Vigdís matriculated from Reykjavík Grammar School in the spring of 1949, having majored in foreign languages. She studied French language and literature at the University of Grenoble and the Sorbonne in Paris, specialising in theatre literature. On her return to Iceland, she studied English, French and theatre literature at the University of Iceland, and subsequently took a course in teaching studies. She continued her studies in the history of the theatre at the University of Copenhagen and in French at the University of Uppsala. In 1970, Vigdís took a year’s leave of absence and moved to France to study the trade and cultural links formed between Iceland and France in the 19th century, a period that represented the golden age of French schooners in Icelandic waters.
