Epic guide to Diamond Beach Iceland & Jökulsárlón

Glittering, dazzling diamonds. That’s what you’ll see when you head to Diamond Beach Iceland and Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon. The incredible ice beach in Iceland.

Hundreds of diamonds, washed up on Diamond Beach Iceland, refracting light in all directions. The official name for Diamond beach is Jökulsárlón Beach, and is absolutely worth a visit! It’s honestly one of the most spectacular places in Iceland and you absolutely must visit!

• Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon – Icebergs from the glacier break off and float down the lagoon
• Diamond beach – the icebergs from the lagoon eventually wash up onto shore

And one of the best things about it, is that it is absolutely free! There’s no charge for entry but parking now costs 1000 ISK (around £5.70 or $7.20) for the whole day, but if you want to get up close on a boat tour, this will cost extra.

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Quick Mini Guide To Diamond Beach

Don’t have a lot of time? Here’s a quick mini guide to Diamond Beach Iceland

most beautiful Hotels nearby

• Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon is perfect for exploring Diamond Beach Iceland and Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon!
• Skogafoss Hotel is half way along the way to Diamond Beach Iceland and we stopped here for one night.
• Hotel Skaftafell is another incredible nearby hotel that comes highly rated at 8.1 and has a great breakfast.

Best things to see

• Stop at both the Glacier Lagoon AND Diamond beach. They are about 100 meters apart!
• Walk along the pathway at Jokulsarlon Glacier lagoon up the hill for some incredible views!
• Keep an eye out for seals!

Best tours in Iceland…

• Take a private tour to Diamond Beach
• Book a day trip to Diamond Beach
• Northern Lights tour with professional photographer
• Foodie tour – this is SO GOOD, we tried so many incredible foods

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Everything you need to know about Diamond Beach Iceland & Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon in Iceland – northern lights, the best tours, how to get there and best hotels!

Why is it called Diamond beach?

Jökulsárlón Beach is nicknamed Diamond Beach because of the fascinating and unique phenomenon that is the hundreds of glittering diamonds scattered across the shores of this unique black sand beach. Of course, these are not literal diamonds; they are icebergs. Depending on the time of year, the icebergs vary greatly in size from small jewels to giant boulders. When the sunlight hits these miniature icebergs, the refracted light is dazzling, creating the bizarre and unusual appearance that is reminiscent of diamonds.

Once part of the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier, these stunning icebergs floated lazily around Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon. Icebergs from the nearby Jökulsárlón glacier fall off into the sea, float downstream, and eventually wash up onto Diamond Beach Iceland.

Hundreds of diamonds, washed up onto a black sandy beach, refracting light everywhere; it is rather spectacular. It’s on the south part of Iceland’s ring road, and if you’re lucky and staying in this area overnight, you might catch a glimpse of the northern lights along the way like we did, too!

You absolutely must visit and walk up and down the shores for yourself. It’s a beautiful sight, and I cannot recommend it enough!

Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon

Make sure you visit Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon – in fact, I’d recommend doing that first, seeing the incredible glacier before heading to Diamond Beach on the other size of the road (it’s literally a 1 minute walk).

You can find Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon at the southern edge of the Vatnajökull glacier and this exceedingly beautiful glacial lagoon is one of Iceland’s greatest natural wonders. It’s so popular, you’ll actually recognise it from many Hollywood movies! Film buffs will recognize Jökulsárlón from such blockbusters as Tomb Raider, Batman Begins, and 2 James Bond films: A View to a Kill and Die Another Day. It’s not surprising why famous directors would choose this amazing location as a backdrop!

Sit and admire the beautiful glacier, the eerily floating icebergs and the adorable little seals popping their heads out of the water. I climbed up onto the little hill next to the lagoon and spent ages watching the curious seals swim up close to the little boats, playing with each other or hunting for fish.

Huge chunks of ice regularly fall off the glacier and make their way to the sea (and onto Diamond Beach) via the glacier lagoon.

Where is Diamond Beach and Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon in Iceland?

It is located in South East Iceland along the ring road on Route 1 south coast and Jökulsárlón is a large glacial lake in southern part of Vatnajökull National Park, Iceland. It is approximately 380km from Reykjavik.

Diamond Beach Iceland Map

There’s two sides to Diamond Beach Iceland, icebergs wash up on either side, so take your pick and head to one. It’s very easy to walk to either side however.

How long does it take to drive to Diamond Beach and Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon?

