Diamond Beach Iceland: ice Beach Everything You Need to know
Planning a trip to Iceland? Chances are, Diamond Beach is on your itinerary. I don’t blame you, it looks amazing in photos and was one of the reasons why I wanted to visit Iceland in the first place. With that, if you are looking for more information on Diamond Beach in Summer in Iceland, you’re in the right place!
Visiting Diamond Beach – or as some call it, Iceland’s ice beach, had been on my bucket list for ages, and when I finally made it on my two week trip to Iceland, it exceeded every expectation. The big chunks of ice scattered across the black sand beach were like a scene from another planet. I couldn’t stop taking photos!
If you’re road-tripping Iceland’s South Coast or doing the entire Ring Road, Diamond Beach Iceland is a must-see spot on your Iceland vacation itinerary.


What’s the deal with Diamond Beach Iceland?
So, what makes Diamond Beach so awesome?
No, there aren’t real diamonds here (devastating, I know), but the fragments of glacial ice scattered along the black sandy shore are almost just as dazzling. The ice chunks break off of the nearby Breiðamerkurjökull Glacier, fall into the across the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon (which is just across the street), and are eventually carried to the Atlantic Ocean. The tides will deposit them back onto the black sand.
The beach’s appearance is constantly changing. Sometimes you’ll find ice chunks everywhere you look on the beach, and at other times, there might not be any! You could make two trips here in one day and see a completely different landscape.

So how will you know if there are “diamonds” at the black sand beach during your visit? In short, you won’t. Like I said, it’s constantly changing and wholly depends on the tides. Chances are though, when you visit, you’ll likely see some forms of ice washed up on the beach. During our visit to Diamond Beach in summer, ice chunks definitely were there, but the beach definitely wasn’t covered in them.
RELATED POST: Want to know exactly how I did my Iceland trip? Read my exact itinerary here – Two Weeks in Iceland – 14 Day Itinerary
Where is Diamond Beach?
Located on Iceland’s South Coast, Diamond Beach is about a 5-hour drive from Reykjavik, so it’s not close enough for ‘day trip’ territory. It’s located right off the main “Ring Road” – you can’t miss it. The small town of Vik is a good spot to stay as there are many hotel and guesthouses available in the area (however, it’s also a really, really popular place, and if you go in the summer, make sure to book several months ahead as hotel rooms in Vik fill up fast).
Plenty of parking is available, however there is a small parking fee (roughly $7USD) in the lot.
RELATED POST: Don’t blow through your life savings when visiting Iceland. Here are my Tips for Visiting Iceland on a Budget
When is the best time to Visit Diamond Beach?
Diamond Beach never closes, so you can visit anytime of the year. We visited in early afternoon in summer. For the best chances of decent weather, visiting Diamond Beach in the summer will be the most pleasant. Winter in Iceland comes with its challenges, with strong winds, freezing rain and snow, so it can make driving out here a bit hairy — but you also have the chance of seeing the northern lights (I would love to get some photos here of the Northern Lights dancing over Diamond Beach — how cool would that be?!)

As far as the best time to visit to see the “diamonds” on Diamond Beach — well, icebergs calve off the glacier all day, any day, year-round, so you’ll almost always see them scattered along the shore.
Make sure to note these websites to check road and weather updates on road.is, safe.is, and vedur.is.
What about crowds at Diamond Beach?
Is Diamond Beach crowded? I don’t think so. Like I mentioned, we visited in early afternoon in July — peak summer travel time — and the beach is big enough where everyone can spread around. No one stays here too long; people are coming and going all day.
Things to Do at Diamond Beach Iceland
- Take Photos and Stroll Along the Black Sand: Walk along the volcanic sand and admire the ice formations—each one is unique and you’ll probably take hundreds of photos.
- Wildlife Spotting: Keep an eye out for seals swimming near the shore or lounging on icebergs. We didn’t get lucky with any wildlife during our visit, but they’re out there!
- Whale Watching: Orcas are sometimes visible from the beach, so stay alert.
- Northern Lights: Between September and April, Diamond Beach is an excellent spot to see and photograph the aurora borealis.
- Swimming: Just kidding. This is a big NO! Although there are no signs forbidding it, the water is extremely cold and sometimes very rough. You wouldn’t want to swim at Diamond Beach.

