Booking choice: The South Coast minibus tour, from $133 per person. Check dates Compare the options below
Winter on the South Coast means low light, snow on the cliffs, ice around the waterfalls and far fewer visitors. It also means very short days, storms that can close Route 1, and paths that shut when they ice over.
The operator runs the tour all year and recommends winter gear from October to mid-April. Here is how to plan for it.
The quick answer
Yes, the tour runs in winter. Around 21 December Reykjavik has about 4 hours 7 minutes of daylight, so much of the 10-hour day is in the dark. The path behind Seljalandsfoss may close in ice, and weather can close roads; if Your Day Tours cancels for weather, you get a full refund or a new date. You will not see the northern lights on a day tour.
How much daylight is there on the South Coast in winter?
Very little in December: around 21 December the sun rises in Reykjavik at about 11:22 and sets at about 15:29, a little over 4 hours of daylight.
Compare that with about 21 hours in late June. On a 10-hour tour that returns around 19:30, you drive out in the dark and back in the dark, with the light around the middle stops. Days lengthen quickly from late January, so February and March tours get much more light.
Winter dates fill with fewer crowds: check your date for the South Coast minibus.
Check dates for the South Coast minibus tourDoes the South Coast tour run in winter?
Yes. Your Day Tours runs it all year, with routes and times adjusted to the weather.
The operator can change the order of stops or the departure time for safety. Winter is also when the landscape looks most dramatic: frozen spray at the waterfalls, snow on the mountains and low golden light for most of the day.
Can you walk behind Seljalandsfoss in winter?
Sometimes: the path behind the falls may close when it is icy, and you then see it from the front.
Even when the path is open, frozen spray makes the rock slippery, so ice cleats are worth packing. The falls themselves partly freeze, with ice building up around the edges. Read Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss for how the stops work.
What happens if the weather is bad?
If Your Day Tours cancels for weather, you get a full refund or a new date; on Viator you can also cancel free up to 24 hours before.
Iceland's road authority warns that winter brings ice, storms and sudden road closures, and that the south coast is also exposed to glacial floods. Check umferdin.is for roads and safetravel.is for warnings the day before. This is one of the strongest arguments for a tour in winter: the driver-guide makes the call, not you on an unfamiliar icy road.
Worried about the forecast? Book with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Check dates for the South Coast minibus tourCan you see the northern lights on the South Coast tour?
No, not as part of the tour: it is a daytime trip, and the aurora needs full darkness and clear skies.
In deep winter the drive back is dark, and some guests may glimpse something through the window, but nobody should promise it. For a real chance, book a separate evening tour on a night with a good forecast; Your Day Tours says it does not run standard northern lights tours.
Is the Katla ice cave a good winter alternative?
It is the one South Coast day that goes inside the ice: 4x4 transfers to a natural cave under Mýrdalsjökull, plus Vík, Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss, from $302.
The listing allows about three hours at the ice cave, with 4 to 5 hours of driving in total. Guests say the cave is spectacular but shallow and short, and that the drive out is part of the fun. Some guests report pickup delays, and one reports a cancellation about 12 hours before, so keep your plans flexible.
Want to stand inside the ice? The Katla day adds a natural ice cave to the waterfalls, in 11 hours.
Explore the Katla ice cave tourCan you do a glacier hike in winter?
Yes: the glacier hikes operate in most weather conditions, with crampons, helmet and ice axe provided.
The Troll Expeditions hike ($196) has a minimum age of 8 and rents boots, jacket and trousers if you need them. In July 2026 the Icelandic Met Office warned of unstable ice and new lagoons at Sólheimajökull's edge, so conditions and routes can change; never walk on the glacier without a certified guide. What to pack is in what to wear on the South Coast.
Is Reynisfjara more dangerous in winter?
Winter storms bring big surf, and the sneaker-wave risk is real all year, so check the warning light and stay well back.
In winter 2025-26, unusual easterly winds eroded the beach, caused a cliff collapse and led to some areas being cordoned off, though the beach stayed open and was recovering by March 2026. Read the Reynisfjara guide before you go.
Ready for a winter day on the coast? Check your date for the minibus with Reynisfjara and the waterfalls.
Check dates for the South Coast minibus tourFrequently asked questions
Is the South Coast worth visiting in winter?
Yes, if you accept short days and some closures. You get frozen waterfalls, snowy mountains and far fewer people.
What time does it get dark in December in Iceland?
Around 21 December the sun sets in Reykjavik at about 15:29, after rising at about 11:22.
Do South Coast tours get cancelled in winter?
Sometimes, when storms close roads. If Your Day Tours cancels for weather, you get a full refund or can rebook.
Can you visit an ice cave on a South Coast day tour?
Yes, on the Katla ice cave tour from Reykjavik, from $302. The standard minibus tour does not include an ice cave.
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Choose your day
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Prices are from-prices in USD and move with the season.
Your South Coast Full Day Tour by Minibus
- Pickup and drop-off at designated Reykjavik bus stops and the Skarfabakki cruise terminal
- English-speaking driver-guide, small group of up to 19
- Seljalandsfoss, Skógafoss, Sólheimajökull viewpoint, Reynisfjara and Vík
Katla Ice Cave & South Coast Waterfalls
A guided walk into an ice cave under Mýrdalsjökull
South Coast & Glacier Hike Small-Group Tour
Walking on the ice with crampons, not just looking at it
