Solheimasandur Plane Wreck is the wreck of a military aircraft abandoned on the black glacial beach of Sólheimasandur. Although widely believed to be a DC-3, it is actually a C-117. Surrounded by a landscape often compared to the surface of the moon (flat surface and black sand), it looks very mysterious and even ominous.
History of the wreck
The wreck is the remains of a U.S. Navy plane that made an emergency landing on this beach in November 1973. According to one version of events, the cause was poor weather conditions and a lack of fuel. Another says that the pilot switched to the wrong fuel tank and therefore had to make an emergency landing. Although no one was killed or severely injured as a result of the incident, the plane was so damaged that it was beyond repair and uneconomical to recover from the beach. Years later, the wreck has become a popular tourist attraction, but due to the high risk of glacial flooding, experts estimate that the wreck may soon be washed into the ocean.
Solheimasandur Plane Wreck – tips and practical information
- The wreck can be touched, and you can also go inside. However, for safety reasons, it is not recommended to climb it, let alone skateboard over it, like Justin Bieber in the infamous video…
- Getting to the plane means a long walk across Sólheimasandur. It’s a beautiful black beach, but the parking lot where you have to leave your car is just off Route 1, and the wreck itself is as much as 4 km (2.5 mi) away – about 45-60 minutes each way. The whole trip, assuming about 30-40 minutes on site, will therefore take about 3 hours. Take this into account when choosing clothing for the walk and deciding, for example, about provisions and taking a flashlight.
- A shuttle bus runs between the parking lot and the wreck all year round, seven days a week, with departures every 45 minutes between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. (the last one depends on how long it stays light). A round-trip ticket costs 3,400 ISK (about $28) per person; children up to 7 ride for free and young people aged 8-17 pay about 30% less (prices September 2026). The ride takes 10-15 minutes. You can book a seat on the bus here: Plane Wreck Shuttle;
How to get to Solheimasandur Plane Wreck
To get to the Solheimasandur plane wreck you need to drive to the special parking lot on Route 1 and continue on foot (or by bus – see above). Driving onto the sands themselves is not allowed.
Map: driving route from Vik to the Solheimasandur plane wreck parking — click to open the interactive map
The parking lot is located about 25 km (15 mi) northwest of the town of Vik and about 10 km (6 mi) southeast of the Skogafoss waterfall, on the ocean side – about 3 km (2 mi) east of the turn to the Solheimajokull glacier.
You can get to the parking lot on your own and then get on the shuttle bus (book your tickets here: Plane Wreck Shuttle) or you can join one of the South Coast tours that include this spot:
