Itinerary for one day Selfoss to Vik

Posted by Yin on 07/24/18 07:58 PM

Hello any recommendations for one day itinerary in late August from Selfoss to Vik with kids (ages 9,11, 13). We are staying in Vik for the night and have a car rental.

We plan to do all the main sights, Sejalandfoss waterfall, Skogafoss waterfall, Dyrholaey, Reynisfjara black sand, exploring time of vik, but wondering if we can fit in a solheimajokull glacier hike, is it worth it? and a Myrdalsjokull glacier cave tour? We don't plan on making any stops to Museums as our kids are not really into Museums.

On fourth day we plan to drive to Vik to Hofn and will visit Jokulsarlon and plan to do a Vatnajokull Glacier hike, so don't want to do anything too repetitive with the ice hike and ice cave tours on day 3 from Selfoss to vik, or is it worth it? Do you think we will have time to fit all this in on Day 3 and 4?

Any advice appreciated!

Posted by Kim

San Francisco

07/25/18 01:58 AM

993 posts

I think you can easily do what you have listed in one day - I would go to the Skogar folk museum, we liked it there. It was interesting I thought.

The waterfall stops did not take very long. It was very bad weather when we went so we didn;t spend much time at the black sand beach. Vik is also very small.

If you are already doing the glacier walk, you probably don;t need two. My family did the Solh... glacier walk and enjoyed it. But I can't imagine it is much different from another glacier walk.

We did the boat tour at the ice lagoon and liked it. Not sure you have time on one day for 2 glacier things and ice lagoon (if you take boat) - if so do the glacier at Solh.. on day 3 instead. And I don;t think you can do ice caves in the summer? Better check that, my understanding is that they are unstable then so you can't go. But maybe they all are not the same...

Just keep in mind with kids that the driving is very desolate... pack food and beverages because there are not many places to stop and get stuff.

Kim

Posted by jbkulick

07/25/18 01:21 PM

31 posts

I definitely wouldn't do two glacier hikes.

My kids liked some of the less popular things we did -
- a hike to a free heated pool on the way to to Skogafoss:
https://iheartreykjavik.net/2013/05/seljavallalaug-a-hiidden-gem-in-south-iceland/?cn-reloaded=1
- a hidden waterfall we had to ourselves: Kvernufoss right near Skogafoss
- a smaller glacier lagoon: Fjallsárlón west of Jokulsarlon

Posted by HK

Baltimore, Maryland, USA

07/25/18 02:41 PM

320 posts

Even if they don't like museums, consider the Lava Centre in Hvolsvollur. It's more an interactive experience than a typical museum. I expect kids that age would love it.

I second the recommendation for the Skogar Folk Museum. In addition to the museum rooms filled with folk material (including a full-sized fishing boat), they have a small outdoor building museum (including a turf house) and a huge transportation and technology building with lots of full-sized cars. There is a section on the Icelandic rescue service that was really interesting and informative.