Iceland is not only the land of fire, but also the land of water, a lot of water. With possibly thousands of waterfalls, Iceland is definitely the place to be for waterfall lovers! For those who have already made a trip through Iceland, knows that as soon as you see a name that ends at “waterfall”, there is a waterfall nearby. Foss is Icelandic for waterfall.
You will therefore encounter them all over the island. JustGo.Travel takes you to the 15 most beautiful and most photogenic waterfalls of Iceland!
1. Gullfoss
The Gullfoss is located in the most famous and most visited area of Iceland, the Golden Circle. From the parking lot it is only a short walk to the Golden Waterfall. A nickname that the waterfall is due to the fact that, on a sunny day (in combination with the mist), you are treated to a beautiful rainbow.
Via a hiking trail it is possible to walk almost all the way to the edge of the waterfall. From here you look into the 2.5 kilometer long gorge and from close by you will see and hear the water falling down for 32 meters with hugh force.
Free entrance and not restricted to opening hours.
2. Öxarárfoss
Most waterfalls are a beautiful piece of nature. However, in Þingvellir National Park, there is a waterfall made by man: the 20 meter high Öxarárfoss. I almost hear you thinking, but how and why?
Every year, around the 10th century, the Vikings gathered for an annual meeting at Þingvellir. But there was no drinking water for the guests. The Öxarárfoss is located in the Öxará river, and probably the course of this river has been artificially relocated to provide drinking water to Þingvellir, by using the waterfall.
You can visit the Öxarárfoss from the Þingvellir National Park Visitor Center. But do you not want to miss the impressive Almannagjá gorge? Then choose to visit the waterfall from the parking lot along road 36. Here, you will start with a walk through the Almannagjá gorge, after which you will end at the Öxarárfoss waterfall. It’s worth the detour!
Free entrance and not restricted to opening hours. Parking is free of charge along road 36. When you park your car at Þingvellir National Park, you will pay ISK 500 / € 4.
3. Urriðafoss
After you have visited the Golden Circle and you drive in the direction of Vik, via the village of Selfoss, you will pass the Urriðafoss, also the Salmon Waterfall. This name comes from the fact that the largest number of wild salmon of Iceland is swimming in the water. The waterfall is also located in the longest river of Iceland, the 230km long Þjórsá. Every second, 360m3 of water per second falls down from a 6 meter height.
And when you visit this waterfall in winter, you have the opportunity to spot the Urriðafosshrnn. A thick layer of ice of about 20 meters, which sometimes forms at the waterfall during wintertime. You will find the waterfall just next to the Ring road 1.
Free entrance and not restricted to opening hours.
4. Seljalandsfoss
If you travel along the Ring road 1 along the southern coast of Iceland, you can hardly miss this waterfall: the Seljalandsfoss. The waterfall is also the most famous waterfall in Iceland.
The waterfall is about 65 meters high and is also on the road towards Þórsmörk. The most fun about this waterfall is that you cannot only watch it from the front, but you can also walk behind it. Bear in mind that the path, by the mist, can become very slippery. So be careful!
Once behind the waterfall, you can nicely see the Seljalandsfoss from the other side and be amazed by the enormous force with which the water falls down. Do not forget to bring your raincoat, because in spite it is just mist, you will definitely be soaked within a few minutes.
Especially when it is a sunny day and a rainbow is visible, the view from behind the waterfall is gorgeous!
If you want to visit the waterfall when it is more quite, then go in the evening when most of the travelers have left. Or visit the waterfall in winter when the waterfall is beautifully lit. If you are lucky, then you can also spot the Northern lights. However, the trail behind the waterfall will be closed because it will be too slippery and dangerous to walk behind the waterfall.
Free entrance and not restricted to opening hours. Parking ISK 700 / € 5,60.
5. Gljúfrafoss
The existence of this waterfall is not even known to many travelers and is just a few hundred meters away from Seljalandsfoss! After a visit to Seljalandsfoss, many travelers often go on to their next destination. So absolutely a reason for you to visit this secret gem!
Gljúfurfoss or Gljúfurbúi is different from other waterfalls in Iceland. Namely, he is hidden in a gorge. When you are walking from the Seljalandsfoss, keep the mountains to your right hand and keep looking for an opening in the rocks. Then you will quickly discover the 40 meter high waterfall.
Between the beautiful with green moss overgrown rocks you will hear and see the water pouring down. Do you want to watch the waterfall from close by? Then make you way through the water and between the rocks or climb the chains and ladder to see the waterfall from above.
Free entrance and not restricted to opening hours. Parking is possible at the parking lot at Seljalandsfoss, ISK 700 / € 5,60.
6. Skógafoss
In the south of Iceland, not far from Skógar and along the Ring road 1, you will find the Skógafoss. You can almost walk till where the water falls down and once you get there you will feel very small real quick. Namely, the waterfall is 60 meters high and 25 meters wide.
Do not forget to take a closer look at the top of the waterfall! This can be done via the steel staircase which you find on the right side of the Skógafoss. Once at the top, you have a beautiful view of the waterfall and the surrounding area!
