It was our third day in Iceland. We had witnessed the most beautiful sunset yesterday, but the scenery today moved us even more. Someone once said that Iceland is one of the most beautiful places in the world, and this trip has truly made me believe that!
The South Coast tour is another popular route in Iceland, lasting a total of14hours. It includes two waterfalls,Seljalandsfoss andSkógafoss ,Vika black sand beach, as well as glacier hiking.Glacier walk, The glacier hike is definitely one of the most precious memories and a wonderful experience of a lifetime. Witnessing the wonders crafted by nature on the glacier left us in awe beyond words.
We signed up for aGray line Iceland ofSouth Coast Waterfall with glacier hiking. Early in the morning, before dawn, a minibus picked us up from our hotel and took us to theGray line bus terminal, where our tour guide was already waiting at the station. We set off immediately after boarding the bus.
The first leg of the journey took about two to three hours, with breathtaking views along the way—driving through snowy landscapes and past snow-capped mountains. Every second was a masterpiece.
The first attraction wasSkógafoss. The photos and travelogues I had seen before were all taken in summer, but it turns out winter offers a completely different scene. I wanted to walk a bit closer for a photo, but the ground was icy. Having slipped yesterday, I decided to play it safe this time.
From summer travelogues, I had seen many people taking photos from the top of the waterfall, and it turns out you can do that in winter too. I got excited when I saw the stairs and said I wanted to climb up for a shot. I thought the stairs were short, but that was just an illusion. Near the final flight of stairs, I found they were icy and had turned into an ice slope. I was wearing regular sneakers, and stepping on them would have sent me sliding down the valley, so I had to turn back. Looking down from above, I realized the stairs were actually not short at all, and the tour bus below was where we had started. With many steps iced over or covered in snow and some areas lacking railings, even I—who struggled to hike Mount Tai—and had to carefully and slowly make my way down step by step.
VikBlack Sand Beach
The waves here are extremely powerful and it is a very dangerous beach.
While taking photos, the tour guide suddenly shouted “Run!” because a massive wave was approaching. Everyone had to flee immediately. I heard that Chinese tourists have been swept away by the waves here before.
Lunch was had at a restaurant near the black sand beach. IcelandicFish and chip
Sólheimaj
There are always many things in life that you might never get the chance to do if you don’t do them now. Ever since I went paragliding in Switzerland four years ago, I’ve felt that I should experience more different things and create wonderful, precious memories for my life. On this trip to Iceland, I tried glacier hiking. I’ve done a lot of hiking before—Hong Kong, Japan, Switzerland—but this time, I was actually hiking on a glacier!! For someone like me who doesn’t plan or prepare much, this journey gave me an incredibly thrilling experience!
We hiked on the Sólheimaj Glacier,The tour bus will first stop at a parking lot about20minutes away from the glacier, after which equipment will be distributed. Since I didn’t have suitable shoes, I rented a pair of hiking boots. Crampons were also provided as well.
After that, we walked on the snow for about20minutes to reach the base of the glacier.
The scenery along the way was so breathtaking that I couldn’t even find the words to describe it.
We25split into two groups and, after the instructor’s demonstration, attached the crampons to our boots ourselves. Meanwhile, the glacier guide began explaining some key points, such as how to move on an incline, etc. I hadn’t done much preparation beforehand, so I didn’t really know what to expect on the glacier, and images from those snow exploration scenes in movies started popping into my head.
There aren’t any clearly marked routes on the glacier—we just kept following the guide across different patches of ice. When we reached certain special spots, the guide would share some insights.
There’s also another exit that you can reach through the cave at the back.
Since many paths were very narrow, we had to walk single file, leaving no room for me to stop and take photos.
This cave looked quite interesting, but the guide said that the snow beneath the surface ahead is actually very deep, so we couldn’t go any further.! Also, don’t randomly step onto the snow along the path—it might be dozens of meters deep underneath.
Later, the guide led everyone to the edge of a cliff, then helped us one by one to look down from high above.
I was scared I’d lose my footing in the crampons and fall.
In the end, we reached a larger open area on the ice where we could take free photos and rest. The temperature that day was close to zero1degrees, which felt relatively mild. Plus, since we had just been exercising, I actually felt a bit hot on the glacier.
On the way back, I started getting used to walking with the crampons, so it wasn’t too tiring.
Seljalandsfoss
After finishing the glacier hike, we went to the last attraction of the day—another waterfall.Seljalandsfoss
I had read some travel blogs from summer visits where people could walk behind the waterfall and take photos from the outside—it looked absolutely stunning. But in winter, the ground was all frozen, so no one dared to go in. I really wished I could have walked in wearing those glacier shoes.
Another beautiful sunset.
The trip came to an end, and we started heading back.Reykjavik
This glacier journey became a very important experience in my life. At first, I thought it would be tough and extremely cold up there (images of Antarctic expeditions immediately popped into my mind). But the whole trip turned out not to be difficult at all—in fact, the views on the glacier were beyond anything I had imagined.
Life is really like this—many things aren’t inherently hard; the hardest part is whether you can take the first step. Once you do, you realize your worries were overblown, and you discover that only by stepping out can you witness truly moving sights and write a beautiful new chapter in your life. After this journey, I’ve started to dream bigger and am working hard to chase those dreams for the future.
Original text:
【Iceland Winter Wonders 3】South Coast – The Most Beautiful Place on Earth
【Iceland Winter Wonders 4】Glacier Hiking ~ The Most Unforgettable Experience of My Life
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Text Photos: Travis To