Waterfalls

Jan

2023

List of all Waterfalls

We made a list of more than 130 most beautiful waterfalls in Iceland. This is of course nowhere near the list of all, because there are thousands of them. Nevertheless, we believe that our detailed guide to waterfalls in Iceland covers all you need to know about famous Icelandic waterfalls. We hope it will help you choose your favorite waterfalls to see in Iceland and plan your trip.

All the waterfalls in this article are accessible to visitors. Many of them easily, some of them not. We list the exact location of every waterfall, its photo, its height, and if a waterfall is accessible in winter. If a hike to a waterfall is necessary, we include all info about the hike – distance, difficulty, and hiking trail itself. Importantly, we also describe what type of car you need to reach every single waterfall, or in Icelandic, “foss”.

Note: We will be adding even more waterfalls. Please, if you know of any beautiful waterfall we have not covered yet, send us your picture and waterfall info and we will give you all the credit for it (and a bottle of wine when we meet in person)!

Contents

Map of waterfalls in Iceland
The tallest waterfalls
The biggest waterfalls
The widest waterfalls
The most popular waterfalls
The most beautiful waterfalls
The most hidden waterfalls
FAQ
Æðarfossar
Ægissíðufoss
Aldeyjarfoss
Árbæjarfoss
Axlafoss
Bæjarfoss
Bárðarfoss
Barnafoss
Bergárfoss
Bjarnarfoss
Blafjállafoss
Bolugil
Brúarfoss
Búðarárfoss
Búðareyrarfoss
Búðarhálsfoss (Dynkur)
Bunárfoss
Dettifoss
Djúpagilsfoss
Djúpavíkurfoss
Drifandi
Drifandisfoss
Dynjandi
Fagrifoss
Fardagafoss
Faxafoss
Faxi
Femri-Fellsfoss and Inri-Fellsfoss
Flögufoss
Folaldafoss
Foss
Foss á Síðu
Fossálar
Fosstorfufoss
Gilsárfoss
Gjárfoss
Glanni
Gljúfrabúi
Gljúfurárfoss
Gljúfursárfoss
Gluggafoss
Glymur
Goðafoss
Göngumannafoss
Granni
Grundarfoss
Gufufoss
Gullfoss
Gýgjarfoss
Hænubrekkufoss
Hæstahjallafoss
Hafragilsfoss
Háifoss
Hangandifoss
Helgufoss
Hengifoss
Hestavaðsfoss
Hjálparfoss
Hlauptungufoss
Hólmsárfoss
Hólmsárfossár
Hrafnabjargafoss
Hraunfossar
Hrísvaðsfoss
Hundafoss (Westfjords)
Hundafoss (Skaftafell)
Húsárfoss
Hvitárfoss
Írárfoss
Kæfufoss
Kerlingarfoss
Kermóafoss
Ketubjörg
Kirkjufellsfoss
Kirkjufoss
Klifbrekkufoss
Klukkufoss
Kolufossar
Króksfoss (Skógar)
Króksfoss (Norðurárdalur)
Kvernufoss
Laugavallalaug
Litlanesfoss
Mígandifoss
Mögáfoss
Möngufoss
Morsárfoss
Múlafoss
Nauthusáfoss
Neðstifoss and Miðfoss
Núpsárfoss
Nýifoss
Ófærufoss
Öxarárfoss
Prestagilsfoss
Rauðárfoss
Raudufossar
Raudufossafjol
Reykjafoss
Rjúkandi
Rollutorfufoss
Selfoss
Seljalandsfoss
Selvallafoss
Sigöldufoss
Skalabrekkufoss
Skiptárfoss
Skógafoss
Skorhagafoss
Skútafoss
Snædalsfoss
Staðarfoss
Stakkholtsgjáfoss
Steinbogafoss
Stigafoss
Stjórnarfoss
Strompgljúfrafoss
Strútsfoss
Stuðlafoss
Svartifoss
Svöðufoss
Systrafoss
Þjófafoss
Þórðarfoss
Tófufoss
Tröllafoss
Tungnaárfellsfoss
Urriðafoss
Valafoss
Valagil
Vestdalsfossar

Map of waterfalls in Iceland

Below is the map of more than 500 waterfalls in Iceland, including 130 most beautiful waterfalls:

All the GPS points on this map are under strict copyright and are being tracked for an illegal use. You can’t copy any content without our consent.

Green = easy in summer, easy in winter
Red = easy in summer, harder in winter
Black = harder in summer, hard in winter
Grey = smaller or lesser-known waterfalls

The tallest waterfalls

The tallest waterfalls in Iceland are Morsárfoss (235m), Glymur (198m), Strútsfoss (175m), Prestagilsfoss (160m), and Stigafoss (137m). Various sources state various waterfall heights. We combined multiple sources and averaged them to arrive at our ranking. It’s interesting to note that out of the 5 tallest Icelandic waterfalls, only Glymur is well-known and highly visited.

Strútsfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

The 10 highest waterfalls in Iceland:

Morsárfoss (235m / 770ft)
Glymur (198m / 650ft)
Strútsfoss (175m / 575ft)
Prestagilsfoss (160m / 525ft)
Stigafoss (137m / 450ft)
Hengifoss (128m / 420ft)
Granni (127m / 120ft)
Hangandifoss (123m / 405ft)
Háifoss (121m / 400ft)
Múlafoss (101m / 330ft)

The biggest waterfalls

The biggest waterfalls in Iceland by volume are Urriðafoss, Dettifoss, Hafragilsfoss, Selfoss, and Goðafoss. Measuring volume is tricky and there are scarce data. The volume of the waterfalls varies seasonally and also in time. This means that any list of the largest Icelandic waterfalls can’t be entirely precise. Nevertheless, all these waterfalls are definitely big.

