The main points
- Pickup is available on this day tour, and the listing shows 30 drop-off locations when the long day ends.[1]
- The tour runs 14 hours, and Jokulsarlon sits 236 miles (380 kilometers) east of Reykjavik along Route 1.[1][2]
- Reserve now and pay later, and cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund on this listing.[1]
- A live tour guide runs the day in English, with stops at Hvolsvollur, Kirkjubaejarklaustur, Jokulsarlon, Vik and Seljalandsfoss.[1]
- Best for travellers who can sit for long stretches, walk short distances in cold air, and start early.[1]
- Top choice Lagoon and Diamond Beach from US$232 Duration14 hours[1]Rating4.67 from 3,935 reviews[1]Drop-off points30 drop-off locations[1]Free cancellationCancel up to 24 hours in advance[1] Check availability
- South Coast and Lagoon from US$231 Duration14.5 hours[3]Rating4.54 from 1,494 reviews[3]Drop-off points33 drop-off locations[3]Free cancellationCancel up to 24 hours in advance[3] See this tour
- Lagoon with Boat Ride from US$288 Duration14 hours[4]Rating4.61 from 268 reviews[4]Drop-off points23 drop-off locations[4]Free cancellationCancel up to 24 hours in advance[4] See this tour
At 248 meters (814 feet) deep, Jökulsárlón is the deepest lake in the country.
The bus day from Reykjavik, judged honestly
Before you board
- Confirm your pickup window when you book, then check your messages the evening before.
- Be at your point a few minutes early and stand where the coach can safely pull in.
- Keep your booking reference and the operator's contact details on your phone.
- Set an alarm with room to spare for a taxi or a walk to your pickup point.
On the coach and at the stops
- Wear layers and bring a waterproof; the lagoon shore is colder and windier than Reykjavik.
- Take sunglasses and a hat for bright light bouncing off ice and water.
- Tell the operator in advance if you need step-free help, a front seat or extra time at stops.
- Carry a card or some Icelandic cash for the café at the lagoon.
Pickup and drop-off across Reykjavik
For travellers who want to see the glacier without a car, this day tour is the practical answer. Pickup is available, so instead of learning the Ring Road and hunting for parking at every stop, you start near where you are staying and let someone else drive. The listing shows 30 drop-off locations when the day ends, which matters more than it sounds when you are tired and it is late.[1]
The shape of the day is easy to follow. The coach leaves the Reykjavik area and runs east with stops at Hvolsvollur and Kirkjubaejarklaustur, reaches Jokulsarlon and Diamond Beach, then turns for home by way of Vik and Seljalandsfoss.[1] Between those names you pass waterfalls, farm country, wide black sand plains and the flat miles of the sandur, before the road opens onto a lagoon full of drifting ice.
The lagoon at the end of the drive is worth the seat time. It is 248 meters (814 feet) deep, the deepest lake in Iceland, and it is fed by Breiðamerkurjökull, an outlet of the Vatnajokull ice cap.[5][6] Seals are sighted there on a regular basis, sometimes from the shore and closer from the water.[7] Film fans may recognise the water: it appears in A View To A Kill, Die Another Day and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.[8]
Be ready at your pickup point
Reykjavik pickups happen in a rush of early morning stops. A coach works through a list of points before it can turn east, and the driver keeps to a schedule, so be standing at your spot a few minutes before your window and make yourself easy to see. A wave or a phone screen held up does far more than waiting quietly behind a parked car.
Starting times are shown when you check availability rather than being fixed for everyone.[1] Write the time down, set an alarm with slack in it, and check your messages the evening before in case your window has shifted. If you are coming from outside the city, study the pickup options before you book; staying in Reykjavik the night before is the simpler choice for a start this early.
Dress for the wait as well as for the day. Reykjavik mornings can be cold and wet, and standing on a pavement with a suitcase is not the moment to discover that your coat is packed in the hold. Keep a warm layer, a hat and a waterproof on you rather than in your bag, and carry water, snacks, a charger and any medication in a small day bag.
Ice on the black sand at Diamond Beach, at the end of a long bus day
What happens if the coach does not arrive
It is rare, but it happens. Traffic, a closed road or weather on the south coast can push a pickup back, and the coach may reach your point later than the window you were given. Stay where you are, keep your phone on, and contact the operator through the details in your booking rather than setting off on your own. If you are waiting in a hotel lobby, ask reception to keep an eye on the street too.
This listing can be reserved now and paid later, and free cancellation applies up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.[1] That leaves room to book a seat early in a short trip and change your mind if the forecast turns. Wind and snow can close sections of the coast road, and a day this long is best attempted in decent conditions.
If a stop or a stretch of road is closed on the day, the guide and driver decide what to do instead, and the south coast has good substitutes, from waterfalls to black sand coves. Keep half an eye on the weather yourself as well, since conditions at the lagoon can be very different from Reykjavik.
