Vik Iceland Church – Also used an earthquake and natural disaster meeting point.
No visit to Iceland is complete without checking out Reynisfjara Beach aka Black Sand Beach in addition to exploring the same town that is Vik Iceland. Below I take you on a journey of what to see and where to stay in this cute little town. You will most like be passing through Vik to get to Jokulsarlon and Diamond Beach lagoon in addition to Svinafellsjokull Glacier. We had rented a camper van so we had stopped in Vik for an overnight stay before we drove towards the glacier lagoons further on the ring road.
On the way back from the exploring glaciers we had more time to dedicate to Vik Iceland. Visiting the church, the shops, and restaurants, beaches and around this small town, in addition to the puffin birds on black sand beach. I have split the post in two to make it easier to see what is available in Vik and on Reynisfjara Beach. If you are doing a self-guided tour of Iceland you have the flexibility to make as many stops as you like, we really enjoyed exploring Iceland by campervan, it also meant that we could stop at whatever time we wanted.
Believe it or not, the pictures of Reynisfjara Beach were taken around 9-10pm. Iceland in the summer is truly magic as it doesn’t get dark until a 1am so if you are exploring via campervan or car rental their is the added benefit of exploring way past the hours when most tours run which means you will have these places to yourself, still with plenty of good light to take great pictures.
While the below might be perfect if you are self-driving in Iceland you can also see these places in many of the tours and day trips in Iceland, the majority of them leaving from Reykjavik. You can read more about our campervan adventures in Iceland in my recent blog post which also has tips for exploring by campervan in addition to tips when renting or hiring one.
Also See:
- Sleeping Under Waterfalls In Iceland
- A Guide To Exploring Iceland By Camper Van
- Exploring Iceland’s Glacier Lagoon
- Top Tips For Visiting The Blue Lagoon
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Exploring Vik Iceland
Vik is right along Route 1 or Ring Road as its famously known, so you definitely won’t be able to miss it with its famous cliff faces seen from the road. There are a few activities around especially if you want to make this a longer stop as well as multiple forms of accommodation options to choose from. Vik also has one gas station so if you are exploring via car its best to fill up as the gas stations are spread out and some are not guaranteed to be open.
Things To Do In Vik Iceland
- Vik i Myrdal Church – Little church situated on top of a hill, offering picturesque views of the ocean & town. You can see this below. This can be spotted as you drive through Route 1. You can spot our little campervan next to the church in one of the pictures.
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Sudur Vik Iceland Restaurant- Opens and until 9pm – This is perfect as if you are driving late you have a few places still open including this one. A few of the hotels and the campsite in Vik have restaurants of cafes on site.
- Horse Adventure – Explore the black sand beaches of Iceland by horse in a 30-40 minute tour of the surrounding area.
- True Adventure – Paragliding and zip lining adventure above mountains, waterfalls, and beaches Iceland.
Where to Stay In Vik | Tips On Vik Iceland Hotels
If you are looking for accommodation near Vik in Iceland, just bear in mind that Vik is fairly small so in the summer these places sell out fairly quickly but there are various options depending on budget, comfort and size of your group. Majority of these will have mountain or beach views. Vik is so beautiful, quiet and peaceful making it the perfect stop to chill and relax after all the exploring and driving between tourist sights and wonders in the land of fire and ice.
- Vik Iceland Camping: – If you have a campervan there is plenty of room to park and set up your little outdoor eating and chilling area. On the campsite you have a small cafe with self-service equipment too(microwave, kettle), there are toilets and showers on site too. If you have a normal rental car you can also park up and pitch your tent on site too.
- Vik Hotels: – Puffin Hotel, Hotel Katla, Hotel Kria, Kósý Vík, and Icelandair Hotel
- Vik Guesthouses: – Dream Guesthouse, Carina Guesthouse, Galleri Guesthouse, and Skammidalur Guesthouse.
- Apartments: – Puffin Vikurbraut Apartment and Puffin Bakkabraut Apartment
- Vik Home Stay: – Einarsstadir Homestay, Sunnubraut Holiday Home.
Reynisfjara Beach – Black Sand Beach in Iceland
Things To Do On Reynisfjara Beach:
Reynisfjara is a world-famous black-sand beach found on the South Coast of Iceland, just beside the small fishing village of Vík í Mýrdal. Also see my guide on the best black sand beaches in Iceland. This is the quieter side of Vik as you only have a couple of hostels and people mainly come here for the black sand beach. There is a restaurant on site with a small shop and some toilets should you need them.
Right on the beach, you will find the enormous basalt stacks, roaring Atlantic waves and stunning panoramas, Reynisfjara is widely considered to be one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Make no mistake as beautiful and inviting the beautiful waves on this volcanic beach are, they are also dangerous with rip tides. There have been a few tourists dying and being swept away by the tide.
One, in particular, was only last year of a woman swept away while visiting with her husband and two kids who I hope didn’t witness the death of their mother. Enjoy the beach and surrounding cliffing without risking it all for the ‘gram.
