Interstellar, Batman Begins and Star Wars: the Iceland glaciers and beaches on screen

Some film sets are built. Others simply exist. When directors need a landscape that looks like another planet, a frozen wilderness or the edge of the world, Iceland is often on the shortlist: glaciers you can reach by road, endless black sand plains, and almost no trees, buildings or power lines to hide.

This guide follows three well-known productions to South Iceland. Batman Begins (2005) and Interstellar (2014), both directed by Christopher Nolan, used the same glacier, Svínafellsjökull. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) filmed scenes on the black sands of the South Coast near Vík. Add Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon, a favourite of the James Bond films, and you have a road trip that feels like a tour of the cinema.

As always with filming locations, nothing from the productions remains on site. What you will find are the real landscapes, which are even more impressive in person. We describe what was filmed in each place in general terms, how to get there from Reykjavík and how to visit safely.

Why Iceland keeps playing other worlds

A few things make South Iceland especially useful for filmmakers. Vatnajökull, the country's largest ice cap, sends glacier tongues down almost to the Ring Road, so crews can reach real ice without long expeditions. The outwash plains below the glaciers are vast, flat and black, created by glacial rivers and floods carrying volcanic sand towards the sea. And the light, low and soft for much of the year, changes the mood of a scene in minutes.

For visitors, the same qualities make the drive along the South Coast one of the most varied in the world: waterfalls in the first hours, then black beaches, then glaciers and icebergs further east. The film locations in this guide are spread along that road.

• Black sands near Vík (Rogue One): about 2.5 hours from Reykjavík
• Svínafellsjökull (Batman Begins, Interstellar): roughly 4.5 hours from Reykjavík
• Jökulsárlón (James Bond films and others): about 5 hours from Reykjavík

Svínafellsjökull: one glacier, two Nolan films

Svínafellsjökull is an outlet glacier of Vatnajökull, flowing down between steep mountain walls just west of Skaftafell in Vatnajökull National Park. Its surface is broken into ridges, crevasses and ice towers, with a small lagoon at the front. On a grey day it looks almost unreal, which is exactly what both films needed.

Batman Begins (2005)

Early in Batman Begins, a young Bruce Wayne trains in a remote, icy mountain landscape. Scenes for that part of the film, including the training on the ice, were filmed on Svínafellsjökull and in the surrounding Vatnajökull area. The glacier stood in for a frozen wilderness far from Gotham.

Interstellar (2014)

Nearly a decade later, Christopher Nolan came back to the same glacier for Interstellar. Svínafellsjökull became the frozen planet where the crew meet Dr Mann, with its clouds of ice and endless white surfaces. Most of Interstellar was filmed elsewhere, but the Iceland sequences are among the most memorable in the film.

Visiting Svínafellsjökull today

A short side road from the Ring Road leads to a car park near the glacier. From there, a path climbs to viewpoints over the ice tongue and the lagoon in front of it. You can get a good look at the ice without stepping onto it, and the scale of the glacier is clearer from here than on screen.

Access to the area can change with conditions on the mountain slopes around the glacier, so always follow the signs and any closures on site. Do not climb onto the ice from the lagoon shore and do not walk on the glacier without a certified guide. Glaciers move, crevasses can be hidden under snow, and the ice at the edge can collapse.

Skaftafell, a few minutes away

Svínafellsjökull is only a short drive from Skaftafell, one of the main areas of Vatnajökull National Park, with a visitor centre, a campsite and a network of marked hiking trails. The most popular walk leads uphill to Svartifoss, a waterfall framed by dark basalt columns, which takes roughly an hour or more there and back. Shorter, flat paths lead towards Skaftafellsjökull, another glacier tongue, where you can see the ice from a distance.

If you are staying in the area, it is worth giving Skaftafell half a day: the light on the glaciers changes constantly, and in the late afternoon the whole valley can look like a film set. Accommodation in this part of Iceland is limited and spread out, so book early, especially in summer.

Want to stand on the ice? Book a guided glacier walk

If you want to experience a glacier like the characters on screen, book a guided glacier walk with a licensed operator. Tours in the Skaftafell area provide crampons, helmets and harnesses and are led by trained glacier guides, who choose the route according to the conditions that day. Which glacier tongue a tour visits depends on the operator and the season, so check when you book.

• Book in advance, especially in summer.
• Wear warm, waterproof layers and sturdy hiking boots.
• Expect tours to change or cancel in bad weather: the guides decide on safety.
• Allow time to reach the meeting point: Skaftafell is far from Reykjavík.

We do not run glacier tours ourselves, but we can drive you to the meeting point. A one-way private transfer from Keflavík Airport to Skaftafell is an easy way to start a few days in the area.