Dettifoss

The 10 biggest waterfalls in Iceland by volume:

Urriðafoss (350-400 m3/sec)
Dettifoss (110-280 m3/sec)
Hafragilsfoss (100-270 m3/sec)
Selfoss (100-270 m3/sec)
Gullfoss (100 m3/sec)
Goðafoss (40-120 m3/sec)
Aldeyjarfoss (20-100 m3/sec)
Faxafoss (38 m3/sec)
Kirkjufoss (20-50 m3/sec)
Búðarhálsfoss (Dynkur) (20-50 m3/sec)

The widest waterfalls

The widest waterfalls in Iceland are Selfoss (400m), Urriðafoss (230m), Hraunfossár (220m), Gullfoss (180m), and Dettifoss (170m). In summer all of these waterfalls are easily accessible and we highly recommend visiting them, because they are all spectacular. Urriðafoss, Hraunfossár, and Gullfoss are also easy to visit in winter. To visit Dettifoss and Selfoss in winter you need a big 4wd car and proper winter hiking gear like crampons.

Hraunfossár

The 10 widest waterfalls in Iceland are:

Selfoss (400m / 1300ft)
Urriðafoss (230m / 750ft)
Hraunfossár (220m / 720ft)
Gullfoss (180m / 590ft)
Dettifoss (170m / 560ft)
Goðafoss (120m / 390ft)
Tungnaárfellsfoss (100m / 330ft)
Holmsárfoss (100m / 330ft)
Faxafoss (90m / 300ft)
Hafragilsfoss (90m / 300ft)

The most popular waterfalls

The most popular waterfalls in Iceland are Gullfoss, Seljalandsfoss, Skógafoss, Gljúfrabúi, and Dettifoss. Most of these waterfalls are located around the easily accessible south coast. These are not only the most visited Icelandic waterfalls but also the most visited places in entire Iceland. These waterfalls are very touristy and in full season you may meet tens of tourist buses there. To enjoy them to the fullest, it’s best to arrive at off-peak hours or during a shoulder season.

Tourists near Seljalandsfoss in February

The 10 most popular waterfalls in Iceland:

The most beautiful waterfalls

The most beautiful waterfalls in Iceland are said to be Dettifoss, Skógafoss, Seljalandsfoss, Dynjandi, and Gljúfrabúi. This list is of course highly subjective and everyone has to choose his own favorite waterfall. Some prefer big waterfalls, some prefer remote waterfalls. This list is a blend of all waterfalls the most frequently referred to as the most beautiful ones.

Dettifoss is said to be the most beautiful because it’s one of the biggest, Skógafoss because it’s big and in picturesque surroundings, and Seljalandsfoss because you can walk behind it in summer. Dynjandi is probably the prettiest waterfall in Westfjords, Gljúfrabúi is uniquely hidden in a ravine, Aldeyjarfoss in the highlands, and Fagrifoss on a way to Laki craters. Bruárfoss has the bluest water, Raudufossar is fully covered in orange and Ófærufoss is the highlight of the Eldgjá reserve.

Skógafoss waterfall

The 10 most beautiful waterfalls in Iceland:

The most hidden waterfalls

The most hidden waterfalls in Iceland are Drifandisfoss, Nýifoss, Núpsárfoss, Bolugil, and Möngufoss. All of these are among the most remote Icelandic waterfalls, yet still accessible and amazingly beautiful. It is of course impossible to exactly tell which waterfall is the most hidden one, but this list should give a good overview of such waterfalls.

Prepare well when visiting the hidden Icelandic waterfalls. Most of them are hard to access and hidden in the highlands. You either need a proper car or proper hiking gear, or both. You should also visit them only in good weather conditions. That being said, there are nearly as many undiscovered waterfalls in Iceland as those that are already discovered. This means there’s still a huge room for exploration and adventure.

Stakkholtsgjáfoss

The 10 most hidden waterfalls in Iceland:

FAQ

Below are the most frequently asked questions about Icelandic waterfalls with up-to-date answers.

How many waterfalls does Iceland have?

There are thousands of different waterfalls in Iceland. If someone counted also all the sub-waterfalls the number can easily grow to tens of thousands. Most of the waterfalls in Iceland have actually not been discovered yet. They are hidden in uninhabited and remote parts of Iceland, often referred to as the highlands.

Which Iceland waterfall can you walk behind?

You can walk behind 4 Icelandic waterfalls – Seljalandsfoss, Kvernufoss, Selvallafoss, and Skútafoss. The most famous waterfall you can walk behind in Iceland is Seljalandsfoss. Most of the sources wrongly state that this is the only waterfall you can walk behind. This is incorrect information. You can also walk behind Laugavallalaug, but it’s so small it doesn’t count.

When walking behind the waterfalls, please take special care. The terrain may be slippery and dangerous. Never do this in snowy or icy conditions. Typically you can walk behind the waterfalls in Iceland only in summer.

Is there a valley of waterfalls in Iceland?

