Last Updated on September 17, 2026 by A Teaspoon of Travel

Vik to Diamond Beach Day Trip: Self Drive Itinerary

Traveled in July 2026

Diamond Beach and Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon are two of Iceland’s most stunning bucket-list sights. But their location along the southeast coast means most travelers miss them if they aren’t driving the entire Ring Road. If you’re staying in Vik, though, you don’t have to skip them! We drove from Vik to Diamond Beach and Jökulsárlón and back as a self-drive day trip on our 7 day trip. We loved having the flexibility to explore at our own pace and stop at some of the amazing sights along the way. While guided tours are an option, this route is completely doable on your own if you’re up for a long day of driving. If you’re wondering whether a Vik to Diamond Beach day trip is actually doable, keep reading for a self-drive itinerary you can copy.

Can You Do a Day Trip to Diamond Beach From Vik?

Short answer: Yes!

The longer answer is that it will be a long driving day, but it’s definitely doable while still having plenty of time to see the main sights along the way. And because the views along the way are so stunning, the drive itself doesn’t feel that long. We didn’t want to have to change accommodations every night so based ourselves in Vik for 3 nights, but still wanted to see Diamond Beach. Seeing it as a day trip required more gas and more driving time because we had to back track, but saved us from having to pack and move.

When to Go

The best time to do this day trip from Vik to Diamond Beach is definitely in the summer (June-August). Summer is when the days are longest, so you have plenty of daylight hours. This is also when driving conditions are easiest. We visited the end of July and had a sunny dry day for this day trip.

How Long is the Drive from Vik to Diamond Beach?

Without stopping, the drive from Vik to Diamond Beach is about 3 hours long on Google Maps one way. However, because the highway is only one lane in each direction and the maximum speed limit is 90 km/h, it can take longer than expected. And if they are repaving any part of the road, that speed drops even further as you drive over the gravel.

Our entire travel day was about 9 hours for this itinerary. We had a late start to the morning because of jetlag and didn’t leave until 10am. If we had left earlier in the morning, we would probably have made a couple more stops. This would probably have extended our travel day to 11-12 hours to see everything. But the best part about renting your own car and doing this as a self drive itinerary is that you can see as much as you want and as much as you have time for!

Vik to Diamond Beach Day Trip Itinerary

Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon

• Parking: we mapped to Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon Viewpoint in Google Maps, which took us up a gravel path to a small parking lot. Parking at this lot bypassed the steeper uphill climb portion from the usual parking lot.
• Parking fees: pay through Parka app
• Distance: 1 hr from Vik

This impressive serpentine gorge is a very family-friendly hike. The gorge itself is a short walk from the parking lot and the walk to the waterfall isn’t too long or steep. There are multiple viewing platforms to see the waterfall and the gorge itself from different angles.

Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and Diamond Beach

• Parking: we parked at the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon parking lot because it’s bigger, has bathrooms, and has food trucks. But the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and Diamond Beach parking lots are connected by a pedestrian walkway that runs underneath the bridge, so you can park at either parking lot and see both sights. The Diamond Beach parking lot seemed less busy when we visited.
• Parking fees: pay through Parka app
• Distance: 1.5 hours from Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon or 45 min from Svartifoss

I was mesmerized by the sight of the icebergs floating silently in the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon right when we pulled into the parking lot. This was one of the busiest places we visited, but you can still find a quiet stretch of beach or walk further up the viewpoint or along the path above the parking lot to admire the view away from the crowds. Our kid was fascinated by the pieces of crystal clear iceberg that washed up on shore. And he loved watching the rafts heading out on the water.

• Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon Boat tours: The glacier lagoon boat tours are a popular way to see the icebergs up close, but check age limits before booking! Many of the zodiac boat tours have a minimum age for kids. The Amphibious Boat Tours may welcome families with younger kids. We decided not to book a boat tour because we didn’t know how the weather would be, and we did not want to have to rush to make a set departure time.

To get to Diamond Beach, take the pedestrian path along the water that runs underneath the bridge (so you don’t have to pay for parking twice!). Photographers will love the chunks of iceberg sitting on the beach with the waves crashing behind them. Our kid loved playing with the rocks on this pebble beach. Some kids will get really excited about going all the way to the shoreline to touch the icebergs. But just be careful of the waves!

Svartifoss

• Parking: parking for Svartifoss is at the Skaftafell Visitor Center car park
• Parking fees: pay through Parka app
• Distance: 1 hr from Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon or 45 min from Diamond Beach

Note that there is a 45 minute steep uphill hike from the parking lot to the waterfall.

Despite the hike, I would still recommend seeing Svartifoss. It was one of my favorite waterfalls of the trip. The waterfall rushes over a wall of basalt columns and it looks like something out of a fairy tale. I think the hike deters most of the tour groups, so we were one of only a handful of people at the waterfall when we visited. Our kid surprised us by walking the whole hike on his own two little legs. He loved climbing over the rocks and said this hike to the waterfall was one of his favorites of the trip!

