Private South Coast Tour and Viking Story Night with Icelandic Tasting
by VAREN Iceland · Food & drink · South Coast
- Skip the queue
from €1,486.52 per vehicle
Next departure: Thu 22 Oct
1 / 46
Duration
12 hours
Difficulty
Easy
Season
All year
Starts in
Reykjavík
Pickup
Hotel pickup included
Guide
Guided in English
Departs
12:00
Cancellation
Free until 24 hours before
About this experience
This private tour pairs the South Coast in the afternoon light with an evening you will talk about for years: the Viking Story Night at Efri-Úlfsstaðir, a family horse farm on the land of Njál's Saga.
This is a fully private tour. Your group gets a dedicated driver-guide and a vehicle that belongs entirely to you from the afternoon until the drive home. No fixed pace, no waiting for other passengers, no compromises.
Your afternoon takes in the path behind Seljalandsfoss, the hidden canyon of Gljúfrabúi, the wide wall of water at Skógafoss, the edge of Sólheimajökull glacier, the basalt columns and waves of Reynisfjara and the cliffs of Dyrhólaey.
In the evening you arrive at the farm. You meet the Icelandic horses in the stable, then take a seat at a long wooden table in a candlelit barn, wrapped in a traditional wool cape if you like. A local storyteller brings the sagas, elves and trolls to life while you taste traditional Icelandic food and drink: fermented shark, dried fish, smoked lamb, Brennivín and Icelandic malt. It is a tasting, not a full dinner.
Throughout the day your driver-guide shares stories, small legends and practical tips about Iceland's nature, history and culture.
Full details of each stop are in the itinerary. Pick-up and drop-off anywhere in the Capital Area, including the cruise terminals, is included. The order of the afternoon stops may be adjusted on the day due to weather or road conditions.
Choose a Private Sedan for 1-3 guests or a Private Van for up to 8 guests. One price per vehicle, not per person.
Description from the operator, VAREN Iceland. Prices and availability in the booking panel are live.
Where you go
- Pick-up in the Capital Area
- Seljalandsfoss Waterfall
- Gljúfrabúi Waterfall
- Skógafoss Waterfall
- Sólheimajökull Glacier
- Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach
- Dyrhólaey Headland
- Viking Story Night at Efri-Úlfsstaðir
- Drop-off in the Capital Area
Included
- Private South Coast tour, just for your group
- Friendly English-speaking local driver-guide
- Private Sedan or Private Van for the whole day
- Pick-up and drop-off at your accommodation or cruise terminal
- Help with your luggage and gear
- Bottled water
- USB charging on board
- Child seats, free of charge (add them when you book)
- All parking fees and local taxes
Not included
- Gratuities (optional, always appreciated)
- Viking Story Night ticket (required, added per person when you book)
- Dinner and other meals (the Story Night includes a tasting, not a full meal)
Good to know
- Warm, waterproof clothes and waterproof shoes with good grip
- You will receive your booking confirmation right after you book.
- Please count everyone in your group, including children and infants, as everyone needs their own seat.
- We pick up and drop off at any accommodation in the Capital Area and at the cruise terminals in Reykjavík and Hafnarfjörður. Staying somewhere else? Send us a message before you book and we will gladly help.
- Arriving by cruise ship? We plan the start time and the route around your ship's schedule, so you are back at the port well before all-aboard time. This is a long day, so it works best when your ship stays in port for the whole day or overnight.
- The tour starts in the early afternoon. The Viking Story Night begins at 8 pm and lasts about 1.5 hours, so you are back in the Capital Area late in the evening.
- This tour involves easy walks on uneven natural paths that can be wet, muddy or icy, so it is not suitable for guests with serious mobility limitations. The tour is not wheelchair accessible.
- At Sólheimajökull we walk to the edge of the glacier and do not go onto the ice, so no glacier guide or special equipment is needed.
- Reaching Gljúfrabúi means stepping over stones in a shallow stream. It is optional, and waterproof shoes help.
- At Reynisfjara, sneaker waves can run far up the beach without warning. Please stay well back from the water and follow your guide's advice.
- Children are welcome. The stories and the tasting suit families with older children best. Parents or guardians look after their children during the tour.
Cancellation for this tour
Free cancellation until 24 hours before departure; no refund after that. If the operator cancels for weather or safety, you get a full refund or a new date.
Sold out on your date?
Seats come back — a cancellation, or the operator adding a vehicle. Tell us the date and we will check once a day and email you if one opens. One email, then we delete the address; nothing else is ever sent to it.
Who this is not for
- Not a good fit if you want a relaxed day: 12 hours is a long time on the road, most of it spent getting there and back.
- Priced per vehicle, so it is poor value for one or two people and good value for four or more sharing.
