Top Things to do in South Region
What to do and see in South Region, Iceland: The Best Things to do Adventurous
Discover the best top things to do in South Region, Iceland including Laugavegur, Haifoss, Eldfell, Bruarfoss Waterfall, Gljufrabui Waterfalls, Fimmvorduhals Hiking Trail, Golden Circle Route, Strokkur, Selfoss Geyser, Seljalandsfoss.
Restaurants in South Region
1. Laugavegur
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 287 reviews
Reviewed By markmB9654XX - Kirkland, United States
I hiked the Laugavegur (Landmannalaugar) and Fimmvörðuháls trails with two nights at Thórsmörk to have a day to explore the popular area around Thórsmörk. Landmannalaugar was one of my favorite areas in Iceland from a prior trip to Iceland to drive around the ring road. I came back solely to complete this hike inlcuding exploring Landmannalaugar and Thórsmörk. The hike offers a variety of barren landscapes from colorful rhyolite hills, steaming fumaroles, lava fields, neon green valleys with glacier views to black volcanic desserts culminating in forest. Huts should be booked far in advance prior to January and will be reviewed at the end. Explore Landmannalaugar: I spent one night in Landmannalaugar and would recommend this to others. This offers two days in the area incase the weather inclement one of the days and allows you start the hike earlier than others. My first day had some rain with many people waiting in the hut. But we also had a clearing in the afternoon were many people went out for great views. Several people hiked up Mt Blahnúkúr before the clouds settled in again. Landmannalaugar to Hrafntinnusker: On the second day I started the Laugavegur and hiked to Hrafntinnusker. The day starts with colorful rhyolite hills, moss, lava fields and steaming fumaroles. We had a low cloud cover limiting the ability to get full views the higher up we went on the trail. However, we could see enough to appreciate the area. The landscape became barren and grey with snow crossings. Visibility got poor due to fog few kilometers before Hrafntinnusker Hut and required following trailer markers. About 1 to 1.5 km before the hut we passed the marker where Ido Keinan died after loosing his way from Landmannalaugar to Hrafntinnusker. The area around Hrafntinnusker is known to have the most inclement weather on the trail and camping is frequently discouraged here due to wind. On the day I started the hike rangers where stopping backpackers who were planning on camping at Hrafntinnusker. There were however a few tents setup and it looked miserable outside. At some point a few of them moved into the hut, because their tents “broke.” Hrafntinnusker to Álftavatn: The next day was my favorite due to the second half of the day. The weather started off foggy creating poor visibility. Fortunately many of us left the hut around the same time, which was good so we could help each other find the trail in places. In some areas we were hiking in near whiteout conditions of snow and fog, which made finding the trail difficult. We had to also had to navigate snow bridges. Eventually we passed areas of bright green moss and a small amber colored stream cascading over several small waterfalls. Visibility slowly improved as we reached Álftavatn valley though it came with wind. A highlight of the trip was reaching the viewpoint over the Álftavatn valley. The valley is filled with numerous volcanic hill formations in bright green and black, lakes and glaciers in the distance. The nearby peaks are called Stórasula, Brattháls, Hattafel and Torfatindar. The view is also a large contrast from the multiple colors of Landmannalaugar and the grey toned landscape in between. Álftavatn to Emstrur: The third day started off rather green proceeding through the Angelic Valley, which we looked down on the prior day from the viewpoint. Eventually the valley floors turns from rolling hills to an enormous flat desert of pumice and black sand known as Mælifellssandur. The trail passes the neon-green moss-streaked peaks including Útigönguhöfðar and Storkonufell. However, the trail became monotonous as we walked along the black desert floor. The day ended down a long hill to the Emstrur huts. A popular hike from Emstrur is back up the hill to see Markarfljotsgljufur canyon, which is worth it if you have the energy and interest. Emstrur to Thórsmörk: The fourth day starts off in volcanic gravel which requires some care in descending through sand/gravel into the canyon of the Syðri-Emstruá river. The scenery on the descent is interesting with a mixture green moss and black volcanic gravel. In the distance you can also see Einhyrningur (The Unicorn). It was really windy for us, which made hiking and standing difficult. The vegetation near the trail reduced resulting in us getting sand blasted with the wind fortunately at our back as is the normal direction. The vegetation eventually increases and you begin to see isolated farmsteads. The trail culminates in a forrest as you enter Thórsmörk. Landmannalaugar Hut This hut is large with a lot of people also camping and busy with people visiting for the day. It was cozy inside when people are waiting out the weather in their respective bunk room or eating. I stayed in the large bunk room on the ground floor which had bunk beds lining the two long walls. Each set of bunk beds was lined shoulder to shoulder with sleeping pads 50cm (20in) wide. I was glad I had a sleeping pad on the bottom at the end. Our room had a few empty places and I would not want to be in the middle when it is full. Down the center of the room was a single line of tables with bench seats on both sides. The end of the room had some more tables, but was taken over by a large tour group. They also claimed most of the drying space above the heater. The main floor also contained the kitchen with some more dining tables, but only enough space for around 20 people of the 72 people in the hut. Upstairs was more sleeping quarters. They did not look any more appealing and slept head/feet first against the base