Best Sights in Vik Away From the Tourist Traps
Words by
Sigridur Bjornsson
Introduction
I have lived in Vik i Myrdal for most of my adult life, watched it shift from a quiet fishing village visited by perhaps a handful of curious travelers each summer into a place that now appears on nearly every Iceland itinerary. If someone sends me a message asking about the best sights in Vik, my first instinct is always the same: skip the bus-park on Reynisfjara, and walk in the opposite direction. The town is small enough that you can stand on almost any hillside and see the ocean, but large enough that it hides more angles on a basalt coastline than the standard Instagram checklist suggests. In this guide I will walk you through eight places that I actually go back to, repeated visits and all, even after the novelty has long faded.
1. Reynisdrangar Viewpoint at Dyrholaey (top viewpoints Vik)
Route via Brekkuvegur Street
Most visitors park at the Reynisfjara lot and snap photos with the waves, the basalt columns, and the dark sand before heading back toward Route 1. What fewer people do is take the side street that curls up Brekkuvegur toward the cliffs above the village, where the top viewpoints Vik offers rarely get a line at any hour. From the parking near the church, you can see Reynisdrangar and the whole reef-line at once, without the tourists elbowing for foreground space. That elevation change matters; you notice the way the arches of basalt columns line up like ribs of an ancient creature. From Brekkuvegur you get a layered shot of Mýrdalsjökull glacier, Reynisfjara, and the village rooftops in a single frame.
The Vibe? Peaceful, slightly wind-swept, perfect for long-exposure shots at dusk.
The Bill? Free parking, no entrance fee.
The Standout? Watching fog roll through the valley between the sea cliffs and seeing Reynisdrangar from above rather than from below.
The Catch? The wind can be brutal, and you may need to brace tripod legs or hold the camera strap tight.
If you trace Brekkuvegur toward its end, a short footpath connects to the road that climbs toward Dyrholaey headland. From that junction, on a still evening, you will hear the surf barely, a low rumble rather than the roar that visitors hear at beach level. The local trick is to park here first, visit the short walk, and then decide if you want to descend toward the main Reynisfjara lot.
2. The Black Sand Shoreline South of Vik (what to see Vik)
Coastal Path off Sudurvíkurvegur
When people ask me for honest advice on what to see Vik offers that is not drowned in tour buses, I send them south along Sudurvíkurvegur past the cluster of guesthouses and the edge of the village. Stretching beyond the last residential building, there is a stretch of shoreline that looks identical to Reynisfjara: same obsidian texture, same crashing Atlantic energy, almost none of the crowd. It starts roughly two kilometers past the village boundary, where a simple gravel track leaves the main road and curves toward the wetlands, then down to the sand.
At low tide, the contrast between the jet-black sand and the white sea foam is sharper here than at the more manicured Reynisfjara access, because the shoreline has not been “improved” for foot traffic. Wear sturdy boots instead of sneakers; volcanic sand behaves like coarse grit and can shift under weight faster than you expect. If you time your walk for the hour before sunset, with the glacier off to the north, the light turns the wet sand mirror-smooth and every little pool reflects the sky and the mountains. When I take friends out there they always say it feels private, and compared with the crush at the main lot, it genuinely is.
The Vide? Raw, quiet, a little lonely on a weekday afternoon.
The Bill? No cost, no ticket, just fuel for the short drive or the walk along Sudurvíkurvegur.
The Standout? Tide patterns and glacial light at sunset on an uncrowded black sand.
The Catch? The wind chill feels stronger near the sea, and the sun sets quickly if you misjudge mid-winter arrival.
My insider note: many years ago the locals used this southern area to park fishing boats when the harbor was too rough. Knowing that, you will notice how the protective ridge of old structures sits at the inland edge. The history is subtle now, but it is part of why Vik has survived so many storms.
3. Reynisfjara at Sunrise
Reynisfjara, Accessibility from Eystri-Vikurvegur
Reynisfjara is the photograph that launched a million Iceland pins, and most tourists arrive mid-day when the parking lot turns into a minivan circus. If you push your visit into the early hours, or right after winter sunrise, the place transforms into something close to the landscape you imagined. Around 6:30 in summer and 9:30 or 10:00 in winter the beach is often empty, except maybe for one other photographer and a curious Arctic tern overhead.
Walking from Eystri-Vikurvegur down to the parking area before sunrise, you will see how the black sand shifts color under different light, from charcoal to something almost silvery once the sun clears the headland. At that hour, basalt columns of Reynisdrangar glow faintly pink at their edges. With no one around, you can take your time, listen to rocks tumble in the surf, and note the polished smoothness of wave-worn stones in subtle gray-green hues.