There are 3 well-known waterfall valleys in Iceland:

Waterfall way in Skógar, on a way to Fimmvörðuháls hike
Dynjandi waterfall trail in Westfjords
Waterfall circle near Laugarfell

Kirkjufoss, part of the hidden waterfall circle in East Highlands

Are Icelandic waterfalls free?

All waterfalls in Iceland are free to visit. The only thing you pay for is the parking. Parking is paid only at some of the most popular waterfalls, like Seljalandsfoss or Kirkjufellsfoss. There are no opening hours for the waterfalls in Iceland. You may visit them anytime you want. Just bear in mind, a visit may be dangerous in the dark in winter.

Are Icelandic waterfalls accessible in winter?

Waterfalls situated near the main roads are usually well-accessible in winter. On the other hand, the waterfalls located in the highlands or at more remote places may not be accessible at all. For each waterfall, we list below whether you can see it in winter easily, hardly, or not at all. Here you can also the list of all waterfalls we visited in winter.

List of all waterfalls – Legend

Road accessible by = what type of car you need to reach the car park or the beginning of the hiking trail for every waterfall

Hiking time and distance = the average one-way hiking time and distance from the nearest car park in summer

Hiking difficulty = easy – no/short hikes, moderate – more hiking, difficult – long and/or difficult hike

Trail in winter = typical winter trail conditions (November-April), when there’s no storm or weather alert

* = an asterisk means conditions vary a lot according to weather/snow

Æðarfossar

Æðarfossar waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Bromr, CCM license. Source link.

Location: North, see the map of Aedarfossar
Height: 3m (10ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, 4wd car/super jeep in winter
Hiking time: next to the road/parking
Hiking distance: 50m* (60yd*)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: easily accessible*
Trail link: –

Ægissíðufoss

Ægissíðufoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Source link.

Location: Southwest, see the map of Aegissidufoss
Height: 3m (10ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: next to the road/parking
Hiking distance: 50m (60yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: easily accessible
Trail link: –

Aldeyjarfoss

Aldeyjarfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: North Highlands, see the map of Aldeyjarfoss
Height: 20m (66ft)
Road accessible by: 4wd car in summer (F-road), super jeep/inaccessible in winter
Hiking time: 5 minutes
Hiking distance: 300m (330yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: hardly/inaccessible
Trail link: Aldeyjarfoss hiking trail

Árbæjarfoss

Árbæjarfoss (click to enlarge). Photo by Bromr, CCM license. Source link.

Location: Southwest, see the map of Arbaejarfoss
Height: 10m (33ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: next to the road/parking
Hiking distance: 50m (60yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: easily accessible
Trail link: –

Axlafoss

Axlafoss (click to enlarge)

Location: South Highlands, see the map of Axlafoss
Height: 7m (22ft)
Road accessible by: 4wd car in summer (F-road), super jeep/inaccessible in winter
Hiking time: next to the road/parking
Hiking distance: 50m (60yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: hardly/inaccessible
Trail link: –

Bæjarfoss

Bæjarfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Westfjords, see the map of Baejarfoss
Height: 6m (20ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: next to the road/parking*
Hiking distance: 50m (60yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Baejarfoss hiking trail
Our experience: Baejarfoss visit

Bárðarfoss

Bárðarfoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Bromr, CCM license. Source link.

Location: West, see the map of Bardarfoss
Height: 8m (26ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, better 4wd in winter*
Hiking time: 2 minutes
Hiking distance: 50m (60yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: muddy/snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: –

Barnafoss

Barnafoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: West, see the map of Barnafoss
Height: 5m (16ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, better 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: 5 minutes
Hiking distance: 300m (330yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: easily accessible
Trail link: Barnafoss hiking trail

Bergárfoss

Bergárfoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Hörður Kristinsson, CCM license. Source link.

Location: Northwest, see the map of Bergarfoss
Height: 40m (131ft)
Road accessible by: 4wd car in summer (F-road), 4wd car/super jeep in winter*
Hiking time: 20 minutes
Hiking distance: 1km (0,6mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: –

Bjarnarfoss

Bjarnarfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Snaefellsnes, see the map of Bjarnarfoss
Height: 80m (262ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, better 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: 15 minutes
Hiking distance: 500m (0,3mi)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Bjarnarfoss hiking trail

Blafjállafoss

Blafjállafoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: South Highlands, see the map of Blafjallafoss
Height: 5m (16ft)
Road accessible by: 4wd car in summer (F-road), super jeep/inaccessible in winter
Hiking time: next to the road/parking
Hiking distance: 50m (60yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: hardly/inaccessible
Trail link: –

Bolugil

Bolugil waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by roquenval, CCM license. Source link.

Location: North, see the map of Bolugil
Height: 140m (459ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer / better 4wd car in winter*
Hiking time: 15 minutes
Hiking distance: 600m (0,4mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Bolugil hiking trail

Brúarfoss

Brúarfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: West, see the map of Bruarfoss
Height: 5m (16ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 40-60 minutes
Hiking distance: 3,5km (2,2mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Bruarfoss hiking trail

Búðarárfoss

Búðarárfoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Source link.

Location: East, see the map of Budararfoss
Height: 12m (39ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, 4wd car in winter*
Hiking time: next to the road/parking
Hiking distance: 50m* (60yd*)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: –

Búðareyrarfoss

Búðareyrarfoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Joe deSousa, CCM license. Source link.

