Places to visit

Hidden Gems in South Iceland: Brúarfoss, the Plane Wreck and More, in Our Own Photos

Drive Reykjavik team · 5 min read

Quick facts

  • Brúarfoss: a small waterfall with bright blue water, a short detour from the Golden Circle. Allow about 1.5 to 2 hours including the walk.
  • Sólheimasandur plane wreck: the remains of a US Navy DC-3 on a black sand plain on the South Coast. About 4 km each way on foot, so plan around 2 hours there and back.
  • Glacier walk: only with a certified glacier guide, who provides crampons, helmets and ice axes. Usually 3 to 4 hours including the briefing.
  • The road east of Höfn: quiet, dramatic coastline and mountains on the way to the East Fjords; best as part of a multi-day trip.
  • With us: any of these can be added to a private day on request. Send us your plan on WhatsApp for a fixed price.

All the photos below were taken by our team on trips between 2024 and 2026. None of them are stock images.

Brúarfoss: the blue waterfall

Bright blue glacial water rushing through the Brúarfoss falls between snowy banks
Brúarfoss in March, with snow still on the banks.Photo: Drive Reykjavik

Brúarfoss is not tall, but the colour of the water is unlike anything else on the Golden Circle: an intense turquoise blue as the Brúará river pours into a narrow cleft. It lies between Laugarvatn and Geysir, a short detour from the classic route.

You reach it on foot from a signposted parking area off the main road. The walk follows the river past smaller cascades and takes roughly half an hour to 45 minutes each way at an easy pace; there is also a closer car park that charges a fee. In winter the path can be icy, so shoes with grip help.

The Sólheimasandur plane wreck

Silhouette of a person standing on the DC-3 plane wreck on Sólheimasandur in hazy sunlight
The DC-3 on Sólheimasandur in July: a strange, quiet place on the black sand.Photo: Drive Reykjavik

In 1973 a US Navy DC-3 made an emergency landing on the black sand plain of Sólheimasandur, between Skógafoss and Vík. Everyone on board survived, and the fuselage was left where it stopped. Today it is one of the most photographed places in the south.

Cars are not allowed on the sand, so you walk from the parking area on the Ring Road: about 4 km each way on a flat, marked path, roughly 45 minutes to an hour each direction. The landscape is empty and the weather can turn quickly, so take a windproof jacket and water. Climbing on the wreck is at your own risk; the metal is old and can be slippery.

It fits well into our South Coast private tour if you start early, since the walk adds about two hours to an already full day.

A guided glacier walk

A group of hikers with helmets and ice axes walking up a glacier under a deep blue sky
On the ice with a certified guide: crampons, helmets and a clear blue sky.Photo: Drive Reykjavik

Walking on a glacier is one of the most memorable things you can do in Iceland, but it is not something to try alone. Glaciers have crevasses, moulins and soft ice that change all the time. Always go with a licensed glacier guiding company: they provide crampons, helmets, harnesses and ice axes, choose a safe route and turn back if conditions are bad.

Hikers with crampons walking across a dark, ash-streaked glacier below steep mountains
Glacier ice is often streaked with volcanic ash, so it looks grey rather than white.Photo: Drive Reykjavik

Most guided walks take three to four hours including the safety briefing. You book the walk directly with a guiding company; we can drive you to the meeting point and back as a private transfer or as part of a day on the South Coast. Read our Sólheimajökull glacier hike guide and ice caves guide.

The road east of Höfn

A river and small waterfall below snow-dusted mountains along the Ring Road east of Höfn
East of Höfn in March: mountains, rivers and almost no traffic.Photo: Drive Reykjavik

Beyond Höfn, the Ring Road leaves the glaciers behind and follows a wild stretch of coast towards the East Fjords. There are no famous sights here, which is exactly the point: rivers, steep mountains and empty roads where you can stop wherever the view is best. It is too far for a day trip from Reykjavík, but a beautiful part of a multi-day trip around the island.

We drive private transfers from Keflavík Airport and Reykjavík to Höfn and Djúpivogur; see also our South Coast to Höfn and Djúpivogur itinerary.

How to fit these into your trip

  • Golden Circle + Brúarfoss: add about 1.5 to 2 hours to the Golden Circle day.
  • South Coast + plane wreck: start early and add about 2 hours; best in the long days of spring and summer.
  • Glacier walk: book the walk first, then tell us the meeting point and time.
  • East of Höfn: plan a night in Höfn or the East Fjords, or book a one-way transfer.

Send us your ideas on WhatsApp and we will reply with a fixed price per car for the day.

  • Fixed price per car, not per person, agreed before you travel
  • Economy (Tesla) for 1 to 4 passengers, Van (Mercedes Vito) for 5 to 7, minibus for 8 to 16 on request
  • Your driver meets you in the arrivals hall with a name sign and checks your flight before leaving
  • 45 minutes of free waiting at the airport
  • Pay 20% to book and the rest in the car by card or cash, or pay everything online
  • Free cancellation up to 24 hours before pick-up

We have been driving travellers around Iceland for ten years, and we go everywhere in the country, not only to Reykjavík.

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