Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon Boat ToursSouth Coast and Jökulsárlón Tour: The Full Day from Reykjavik
This South Coast and Jökulsárlón tour from Gray Line Iceland packs Iceland's south shore into a single 14.5-hour day. A climate-controlled bus with free WiFi carries you from Reykjavik past Seljalandsfoss, Skógafoss and Vík to the glacier lagoon, where you get 1.5 hours on the shore. In summer you can add an amphibian boat ride among the icebergs for a fee paid on site. Compare it with the other glacier lagoon boat tours.
About This Tour
Gray Line Iceland drives the whole South Coast in one long day. The bus leaves Reykjavik and works east through Hvolsvöllur, past the Eyjafjallajökull volcano and Skógafoss, then through the long stretch past the Skaftafell area to Jökulsárlón, with Vík and Seljalandsfoss on the itinerary after the lagoon. The lagoon sits about 370 kilometres from Reykjavik, roughly 4.5 hours of driving, which is why the day runs 14.5 hours door to door.
At the lagoon you get 1.5 hours to walk the shore and cross the road to Diamond Beach. In summer an optional amphibian boat ride among the icebergs can be added for a fee paid on site. Food is not included, so you buy lunch and dinner at the scheduled stops.
$223 per person, with reserve now and pay later available.
14.5 hours, listed as likely to sell out.
BSÍ Bus Terminal in Reykjavik, or pickup from most Reykjavik area hotels. Pickup starts 30 minutes before departure.
Group size is not stated. A live guide in English, with free WiFi on board.
1.5 hours at Jökulsárlón. Diamond Beach has no set time in the itinerary.
The Includes list names a boat tour, but the description says the amphibian boat is an optional summer extra paid on site. Confirm when you book. Lunch is not included, a 40-minute restaurant stop covers it, and food and beverages are paid on the day.
Check Dates and Availability
Starting times depend on the date you choose. Check availability to see departure options, pickup points and whether your date is close to selling out.
Quick answer The tour in numbers
This South Coast and Jökulsárlón tour costs $223 per person, runs 14.5 hours and gives you 1.5 hours at the lagoon, with an optional summer amphibian boat paid on site.
Key takeaways
- The boat is listed as included but described as an optional extra, so read what the price actually covers before booking.
- It is a 14-hour-plus coach day, so check who this tour does not suit first.
- Want the boat already in the fare? Look at the Glacier Lagoon Boat Ride Day Trip at $279.
- Prefer to split the drive? The 2-Day South Coast with Amphibian Boat adds a night.
What the Price Actually Covers
The ticket is for the bus and the guide. Almost everything else on the day costs extra, and one line in the Includes list needs a second look.
What Is Included
The fare covers the climate-controlled bus with free WiFi, a live English-speaking guide, pickup from most Reykjavik hotels or the BSÍ Bus Terminal, and one of 33 drop-off locations in the city. Free cancellation applies up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund, and you can reserve now and pay later.
The Includes list also names a boat tour on Jökulsárlón. The description contradicts this and says the amphibian boat tour is an optional summer extra for an additional fee paid on site. Treat the boat as optional and confirm at booking. The listing does not state its price. The lagoon operator's own ticket prices are in the Jökulsárlón amphibian boat tour guide.
What You Pay on the Day
Food and beverages are not included. The itinerary builds in a 40-minute free-time stop at a local restaurant where you buy lunch, and a dinner break in Vík where food is again at your own cost. There are also stops at gas stations. Bring cash or a card for meals and snacks.