Location: East, see the map of Budareyrarfoss
Height: 60m (197ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, better 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: 5-10 minutes
Hiking distance: 300m (330yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: –

Búðarhálsfoss (Dynkur)

Búðarhálsfoss (Dynkur) waterfall (click to enlarge). Source link.

Location: Central Highlands, see the map of Budarhalsfoss dynkur
Height: 50m (164ft)
Road accessible by: 4wd car in summer, super jeep/inaccessible in winter
Hiking time: 20-30 minutes
Hiking distance: 1,5km (0,9mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: hardly/inaccessible
Trail link: –

Bunárfoss

Bunárfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Westfjords, see the map of Bunarfoss
Height: 80m (262ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: 15 minutes
Hiking distance: 400m (440yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Bunarfoss hiking trail

Dettifoss

Dettifoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Northeast, see the map of Dettifoss
Height: 44m (144ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, 4wd car/super jeep winter*
Hiking time: 15 minutes
Hiking distance: 600m (0,4mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Dettifoss hiking trail
Our experience: Dettifoss visit

Djúpagilsfoss

Djúpagilsfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Southwest, see the map of Djupagilsfoss
Height: 40m (131ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 1,5-2 hours
Hiking distance: 5km (3,1mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Djupagilsfoss hiking trail

Djúpavíkurfoss

Djúpavíkurfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Westfjords, see the map of Djupavikurfoss
Height: 160m (525ft)
Road accessible by: better 4wd car in summer, super jeep/inaccessible in winter
Hiking time: next to the road/parking*
Hiking distance: 50m* (60yd*)
Hiking difficulty: easy*
Trail in winter: easily accessible*
Trail link: Djupavikurfoss hiking trail

Drifandi

Drifandi waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Alexander Grebenkov, CCM license. Source link.

Location: Southwest, see the map of Drifandi
Height: 70m (230ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: next to the road/parking
Hiking distance: 50m (60yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: easily accessible
Trail link: Drifandi hiking trail

Drifandisfoss

Drifandisfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Hornstrandir, see the map of Drifandisfoss
Height: 60m (197ft)
Road accessible by: no road, only ferry and hiking
Hiking time: 7 hours*
Hiking distance: 25km* (15,5mi*)
Hiking difficulty: difficult
Trail in winter: inaccessible
Trail link: Drifandisfoss hiking trail

Dynjandi

Dynjandi waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Westfjords, see the map of Dynjandi
Height: 100m (328ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: 15 minutes
Hiking distance: 800m (0,5mi)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Dynjandi hiking trail
Our experience: Dynjandi visit

Fagrifoss

Fagrifoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: South Highlands, see the map of Fagrifoss
Height: 80m (262ft)
Road accessible by: 4wd car in summer (F-road), super jeep/inaccessible in winter
Hiking time: 5 minutes
Hiking distance: 200m (220yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: –
Our experience: Fagrifoss visit

Fardagafoss

Fardagafoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: East, see the map of Fardagafoss
Height: 20m (66ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 15-20 minutes
Hiking distance: 1km (0,6mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Fardagafoss hiking trail

Faxafoss

Faxafoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Southwest, see the map of Faxafoss
Height: 10m (33ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: next to the road/parking
Hiking distance: 50m (60yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: easily accessible
Trail link: –

Faxi

Faxi waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Peter Stobbart, CCM license.

Location: East Highlands, see the map of Faxi
Height: 20m (66ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, super jeep/inaccessible in winter
Hiking time: 40 minutes
Hiking distance: 2500m (1,6mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: hardly/inaccessible
Trail link: Faxi hiking trail

Femri-Fellsfoss and Inri-Fellsfoss

Femri-Fellsfoss and Inri-Fellsfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: South, see the map of Femri-fellsfoss and innri-fellsfoss
Height: 15m (49ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 40 minutes
Hiking distance: 2,2km (1,4mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Femri-fellsfoss and Innri-fellsfoss hiking trail
Our experience: Femri and Innri Fellsfoss visit

Flögufoss

Flögufoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: East, see the map of Flogufoss
Height: 60m (197ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 20 minutes
Hiking distance: 1500m (0,9mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Flogufoss hiking trail

Folaldafoss

Folaldafoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: East, see the map of Folaldafoss
Height: 20m (66ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, super jeep/inaccessible in winter
Hiking time: 5 minutes
Hiking distance: 300m (330yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: –
Our experience: Folaldafoss visit

Foss

Foss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: North, see the map of Foss
Height: 10m (33ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 5 minutes
Hiking distance: 50m (60yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: –

Foss á Síðu

Foss á Síðu waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Christian Bickel fingalo, CCM license. Source link.

Location: South, see the map of Foss a sidu
Height: 30m (98ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 5 minutes
Hiking distance: 100m (110yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: easily accessible
Trail link: –

Fossálar

Fossálar waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: South, see the map of Fossalar
Height: 5m (16ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: next to the road/parking
Hiking distance: 50m (60yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: easily accessible
Trail link: –

Fosstorfufoss

Fosstorfufoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: South, see the map of Fosstorfufoss
Height: 10m (33ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 20 minutes
Hiking distance: 1,1km (0,7mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Fosstorfufoss hiking trail
Our experience: Fosstorfufoss visit

Gilsárfoss

Gilsárfoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by El_Gulio, CCM license.

