The Solheimasandur Plane Wreck, located along the southwestern coastline of Iceland, may be one of the most famous wreckages in the world—and for good reason! The rusting body of a plane serves as a dramatic contrast to its surroundings on a black sand beach, with the pounding Atlantic Ocean, mossy green mountains, and the Mýrdalsjökull Glacier as its backdrop. There’s quite a few different ways to experience the Solheimasandur Plane Wreck for yourself, from visiting on an ATV to taking a shuttle, so here’s everything you need to know to plan your visit.
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History of the Solheimasandur Plane Wreck
You might think it’s a bit morbid for a plane wreck to serve as a major tourist attraction. However, there’s some good news—nobody was hurt or even seriously injured during the crash!
On November 21, 1973, a Douglas DC-3 aircraft, operated by the U.S. Navy, took off from the airport in the town of Hofn, in the southeastern part of Iceland, to the Naval Station near Keflavik. While it was in mid-air, the temperature suddenly dropped, causing a large amount of ice to start to form on the aircraft and both of its engines to fail.
The pilot decided it would be safer to land in the ocean, instead of on the Mýrdalsjökull Glacier, so he started flying southward. He wound up landing it on a frozen river on a black sand beach along the southwestern coastline of the country, where it’s remained for the past fifty years.
The plane was an off-the-beaten track tourist attraction for many years, until it was prominently featured in a music video for Justin Bieber’s “I’ll Show You” (the dude skateboards on top of it!). Now, it’s one of the most visited wreckage sites in the world.
Where is the Solheimsandur Plane Wreck?
The Solheimsandur Plane Wreck is located here, about 20 minutes from the small fishing village of Vik or two hours and 20 minutes from the capital city of Reykjavik.
It’s actually surrounded by TONS of other popular attractions along the southwestern coastline, from the Seljavallalaug Swimming Pool and the Sólheimajökull Glacier to Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss, two of the most famous waterfalls in Iceland. There’s so much cool stuff to see and do in this area—well worth a day trip from Reykjavik!
How to get to Solheimsandur Plane Wreck
To get to the plane wreck, you can either drive yourself or head there with a tour. Let’s get into it!
Driving yourself
The plane wreck actually isn’t directly accessible by car.
Instead, there’s a parking lot, located here, which is connected to the plane wreck via a 3.6 kilometer (one-way) gravel road that private vehicles aren’t allowed to drive on. So, obviously, the first order of business is getting to the lot itself!
Getting to the parking lot
If you have your own rental car, the parking lot is conveniently located right off Route 1, otherwise known as the Ring Road, which is paved and well-maintained.
The lot easily holds around 200 cars, so, even if you visit during a super busy timeframe, it’s unlikely you’ll have too hard of a time getting a spot. Parking for a small vehicle costs 750 ISK, payable via the Parka app.
Getting from the parking lot to the wreck site
From the parking lot, you generally have two ways to get to the plane wreck—by taking a shuttle or by hiking down the gravel road.
Taking the shuttle
If you’re short on time or don’t want to walk 7.2 kilometers roundtrip down a dusty road, there’s a shuttle that runs every half hour from the parking lot to the wreckage, starting from 10 AM to 4:30 PM.
The ride to the wreckage takes about 10-15 minutes, as opposed to the two hours and 15 minutes it took my husband, Justin, and me to walk to and from the plane.
Hiking
Alternatively, from the parking lot, you can make the 3.6 kilometer hike down the gravel road to the plane wreck. The trail is flat and well-marked, so all hikers, regardless of skill level, should be able to make it just fine, so long as you’re comfortable walking that distance.
This is how Justin and I visited the Solheimasandur Plane Wreck and, to be honest, I went into the hike having pretty low expectations—lots of hikers complained how boring and not interesting the scenery was.
While walking along a long, flat road for several kilometers can get a teeny bit monotonous, I still think the surrounding scenery is absolutely stunning, with black sand and green mountains everywhere you look. If you have the time and energy to do it, we think it’s a great way to experience the plane wreck.
Taking a tour to the Solheimasandur Plane Wreck
Alternatively, you can always take a tour to visit the plane.
There are a few different options, depending on whether you want a more comprehensive tour of the southwestern coastline from Reykjavik or if you’re looking for a more exciting way to experience this area (i.e., an ATV tour!!).