of the A-frame ceilings. The showers and toilets where in another building. The scenery around the huts is great as well as the hot spring, however, it is by far the busiest hut and not comfortable to be stuck inside. Hrafntinnusker Hut This hut was probably my least favorite mostly due to sleeping assignment. Solo and couple travelers were assigned to the A-frame loft which has few windows and is dark. We grabbed sleeping pads off of a stack and laid them shoulder to shoulder. Clothes lines were strung above the sleeping pads. Upstairs also has a small room with table and benches for eating. At some point in the evening campers were allowed to come stay in the hut, due to the weather presumably wind. The sleeping area upstairs became filled with sleeping pads shoulder to shoulder with not gaps and several people staying in the upstairs dinning area. On the ground floor of the hut is the kitchen, small table and two sleeping rooms. Groups of three or more appeared to be assigned to the ground floor sleeping rooms. They consisted of bunk beds with doubles on bottom and singles on top. The double beds were maybe the size of a twin bed. These rooms also had lots of windows and table down the middle with bench seat. Fortunately, I made friends with a group staying in one of the rooms. We hung out inside the room bidding our time watching the changing weather and campers as the weather was miserable. Álftavatn Hut This hut was my favorite along the trail and based on the hut I was assigned. I was assigned the new hut, which had a nice clean well lit interior. Single and large groups appeared to be assigned upstair in this hut. The main floor had rooms that varied from three to four beds. It would really be a treat to get one of these private rooms on the trail. The other hut was older darker and full of bunk beds, which I did not check out much. It was definitely not as nice. There were hot showers if you want to pay for them. Next door there is a restaurant, which is expensive and quality probably caters to the captive customers. The scenery around the Álftavatn hut is excellent and maybe only challenged by Landmannalaugar or Thórsmörk. Of course Álftavatn is the least accessible and most rewarding. Botnar Hut in Emstur Consist of three separate huts that were nearly identical. My hut consisted of two sets of bunk beds. Each set was four to six beds wide laying shoulder to shoulder. The huts were full and I was glad I got there early enough to get a place on the bottom at one end. There was a set of tables with bench seats in the middle of the room. It was cozy, but with enough room for everyone in the hut. Though at dinner or breakfast time it would cozy and likely uncomfortable if everyone was seated at the same time. Outside there is deck with picnic tables. There was also hot showers available. The weather was good when I was at Emstur so a lot of people hung out on the deck, as well as hiked to the nearby Markarfljotsgljufur canyon. The hut was warm at night like the other huts. Someone even left the door open for sleeping at night. I was worried about my roommates from Iceland and Italy staying up late like they did at Álftavatn, but they went to bed earlier. Most people get up earlier at Emstur in order to catch the afternoon bus at Thórsmörk. Skagfjörðsskáli hut in Thórsmörk This hut is large and fairly comfortable. It consist of two bunk rooms on the main floor. The first one is fairly large sleeping over a dozen people with its own tables and probably used for large groups. I had one bed in this room until I managed to get moved to the smaller bunk room with single bunk beds that were setup end to end. Upstairs where several sleeping quarters that looked relatively nice and would have been my first choice. On the main floor there is a large dinning room and kitchen, which got crowded at dinner time. I found one dinner frustrating, since a large group took over most of the dinning room and most likely staying in the group area of the hut. Their room had dinning tables with small kitchen next to their room. Outside there was large deck with plenty of picnic tables. There was also a lot of open grass space and would probably be a nice place to camp. The hut had an outhouse with toilets and pay hot shower. There was also a store down by the river with odd hours as it would open on and off. Nearby are several hikes and Volcano huts is a few kilometers away with a restaurant. Several people had to walk to Volcano huts to catch the bus as they sometimes cannot cross the river. It would to be nice to spend a couple days here as it tranquil. The hut is probably the second nicest on this trail after the one at Álftavatn. The scenery here is not as interesting as Álftavatn or Landmannalaugar unless you gp on the many nearby hikes. It is also far less busy than Landmannalaugar. General hut comments The huts for both trails are much less spacious and comfortable than the ones on Tour du Mont Blanc or in Torres del Paine (Patagonia). The sleeping pads were 50cm (20in) wide and often shoulder to shoulder in bunk bed configuration. The ones on the Tour du Mont Blanc are at least 65cm (25in) wide. In Patagonia they were typical bunk beds (not shoulder to shoulder). The Ferðafélag Íslands huts assigned you to specific rooms of the hut, which appeared to be set before anyone arrived and therefore not flexible. Being a solo hiker that meant I ended up in larger rooms instead of smaller more private rooms that were given to small groups. If the huts were near mountain road they tended to have pay hot showers, flush toilets and dehydrated food for sale. All the huts had stove, pots and pans for cooking, as well as plates, bowls and utensils. You just need to bring food, sleeping bag/quilt, pillow, sleeping mask and ear plugs. You should book huts far in advance. I booked in at the end of Janruary and could not get all the huts reserved ending up on a waiting list for many of them. I did manage to get all the huts booked after tour agencies released their unsold reservations.