Children, older travellers and long days seated
The tour runs 14 hours, which is the single most useful number for judging whether the day suits your group.[1] Add an early start, a late return and time on your feet at stops in cold air, and it is a big day by any measure. Jokulsarlon and the beach beside it are what people come for, and the driving in between is the price of reaching them.
Children usually cope if they can sleep in a coach seat and have snacks within reach, but ask the operator about seating and child seats when you book, and think hard about bringing a very young baby on a day this long. The same applies to older travellers: the walking at each stop is short, but it is often over uneven, icy or sandy ground.
If someone in your group has limited stamina but loves the idea of seeing the lagoon, the day still works. There is a café and public toilets at Jokulsarlon, so there is somewhere warm to sit and wait while the rest of the group walks the shore.[9]
from US$232
Pickup is available on this Reykjavik departure, and the listing shows 30 drop-off locations when the day ends.[1]
Wheelchair access and limited mobility
Ask the operator before you book about the coach used on your date: the step height at the door, the aisle width, whether a wheelchair or walking frame can be stowed, and how much time there is at each stop. Answers vary with the vehicle, so a quick message is worth far more than guesswork.
Diamond Beach is a black volcanic sand beach scattered with clear glacial ice that breaks off Breiðamerkurjökull, drifts through the lagoon and washes ashore along the coast.[10] Sand and ice together make a surface that shifts underfoot, and in flat winter light it is hard to tell where the ice ends and the beach begins, so wear shoes with grip and take your time.
Public toilets and a café are available at Jokulsarlon, which gives you a warm place to wait if you would rather not walk far.[9] If you are adding an ice cave to the trip, caves in the Vatnajokull region are only accessible from November and usually throughout March, depending on the weather, so that part of the plan has a narrow window.[11]
Luggage, prams and pets on board
Space under a coach is shared across a full load of passengers, so keep bags small and soft where you can, and ask the operator in advance about suitcases, pushchairs and anything unusual you plan to bring. Folding a pram before you reach the door saves everyone time. If you travel with a pet or an assistance dog, raise it when you book rather than on the morning.
Pack for a long day in a moving box: a warm layer, a waterproof shell, gloves, a hat, water, snacks and motion sickness tablets if you know they help you. Bring a power bank as well. A phone running tickets, photos and maps since breakfast will not last until evening, and a dead battery is a dull way to spend the last hour.
Eating is a moving target on a day like this. The route stops in towns on the way, and there is a café at the lagoon for the later stretch, but do not count on buying everything as you go.[9] A refillable bottle and something to eat between stops keeps the long legs comfortable, and it means you can stay by the water rather than queue when the light is good.
On board comfort and pickup outside Reykjavik
Wifi and charging points differ from coach to coach, so treat them as a bonus rather than a plan. Download music, podcasts or a film before you leave, charge everything overnight and carry a power bank. Motion sickness deserves some thought on a day with this much driving: sit near the front if you can, look at the horizon rather than your phone, and use the stops to stand up and breathe.
If you would rather not travel from Reykjavik at all, you can build a different kind of trip. Some tours start at the lagoon itself, including ice cave trips from US$164 and glacier hikes from US$132, which suit anyone already in the south east.[12][13] Staying overnight nearby is another option, with Hotel Jokulsarlon offered as accommodation near the glacier lagoon.[14]
Once you are there, the lagoon rewards slow looking rather than a quick photo stop. An amphibian boat tour runs May-Nov and takes 30-40 minutes, and the Zodiac boat tour is priced from 16,900 ISK and lasts 1 hour 15 minutes, with total duration about 2 hours.[15][16] Kayaking is allowed on the lagoon during the summer season.[17] From Vik, the lagoon is 192 kilometers (118 miles) one way, so even a self-drive visit is a serious commitment.[18]
Drop-off locations listed by Reykjavik glacier lagoon tours
Each bar is the drop-off count shown on a Reykjavik departure listing:[1][3][4][19][20][21]
From-prices for glacier lagoon day tours
These are US dollar from-prices for full-day tours leaving Reykjavik:[1][3][4][19][20]
When to book your seat on the bus
Planning the pickup
Choose your point
Pickup is available on this tour, so pick the option that suits where you are staying when you check availability.[1]
Work back from the start time
Starting times are shown when you check availability, so set your alarm from that window rather than from sunrise.[1]
Wait where you can be seen
Stand at the kerb, keep your phone out and stay put. Drivers work through a list of stops and cannot search side streets for you.
Settle in for the long ride
Jokulsarlon is 236 miles (380 kilometers) east of Reykjavik along Route 1, a five-hour direct drive.[2]
Plan the finish
The listing shows 30 drop-off locations at the end of the day, so know which one is closest to your bed.[1]
Pick your pickup point and ride to the ice
from US$233Reserve now & pay later
