Sólheimasandur Plane Wreck

In 1973, a US Navy C-117D plane delivering supplies with 7 crew members on board crash landed on the Sólheimasandur glacial outwash plain. While the exact reason for the crash remains somewhat of a mystery, it had to do with weather. All crew members survived, but the plane wreckage was not salvaged and so it remained there to this day.

50 years later, the plane wreckage turned from mere waste into one of the most popular attractions in Iceland! The metal carcass amidst a vast deserted landscape of black sand does make for a spectacular sight, and people are drawn by the uniqueness of this little landmark.

The wreckage lies 3.5km away from the ring road. Some years ago, it was possible to drive all the way to it. Then came along Justin Bieber’s hit music video “I’ll Show You” in 2015. In hindsight, this looks like a video montage of stupid things tourists do in Iceland starring Justin Bieber as the main character, because most of the things that he does are actually frowned upon today. This includes skateboarding the length of the wreckage at Sólheimasandur, and even just standing on it.

As a result, this former hidden gem has seen a massive increase in popularity, and photos of travellers casually standing atop the fuselage made rounds on social media. Due to this, vehicle access was banned in 2016 and the immediate effect was that parking was insufficient and people would stop along the main road. The issue was solved by creating a large parking lot just off the main road. Parking is free. From there, one would have to either walk or take a shuttle bus to the wreckage.

It’s a long 45min walk at rapid pace from the parking lot to the wreckage. It’s almost a straight line on flat ground and therefore quite a dull journey. If walking, it’s good to check the weather forecast in advance and prepare accordingly with regards to clothes and navigation. As easy as this walk may seem, it could be quite unpleasant in strong wind or heavy rain and even potentially dangerous if you come unprepared. But most of the time, you can just follow others or the shuttle and you’ll be fine.

You won’t see the wreckage for the majority of the walk until it reveals itself towards the end. You can check the satellite view on Google Maps to get an idea of where it actually is.

The shuttle service was introduced recently, and the cost is 2500ISK (~£14) per person for a return journey. I personally think this is quite steep and not worth it given that the walk is just long but otherwise really easy. Plus, the shuttle guarantees you will be far from alone at your destination. However, this option does save you some time, and that could be useful.

This is a nice spot for photography, and if that is what you are after, it’s a good idea to walk and visit first thing in the morning or at least outside of the shuttle service timetable. In winter, this means you might have to start your journey in the dark. Even if you’re not interested in the photography aspect, I would still recommend getting there early to experience that feeling of eeriness.

You can enter the wreckage and have a wander, but please don’t climb onto the plane. Be original, do you really need to take that same photo that everyone else did? More importantly, getting to the top does require a bit of effort and if everyone did this, there would be sustained damage over time. In fact, many did for too long and there already is.

When we visited in February 2020, everything was covered in everything in a coating of snow and I feel that this really added to the scene. On a normal day, you would get the black sand/rocks all around.

In my opinion, this is an interesting attraction particularly if you are a photography enthusiast. It’s unique and nice to visit, but I really wouldn’t say it’s a must, especially given the long walk involved. Go there if you feel like it and have the time, but otherwise, it is just a derelict wreckage after all and you could you trade it for many of Iceland’s natural wonders.