Location: East, see the map of Gilsarfoss
Height: 7m (23ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, 4wd car/super jeep in winter
Hiking time: 15 minutes
Hiking distance: 1km (0,6mi)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Gilsarfoss hiking trail

Gjárfoss

Gjárfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: South Highlands, see the map of Gjarfoss
Height: 15m (49ft)
Road accessible by: better 4wd car in summer, super jeep/inaccessible in winter
Hiking time: 10 minutes
Hiking distance: 500m (0,3mi)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: hardly/inaccessible
Trail link: Gjarfoss hiking trail
Our experience: Gjarfoss visit

Glanni

Glanni waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Izsonzo, CCM license. Source link.

Location: West, see the map of Glanni
Height: 10m (33ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, better 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: 5 minutes
Hiking distance: 300m (330yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: –

Gljúfrabúi

Gljúfrabúi waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Southwest, see the map of Gljufrabui
Height: 40m (131ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 10 minutes
Hiking distance: 600m (0,4mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: easily accessible
Trail link: –

Gljúfurárfoss

Gljúfurárfoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Bromr, CCM license. Source link.

Location: Westfjords, see the map of Gljufurarfoss
Height: 8m (26ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, super jeep/inaccessible in winter
Hiking time: next to the road/parking
Hiking distance: 50m (60yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: easily accessible
Trail link: –

Gljúfursárfoss

Gljúfursárfoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Bromr, CCM license. Source link.

Location: East, see the map of Gljufursarfoss
Height: 45m (148ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, 4wd car/super jeep in winter
Hiking time: next to the road/parking
Hiking distance: 50m (60yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: easily accessible
Trail link: –

Gluggafoss

Gluggafoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Hornstrandir1, CCM license. Source link.

Location: South, see the map of Gluggafoss
Height: 120m (394ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: 5 minutes
Hiking distance: 300m (330yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: –

Glymur

Glymur waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Andreas Tille, CCM license. Source link.

Location: West, see the map of Glymur
Height: 198m (649ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, inaccessible in winter
Hiking time: 1 hour
Hiking distance: 3,5km (2,2mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: inaccessible
Trail link: first Glymur hiking trail, second Glymur hiking trail

Goðafoss

Goðafoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: North, see the map of Godafoss
Height: 12m (39ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 10 minutes
Hiking distance: 500m (0,3mi)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: easily accessible
Trail link: –
Our experience: Godafoss summer visit, Godafoss winter visit

Göngumannafoss

Göngumannafoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Bromr, CCM license. Source link.

Location: Westfjords, see the map of Gongumannafoss
Height: 4m (13ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: 7 minutes
Hiking distance: 400m (440yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Gongumannafoss hiking trail

Granni

Granni waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: South Highlands, see the map of Granni
Height: 100m (328ft)
Road accessible by: better 4wd car in summer, super jeep in winter
Hiking time: next to the road/parking
Hiking distance: 50m (60yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: –
Our experience: Granni visit

Grundarfoss

Grundarfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Snaefellsnes, see the map of Grundarfoss
Height: 70m (230ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: 20 minutes
Hiking distance: 1,5km (0,9mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Grundarfoss hiking trail

Gufufoss

Gufufoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: East, see the map of Gufufoss
Height: 12m (39ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, better 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: next to the road/parking
Hiking distance: 100m (110yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: –

Gullfoss

Gullfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Southwest, see the map of Gullfoss
Height: 32m (105ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 5-10 minutes
Hiking distance: 400m (440yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: easily accessible
Trail link: –
Our experience: Gullfoss visit

Gýgjarfoss

Gýgjarfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Central Highlands, see the map of Gygjarfoss
Height: 5m (16ft)
Road accessible by: 4wd car in summer (F-road), super jeep/inaccessible in winter
Hiking time: next to the road/parking
Hiking distance: 50m (60yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: easily accessible
Trail link: –

Hænubrekkufoss

Hænubrekkufoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: East, see the map of Haenubrekkufoss
Height: 53m (174ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, super jeep/inaccessible in winter
Hiking time: 10 minutes
Hiking distance: 500m (0,3mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: –

Hæstahjallafoss

Hæstahjallafoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Jennifer Boyer, CCM license. Source link.

Location: Westfjords, see the map of Haestahjallafoss
Height: 5m (16ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: 12 minutes
Hiking distance: 700m (0,4mi)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Haestahjallafoss hiking trail

Hafragilsfoss

Hafragilsfoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Bernd Thaller, CCM license. Source link.

Location: Northeast, see the map of Hafragilsfoss
Height: 27m (89ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, 4wd car/super jeep winter*
Hiking time: next to the road/parking
Hiking distance: 50m (60yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: –

Háifoss

Háifoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: South Highlands, see the map of Haifoss
Height: 122m (400ft)
Road accessible by: better 4wd car in summer, super jeep in winter
Hiking time: next to the road/parking
Hiking distance: 50m (60yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: –
Our experience: Haifoss visit

Hangandifoss

Hangandifoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Southeast, see the map of Hangandifoss
Height: 110m (361ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, super jeep/inaccessible in winter
Hiking time: 30-45 minutes
Hiking distance: 1500m (0,9mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: hardly/inaccessible
Trail link: Hangandifoss hiking trail

Helgufoss

Helgufoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: West, see the map of Helgufoss
Height: 12m (39ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, 4wd car/super jeep in winter
Hiking time: 10*
Hiking distance: 500m* (0,3mi*)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: –

Hengifoss

Hengifoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: East, see the map of Hengifoss
Height: 128m (420ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, better 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: 30-40 minutes
Hiking distance: 2km (1,2mi)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Hengifoss hiking trail

Hestavaðsfoss

Hestavaðsfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: South, see the map of Hestavadsfoss
Height: 9m (30ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 15 minutes
Hiking distance: 800m (0,5mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Hestavadsfoss hiking trail
Our experience: Hestavadsfoss visit

Hjálparfoss

Hjálparfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Southwest, see the map of Hjalparfoss
Height: 13m (43ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, better 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: next to the road/parking
Hiking distance: 100m (110yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: –

Hlauptungufoss

Hlauptungufoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by G.Mannaerts, CCM license. Source link.