What’s Nearby Diamond Beach?
Diamond Beach is on Iceland’s South Coast, which is filled with amazing scenery at every turn — in my opinon, the south coast of Iceland is the best part of Iceland. So there’s lots to see nearby
- Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon: Just across the road, this lagoon is where the icebergs begin their journey.
- Skaftafell National Park: Perfect for hiking, with hiking trails leading to Svartifoss waterfall and glacier viewpoints.
- Crystal Ice Cave Tour: Available only in winter, these guided tours take you inside the stunning blue ice caves.
- Glacier Hikes: Join a guided hike on one of Vatnajökull’s outlet glaciers for an unforgettable experience.
What we did on this day:
We visited the Glacier Lagoon first, and then hit up Diamond Beach Iceland. After we were finished here, we headed west on the Ring Road (we did our trip counter-clockwise), then went to Fjallsarlon (which is another glacier lagoon, albeit a little lesser-known than Jokulsalon), Svinafellsjokull Glacier (amazing!), and then ended the day at Skaftafell National Park, with a hike the glacier and a hike to Svartifoss waterfall.

Where to Stay Near Diamond Beach
While there’s no lodging directly at Diamond Beach, there are some (sort of) nearby accommodations offer great overnight options. Two towns that have lodging options are Vik (roughly 2 hours away) and Hofn (an hour away), so depending on how your road trip is planned, either one of these might work. There is also a really nice Foss Hotel (an Icelandic hotel chain – I loved Foss Hotels!) about 20 minutes away from Diamond Beach, so you could stay there if they have availability.
Where we stayed / what we did
As we were on a 14 day Iceland Ring Road trip (counter clockwise), we spent the previous night in Hofn at the Milk Factory guesthouse (read my review here). Hofn to Diamond Beach is about an hour drive. Our next night was spent at the Hunkubakkar Guesthouse which was about 40 minutes east of Vik. We planned our trip last minute and had difficulties getting lodging around Vik, so we ended up at this kinda junky guesthouse that I don’t recommend.

Final Thoughts: Is Diamond Beach Iceland Worth It?
In short, absolutely!!! Diamond Beach – or Iceland’s ice beach, is an otherworldly destination and an essential stop on any South Coast or Ring Road itinerary. I loved Diamond Beach; it was one of my favorite / most scenic places that I saw on our Iceland trip.
Have you visited Diamond Beach in Iceland? What did you think?



More About Iceland
Waterfalls in Iceland
Guide to Visiting Godafoss Waterfall – Iceland
Guide to visiting Seljalandsfoss Waterfall in Iceland
How to see Bruarfoss waterfall in Iceland – No Hike Required!
Glymur Waterfall Hike in Iceland – Complete Guide and Review
How to see Puffins in Iceland:
Photographing Puffins at Latrabjarg Cliffs – Westfjords Iceland
Best Place for Puffin Viewing: Borgarfjordur eystri – Iceland
Iceland Hot Springs & Pools
Complete Guide to the Secret Lagoon in Iceland
Honest Review: Sky Lagoon (with Sky Pass) in Iceland
Iceland’s Blue Lagoon – Is it worth it? An honest Review
Iceland Itineraries
Two Weeks in Iceland – Ring Road – 14 Day Itinerary
Snaefellsnes Peninsula – Iceland: Best One Day Itinerary
Iceland’s Golden Circle – Is it Worth It? Itinerary and Guide
Best Spots to See on the Reykjanes Peninsula – Iceland
15 Random Iceland Travel Tips for your Ring Road Trip
Other Iceland information and things to see:
Grjotagja Game of Thrones Cave Review – Iceland
How to find the Yoda Cave in Iceland
Tips for Visiting Iceland on a Budget
Diamond Beach in Iceland: ice Beach Everything You Need to know
Want more Iceland Hotel Reviews?
Here are all of the links to the reviews on this site about the Iceland hotels we stayed at during our Ring Road trip through Iceland:
Milk Factory Guesthouse – Hofn, Iceland
FossHotel, Patreksfjordur Westfjords
FossHotel Stykkisholmur – Iceland Hotel Review
Hotel Vellir – Hafnarfjordur Iceland
Sel Hotel – Myvatn, Iceland
Hunkubakkar Guesthouse – Kirkjubæjarklaustur, Iceland
K16 Apartments – Akureyri Iceland
Courtyard Marriott – Keflavik Iceland
Vid Lonid Guesthouse – Seydisfjordur, Iceland
Stay Inn Gardur Iceland – at the Secret Lagoon