The Vibe? Meditative and surprisingly intimate, as if the sea was performing just for you.
The Bill? No charge; the lot fills much later.
The Standout? The way the columns catch low sun, turning stone into amber silhouettes.
The Catch? Winter mornings arrive very late, and if the weather closes in, the walk down can feel intimidating in the dark.
If you have ever felt that “been there, done that” temptation, remember that the same beach can look different every single sunrise. That is a part of living here; the light never copies itself. Try three sunrises in different seasons and you will see what I mean.
4. Dyrholaey Peninsula and Lighthouse
Dyrholaey, near the Southern Edge of Vik
There is a reason that Dyrholaey sits on almost every list of the best sights in Vik, but most visitors only stop at one spot before heading to the next highlight. Dyrholaey is more than its famous stone arch, which Route 1 drivers glimpse from far down on the flats. The peninsula stretches south to a lighthouse that is easy to overlook if you come in a rush. Turn off near the southern entrance, park briefly, and instead of focusing on the great stone bridge that everyone photographs from afar, walk to the cliff paths on each side.
Standing by the lighthouse, the entire southern coastline stretches east toward Reynisfjara and west into the open ocean. on clear days, the view sweeps north to Mýrdalsjökull glacier. The wind is relentless, no matter the season, so bring a shell layer that actually repels gusts rather than a flimsy windbreaker. I always feel the size of the peninsula more when I walk both east and west sides, tracing the ridgeline above sea caves that you cannot see from the main viewpoint.
The Vibe? Exposed, dramatic, a bit like walking on the lip of a bowl overlooking the Atlantic.
The Bill? There is no entrance fee but the lot can charge in high summer.
The Standout? The lighthouse view line running all the way to Reynisdrangar and beyond.
The Catch? If the mist closes in, the far cliff edges feel disorienting; watch footing carefully.
A detail that most tourists do not know: the original access road up to the arch was not always this smooth. The first visitors in the 1970s navigated dirt tracks. The paved path, improved in stages over the last twenty years, gets upgraded after harsh winters, but the topography still bears scars that locals remember from decades past. Dyrholaey was once a more rugged proposition, and knowing that gives a certain texture to the place.
5. Historic Church Above the Village
Vikurkirkja on Víkurvegur
It is easy to see that white church on the hill, dome-like against the dark volcano backdrop, and think of it only as a backdrop for wedding photos, but Vikurkirkja is one of the Vik highlights that people walk past too fast. Situated at the top of Víkurvegur, it anchors the village geography more than almost any building here. Climb the short path to its front steps and once you face south, the entire coastal plain spreads below, turquoise surf in summer or slate gray in winter.
Enter on a weekday mid-morning and the cleaning smell of old wood still lingers. The structure itself dates to the 1930s and was one of the first truly permanent civic buildings in Vik, a sign that the fishing community was settling, not just wintering through the season. Inside, light is soft and the decoration pared down, in keeping with Icelandic Lutheran tradition. People photograph the outside constantly, but fewer linger over the interior quiet or notice the handwritten notes posted after funerals or baptisms, evidence of how this building is the village’s shared diary.
The Vibe? Hushed, orderly, a pocket of rest above the wind.
The Bill? Free; no set hours but it is unlocked on most days.
The Standout? The panoramic view of rooftops and shoreline seen from its gravel forecourt.
The Catch? If rain is heavy, the walk up the hill can be slippery in some shoes.
My own tip: about once a decade, a storm forces the roof to lose tiles or the bell frame to shudder. Each repair is a story retold at the local shop. If you look carefully at the eaves, you may catch subtle mismatches in paint where newer boards meet the originals. It is a village habit to notice these things.
6. Lava Center Exhibit
Lava Center, Along Route 1 East of Vik
Some travelers dismiss the Lava Center as a trap, but that usually means they are in a hurry to reach the next highlight. If you treat it as a two-hour detour rather than a quick stop, you will find it is one more interesting piece of the “what to see Vik” puzzle. The building sits on the east side of town, just off the main highway, and its core exhibit simulates what it feels like when ground above you begins to move.
The experiential part is not especially high-tech, but that is its charm. When they dim lights and project moving images onto a mock cross-section of earth, you feel rumble through the floor. It is a geologically honest snapshot of why this part of Iceland lives in the shadow of Katla under Mýrdalsjökull. Standing in that room, you understand why locals used to watch for ashfall and why the village elders still gather around news of volcanic unrest.
The Vibe? Educational, a bit theatrical, but genuinely informative.
