Black sand beach · Vatnajökull & Jökulsárlón

Diamond Beach

The black beach directly across the road from Jökulsárlón, where the icebergs wash back ashore. A five to ten minute walk from the lagoon car park.

prices and departures checked 4 Nov 2026

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The short version

  • 41 tours in our catalogue stop at Diamond Beach — 20 of them day tours from a single base, 21 as part of a longer package.
  • A seat on a day tour here typically costs €238, from €202 at the cheapest. Private tours are priced per vehicle and sit outside that figure.
  • 20 different operators run here, so a cancellation rarely means the day is lost.
  • Departures in our next 360 days fall in November, December, January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October.
  • Seasonal here: Midnight sun (May–July), Lupine in bloom (June–July).

The facts

Type
Black sand beach
Region
Vatnajökull & Jökulsárlón
Tours that stop here
4120 day tours · 21 multi-day
Day tour, cheapest
€202
Day tour, typical
€238median of 8 per-person fares
Operators
20
From Reykjavík
280 km (175 mi)straight line — the road is longer
Coordinates
64.0443, -16.1777

Daylight through the year

Iceland's daylight swings further than almost anywhere people holiday, and it decides what a tour can actually show you. Times are for the 15th of each month at this spot.

MonthSunriseSunsetDaylight
January10:3315:545 h 21 min
March07:2719:0111 h 34 min
June02:3723:3220 h 55 min
September06:2419:3613 h 11 min
December10:5015:094 h 19 min

What is seasonal here

None of these have fixed dates, so each one says what its real dates depend on.

Midnight sun

May–July

True midnight sun only above the Arctic Circle — Grímsey. The mainland gets civil twilight all night, which looks much the same.

Lupine in bloom

June–July

Introduced, controversial and impossible to miss when it flowers. Peaks a fortnight later in the north than the south.

What people do here

Getting here without a car

The 20 tours we sell that stop at Diamond Beach leave from Reykjavík, Skaftafell and Djúpivogur, with a handful from 2 smaller towns. Most of them start in Reykjavík, so for anyone based in the capital there is nothing to arrange beforehand.

17 of the 20 collect you from your accommodation or a designated stop, so the tour is the transport — there is nothing else to arrange and no timetable to read.

A seat on a day tour here starts at €202 and typically runs €226, per person, private charters excluded because those are priced per vehicle and would flatter the figure. There is no scheduled bus we can sell you to Diamond Beach, so a guided day is the practical way in without a car.

The days themselves run from about 6 h 30 min to 16 h door to door, so check the length as carefully as the price — the cheapest seat is often the longest coach day. 15 different operators run here, which matters more without a car than with one: if the weather cancels your day, there is usually another departure rather than a lost trip.

Being driven is the easy answer here: enough operators run it that a cancellation rarely loses you the day, and you get to look out of the window instead of at the road.

Cheapest way in without a car: a guided day tour from Reykjavík, from €202 per person.

We have done the sums on this properly: what a rental car actually costs against guided tours.

Tours that stop at Diamond Beach

Taken from each operator's own itinerary, not from marketing copy — these are tours whose agenda names Diamond Beach as a stop.

Magic Iceland Travel

Diamond Beach, Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon & Boat Tour from Reykjavík

from €205 per person4.80· 184 Google reviews of the operator

about the usual price for lagoon & spa visits

from age 6 · meet at the start point

14 h · from Reykjavík

  • Family friendly
  • Free cancellation 24 h
  • Book same day

Embark on a thrilling journey from Reykjavík to Iceland's wild South Coast, where you'll marvel at Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, stroll Diamond Beach, and chase adventure amidst epic glacier vistas.

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Snaeland Travel

5-Day Small Group Journey Around Iceland

from €1,614 per person4.70· 104 Google reviews of the operator

from age 12 · pickup included

5 days · from Reykjavík

  • Family friendly
  • Free cancellation 999 days ahead

Join a 5-day small-group tour around Iceland’s Ring Road, experiencing geysers, glaciers, waterfalls, lava fields, and the country’s most awe-inspiring attractions.

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SLAWOMIR & DENIS TRAVEL ehf.

Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon Small Group Day Tour From Reykjavik

from €226 per person

about the usual price for lagoon & spa visits

pickup at extra cost · works in rain

14 h 30 · from Reykjavík

  • Wi-fi on board
  • Family friendly
  • Free cancellation 24 h

A full-day South Coast adventure from Reykjavík to Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon & Diamond Beach, with iconic waterfalls, black-sand views, and photo-perfect stops along the way.