It takes 4 hours to drive there from Reykjavik, and it is approximately 380km from the city centre!n

Boat tours on Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon

The view from the shore is unforgettable, but the Glacier Lagoon tours that take you on a boat are next level! You’ll need an experienced guide to navigate the huge chunks of floating of icebergs safely. Boat tours run daily from mid May to mid September. It does provide an awesome opportunity to get up close to the azure ice and spot the cute seals.

Remember! Wading into the water or attempting to climb on the ice is not recommended! First up, it’s freezing (often literally) and the icebergs flip and roll on their own without warning. Best admire from the shore or from one of the boat tours!

How to get to Diamond Beach and Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon?

Depending on where you start from. Most people will travel from Reykjavik to Diamond Beach Iceland. You can reach Diamond Beach Iceland through one of the many tour operators or hire a car.

Diamond Beach Iceland Parking

There’s plenty of free parking either way you travel to Diamond Beach Iceland and it’s free! It’s an incredible day out! Have a look below at car hire and tour options!

Diamond Beach Iceland tours & Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon

There are plenty of tours to Diamond Beach Iceland; whether you just want a day trip or if you’re on a golden circle tour. You can do one day tours (might be a long one) or 2 night, 3 night or 4 night tours around the area. Or, you can get a private tour! It’s worth it, in my opinion, as there is a lot to see in the area!

There are plenty of things to do nearby along the ring road and the south of Iceland. Many of the tours start by Reykjavik and Thingvellir National Park and go to Vatnajökull national park, Skaftafell nature reserve which is perfect for an incredible hike with the most amazing waterfalls littered throughout. I particularly liked the Svartifoss waterfall, it’s super unique with it’s hexagonal lava columns (a bit like the Giant’s causeway in Ireland)! If it’s the right time of year, I recommend visiting one of the ice caves, on the way to Diamond Beach Iceland, it’s incredible!

Hire a car in Iceland

If you’re like me, and love to explore at your own time without the constraints of a tour, hire a car! We used Discover Cars, which have a range of cars available to hire starting from very reasonable prices!

Diamond Beach Iceland hotels

Hotels along the ring road in South East Iceland

I stayed in a bunch of different hotels along the ring road in South East Iceland and each of them were unique and/or had incredible views!

Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon is perfect for exploring Diamond Beach Iceland and Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon! This new hotel is located between Skaftafell National Park and Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon so is a great base to explore both areas.

Skogafoss Hotel is half way along the way to Diamond Beach Iceland and we stopped here for one night. It has direct views of Skogafoss waterfall from the rooms and dining area and is perfect if you want to explore the area in the mornings and afternoons when the tours are absent! It is also perfect for watching the northern lights from their hot tub! It can get extremely cold outside!

Hotel Skaftafell is another incredible nearby hotel that comes highly rated at 8.1 with just under 3000 reviews. It’s a great place to stop and rest and admire the insane mountain views of Skaftafell Nature Reserve.

Can you see the northern lights at Diamond Beach and Jökulsárlón?

Yes, 100% and I actually saw them from my hotel. TIP: book a hotel that has an outdoor hot tub or heated pool so you can stay warm whilst you watch the incredible phenomenon that is the aurora borealis. It can get very very cold at night and you might find that you can’t last more than 5 minutes outside unless you’re in a warm tub!

Your hotel will be able to check the Northern Lights Forecast for you! They’re usually quite good at informing guests what time you might expect to see these incredible solar flares. Alternatively, you can google upcoming solar flares yourself, there are many websites that publish the times of the solar storms.

Why does Iceland have black sand beaches?

Diamond Beach Iceland is home to one of Iceland’s many black volcanic sand beaches – and yes, you’ll find black sand beaches almost everywhere because of the volcanoes! The black sand is a result of Iceland’s volcanic history; the sand comes from lava (which you may have guessed is black) in the region.

Many of Iceland’s volcanoes are still active today! Volcanoes like Katla in the Vatnajökull National Park are still active, meaning the jet black lava eventually erodes over time into what we know today as volcanic black sand.

Are all beaches in Iceland black?

No. Whilst most of Iceland’s beaches are naturally black due, the beaches do actually come in many different colours. For example Snæfellsnes Peninsula has beaches ranging in colours from white, yellow, to gold.

Respect Iceland’s nature by leaving nothing but footprints and taking nothing but pictures.

When is the best time to visit Diamond Beach?

Diamond beach is a different experience depending on when you go! In Iceland, the seasons are as follows: spring (March to May), summer (June to August), Autumn/fall (September to November), and winter (December to February).

Visiting Diamond Beach in Winter

If you go in the winter, you’re more likely to see gigantic icebergs wash up on shore that are a cyan blue in colour. These are incredibly impressive, you can even sit on them! But it’s important to remember that it gets extremely cold!