Location: West, see the map of Hlauptungufoss
Height: 2m (7ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 30-40 minutes
Hiking distance: 2km (1,2mi)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Hlauptungufoss hiking trail

Hólmsárfoss

Hólmsárfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: South Highlands, see the map of Holmsarfoss
Height: 3m (10ft)
Road accessible by: 4wd car in summer (F-road), super jeep/inaccessible in winter
Hiking time: next to the road/parking
Hiking distance: 50m (60yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: –

Hólmsárfossár

Hólmsárfossár waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: South Highlands, see the map of Holmsarfossar
Height: 10m (33ft)
Road accessible by: 4wd car in summer (F-road), inaccessible in winter
Hiking time: 40 minutes
Hiking distance: 2km (1,2mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: inaccessible
Trail link: Holmsarfossar hiking trail
Our experience: Holmsarfossar visit

Hrafnabjargafoss

Hrafnabjargafoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Source link.

Location: North Highlands, see the map of Hrafnabjargafoss
Height: 8m (26ft)
Road accessible by: 4wd car in summer (F-road), super jeep/inaccessible in winter
Hiking time: 5 minutes
Hiking distance: 300m (0,2mi)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: hardly/inaccessible
Trail link: Hrafnabjargafoss hiking trail

Hraunfossar

Hraunfossar waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: West, see the map of Hraunfossar
Height: 10m (33ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, better 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: 5 minutes
Hiking distance: 300m (330yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: easily accessible
Trail link: Hraunfossar hiking trail

Hrísvaðsfoss

Hrísvaðsfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Westfjords, see the map of Hrisvadsfoss
Height: 3m (10ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: 5 minutes
Hiking distance: 300m (330yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Hrisvadsfoss hiking trail

Hundafoss (Westfjords)

Hundafoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Westfjords, see the map of Hundafoss dynjandi
Height: 2m (7ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: 3 minutes
Hiking distance: 100m (110yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Hundafoss dynjandi hiking trail
Our experience: Hundafoss visit

Hundafoss (Skaftafell)

Hundafoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Southeast, see the map of Hundafoss skaftafell
Height: 25m (82ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 15 minutes
Hiking distance: 800m (0,5mi)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Hundafoss skaftafell hiking trail

Húsárfoss

Husarfoss waterfall (click to enlarge)

Location: Westfjords, see the map of Husarfoss
Height: 25m (80ft)
Road accessible by: 4wd car in summer (F-road), super jeep/inaccessible in winter
Hiking time: 20-30 minutes
Hiking distance: 1,5km (1mi)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: hardly/inaccessible
Trail link: Husarfoss hiking trail

Hvitárfoss

Hvitárfoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Snorri Thor Trygvasson, CCM license. Source link.

Location: South, see the map of Hvitarfoss
Height: 30m (98ft)
Road accessible by: super jeep and only in summer
Hiking time: 1-4 hours
Hiking distance: 3-14 km (2-9mi)
Hiking difficulty: difficult
Trail in winter: inaccessible
Trail link: Hvitarfoss hiking trail

Írárfoss

Írárfoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Source link.

Location: South, see the map of Irarfoss
Height: 60m (197ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: next to the road/parking
Hiking distance: 50m (60yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: –

Kæfufoss

Kæfufoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: South, see the map of Kaefufoss
Height: 8m (26ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 1 hour
Hiking distance: 3,2km (2mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Kaefufoss hiking trail

Kerlingarfoss

Kerlingarfoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Bromr, CCM license. Source link.

Location: Snaefellsnes, see the map of Kerlingarfoss
Height: 60m (197ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, 4wd car/super jeep in winter
Hiking time: 5 minutes
Hiking distance: 250m (270yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Kerlingarfoss hiking trail

Kermóafoss

Kermóafoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Reykjavik, see the map of Kermoafoss
Height: 7m (23ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 3 minutes
Hiking distance: 150m (160yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: easily accessible
Trail link: –

Ketubjörg

Ketubjörg waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: North, see the map of Ketubjorg
Height: 120m (394ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, 4wd car/super jeep in winter
Hiking time: 5-10 minutes
Hiking distance: 200m-500m, depends on from where you go (0,1-0,3mi)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: –

Kirkjufellsfoss

Kirkjufellsfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Snaefellsnes, see the map of Kirkjufellsfoss
Height: 20m (66ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, better 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: 3 minutes
Hiking distance: 150m (160yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: easily accessible
Trail link: –
Our experience: Kirkjufellsfoss visit

Kirkjufoss

Kirkjufoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: East Highlands, see the map of Kirkjufoss
Height: 40m (131ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, super jeep/inaccessible in winter
Hiking time: 30 minutes
Hiking distance: 2000m (1,2mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: hardly/inaccessible
Trail link: Kirkjufoss hiking trail

Klifbrekkufoss

Klifbrekkufoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: East, see the map of Klifbrekkufoss
Height: 90m (295ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, super jeep in winter
Hiking time: 5-15 minutes
Hiking distance: 100-250m (100-300yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy*
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Klifbrekkufoss hiking trail

Klukkufoss

Klukkufoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Bromr, CCM license. Source link.