Tours of the southwestern coastline
There are a handful of tours that highlight all of the cool attractions along the southwestern coastline that will pick you up from your hotel in the capital city if you don’t have a car of your own.
For example, this12 hour tour includes getting shuttled to and from the plane wreck, as well as stops at some of the most beautiful waterfalls in the area, the Sólheimajökull Glacier, and the famous black sand beach in Vik.
ATV Tours
If walking or taking a shuttle to the plane wreck sounds boring to you, there’s a MUCH cooler option—ATVing there!
For example, this tour meets at the base of the Mýrdalsjökull Glacier, where you’ll get on your ATV and zip to the DC-3 plane wreck and the Dyrhólaey peninsula. Plus, you get to absolutely RIP your way across deserted black sand beaches.
Alternatively, if you don’t have a way of driving yourself to the glacier, this option includes pick up in Reykjavik.
What to expect at the Solheimasandur Plane Wreck
Whether you ATV, shuttle, or hike to the plane, your experience will largely be the same once you reach the actual wreckage.
The rusting shell of the plane is laying deserted on a black sand beach. You’re welcome to take in different perspectives (and lots of photos!) of the plane against its dramatic backdrop and explore its derelict remains, from walking around its fuselage to climbing on top of its broken wings.
For more than half a century, there was nothing else along this stretch of black sand beach, besides the Solheimasandur Plane Wreck, for miles and miles. However, in June 2025, the owners of the property actually purchased an intact Douglas DC-3 airplane that flew in Iceland until 1976 and moved it a few hundred meters from the wreckage as an example of what the plane would have looked like in its heyday.
This plane is still on its wheels, so you can’t really climb on it or explore it. To be honest, I think it slightly detracts from the vibe of the other DC-3 plane wreckage, but perhaps, if you’re an aviation enthusiast, you would be really into it.
Tips for visiting the Solheimasandur Plane Wreck
Don’t hike here if the weather forecast looks questionable
You know how I said the trail was well-marked and easy to follow?
It’s essentially a road worn into the volcanic black sand, which is easy to see if the weather is good. However, if there’s anything that might obscure the roadway, like heavy winds or snow, it would no longer be easy to follow at all and could easily turn into a dangerous situation REALLY fast.
In fact, there have been a number of deaths here during the wintertime, including an Indian tourist in 2018 and two Chinese tourists in 2020, all who died from hypothermia. It’s believed that Iceland’s unpredictable weather turned quickly and they may have accidentally strayed from the trail, ultimately leading to them dying from exposure to the elements.
Because of these risks, I don’t think that I personally would hike to the plane wreck in the wintertime. But, if you opt to go here during the colder months, I’d recommend taking the shuttle and bringing along plenty of warm layers, just in case anything goes wrong.
Go to the bathroom before visiting
There’s no bathroom near the plane wreckage, along the trail, or in the parking lot itself. So, I’d highly recommend going to the bathroom before heading here, especially if you’re hiking.
Between hiking and taking photos and videos here, Justin and I spent close to three and a half hours here and REALLY had to pee by the time we were walking back to the car park. On most hiking trails, you can pee somewhere along the trail, but not so on this one—since there’s nothing but black sand beach for miles and miles, anyone else on the trail could easily see you!
Start your hike before 8:30 AM
If you’re hiking, I’d recommend starting before or around 8:30 AM.
The shuttles don’t start running until 10 AM, so, not only will you get to enjoy the plane wreckage without a bunch of other people around, but you also won’t have to deal with the shuttle kicking up volcanic dust as it rumbles past you on the roadside.
Don’t stand on top of the wreckage
There’s signs at the beginning of the trailhead, but, for the avoidance of doubt, don’t stand on top of the plane itself, both to help preserve the fuselage as long as possible and to protect yourself. The wreckage definitely looks like it’s seen better days, so I wouldn’t really trust the roof to be able to hold your body weight, anyway!
Bring your drone
There are a decent amount of places in Iceland where you can’t use your drone, but the Solheimasandur Plane Wreck isn’t one of them (at least, as of the time of the writing of this article). So bring along your trusty drone and get some dope shots of you doing your best Justin Bieber impression.
I hope you have a better idea of what to expect at the Solheimasandur Plane Wreck—it’s definitely a neat part of Iceland to explore! Do you have any questions about exploring the wreckage? Let us know in the comments below!