If you take the boat in summer, you pay for it on site. The listing quotes no price for it, and its only child rule is the family discount of up to 2 children or youths per full-paying adult. No parking fee, gear rental or other extras apply to you as a bus passenger, since the coach and guide handle the whole day.
| Line | In the price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bus with free WiFi | Yes | Climate-controlled coach from Reykjavik |
| Live English guide | Yes | One guide for the whole day |
| Hotel pickup in Reykjavik | Yes | Starts 30 minutes before departure, some hotels need a walk to a designated point |
| Drop-off | Yes | One of 33 Reykjavik locations, in the evening |
| Amphibian boat on the lagoon | Conflicting | Named in Includes, described as an optional summer extra paid on site, price not stated |
| Lunch and dinner | No | 40-minute restaurant stop and a Vík dinner break, food bought on site |
| Drinks and snacks | No | Gas station stops on the way |
The Boat Question in One Place
If the boat is the reason you book, do not guess. Ask the operator in writing whether the cruise is included on your date, or choose a listing where it clearly is. The Glacier Lagoon Boat Ride Day Trip from BusTravel Iceland puts the 30-minute amphibian ride inside its $279 fare, and the Glacier Lagoon Day Trip with Boat Tour from Reykjavik Excursions does the same at $328.
Both sit on the same Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon boat tours comparison page as this one.
Sources: GetYourGuide listing, Ice Lagoon ticket prices
Skógafoss drops over a grassy cliff on the south coast. Photo: Jakub Hałun, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
What the Day Is Really Like
The listing gives a fixed run of stops with set durations for some of them. Here is the day as the itinerary states it.
Pickup and the Drive East
Pickup starts 30 minutes before departure, so wait outside your hotel or at your designated bus stop and provide your hotel details in advance. If your hotel cannot take the bus, you walk to a designated pickup point. Riders joining at BSÍ Bus Terminal board there.
The first leg is about 1.5 hours on the coach to Hvolsvöllur, where the itinerary lists a 20-minute break.
Eyjafjallajökull, Skógafoss and Lunch
After Hvolsvöllur the route passes the Eyjafjallajökull volcano with scenic views from the window, no stop. The first real stop is Skógafoss, a photo and visit stop where the waterfall drops 60 metres and the mist rises from the fall. Next comes a 40-minute free-time stop at a local restaurant, the lunch break where you buy your own food.
The listing gives no clock times, because departure times vary by date.
The Long Haul to the Lagoon
From the south coast villages the coach runs east past lava fields and the Skaftafell area of Vatnajökull National Park, with views of Öræfajökull, Iceland's highest peak. Jökulsárlón itself is about 370 kilometres from Reykjavik by road.
1.5 Hours at Jökulsárlón and Diamond Beach
You get 1.5 hours at the lagoon, listed as a break, photo stop, visit, guided tour and free time. Icebergs that calved off Breiðamerkurjökull drift across the lagoon, and seals swim among them if you are lucky. The optional summer amphibian boat runs 30 to 40 minutes on the water, and the listing does not say whether that comes out of the 1.5 hours.
Just across the road, Diamond Beach gets a photo stop with no set time, where stranded ice chunks lie on black sand polished smooth by the waves.
Vík, Seljalandsfoss and the Return
The coach turns west and stops in Vík for a break and dinner, food at your own cost. The last stop of the day is Seljalandsfoss, a photo and visit stop where you can walk behind the falling water when conditions allow. The day ends at one of 33 Reykjavik drop-off locations, including BSÍ, in the evening.
No exact return time is stated for a 14.5-hour day.
Who This Tour Rules Out
This is a coach day with fixed timing, and the listing rules out or discourages several kinds of travellers.
People Who Cannot Face 14.5 Hours on a Bus
The day runs 14.5 hours and the lagoon is 370 kilometres away, so much of the day is driving. If that sounds like a punishment rather than a trip, split it. The 2-Day South Coast with Amphibian Boat from Nicetravel adds a night in an ensuite room with breakfast and reaches the lagoon on day 2 for $590.
Travellers Who Want the Boat Guaranteed
Because the boat sits in a grey zone between the Includes list and the description, this listing is the wrong pick if the cruise is the whole point of your day. Take the Glacier Lagoon Boat Ride Day Trip instead, which has the amphibian ride inside the $279 ticket.