Location: Snaefellsnes, see the map of Klukkufoss
Height: 25m (82ft)
Road accessible by: 4wd car in summer (F-road), inaccessible in winter
Hiking time: 15 minutes
Hiking distance: 500m (0,3mi)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: hardly/inaccessible
Trail link: Klukkufoss hiking trail

Kolufossar

Kolufossar waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by DasPumm, CCM license. Source link.

Location: Northwest, see the map of Kolufossar
Height: 8m (26ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, better 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: next to the road/parking
Hiking distance: 50m (60yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: easily accessible
Trail link: –

Króksfoss (Skógar)

Króksfoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Source link.

Location: South, see the map of Kroksfoss fimmvorduhals
Height: 14m (46ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 2 hours
Hiking distance: 6,5km (4mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Kroksfoss fimmvorduhals hiking trail

Króksfoss (Norðurárdalur)

Króksfoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Source link.

Location: West, see the map of Kroksfoss
Height: 5m (16ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 5 minutes
Hiking distance: 100m (110yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: easily accessible
Trail link: –

Kvernufoss

Kvernufoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: South, see the map of Kvernufoss
Height: 40m (131ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 10-15 minutes
Hiking distance: 700m (0,4mi)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: easily accessible
Trail link: Kvernufoss hiking trail
Our experience: Kvernufoss visit

Laugavallalaug

Laugavallalaug waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: East Highlands, see the map of Laugavallalaug
Height: 6m (20ft)
Road accessible by: 4wd car in summer, super jeep/inaccessible in winter
Hiking time: 5 minutes
Hiking distance: 300m (330yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: hardly/inaccessible
Trail link: –
Our experience: Laugavallalaug visit

Litlanesfoss

Litlanesfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: East, see the map of Litlanesfoss
Height: 35m (115ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, better 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: 15-20 minutes
Hiking distance: 1200m (0,7mi)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Litlanesfoss hiking trail

Mígandifoss

Mígandifoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Markus Trienke, CCM license. Source link.

Location: North, see the map of Migandi
Height: 45m (148ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 5-20 minutes
Hiking distance: 100-1000m (100yd-0,6mi)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: –

Mögáfoss

Mögáfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: South, see the map of Mogafoss
Height: 40m (131ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 10-15 minutes
Hiking distance: 600m (0,4mi)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: easily accessible
Trail link: Mogafoss hiking trail
Our experience: Mogafoss visit

Möngufoss

Möngufoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Westfjords, see the map of Mongufoss
Height: 60m (197ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, super jeep in winter
Hiking time: 1 hour
Hiking distance: 4km (2,5mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: hardly/inaccessible
Trail link: –

Morsárfoss

Morsárfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Southeast, see the map of Morsarfoss
Height: 228m (748ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 4 hours
Hiking distance: 11km (7mi)
Hiking difficulty: difficult
Trail in winter: inaccessible
Trail link: Morsarfoss hiking trail

Múlafoss

Múlafoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Southeast, see the map of Mulafoss
Height: 50m (164ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, super jeep/inaccessible in winter
Hiking time: 1-1,5 hour
Hiking distance: 3km (1,9mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate*
Trail in winter: hardly/inaccessible
Trail link: Mulafoss hiking trail

Nauthusáfoss

Nauthusáfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: South, see the map of Nauthusafoss
Height: 20m (66ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, better 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: 20 minutes
Hiking distance: 800m (0,5mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: inaccessible
Trail link: Nauthusafoss hiking trail
Our experience: Nauthusafoss visit

Neðstifoss and Miðfoss

Neðstifoss and Miðfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: South, see the map of Nedstifoss and Midfoss
Height: 15m (49ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 2,5 hours
Hiking distance: 8km (5mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Nedstifoss and Midfoss hiking trail
Our experience: Nedstifoss and Midfoss visit

Núpsárfoss

Núpsárfoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Snorri Thor Trygvasson, CCM license. Source link.

Location: South, see the map of Nupsarfoss
Height: 25m (82ft)
Road accessible by: super jeep and only in summer
Hiking time: 1-4 hours
Hiking distance: 3-14 km (2-9mi)
Hiking difficulty: difficult
Trail in winter: inaccessible
Trail link: Nupsarfoss hiking trail

Nýifoss

Nýifoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Polarlys, CCM license, Source link.

Location: West, see the map of Nyifoss
Height: 40m (130ft)
Road accessible by: 4wd car in summer (F-road), super jeep/inaccessible in winter
Hiking time: 30-40 minutes
Hiking distance: 2km (1,3mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: hardly/inaccessible
Trail link: Nyifoss hiking trail

Ófærufoss

Ófærufoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: South Highlands, see the map of Ofaerufoss
Height: 40m (131ft)
Road accessible by: 4wd car in summer (F-road), super jeep/inaccessible in winter
Hiking time: 40 minutes
Hiking distance: 2,5km (1,6mi)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: hardly/inaccessible
Trail link: Ofaerufoss hiking trail

Öxarárfoss

Öxarárfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: West, see the map of Oxararfoss
Height: 7m (23ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 10 minutes
Hiking distance: 400m (440yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: easily accessible
Trail link: Oxararfoss hiking trail

Prestagilsfoss

Prestagilsfoss (click to enlarge). Source link.