The Bill? Small entrance fee; family tickets available.
The Standout? The simulation chamber at the heart of the museum; it brings the geology to life.
The Catch? If a bus unloads at the same time, the small hall can get congested.
Out back, you can glimpse the wide-open valley and imagine how flood paths have shifted the ground here over centuries. Geologists will tell you that the soil under your feet in Vik is largely built from older glacial outwash overlaid with tephra from eruptions long before anyone lived here permanently. Knowing that makes the flat sandplains look less empty and more like layers of buried history.
7. Kerid Crater Detour (Pairable with Vik Highlights)
Route 3 South of Selfoss Side, North of Route to Vik
Kerid is technically not inside the village itself, but it is within easy reach when combining different Vik highlights in one day and it feels like a companion piece to everything on that black sand coastline. The crater’s sapphire-blue lake sits in a deep bowl lined with red volcanic soil, and in summer wildflowers spill down the steep inner slope. From Vik, expect around an hour to reach it if you leave after breakfast, or closer to ninety minutes if you pause to photograph the long lava fields on the way.
What appeals to me is the crater’s immediacy. You walk a short distance from the lot and suddenly look straight down into a frozen-looking pool. In contrast to the open ocean edges at Vik, Kerid is enclosed, with the wind broken by the rim. The colors shift throughout the day: greens invading the red as the sun moves, the lake steely when clouds build, pale blue on a clear morning. Because it appears on many south-coast itineraries, midday can be busy, but if you get there before the first bus or linger late into the evening, you will likely share the trail with few others.
The Vibe? Compact, high-contrast colors, geologically intimate.
The Bill? Small crater entrance fee; parking free afterward.
The Standout? The walk around the rim for views of red soil against the glacial blue.
The Catch? The steep inner trail can be treacherous after rain; not ideal in worn sneakers.
The long lava fields leading to Kerid mirror plains you pass on the drive toward Vik, helping you see where the old flows turned to moss and soil. Connecting these two routes on a single road trip makes the geology feel like a continuous thread rather than isolated sights.
8. Seljavallalaug and Hike
Seljavallalaug, Off Thorsmerkurvegur
If there is one place that always answers a request for the best sights in Vik without mentioning Reynisfjara first, it is Seljavallalaug, the old mountain pool hidden inland to the north. The pool sits at the end of a two-kilometer walk from a small parking area off Thorsmerkurvegur, on the far side of Thorsmork from Vik. Getting there requires a drive east of the village through farmland and then a somewhat uneven track up toward the foothills.
The pool itself was built in 1923, long before Iceland had a modern swimming culture, and it still looks like something out of an old photograph: rough stone walls, streaks of moss and lichen, greenish steaming water. You can actually swim there, though many visitors dip their feet instead. The walk in passes through narrow valleys where birch scrub is reclaiming old glacial ground, and the air smells mineral and damp. The setting is complicated by the occasional sound of water splashing against stone and the calls of nesting birds.
The Vibe? Isolated, a bit rugged, deeply quiet except for water and wind.
The Bill? There is no charge, only effort.
The Standout? Plunging into a centuries-old mountain pool with glacier views on the horizon.
The Catch? The water is unevenly heated; some corners are cooler than others and there are no changing facilities nearby.
Few tourists make this stop unless they research secondary routes, which is precisely why it remains a living relic rather than an overdeveloped attraction. On the way down from the pool, a small memorial marks where a glacier flood destroyed the original access bridle path decades ago, a reminder of how violently the landscape can rearrange itself.
9. Katla Ice Cave (Winter Seasonal Add-On)
Various guide services running from Vik towards Kötlujökull
From late autumn into early spring, occasional ice caves open beneath outlet glaciers such as Kötlujökull, an arm of Mýrdalsjökull that dominates the northern horizon above Vik. Several operators based in the village organize helmeted tours, usually with super-jeeps or larger trucks, onto the ice. It is not a casual walk; the round trip can take 3 to 4 hours. If conditions are safe, guides will lead you into tunnels where the ceiling glows glassy-blue or translucent turquoise.
What impresses me most is how quickly the surroundings transform. One moment you are on dark volcanic flats, the next you stand in a cathedral carved by meltwater, the walls scalloped and reflective. Photographers go mad, the colors shifting depending on the time of day. In my own experience, mid-morning light can pick up hints of dust trapped in the ice, turning beams into golden shafts as the sun strengthens. By late afternoon tones deepen toward indigo.
The Vibe? Otherworldly, very cold underfoot, slightly echo-filled.
The Bill? Not cheap; standard tours can run into the higher end of day-trip pricing.