Read off the operator's own conditions. If none of it applies to you, this is a good one.
Why we list it
VAREN Iceland is one of 204 operators we work with — chosen for reliability, honest descriptions and how they treat guests when weather changes plans. We don't list everything; we list what we'd book ourselves. The six checks every operator passes →
What travellers say about VAREN Iceland
Read all 126 reviews on Google →Operator rating 4.5/5 from Google — these are reviews of the company, not this specific tour. Shown as Google returns them, unedited.
★★★★★ · a year ago
Lovely hour-long cruise round the Utrecht canal. Friendly guide with lots of information about the history and people of Utrecht. Prices were very reasonable, and longer trips available if you wanted.
★★ · a year ago
We Bootes a place to see the grachten in Utecht. Unfortunately there were no explanations or informations about the area or buildings at all. So Next time I would Book another ship
★★★★★ · 7 years ago
Five stars service - super nice and helpful staff We booked the boat for a bachelorette party. We had a few logistical challenges prior and on the day itself - and Varen in Utrecht staff were so helpful and kind to help us to find solutions. On th day itself, Max - our captain- went out of his way (quite literally, by picking up the bride by boat at a location that would be easily accessible by car). Moreover, as the bride wasn't able to get to the spot until 40 minutes later, Max at his own initiative even extended our time because the next reservation wasn't until half an hour later after our initial time was supposed to end. How incredibly kind is that? A million thanks to the lovely people of this company - would recommend them in a heartbeat.
★★★★★ · 7 years ago
Visitors of Utrecht often forget that its canals are just as attractive as those in Amsterdam and the best way to see them is by boat. Good angles for photography as well.
Reviews from Google · updated 21 Oct 2026
Read before you book
- Private family tours in Iceland: what they costTaste Iceland's private family tours run €1,024 to €1,595 per booking. What you get for that, which age limits apply, and when a cheaper family tour wins.
- Private self-drive guided tour in IcelandA guide leads, you drive your own Land Rover Defender. What the Volcano Trails tours cost per vehicle, what is included, and who should skip it.
- Sólheimajökull glacier hike: public or private?A public Sólheimajökull glacier hike costs about €95 to €104 a person. A private one lists from €256 for the group. Here is when private is worth it.
Reviews from our travellers
Only people who booked this tour through us can write here. We publish every review in full — good or bad.
Reviews arrive the day after each trip — none yet for this one. After your tour we send one email asking how it was, and what you write goes here, unedited.
Food & drink — questions people ask
Is a Reykjavík food walk worth doing?
Yes, on your first or second evening. Three hours through the centre with five or six tastings, lamb soup, fish, skyr, rye bread, the famous hot dog, and a guide who explains what Icelanders actually eat versus the tourist menu. It orients you in the city and shortlists restaurants for the rest of your stay. The combos with whale watching (/experience/834461/) or a northern-lights cruise (/experience/834525/) make a full day.
What food is Iceland known for?
Lamb, raised free on the hills and eaten as soup, roast or smoked as hangikjöt. Fresh fish, cod and arctic char especially, and langoustine in Höfn. Skyr, the thick cultured dairy. Dense rye bread, sometimes baked in geothermal ground. And the hot dog with everything, which is the honest national dish. The fermented shark and sheep's head are for dares, not dinner. Most Icelanders eat them once a year, if that.
Is food expensive in Iceland?
Yes. A main course in a mid-range Reykjavík restaurant costs roughly what a good dinner costs in London or Copenhagen, and alcohol is heavily taxed. Ways to soften it: lunch specials and soup-and-bread deals are good value, supermarket chains like Bónus and Krónan are fine for breakfast and picnics, and tap water is excellent and free everywhere. Tipping is not expected; service is included. A food walk is one of the better-value meals because it covers several places.
Can I get vegetarian or vegan food in Iceland?
In Reykjavík and Akureyri, easily; most restaurants have at least one option and several are fully plant-based. Outside towns, choice thins out to soup and salad, so on long day tours bring your own lunch if the stop is a petrol station grill. Food walks can usually adapt tastings if you tell the operator when booking; use the special requests field or email us. Allergies should always be flagged in advance.
Hotels
Where to stay for this tour
From the cheapest to the top end of what is near Reykjavík, from our hotel partners. Rooms are booked on our hotels site.
from 16.181 kr.Lowest price
Guesthouse · Reykjavík
Old Town Reykjavík
under 1 km away · a night for two, indicative
from 41.790 kr.Mid-range
Hotel · Reykjavík
Radisson Blu 1919 Hotel
under 1 km away · a night for two, indicative
from 60.840 kr.Top end
Hotel · Reykjavik
Hótel Holt
under 1 km away · a night for two, indicative
One checkout, any number of operators
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If it falls short, we fix it
Pairs well with
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