From Reykjavík: Southern Iceland 6-Day Self-Drive Tour

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From Reykjavík: Southern Iceland 6-Day Self-Drive Tour

• Pickup from your hotel
• Duration per the operator: 6 days

from $1802

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Six days on the south coast, at your own pace

This is a self-drive tour that starts in Reykjavik and spends six days working its way along Iceland's south coast, with overnight stops that let you cover ground that day-trippers only glimpse. You drive yourself in a rental car, following a route that reaches the village of Vík í Mýrdal and the country's southernmost points, then returns to the capital. The pace is the point: where a standard south coast excursion runs ten to fourteen hours and turns around the same day, this one spreads the journey across nearly a week. That makes it suitable for travellers who want to set their own rhythm, stop when the light is right, and not feel rushed at each waterfall or black sand beach. You are responsible for the driving, so it helps to be comfortable on Icelandic roads, including gravel stretches and mountain passes that can be slow going. The tour runs for six full days, and the price starts at 1,848 USD. Hotel pickup is included, which means you are collected from your accommodation in Reykjavik at the beginning and brought back at the end. This is not a guided coach tour; it is a route with accommodation and a car arranged for you, leaving the daily decisions largely in your hands.

Photographs from Snæland Travel's listing. They show the tour, not necessarily your day.

What the price covers and what you pay separately

The entry price of 1,848 USD puts this tour in the upper range of south coast offerings, and it buys a specific set of things. Food is explicitly included, which is unusual for this category: only 14 other tours in the group of 81 say the same. That means your main meals are covered across the six days, so you are not budgeting for restaurant stops along the way. Hotel pickup is also part of the deal, saving you the cost and hassle of getting yourself to a meeting point. The operator is clear that admission to the sights on the itinerary is not included. This puts the tour in a small minority: only one other listing in the entire south coast category of 80 makes the same statement. You should therefore expect to pay entry fees at any museums, visitor centres, or paid attractions you choose to enter along the route. The operator does not itemise what those fees might be, and no official figures are published for the individual stops. What you can count on is that the driving, the accommodation, and your meals are handled within the upfront price. The tour is not wheelchair accessible, so if that is a requirement for you, this is not the right fit. Free cancellation is offered, though the operator does not state the deadline for it.

A tour without a track record yet

This tour has no customer ratings at all. That is the honest core of this page: it is unevidenced, not bad. Where other south coast tours show scores of 4.5 to 4.8 from hundreds or thousands of reviews, this one has nothing on record. You are being asked to book on the strength of the operator's description alone. In a category of 81 listings, it ranks 49th, but that rank is ordered by strength of evidence rather than by score, so it tells you more about the absence of reviews than about quality. The price, at 1,848 USD, places it 72nd of 81, among the most expensive 11 percent of the group, which ranges from 116 to 4,044 USD. You are paying a premium for the six-day length and the included meals, not for a proven reputation. If you are the kind of traveller who relies on other people's recent experiences to choose a tour, this one offers you no such safety net. That does not mean the tour is weak; it means you would be an early customer, and your own review would be among the first.

When the south coast works best

The climate chart above shows Reykjavik's monthly averages, and for a six-day self-drive these numbers matter more than they would for a single-day excursion. From June through August, average highs sit between 13 and 15 degrees, with lows around 7 to 9 degrees. Those are the months when daylight is longest and the weather is most forgiving, which matters when you are driving yourself between stops and want flexibility in your daily schedule. May and September are transitional: highs of 10 and 11 degrees respectively, with lows around 4 to 6 degrees, and fewer crowds than the peak months. From October through April, highs hover between 3 and 8 degrees, and lows drop to freezing or just below from November to February. A six-day tour in winter means shorter driving windows each day, and you will need to plan your stops to finish before darkness falls. The south coast itself can be wet and windy in any season, but the summer months give you the most margin for error. If you are set on this itinerary, aim for May to September, when the averages are above 10 degrees and the days are long enough to make the driving enjoyable rather than pressured.

What to expect at the start and on the road

The tour begins with hotel pickup in Reykjavik, so your first contact with the operator is at your accommodation. From there you collect your car and set out on the ring road heading east. The itinerary includes stops in Vík í Mýrdal, a village that sits roughly 180 km (112 miles) southeast of the capital, and the route takes in the south coast's signature sights along the way. Because admission is not included, you will handle entry payments yourself at each stop. The car parks at the major waterfalls and beaches are generally open and you drive straight in, though in busy summer months they can fill by mid-morning. The weather will shape your days more than any other factor. Coastal winds can be strong, and rain is common even in July. The roads are paved for most of the route, but gravel sections exist, and a sudden storm can close mountain passes without warning. You are driving yourself, so the decision to turn back or wait out bad weather rests with you. The operator has arranged your accommodation for each night, so you do not need to search for lodging at the end of a long driving day. What you will not find is a guide waiting at each stop to explain what you are seeing; this is a self-drive arrangement, and the interpretation is yours to seek out.

Who should take this tour, and who should not

This tour suits travellers who are confident drivers, comfortable with a loose itinerary, and happy to spend six days covering ground at their own speed. It is for people who want the structure of pre-arranged accommodation and included meals but who prefer independence over a coach party. If you like the idea of stopping at a waterfall for as long as you like, or skipping a sight entirely when the weather turns, this gives you that freedom. It is not for anyone who wants a guide to handle the driving and narrate the landscape. It is also not for travellers with mobility restrictions, since the operator states the tour is not wheelchair accessible. If you are unsure whether six days of self-driving is right, consider the shorter alternatives in the same category. A full-day South Coast, Black Beach and Waterfalls Tour runs 10.5 hours from 131 USD, and a Glacier Hike, Waterfall and Black Sand Beach option runs 11 hours from 188 USD. Those give you a taste of the same coastline without the commitment of a week behind the wheel. The longer 14.5-hour tour to Diamond Beach and Jökulsárlón costs 230 USD and reaches farther east in a single day. Any of those would suit someone who prefers to leave the driving to a professional and see the highlights in one go. This six-day tour is the choice for travellers who want the south coast on their own terms, with the time and the vehicle to explore it properly.

Or have the whole trip arranged

The same route at a pace that does not put it all into one day, with the nights and the transport booked with it. This one runs 3 days from Reykjavik, and the operator handles the route, the nights and the driving.

★★★★★

TourRadar

3 Day - Golden Circle, South Coast, Jökulsárlón & Ice Cave

★ 4.4 · 172 reviews

3 days out of Reykjavik, arranged end to end by Arctic Adventures.

from $1072

Check availability3 days • Start and end in Reykjavik

GetYourGuide

From Reykjavík: Southern Iceland 6-Day Self-Drive Tour

Dates, remaining places and the current version of what is included are at the operator. This page reflects the partner catalogue as exported in August 2026.

from $1802

Check availabilityFree cancellation