A Visit To The Sólheimasandur DC 3 Plane Wreck In Iceland With Kids

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a man standing on a plane wreckAt the end of June 2019, the Michael W Travels went on a trip to Iceland, a country that I’ve wanted to visit for years.

While I hoped to see the Northern Lights, that wasn’t an option during the summer. However, a unique site that I’ve always wanted to visit was on our list of things to do.

Every since I read about the famous DC 3 plane wreck located on Sólheimasandur Beach, I’ve wanted to see it for myself in- person. The only problem with visiting was that it required a mile long hike in sand in (usually) crappy weather.

For those of you unfamiliar of the wreck, here’s a few details. The US Navy DC 3 plane crashed in 1973 supposedly due to icing. All of the people onboard survived. The remains of the plane are located on Sólheimasandur Beach which is by Vik, Iceland.

While researching a visit to the DC 3 Plane, it turned out that a company started offering rides there. Since we’d be traveling with our kids, this made visiting a lot more realistic.a sign on a dirt roadWe showed up to the parking lot and saw this awesome- looking truck waiting to bring people to the plane. After paying the fee, we waited briefly before heading off on the short, bumpy ride.a road with yellow polesBesides  a few yellow posts, nothing really signified the way to the plane. During our ride, we passed random people hiking there in the rain and wind. No, it did not look like fun!a plane on a black sand beachAs the wreck came into view, I got chills seeing the plane I had dreamt of checking out in person.

It was such an incredible sight to see, the skeleton of the DC 3 plane on Solheimasandur black sand beach.a man and child posing in front of an airplane wreckThe wind and chilly rain added to the experience. As we got closer, I knew the plane would be a great place for a jump.inside a plane with many windowsThe inside of the plane was stripped down. There wasn’t much left (I don’t know if it was stripped away by people or if time and the weather took its toll) although it made for a good place to take cover from the elements.
people looking out of a plane windowWe probably spent around 40 minutes at the DC 3 plane wreck taking photos of every angle of the plane possible. I mean, when are we really coming back here again? And if we do, what will be left of it!
a woman and child standing in front of an airplane wreck a man standing in front of a crashed plane a man standing in front of an old plane a man standing on a broken planeOverall, visiting Sólheimasandur Beach was a great experience.

Visiting the DC 3 plane isn’t for everyone. It’s cold, windy and rainy most of the time. While 7.5 year old (at the time) Lucas and I loved visiting, Kim and my almost three year-old son Theo probably would’ve preferred to skip it (or to shorten the visit).

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