Visiting Diamond Beach in Summer

Visiting Diamond Beach Iceland in the summer was my personal favourite. The days are quite long in summer – sunlight hours are easily 18-24 hours. Many of the tours visit from between 10am-3pm. This means that Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon is almost empty from 3pm until 11pm. Take as many pictures as you like without having tours in the background, although, this being said, the beach is quite long and there is room for everyone. The icebergs that wash up onto shore are a little smaller, but are still beautiful.

It might be worth bearing in mind that it can still get cold in the summer!

What is the weather like in Iceland and when is the best time to go?

Iceland is great all year round! I personally love travelling Iceland during the summer due to the long days and warmer weather, but a wintry Iceland in true Viking style is something to behold in itself.

• Spring is March to May
• Summer is from June to August
• Autumn/Fall is from September to November
• Winter is from December to February

Winter vs Summer

In the winter, you’ll experience a true Nordic freeze, incredible sights and less daylight hours due to the axis of the globe. This is great for watching the northern lights!

In the summer, you can have around 22-24 daylight hours due to the axis of the globe meaning the days are very long and you can explore the sights for a longer time in natural light!

Weather in Iceland

Weather in January:

• Celsius: -1°C to 3°C
• Fahrenheit: 30°F to 37°F
• Daylight Hours: Approximately 4 to 6 hours
• Rainy Days: About 19 days

Weather in February:

• Celsius: -1°C to 3°C
• Fahrenheit: 30°F to 37°F
• Daylight Hours: Approximately 8 to 10 hours
• Rainy Days: About 16 days

Weather in March:

• Celsius: 0°C to 3°C
• Fahrenheit: 32°F to 37°F
• Daylight Hours: Approximately 11 to 13 hours
• Rainy Days: About 17 days

Weather in April:

• Celsius: 1°C to 5°C
• Fahrenheit: 34°F to 41°F
• Daylight Hours: Approximately 14 to 16 hours
• Rainy Days: About 16 days

Weather in May:

• Celsius: 5°C to 9°C
• Fahrenheit: 41°F to 48°F
• Daylight Hours: Approximately 17 to 20 hours
• Rainy Days: About 14 days

Weather in June:

• Celsius: 8°C to 11°C
• Fahrenheit: 46°F to 52°F
• Daylight Hours: Approximately 21 to 24 hours (around the summer solstice)
• Rainy Days: About 13 days

Weather in July:

• Celsius: 10°C to 13°C
• Fahrenheit: 50°F to 55°F
• Daylight Hours: Approximately 21 to 24 hours (around the summer solstice)
• Rainy Days: About 14 days

Weather in August:

• Celsius: 10°C to 13°C
• Fahrenheit: 50°F to 55°F
• Daylight Hours: Approximately 18 to 21 hours
• Rainy Days: About 15 days

Weather in September:

• Celsius: 6°C to 10°C
• Fahrenheit: 43°F to 50°F
• Daylight Hours: Approximately 15 to 18 hours
• Rainy Days: About 16 days

Weather in October:

• Celsius: 3°C to 7°C
• Fahrenheit: 37°F to 45°F
• Daylight Hours: Approximately 11 to 14 hours
• Rainy Days: About 18 days

Weather in November:

• Celsius: 0°C to 3°C
• Fahrenheit: 32°F to 37°F
• Daylight Hours: Approximately 7 to 9 hours
• Rainy Days: About 19 days

Weather in December:

• Celsius: -1°C to 2°C
• Fahrenheit: 30°F to 36°F
• Daylight Hours: Approximately 4 to 6 hours
• Rainy Days: About 19 days

Travel resources for your trip that are actually really handy!

Here’s everything I use when I travel abroad, I strongly advise you to have travel insurance, and the other recommendations are also super handy!

• Travel insurance – don’t ever go on vacation without travel insurance, you never know when you might need it!
• Tours – Compare tour prices on Viator and Get Your Guide
• Hotels – I always use Booking as the more hotels I book, I get a higher Genius discount. I also compare prices on Expedia.
• Airport transfers – I book through Viator or Kiwi Taxi.
• E-Sims – purchase an e-sim with Airalo on your phone so you can make calls and have mobile data abroad! There’s no need to remove your current sim card!
• Car rental – if you’re booking a car, I compare prices on Discover Cars.
• Travel essentials – have a look at a full list of travel essentials that I use, including the best powerbank!

That’s it! I hope you found this guide to Diamond Beach Iceland useful 🙂 Let me know how you get on!

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