- Local name
- Vík
- Best months
- May–Sep for the full road and long daylight; Feb–Mar and Oct for ice caves with a guide
- Avoid
- Nov–Jan for self-driving beyond the village (storms, closed roads); mid-summer for crowds and full guesthouses
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- ISK
- Money
- Currency is the Icelandic króna (ISK, kr). Cards are accepted almost everywhere, including remote petrol stations and toilets. About 145 ISK to €1 — check.
- Daily spend
- Budget 8,000–14,000 kr excl. bed · Mid 14,000–25,000 kr excl. bed · High 25,000 kr+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- EEA roaming applies: EU/EEA SIMs work at home prices.
- Emergency
- Emergency 112 · Non-urgent medical advice 1700
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · European two-pin.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: Not expected.; Tour guide: Optional; ISK 1,000–3,000 for an excellent guide.; Taxi: Nothing.
- Water
- Cold tap water is excellent; hot tap water is geothermal and smells of sulphur — do not drink it.
- Toilets
- Few on long drives; petrol stations and paid toilets (ISK 200–500) at sites.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee and a pastry | 700–1,500 kr |
| Soup or a burger, lunch | 2,000–3,500 kr |
| Pizza, main course | 2,500–4,000 kr |
| Beer, 0.5 l in a bar / can at the state store | 1,200–1,800 kr / 400–600 kr |
| Petrol, 1 litre | about 300 kr |
| Vík swimming pool, adult | 1,250 kr |
| Lava Show, adult | 5,900 kr |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | 2,000–4,000 kr |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- KEF · Keflavík International
- About 3 h drive via Reykjavík and the Ring Road; no airport near Vík.
Typical fares
- Strætó bus Reykjavík → Vík
- about 3 h 40 min with a change in Selfoss; check the timetable and fare
- Reykjavík → Vík by car
- 187 km, about 2 h 30 min in good conditions116 mi, about 2 h 30 min in good conditions
- Vík → Kirkjubæjarklaustur by car
- about 70 km, 1 habout 43 mi, 1 h
Get around
The village is about 1.5 km across and flat: walk it. Everything else — Reynisfjara, Dyrhólaey, the plane wreck, Skógafoss, Sólheimajökull — is 15–45 minutes by car on the Ring Road or gravel tracks. No local bus serves those sights; join a tour from Vík or Reykjavík if you have no car. Fill the tank in Vík before heading east: the next fuel is far.The village is about 0.9 mi across and flat: walk it. Everything else — Reynisfjara, Dyrhólaey, the plane wreck, Skógafoss, Sólheimajökull — is 15–45 minutes by car on the Ring Road or gravel tracks. No local bus serves those sights; join a tour from Vík or Reykjavík if you have no car. Fill the tank in Vík before heading east: the next fuel is far.
See and do
Known for
- Reynisfjara black-sand beach and Reynisdrangar sea stacks
- Mýrdalsjökull and the Katla volcano underneath it
- Skógafoss and Kvernufoss waterfalls
- Sólheimajökull glacier outlet
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Reynisfjara and Reynisdrangar | Drive 10 min east of Vík, park at the signed lot | About 30 min |
| Skógafoss and Kvernufoss | Drive 30 min west on the Ring Road to Skógar | About 45 min |
| Sólheimajökull glacier | Drive 45 min west, then a short gravel track and a 15-min walk | About 1 h |
| DC-3 plane wreck, Sólheimasandur | Park at the Ring Road gate 20 min west, then walk the marked track | About 2 h |
| Dyrhólaey | Drive 20 min west, then the signed road to the upper lighthouse | About 40 min |
| Kirkjubæjarklaustur and Fjaðrárgljúfur | Drive east on the Ring Road, about 70 kmDrive east on the Ring Road, about 43 mi | About 1 h |
Sleep
- Vík village centre
- Walkable to the pool, shops and restaurants; most guesthouses and the two main hotels sit here.
- Ring Road east of the village
- Hotel Katla and similar, 5–10 min drive east; quieter, needs a car for dinner.
- West towards Sólheimasandur
- Hotels and farm stays 15–25 min west; good if you are heading back to Reykjavík.
- Vík campsite
- Tent and campervan pitches with power and showers; book ahead in July–August.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Hallóha-loh |
| Thank you | Þakka þérthah-ka thyer |
| How much is it? | Hvað kostar það?kvath kos-tar thath |
| Can I pay by card? | Get ég borgað með korti?get yeh bor-gath meth kor-ti |
| Where is the toilet? | Hvar er baðherbergið?kvar er bath-her-ber-gith |
| Help | Hjálphyalp |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake, first names; avoid: Using titles or surnames — there usually is no family name
- Pools: Shower naked first, keep the hot pot conversational; avoid: Swimwear in the showers
- Driving: Pull into lay-bys for photos, dip lights on single-lane bridges; avoid: Stopping on the road
- Nature: Stay on paths, carry litter out; avoid: Stone stacks, walking on moss
- Conversation: Ask about books, music, weather and the elves with good humour; avoid: Lecturing on whaling
Scams and watch-outs
- Never turn your back on the sea at Reynisfjara: sneaker waves have killed visitors. Stay well back from the waterline and off the wet sand.
- Katla sits under Mýrdalsjökull and an eruption would trigger a flash flood across the sandur. Day to day Vík is safe; follow any evacuation notice immediately.
- F-road and highland tracks need a 4x4 and are closed outside summer; check road.is and vedur.is before every leg.
- Winter: single-lane bridges, ice and sudden closures on the Ring Road. Build a spare day into any winter plan.
- Fuel, food and pharmacies thin out fast east of Vík; stock up here.
Vík is a safe village; the danger is the sea and the road. Never turn your back on the waves at Reynisfjara, and check road.is and vedur.is before every winter leg.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Vík í Mýrdal yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Reynisfjara black-sand beach and Reynisdrangar sea stacks
- Mýrdalsjökull and the Katla volcano underneath it
- Skógafoss and Kvernufoss waterfalls
- Sólheimajökull glacier outlet
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Visit Vík — official destination site: visitvik.is/
- Vík municipality: www.vik.is/is/
- Strætó — south coast bus services: straeto.is/en
- Icelandic Road Administration — road conditions: www.road.is/
- Icelandic Met Office — weather and warnings: en.vedur.is/
- Wikivoyage: Vík í Mýrdal, revision 5237972 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5237972
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Vík í MýrdalVík
Á þetta heimilisfang, takk
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Vík; the US embassy and most others are in Reykjavík. Consular help for the south coast comes from there.
Card is accepted almost everywhere in Vík; keep a small cash backup for campsites and remote fuel.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/vik-i-myrdal). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.