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Traveling to Vik from Reykjavik

Vik is the southernmost village in Iceland, located off the Ring Road about 180 kilometers from Reykjavik. Despite its small size of about 300 people, it’s one of the largest villages in south Iceland and the largest for about 50 miles. There’s a supermarket, bank, post office, campground, hostel and three other lodging accommodations, plus a restaurant, church, and popular wool factory.

In truth, there’s not much to see and do here, yet Vik remains a popular stop on the Ring Road thanks to its beautiful black sand beaches and rocky cliffs, which are home to thousands of puffins in summer. Vik is also a convenient base for exploring more of south Iceland.

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Car

If you are coming from Reykjavik, the easiest way is to come by car – either as part of a tour or on your own. The distance is about 180 kilometers, which at a decent clip would take about three hours. But this is Iceland, and you’re probably going to want to stop along the way to take photos of those black sand beaches, or of the majestic Seljalandsfoss waterfall, or of any other sites that strike your fancy. So allow more like four hours to make the trip, more in inclement weather.

By bus

In summer, buses leave from Reykjavik to Vik once per day. The ride takes about 4 hours. Winter buses run less frequently but take less time (thanks to fewer stops).  The fare is about $50 US.

>> Read more about getting around in Iceland