- Puffin Birds – There are plenty or puffin bird tours in Iceland but if you are self-driving you can easily find these on the Reynisfjara Beach. There are plenty to look and most of them will be pirched up high on the cliffs they will be on the beach as well and be flying over your head. I am gutted that by the time I started taking pictures of them it was getting dark and I had left one of my zoom lenses in the car and couldn’t be bothered to walk back to the car, but if you look carefully you can make them out in one of the pictures below.
- Hálsanefshellir Cave – in the Reynisfjara Beach is one of the prime attractions of the world-famous black sand beach near Vik. The basalt columns on the cliff face are really amazing and so characteristic of Iceland as I have not seen this kind of structure anywhere in the world.
- Black Beach Restaurant – offers local foods and services coupled with unforgettable views of the splendid shoreline and the power of the ocean. The restaurant was founded by five local farmers who own the land surrounding the beach. With the steady increase of visitors, a lack of facilities became more and more apparent. Guðni Einarsson, one of the owners, says that they all agreed that they did not want to tarnish the pure landscapes and decided on a design that would blend in with the landscape and even utilise it for construction materials. The walls and floors are thus covered with gravel from the beach, which gives the restaurant added character. Open daily from 11am – 6pm. Open even on Christmas!
Where To Stay Near Reynisfjara?
- Black Beach Suites – Beautiful self-contained suites with amazing views. Offering a sun terrace and views of the sea, Black Beach Suites is situated in Vík in the South Iceland Region. Reynishverfisvegur Beach is within 2.5 miles of the property. Free WiFi is available.
- Reynir Guesthouse – Situated 1.2 miles from Reynishverfi Beach, this family-run guest house is 5 miles from Vik village. It offers basic rooms with a seating area and work desk. Some rooms feature sea views.
More on Iceland:
- Exploring The Glacier Lagoon
- Everything You Need To Know About Exploring Iceland By Campervan
- Iceland Packing List | What To Pack For Iceland
- Tips For Visiting The Blue Lagoon
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This is a great overview of Vik! I loved my visit to Vik last winter. I believe it’s closed for bird nesting in the spring, but otherwise you have make the drive up to Dyrholaey headland – it’s at the other end of the black sand beach. The views of the beach are great from up there – and there’s a lighthouse as well.
Vik Iceland, lovely place… I would love to visit, I look forward to the horse adventure and also the Paragliding and zip lining adventure over the mountains. thanks for sharing, it was really a good read. Would love to check out one of those hotels in vik iceland that are right by the beach.
Yep, Vik is such a beautiful place in Iceland and well worth the visit. There are so many things to do between Reykjavik and Vik.
From my experience traveling either for fun or business, getting the best out of your stay is dependent upon how much you know the city or the town you are visiting. Am so much in love with this post on Vik Iceland, the descriptions and the pictures says it all, am so sure not to have a dull moment whenever I visit Iceland.Thanks a lot, Bianca.
Thanks, glad you enjoyed the post. Yes, there as many things to do in Vik that you cannot really have a dull moment. I cannot wait to revisit.
A bit of a random question. We are heading to Iceland next week. and have left it a little to late to find Vik Iceland accommodations. Do you know if we will be able to find any Airbnb in vik Iceland? Any other accommodation in Vik Iceland would be really great too.
Hi Jason, there are so many options to choose from lodging near Vik Iceland so have a look at all of them; From hostels, guesthouses, vik iceland lodging offer many options and of course Airbnb as well. Just bear in mind that places in Vik are a little sparse and not many options hence why places sell out very quickly. All the best to you.
I went on a family trip as a kid to see Reynisfjara. We went to a few other locations but the only thing I could remember was Vik Black Sand Beach. I was just amazing as a child seeing it. Now that I have kids of my own, I am planning a family trip to the same areas my parents took me and my siblings. Vik Iceland beach is up there on the top places to stay Vik Iceland. This was very helpful with making sure we see a bit of everything whilst we are there. Also loving the many options for accommodation in Vik. From hotels in Vik Iceland to Vik Iceland Airbnb options. Great post!
Glad you enjoyed the post. Yes Vik in Iceland is simply unmissable. Yes, there are so many options for Vik Iceland bed and breakfast, Airbnb, hotels and more. So many activities too from Vik Iceland horse riding to Vik Iceland tours that including checking out the puffin birds.
I would love a camper to rent and visit these fabulous beaches do they have campsites near the Black Beach Restaurant? Also are there puffins in Vik Iceland? I have seen so many beautiful Vik Iceland images. I saw a couple of pictures of Vik Iceland in winter when lead me to start searching for more when I stumbled on your blog. Another thing I would love to check here that I have heard is awesome is the Vik Iceland hot springs, did you manage to see this as well?
Hi Tom, yes I can highly recommend exploring Iceland by campervan.To answer your question of whether there are puffins in Vik Iceland. Yes there are plenty of them They sit right above the beach. There are no campsites on the beach near the restaurant but there is one nearby where we campered. You also have great views of the beach from there too.
My husband has never been to Iceland and so I wanted to plan a surprise trip here for him. It has been a while since I have visited Europe but this guide was super helpful! I am actually taking notes and planning out each say since we will only be staying for 5 days. Thanks for Iceland travel tips!
Been wondering what to do around Vik Iceland. Definitely adding black sand beach when visiting Iceland I have seen so many amazing pictures of Vik Iceland and keen to see it for myself. I really cannot wait!