Star Wars on the black sands near Vík

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story opens on a remote, rain-swept planet where the young Jyn Erso lives with her family. Scenes for that opening were filmed on the black sand plains of South Iceland, in the area around Vík. Location guides mention different exact spots, including the wide plain of Mýrdalssandur east of Vík, so we will keep it general: if you drive the South Coast, you will pass through the kind of landscape you saw on screen.

Mýrdalssandur is an enormous outwash plain of black sand, shaped by floods from beneath the Mýrdalsjökull glacier. The Ring Road crosses it east of Vík, with the mountain-like rock of Hjörleifshöfði rising from the flat sand. It is not a sight with a car park and a viewpoint, more a landscape you drive through, and it is best enjoyed from the road or from a safe pull-out.

Vík itself, the village between the cliffs and the sea, is the natural place to stop for lunch or a coffee on this part of the coast. From the church on the hill above the village you can look out over the black beach and the sea stacks. See our Vík travel guide.

Reynisfjara and the beaches around Vík

Just west of Vík, Reynisfjara is the most famous black beach in Iceland, with basalt columns, a cave and the Reynisdrangar sea stacks offshore. It is often mentioned in connection with Rogue One too, and it is a must-see on any South Coast trip whatever you think of Star Wars.

Jökulsárlón: icebergs made for the big screen

Less than an hour's drive east of Svínafellsjökull, Jökulsárlón is a lagoon at the foot of the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier, filled with icebergs that break off the glacier and slowly drift towards the sea. It has appeared in many productions. The best known are the James Bond films A View to a Kill (1985) and Die Another Day (2002), and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) also filmed there.

Unlike most film locations, Jökulsárlón looks exactly like it does on screen, every day of the year. You can walk along the shore, watch the seals that often swim in the lagoon and cross the road to Diamond Beach, where pieces of ice wash up on the black sand. Boat tours on the lagoon run in the warmer months; check the current season with the operators. Our Jökulsárlón day trip guide covers the visit in detail.

13–15 hours · private

South Coast + Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon

Seljalandsfoss · Skógafoss · Reynisfjara · Vík · Glacier lagoon

Car or Van

1–7 people · same price

195,000 kr

Book this tour

More science fiction in Iceland

Iceland has played alien or post-apocalyptic landscapes in other films too. Two examples that are well documented, though far from the South Coast:

• Prometheus (2012): the opening scene was filmed at Dettifoss, the powerful waterfall in North Iceland.
• Oblivion (2013): the film used landscapes in North Iceland for its version of a ruined future Earth.

If your trip includes the north, Dettifoss is a realistic day out from Akureyri or Lake Mývatn. See our Lake Mývatn guide and our Game of Thrones locations guide, which covers the volcanic sites around Mývatn.

Planning the route from Reykjavík

All three South Iceland locations lie along the Ring Road east of Reykjavík, in this order: the black sands around Vík, then Svínafellsjökull and Skaftafell, then Jökulsárlón. On the way you also pass Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss, two of the country's most famous waterfalls.

As a day trip

Vík and Reynisfjara fit into a normal South Coast day from Reykjavík. Jökulsárlón can be done in one very long day, and Svínafellsjökull is on the way, but you will spend most of the day in the car. Tell us in advance if you want a stop at the glacier viewpoint, and we will tell you what fits.

With an overnight stay

Two or three days make the trip far more enjoyable. Spend the first night around Vík or Kirkjubæjarklaustur, the second near Skaftafell or Höfn, and you will have time for the glacier viewpoint, a guided glacier walk and Jökulsárlón at a relaxed pace. Our Ring Road planning guide helps with the bigger picture.

Which season?

In winter, the light is short and soft, ice and snow give the strongest science-fiction look, and the roads need care. In summer, you have very long days and easier driving, but the plains are greener in places and the glacier surface is grey with ash and grit rather than white. Spring and autumn are a good balance for many travellers.

Seeing the locations with a private driver

Long distances, changeable weather and short winter days are the main challenges on this route. With a private driver, you can sit back, enjoy the scenery and stop where you want. Our private tours are priced per vehicle and start with hotel pick-up in Reykjavík; for multi-day trips, a one-way transfer to your hotel in the south is often the easiest option.

• Fixed price per car (Tesla or similar) for 1 to 4 people, or per van (Mercedes Vito) for 5 to 7
• Groups of 8 to 16: minibus on request via WhatsApp at +354 777 3949
• Same price day and night, door to door
• Stops on the way if agreed in advance
• Free cancellation up to 24 hours before pick-up

See the fixed prices for Vík, Skaftafell, Jökulsárlón and Höfn, or browse all our transfers.

Frequently asked questions

Where was Interstellar filmed in Iceland?

Was Batman Begins filmed in Iceland?

Which Star Wars film was shot in Iceland?

Can I visit Svínafellsjökull without a guide?

How far is Svínafellsjökull from Reykjavík?

Which James Bond films were filmed at Jökulsárlón?

Can I see these film locations in one day from Reykjavík?