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Magic Iceland Travel

Djúpivogur: Jökulsárlón & Diamond Beach Cruise Tour

from €202 per person4.80· 184 Google reviews of the operator

32% above the €153 typical for boat tours

from age 6 · pickup included

6 h 30 · from Djúpivogur

  • Family friendly
  • Free cancellation 24 h
  • Book same day

Enjoy a family-friendly shore excursion from Djúpivogur Port to Iceland's stunning southeast coast, featuring Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, Diamond Beach, and scenic landscapes with a local guide and guaranteed return to your cruise.

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Marina Travel

Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon, Diamond Beach & Blue Ice Cave from Hornafjörður Airport Small Group Tour

from €1,420 per person4.60· 115 Google reviews of the operator

461% above the €253 typical for ice cave tours

Moderate · from age 6

11 h · from Skaftafell

  • Gear included
  • Family friendly
  • Free cancellation 2 days ahead

Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon, Diamond Beach & Ice Cave from Hornafjörður Airport

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BusTravel Iceland

5-Day Essential Iceland – Golden Circle, South Coast, Optional Ice Cave tour, Snaefellsnes & Volcano Tour

from €1,169 per person4.70· 3,015 Google reviews of the operator

from age 12 · pickup included

5 days · from Reykjavík

  • Wi-fi on board
  • Admission included
  • Family friendly

Discover Iceland's wonders: waterfalls, geysers, ice caves, and more on the Ultimate Icelandic Adventure Tour.

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Magic Iceland Travel

Diamond Beach&Glacier Lagoon Small group Day Tour guided in Chinese冰岛钻石沙滩&冰河湖中文一日精品团(可选冰河湖游船)

from €250 per person4.80· 184 Google reviews of the operator

22% above the €205 typical for lagoon & spa visits

from age 16 · pickup included

14 h 30 · from Reykjavík

  • Wi-fi on board
  • Family friendly
  • Free cancellation 24 h

Diamond Beach, Black Sand Beach and Glacier Lagoon Small group Day Tour guided in Chinese冰岛钻石沙滩&冰河湖中文一日迷你巴士团

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Showing 12 of 41. Browse everything or build a day around it.

Who runs them

20 operators, all of whom we hold a contract with. We do not list every company in Iceland, on purpose.

Absorb Iceland · Arctic Mike · BusTravel Iceland · Cool Holidays Travel ehf · Daytrips / TA Sport Travel · East Highlanders · Icarus Rising ehf · Iceland Adventures · Kalman Tours · Magic Iceland Travel · Marina Travel · Moonwalker

Diamond Beach: questions people ask

How many tours go to Diamond Beach?

We list 41 — 20 day tours and 21 multi-day packages, from 20 operators. That is what we currently have contracts for, not everything that exists in Iceland.

How much does it cost to visit Diamond Beach?

The place itself is usually free to enter; what you pay for is getting there. A day tour seat runs from €202, with a typical price of €238. Some sites charge separately for parking or admission — check the individual tour.

When can you visit Diamond Beach?

Looking at the next 360 days of live availability, departures fall in November, December, January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October. That is a rolling window rather than the full year, so a month missing here is not necessarily a month with nothing running.

How much daylight is there at Diamond Beach?

January: 5 h 21 min · March: 11 h 34 min · June: 20 h 55 min · September: 13 h 11 min · December: 4 h 19 min. Iceland stays on UTC all year, so there is no clock change to allow for.

Do you need a tour, or can you drive to Diamond Beach yourself?

Both work. Driving gives you the stops you want and the time you want them; a tour removes the winter road decisions and lets everyone look out of the window. We sell the tours and say so — if self-driving suits you better, it suits you better.

Can you get to Diamond Beach without a car?

Yes — 20 guided day tours in our catalogue stop here. 17 of the tours pick you up from your accommodation, so no onward transport is needed.

What is the cheapest way to get to Diamond Beach?

A guided day tour from Reykjavík, from €202 per person, with €226 the more typical fare. Private tours cost more because they are priced per vehicle rather than per seat.

Hotels

Where to stay near Diamond Beach

From the cheapest to the top end of what is near Diamond Beach, from our hotel partners. Rooms are booked on our hotels site.

All hotels in Vatnajökull & Jökulsárlón →

Put it in a day

Diamond Beach is rarely a whole day on its own. The planner knows how long each tour takes and how far apart the start points are, so it can build the rest of the day around it.

Plan a day around Diamond Beach