2. Haifoss
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 141 reviews
Reviewed By haanahh - Prague, Czech Republic
This waterfall is majestic and a must see. It is quite difficult to reach it and you will be going on a dirt and rocky road, so 4x4 vehicle is highly recommended. If you are lucky for weather and it is sunny, it is a very spectacular view.
3. Eldfell
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 80 reviews
Reviewed By pogachels - Millburn, United States
We got off the ferry and started on the hike up to visit this volcano. We initially had some difficulty finding the trail, once we got to the base of the mountain the trail was easy to follow. It was moderately challenging for our 8 year old who was a little nauseous from the rough ferry trip over but our 12 and 14 year olds were fine. The views were fabulous throughout the hike and incredible at the top. A must if you visit the island.
4. Bruarfoss Waterfall
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 374 reviews
Reviewed By MildaZakarauskaite - Kaunas, Lithuania
Bruarfoss. It was third time of trying in two years to reach this waterfall.. And finally I did it and I can say that it is the most wild and the most beautiful waterfall with such blue water in Iceland and I saw everyone of them.. :) its kind of tricky to reach it because of the weather sometimes but it is so worth!!!
5. Gljufrabui Waterfalls
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 257 reviews
Reviewed By danielalanmartin - Barnstaple, United Kingdom
I found this waterfall by pure chance, and what I then saw was an example there still exist places on this planet that will take your breath away. I believe that the public shouldn't be allowed here because it feels magical in the sense that there is nothing like it on the planet. The masses tend to go to seljalandsfoss but they don't know what they are missing (especially since it's only a 10min walk away) all I'm gonna say is that you will need to walk inside the river up through a canyon approx 20-30mtrs before you get presented with the biggest surprise of your lives. This angelic waterfall falls from the ceiling above you. I can honestly say hand on heart, that of how you don't visit this place you're a fool. At the same time it's better for me so next time I visit, it shall remain less touched/visited by the public. Which is fine by me! If you do go you will need, waterproof footwear at least and depending on how close to the fall you wanna go, a rain jacket too. You guys can thank me later. Your welcome
6. Fimmvorduhals Hiking Trail
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 34 reviews
Reviewed By IndiaDave - Cincinnati, United States
We parked our rental car at the Lava Centre in Hvolsvollur and took the mid morning bus to the Volcano Huts. Spent the afternoon hiking; climbed Valahnukur for some awesome views and made our way to the Basar Hut where we spent the night. The next morning we hiked the Fimmvorduhals. We finished at Skogar by early evening and took the public bus back to Hvolsvollur. It was a long, but memorable day. The Fimm was a fairly challenging hike for me (early 60's), but I did fine. Take this hike seriously - It's 15.4 miles and the weather is unpredictable. Take the time to prepare and you will be rewarded. We hiked at a leisurely pace in awe of this wondrous environment. The Fimm provides a unique life experience. I memorialized the hike with a video on youtube. Google - wittkamp Hiking the Fimmvorduhals Trail.
7. Golden Circle Route
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 4,017 reviews
Ideal for short-stay visitors, this scenic driving route through southwestern Iceland features excellent scenery and major sites.
Reviewed By ourglobewanderers - Golden, United States
The Golden Circle is a very popular driving route that takes you through Thingvellir National Park, where you can visit waterfalls, numerous fissures, and walk on land or dive in water in the rift between tectonic plates. After you drive through the park, you can continue on the Golden Circle drive to the Geysir Geothermal area, where you can walk around an area of active geysers and other geothermal features, and then drive a bit further to the huge Gullfoss Waterfall. There are numerous tour busses that do the Golden Circle. We drove it on our own on September 13, 2019 on our Ring Road drive around Iceland. Plan on a whole day for this drive. I have written separate, more detailed reviews for Thingvellir Nat Park, Geysir, and Gullfoss.
8. Strokkur
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 4,880 reviews
Reviewed By CrystalJ1186 - Stony Plain, Canada
Loved checking out the Strokkur Geyser on the way to the Golden Circle Drove from Reykjavík The Geyser shoots up every 8 ish minutes and ranges in height Lots of walking paths available and great views (also a great shop for gifts and where you can have a drink & snack - the toilets are free) Free to walk around & Free Parking !!
9. Selfoss Geyser
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,111 reviews
Reviewed By doughnut22 - Selfoss, Iceland
love this place it’s great to see the geysers in action and the restaurants and gift shop are worth a visit
10. Seljalandsfoss
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,762 reviews
Reviewed By springbank - Greve, Denmark
Incredible and spectacular waterfalls near the main road 1. Easy to get there, beautiful waterfall and the most amazing part is that you can walk right behind the waterfall. You can go around the waterfall, but be careful about slippery rocks and also be sure you're prepared. Some raincoat is an good idea, otherwise, you'll probably end up more or less wet from head to toes. The most interesting part of this waterfall is you can go behind the waterfall and see the falling water from there. If you are lucky enough, you'll get to see the rainbow. No trip along Iceland’s southern coast is complete without stopping at at least one of the stunning waterfalls that can be found right off the side of the road. Skogafoss and Seljalandsfoss are two of the most popular falls in all of Iceland This gorgeous waterfall is definitely impressive.