The Standout? Light piercing through ceiling ice, turning every surface into a prism.
The Catch? Strictly weather and safety dependent; canceled tours happen.
That ever-present risk of Katla under the ice is part of living in this village. Locals talk about flood models, evacuation routes, and ash scenarios with a familiarity that visitors sometimes find unsettling. But it is exactly this awareness that helped me appreciate why the old stories here always weave earth, water, and sky together.
10. Local Shops and Food Stops Along Vikurvegur and Sudurvíkurvegur
Various small businesses in central Vik
The backbone of what to see Vik includes not just scenic overlooks but everyday life along the main roads. Along Vikurvegur and Sudurvíkurvegur you will find guesthouses, small eateries, and craft shops that most visitors rush straight through. Pausing at these places offers a more textured view of the village than the landscape alone. Sit down, order a bowl of lamb soup or a fried fish plate, and listen to conversations in Icelandic. You begin to sense the seasonal rhythms: winter survival, summer influx, and constant readiness for the next storm or eruption.
One bakery on Vikurvegur rotates pastries and breads during the day, but by late afternoon the odds of fresh cinnamon rolls drop sharply. The fish and chip windows behind some of the lodges are simple affairs, paper-wrapped, meant to be eaten while leaning against a warm car or steps. There is no polished menu theater, just functional food that people who work long shifts actually eat. If you watch who comes in first, understand who gets greeted by name, and overhear repair plans discussed between bites, you will feel more grounded in Vik than any panoramic viewpoint alone can offer.
The Vibe? Homely, functional, a snapshot of life between storms.
The Bill? Moderate; expect standard town prices.
The Standout? Fried cod and potatoes eaten beside a warm wall when the wind is sharp outside.
The Catch? Limited seating; during peak visitor hours you may wait or need to take food away.
Knowing that staff at many of these places are often juggling tourism work with fishing, farming, or teaching helps you interpret the quick smile and slower service speed during transition periods, when roles shift at a moment’s notice.
When to Go / What to Know
If you want to sample many of the best sights in Vik without heavy crowds, shoulder months such as late May, early June, and September tend to balance weather and daylight reasonably well. Midday hours bring busier lots at the well-known spots, so early starts and late evenings help you beat the crush. Layering is never optional, even in summer, especially near the coast and the glacier-facing slopes. Outdoor footwear with good traction is more important than fashion. Local grocery options are limited, so if you plan a full day of walking consider bringing basic supplies with you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the safest and most reliable way to get around Vik as a solo traveler?
Renting a car gives the most flexibility because distances between major sights such as Dyrholaey, Reynisfjara, and Seljavallalaug involve short drives of a few minutes up to roughly 20 minutes. Public intercity buses pass through Vik along Route 1 but service to side roads and gravel tracks is limited. Walking within the village itself is safe and manageable on sidewalks, but venturing onto remote coast paths or valleys alone requires updated weather checks and good gear.
Do the most popular attractions in Vik require advance ticket booking, especially during peak season?
Beaches and cliff areas like Reynisfjara and Dyrholaey do not require tickets, only parking fees at certain lots during summer months. Experiences such as ice cave tours and guided glacier visits are more regulated and often need booking days in advance, especially from November to March. The Lava Center sells tickets on site, but pre-registering online can reduce wait times when bus groups arrive simultaneously.
How many days are needed to see the major tourist attractions in Vik without feeling rushed?
Two full days allow time to visit the main coastal spots, the ice cave, and at least one longer hike without rushing between sunrise and sunset. With only one day, you can still see Dyrholaey and Reynisfjara thoroughly, but adding Seljavallalaug or Kerid will require early starts or trimming some stops. Packing three major activities into a single day leaves little margin for weather delays or spontaneous detours.
What are the best free or low-cost tourist places in Vik that are genuinely worth the visit?
Reynisfjara beach, the coastal walkway south of Vik, and Seljavallalaug pool all involve zero or minimal cost beyond basic parking. The Vik churchyard viewpoint and open stretches along Sudurvíkurvegur are also free and provide wide-angle perspectives over the coastline. Even without paying for tours, it is possible to spend a full day walking, climbing, and photographing these sites from early morning to dusk.
Is it possible to walk between the main sightseeing spots in Vik, or is local transport necessary?
Within the village core, you can easily walk from guesthouses to restaurants, the church hill, and the main Reynisfjara lot. Distances to Dyrholaey, Seljavallalaug, and Kerid are too far for casual walking and require a car or organized shuttle. Some travelers opt for cycling on paved sections, but gravel tracks near more remote features can be rough and exposed to strong coastal winds.
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