Other Sights on the Ring Road:

I originally included these other sights along the Ring Road on the way to Diamond Beach in our itinerary, but we ran out of time to see them. Everything just takes longer with a kid!

• Dverghamrar Cliffs: (22 min east from Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon) these unique cliffs are made up of hexagonal basalt columns. There is a path in the canyon below the cliffs with beautiful views of the Foss a Sidu waterfall. Looks like it would have been a nice flat paved hike from the free parking lot.
• Fjallsárlón Glacier Lagoon: (12 min west from Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon) we had planned to visit this glacier lagoon on our way back to Vik. It is supposedly closer to the glacier wall, with fewer crowds, and free parking.

Is the Vik to Diamond Beach Day Trip Worth It?

YES. A hundred times, yes. All of the sights along this day trip were so geologically unique. Seeing icebergs bobbing in a lagoon or washing up on shore at a beach are once-in-a-lifetime views. The hike to Svartifoss was such a fun family adventure and the waterfall itself was stunning. Since we already flew all the way to Iceland, it just made sense to do this day trip.

Can You Do This Day Trip with Kids?

We did! And our son loved it. He was fascinated by the iceberg chunks on Diamond Beach and loved playing with the rocks on the beach. And hiking to Svartifoss was a fun rock-scrambling adventure. Most of the sights are very family-friendly. Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon, Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, and Diamond Beach are short walks from the parking lots. Svartifoss is the only more challenging hike, but ended up being our kid’s favorite. If you have younger kids that can’t walk 45 minutes and back, then having a hiking backpack or carrier is a must.

What to Pack

Packing for changing weather conditions and for the long car ride will make this long day trip smoother. The great thing about self driving is that you can bring as much as you want! These are the things we found helpful for this long day trip.

• Waterproof jacket: I put a packable waterproof jacket like this one into our bag for any unexpected rain showers while we’re out hiking. It doesn’t take up much space and keeps you dry!
• Fleece layers: we had sun, drizzle, and wind all in one day. Fleece layers are easy on and off and provide just enough warmth.
• Waterproof hiking shoes: the grip on hiking shoes makes me feel so much more confident while hiking. Waterproof hiking shoes are helpful in Iceland, because of the spray from waterfalls or having to step over stones in rivers while hiking.
• Water bottle: grocery stores are few and far between when road tripping Iceland. We brought our own water bottles everywhere to save money on buying water from restaurants.
• Snacks: most of the food options on the Ring Road are either food trucks or restaurants, both of which are expensive. Packing your own car snacks helps to save money during the long drive.
• Phone charging cable: we used our phone for mapping the route and taking pictures throughout the day. Having a car phone charging cable is a necessity to avoid running out of phone batteries.
• Sunscreen and sunglasses: when it’s sunny, the sun hits hard in Iceland. The wind makes it hard to wear a hat, so sunscreen and sunglasses are key.
• Tripod or selfie stick: to fully capture the sights with you in front of it, you need a tripod or selfie stick for more distance. We forgot ours and regretted it!
• Wet bag: just in case anything gets wet along the route, a wet bag is handy for keeping wet things separate from everything else.

Things to pack for kids

• Snack box: snacks are great for keeping kids entertained in the car. And a snack box will help keep those snacks from spilling.
• Car entertainment: if you’re ok with screens in the car, we use this mount to clip phones onto seat backs. Our kid also loves these stickers books. These travel magnatiles have a metal case so they won’t fall all over the place in the car. We also like to play I Spy, and there is no shortage of things to spy on this drive.
• Blankie or stuffy: bringing a blankie or stuffy makes the car a little more cozy and encourages more car naps.
• Kid’s sunscreen: this sunscreen stick has saved me so many fights with my kid over putting sunscreen on his face.
• Waterproof shoes: kids like to splash, so packing waterproof shoes to change into for any waterfalls is helpful to prevent soggy shoes and socks for the entire day.
• Waterproof jacket: a lightweight packable waterproof jacket is a great layer to throw into the backpack because the weather changes quickly in Iceland.
• Water bottle: we love this kids water bottle because our kid can open the straw easily on his own. This is especially helpful on long drives.
• Travel potty: not every sight has a bathroom. We love our Oxo tot travel potty. We can deploy it anywhere for emergency potty breaks and it uses regular plastic bags. And you can use it on top of regular potties to make the potty opening smaller (or keep them from sitting directly on the public toilet).
• Hiking carrier: there are some walks involved to see the sights on this day trip. And they’re definitely not stroller friendly. We love this hip seat carrier with straps (for up to 50 lb) for a smaller alternative to a hiking carrier that’s still comfortable for kids for longer distances.

Where to Stay in Vik

Having a kitchenette in Iceland is so helpful to save money on food. Most of these options have a kitchenette and are conveniently located just off the Ring Road.

• Skammidalur Cottages – cute cottages with kitchenettes off the Ring Road (where we stayed)
• Vik Apartments – spacious apartments in the heart of Vik (where we wanted to stay but was all booked up)
• Black Beach Suites – spacious suites close to Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach with beautiful views but slightly off the Ring Road
• Hotel Kria – modern hotel in Vik