Free entrance and not restricted to opening hours.
7. Svartifoss
In the Skaftafell National Park, in southern Iceland, lies the Black Waterfall: the Svartifoss.
The waterfall cannot be seen from the road and is only accessible via a 1.8 km (45min) long walk. Along the way you will pass several other smaller waterfalls, including the Hundafoss, and you will slowly see the Svartifoss in the distance. Despite some steep (re) parts, the trail is doable.
Once arrived at the waterfall it will soon become clear why the waterfall is named Black Waterfall. Namely, the waterfall is surrounded by dozens of black basalt columns. These have arisen because lava could cool down slowly and finally crystallized
Free entrance and not restricted to opening hours. Parking ISK 500 / € 4.
8. Hengifoss
The Hengifoss is located in the east of Iceland, halfway the north-west side of Lagarfljót, near Egilsstaðir. Hengifoss means hanging waterfall and with its 118m height, one of the highest waterfalls in Iceland. Even though you can see the waterfall from the road, the waterfall is only accessible after a tough 2km walk (one way, 2 hours). On the way you will also pass the Litlanesfoss: a waterfall surrounded by beautiful basalt columns.
Free entrance and not restricted to opening hours.
9. Dettifoss
If you are walking towards Dettifoss, you will already hear the water falling down. The Dettifoss, located in the north of Iceland, is the most powerful waterfall in Europe. Here, every second, 500m3 of water flows through!
The fact that the waterfall is powerful can be noticed by the hugh amount of mist around the Dettifoss. Especially when the wind is coming from the right direction, you and your camera will be soaked within a few minutes. So do not forget to take a raincoat and protect your camera well!
From the parking lot on the west side there is a 1.5 km (30-60 min) trail which takes you back to the parking lot via the Dettifoss waterfall. You will also find two other trails: a trail on which you will also visit Selfoss (2.5 km / 1 hour) and a steeper trail for practiced hikers (9 km / 3-4 hours).
Free entrance and not restricted to opening hours.
Before you travel to Dettifoss, please check if the roads are accessible and open. Please drive carefully on both roads to avoid stone chips.
10. Selfoss
The 11 meter high and 340m wide Selfoss is located in the north of Iceland, about 1km upstream of Dettifoss. When you walk towards the Dettifoss and have turned right, you will reach a viewpoint after about 150m. From here you have a beautiful view of Selfoss. If you want, you can watch the waterfall from closer by, but be careful when you walk further towards the waterfall. The rocks can be slippery!
Free entrance and not restricted to opening hours.
11. Góðafoss
With a width of 30 meters and a height of 12 meters, the Goðafoss, which means “waterfall of the Gods”, is one of the larger waterfalls of Iceland. The waterfall is located in the north of Iceland and you will pass it when you drive from Lake Mývatn to Akureyri. From the parking lot it is only a few hundred meters walking to this beautiful waterfall!
Free entrance and not restricted to opening hours.
12. Kolufoss
Most of the falls are easy to find along the main road or within a short walking distance from the road. This waterfall is located about 23km southeast of Hvammstangi and can be reached after a 6km drive inland from Ring road 1. The Kolufoss is a waterfall of about 8 meters high and is also located in the impressive Kolugljúfur Gorge.
Free entrance and not restricted to opening hours.
13. Kirkjufellsfoss
On the in the west of Iceland located peninsula of Snæfellsnes, also known as little Iceland, you will find the Kirkjufellsfoss. This waterfall is located on 3 kilometer west of Grundarfjordur. It is not a spectacular waterfall, but especially its location is special. The Kirkjufellsfoss can be found opposite the most photographed mountain of Iceland, the Kirkjufell.
From the path on the left side of the waterfall you not only have a beautiful view of Kirkjufellsfoss, but also on Kirkjufell.
Free entrance and not restricted to opening hours.
14. Hraunfossar
On about 120 km northeast of Reykjavik you will find two of the most beautiful waterfalls of Iceland: the Hraunfossar and the Barnafoss.
From the parking lot you will find the first viewing platform in a few minutes walking distance, from which you will look out over the Hraunfossar waterfall. Or waterfalls. Through the lava of the lava field Hallmundarhraun, over a distance of more than 900 meters, the crystal-clear water flows into the river at various points. Hraunfossar therefore means lava falls.
Free entrance and not restricted to opening hours.
15. Barnafoss
When you walk for about 50 meters from Hraunfossar you will reach the Barnafoss. A waterfall that actually looks more like a white-water course than on a waterfall. By a narrowing the clear blue water forms a cascading waterfall and certainly from the walkway you can see this very well!
Free entrance and not restricted to opening hours.
Photographing waterfalls
Waterfalls are not only beautiful to watch, but also to photograph them. Are you curious how to photograph a waterfall in another creative way? Then check out the 7 creative ways to photograph a waterfall.
Which of the Icelandic waterfalls do you think is the most beautiful?
The above mentioned entrance fees, parking fees and opening hours are subject to changes.