Sólheimasandur (DC-3 wreck)

Sólheimasandur is the glacial outwash plain between Skógar and Vík, and the stop on it is the car park for the US Navy DC-3 that came down on the sand in 1973. On a South Coast day it sits between Skógafoss and Vík, so the drive costs almost nothing; the wreck itself is 4 km away across flat black sand, which is where the time goes.

There are two ways out. The walk takes close to two hours there and back, by the shuttle operator's figure. The Plane Wreck Shuttle, run by Icelandic Mountain Guides by Icelandia, takes 10–15 minutes each way, runs seven days a week from 10:00 with the last departure at 17:00 depending on daylight, and cost 3,400 ISK on 1 November 2026, sold online or on the bus.

The practical line, from Parka's page read today: 750 ISK a day for a car of up to five seats and 1,000 ISK for six to eight, paid online or in the Parka app within 24 hours, after which a 1,960 ISK surcharge is added; overnight stays in the car park are prohibited. No fuel or shop at the car park; Vík, 27 km east, is the nearest town with both.

Safety: the sand is open ground with no shelter and few landmarks. Safetravel's hiking advice, read today, is to carry a phone, a hat, gloves and wind- and waterproof layers even on short walks, to leave a note in the car with your route and return time, and to check the weather before you set off. In winter, walk only with enough daylight for the return. Emergency number: 112.