Families with Tight Budgets on Extras
The child and youth discount is a family discount limited to a maximum of 2 children or youths per full-paying adult, and food for the whole family is extra at the 40-minute restaurant stop and the Vík dinner break. The boat, if taken, is another on-site fee. No minimum age is stated and no difficulty level, and no wheelchair access is stated for the bus.
Anyone Wanting a Small Group or Flexibility
Group size is not stated and the coach is a full-size tour bus. Late arrivals are not covered by any stated grace period, and the listing marks the tour as likely to sell out, so book ahead. Boats do not run in winter, since the amphibian season at the lagoon runs May to November, so a winter date on this tour means no boat option at all.
Weather can also stop lagoon boats on the day, and Iceland weather changes fast.
People Who Want a Shorter Day from the Shore
If a 14.5-hour coach day is too much, drive yourself and buy the boat at the shore, or take a lagoon-only activity. The Jökulsárlón Kayaking Tour runs 1.5 hours on the water for $154, and the Fjallsárlón Ice Floating float costs $125.88 for 90 minutes in an immersion suit.
The Route 1 bridge crosses the short river between the lagoon and the sea. Photo: rheins, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Getting There and What to Add
Most of the logistics are handled by the coach, but the stops are also places you could reach yourself, and the lagoon has more to offer than one tour can cover.
The Drive the Bus Makes
From Reykjavik the route follows the South Coast road east. Vík sits 187 kilometres from Reykjavík, about 2.5 hours of driving, and Jökulsárlón is 370 kilometres out, about 4.5 hours. If you drive it yourself, fuel up before the Kirkjubæjarklaustur to Höfn stretch, which runs about 205 kilometres with fuel only at Freysnes and Fagurholsmýri.
Winter driving brings possible road closures, and four wheel drive gives better traction. Parking at the lagoon costs 1,110 ISK (about $9) for a car with 5 seats or fewer, paid at the machines or through the Parka system, valid until midnight with unlimited re-entry.
Facilities at the Lagoon
The café at the lagoon serves sandwiches, lobster soup, cakes, pastries and hot and cold drinks, with vegetarian and vegan options, and opens year round apart from a few days around the holidays. Public toilets, a souvenir shop and accessible parking sit on site. The tour's 1.5 hours is enough for a quick soup, not for a long sit-down meal.
What to Add Before or After
Diamond Beach sits just across the road from the lagoon, a 2 to 5 minute walk from the parking areas, and mornings and evenings give the best light. Fjallsárlón, the neighbouring lagoon, runs its own boat tours and a 4-hour Fjallsárlón Boat Tour and Glacier Hike in groups of up to 10. If you stay the night, the guide to hotels near Jökulsárlón covers the closest beds, and the Jökulsárlón amphibian boat tour guide explains what the shore-sold ticket includes.
Sources: Guide to Iceland driving guide, Vatnajökull National Park price list, Ice Lagoon FAQ
Itinerary Step by Step
The listing states durations for some stops and none for others, so the steps below use the stated figures and phase labels where no clock time is given.
-
Start
Pickup in Reykjavik
Pickup starts 30 minutes before departure from most Reykjavik hotels or a designated bus stop. Provide your hotel details in advance, or join at BSÍ Bus Terminal.
-
After about 1.5 hours
Hvolsvöllur break
A 20-minute break after the first coach leg east.
-
After Hvolsvöllur
Eyjafjallajökull views
Pass by the volcano with scenic views from the road, no stop.
-
Next stop
Skógafoss photo stop
Photo stop and visit at the 60-metre waterfall. Expect spray if you walk close.
-
Then
40-minute lunch stop
Free time at a local restaurant. Food and drinks are bought on site and are not included in the $223.
-
After lunch
The drive to Jökulsárlón
The coach runs past the Skaftafell area and Öræfajökull to the lagoon, about 370 kilometres from Reykjavik.
-
1.5 hours on site
Jökulsárlón and Diamond Beach
Walk the lagoon shore among the icebergs, with the optional summer amphibian boat as a paid extra. Cross the road for the Diamond Beach photo stop, then return west with a dinner break in Vík and a final stop at Seljalandsfoss before an evening drop-off at one of 33 Reykjavik locations.
Pros and Cons
A straight accounting of what this listing does well and where it asks a lot of you.
What we genuinely like
- Full South Coast in one day, with Seljalandsfoss, Skógafoss, Vík and Diamond Beach on top of 1.5 hours at the lagoon.
- Hotel pickup from most Reykjavik accommodations and a choice of 33 drop-off points.
- Free WiFi on board and a live English guide for the whole route.
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure and reserve now, pay later.
- At $223 it sits below the day trips that bundle the boat into the fare, which run $279 to $328.
The honest downsides
- 14.5 hours with most of it on a coach, since the lagoon is 370 kilometres from Reykjavik.
- The Includes list names a boat tour while the description calls it an optional summer extra paid on site, and no price for it is stated.
- Food and drinks are never included, so lunch at the 40-minute restaurant stop and dinner in Vík come out of your pocket.
- Group size is not stated and no wheelchair access is stated for the coach.
- The boat only exists as an option from May to November, and Iceland weather changes fast.
Who it's NOT for: Not for travellers who want the boat guaranteed in the fare, a small group, or anything shorter than a 14.5-hour coach day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the boat tour included in the $223 price?
The Includes list names a boat tour on Jökulsárlón, but the description says the amphibian boat is an optional summer extra paid on site, with no price stated in the listing. The Jökulsárlón amphibian boat tour guide explains how the shore-sold ride works.
How long do I get at Jökulsárlón?
The itinerary gives 1.5 hours at the lagoon, and Diamond Beach across the road is a photo stop with no set time. If you take the boat, the listing does not say whether the 30 to 40 minute cruise comes out of that hour and a half.
Is food included on this South Coast and Jökulsárlón tour?
No. Food and beverages are not included. A 40-minute stop at a local restaurant covers lunch and a dinner break in Vík lets you buy a meal, all at your own cost. The comparison of Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon boat tours shows that none of the Reykjavik day trips include meals.
Where does the tour start?
At BSÍ Bus Terminal in Reykjavik, or with pickup from most hotels in the Reykjavik area. Pickup starts 30 minutes before departure, and bus access limits mean you may need to walk to a designated pickup point. Check availability for your specific options.
Can I take this tour with children?
The child and youth discount is a family discount for a maximum of 2 children or youths per full-paying adult, and no minimum age is stated. Remember the boat, if taken, is a separate on-site fee, and children aged 6 to 12 pay 3,500 ISK (about $29) for the amphibian at the shore. For a two-day pace with a night's sleep, see the 2-Day South Coast with Amphibian Boat, which suits children 10 and over.
When does the boat part run, and what if the weather is bad?
The amphibian season at the lagoon runs May to November, so a winter date has no boat option at all. Weather related cancellations were recorded at 2.7 percent in February and 0 percent in July and August, and Iceland weather changes fast. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure is available, and the Jökulsárlón weather guide explains the seasonal pattern.
Is there a cheaper or better-reviewed alternative?
The Glacier Lagoon and Diamond Beach Tour costs $203, runs 14 hours, also has 1.5 hours at the lagoon and carries 4.7 from 4,030 reviews, making it the most reviewed listing in the comparison. It likewise sells the boat cruise as an optional add-on.
What Travelers Said
A sightseeing tour not to be missed, especially if you get Margret as your tour guide – a 10 out of 10.
That trip was amazing! We had a great guide and the views were breathtaking. We even stopped for a moment to see the Aurora Lights. Awesome experience :)
It was truly amazing experience. The guide (Gudjon Jes) was knowledgeable, inspiring and carrying person. He knew so much about everything around (from geothermal energy plants to nature to history). He also shared some folk/fairy stories. I definitely learn a lot about Iceland. Thank you! It was one of the highlights of my trip in Iceland.
Prices, availability and terms are set by the operator and confirmed at checkout.
We may earn a commission if you book through one of our links, at no extra cost to you. Full affiliate disclosure