Location: East, see the map of Prestagilsfoss
Height: 160m (520ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, super jeep in winter
Hiking time: 10 minutes
Hiking distance: 600m (0,4mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate/difficult
Trail in winter: hardly/inaccessible
Trail link: –

Rauðárfoss

Rauðárfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: South, see the map of Raudarfoss
Height: 20m (66ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, better 4wd car in winter*
Hiking time: 10*
Hiking distance: 300m* (330yd*)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: tougher, but accessible
Trail link: Raudarfoss hiking trail

Raudufossar

Raudufossar waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: South Highlands, see the map of Raudufossar
Height: 60m (197ft)
Road accessible by: 4wd car in summer (F-road), super jeep/inaccessible in winter
Hiking time: 20-30 minutes
Hiking distance: 1500m (0,9mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: hardly/inaccessible
Trail link: Raudufossar hiking trail
Our experience: Raudufossar visit

Raudufossafjol

Raudufossafjol waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: South Highlands, see the map of Raudufossafjol
Height: 5m (16ft)
Road accessible by: 4wd car in summer (F-road), super jeep/inaccessible in winter
Hiking time: 1,5 hour
Hiking distance: 4,5km (2,8mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: inaccessible
Trail link: Raudufossafjol hiking trail
Our experience: Raudufossafjol visit

Reykjafoss

Reykjafoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: North, see the map of Reykjafoss
Height: 20m (66ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, better 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: 10 minutes
Hiking distance: 400m (440yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: muddy/snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: –
Our experience: Reykjafoss visit

Rjúkandi

Rjúkandi waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: East, see the map of Rjukandafoss
Height: 139m (456ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 5-10 minutes
Hiking distance: 300m (330yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: icy but accessible
Trail link: –

Rollutorfufoss

Rollutorfufoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: South, see the map of Rollutorfufoss
Height: 5m (16ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 45 minutes
Hiking distance: 2,5km (1,6mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Rollutorfufoss hiking trail

Selfoss

Selfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Northeast, see the map of Selfoss
Height: 10m (33ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, super jeep in winter
Hiking time: 30 minutes
Hiking distance: 2km (1,2mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Selfoss hiking trail
Our experience: Selfoss visit

Seljalandsfoss

Seljalandsfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: South, see the map of Seljalandsfoss
Height: 65m (213ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 3 minutes
Hiking distance: 150m (160yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: easily accessible
Trail link: –
Our experience: Seljalandsfoss in summer, Seljalandsfoss in winter

Selvallafoss

Selvallafoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Snaefellsnes, see the map of Selvallafoss
Height: 10m (33ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, better 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: 5 minutes
Hiking distance: 200m (220yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: muddy/snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: –

Sigöldufoss

Sigöldufoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Mickaël Delcey (Silverkey), CCM license. Source link.

Location: South Highlands, see the map of Sigoldufoss
Height: 10m (33ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, super jeep in winter
Hiking time: next to the road/parking
Hiking distance: 50m (60yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: easily accessible
Trail link: –

Skalabrekkufoss

Skalabrekkufoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: South, see the map of Skalabrekkufoss
Height: 43m (141ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 1 hour
Hiking distance: 3,5km (2,2mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Skalabrekkufoss hiking trail
Our experience: Skalabrekkufoss visit

Skiptárfoss

Skiptárfoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Bromr, CCM license. Source link.

Location: Westfjords, see the map of Skiptarfoss
Height: 80m (262ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, 4wd car in winter*
Hiking time: 2*
Hiking distance: 50m* (60yd*)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: muddy/snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: –

Skógafoss

Skógafoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: South, see the map of Skogafoss
Height: 62m (203ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 2-10 minutes
Hiking distance: 100-300m (100-330yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: easily accessible*
Trail link: –
Our experience: Skógafoss in summer, Skógafoss in winter

Skorhagafoss

Skorhagafoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Bromr, CCM license. Source link.

Location: West, see the map of Skorhagafoss
Height: 8m (26ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd
Hiking time: 2 minutes
Hiking distance: 50m (60yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: easily accessible
Trail link: –

Skútafoss

Skútafoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Southeast, see the map of Skutafoss
Height: 6m (20ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 15 minutes
Hiking distance: 700m (0,4mi)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: muddy/snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Skutafoss hiking trail
Our experience: Skútafoss visit

Snædalsfoss

Snædalsfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Southeast, see the map of Snaedalsfoss
Height: 37m (121ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 20-25 minutes
Hiking distance: 1km (0,7mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate/difficult
Trail in winter: muddy/snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Snaedalsfoss hiking trail

Staðarfoss

Staðarfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Westfjords, see the map of Stadarfoss
Height: 30m (98ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: 10-15 minutes
Hiking distance: 500m (0,3mi)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: muddy/snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: –

Stakkholtsgjáfoss

Stakkholtsgjáfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: South Highlands, see the map of Stakkholtsgjafoss
Height: 30m (98ft)
Road accessible by: large 4wd car in summer (F-road), super jeep in winter
Hiking time: 30-40 minutes
Hiking distance: 1,5km (0,9mi)
Hiking difficulty: difficult
Trail in winter: hardly/inaccessible
Trail link: Stakkholtsgjafoss hiking trail
Our experience: Stakkholtsgjafoss visit

Steinbogafoss

Steinbogafoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: South, see the map of Steinbogafoss
Height: 8m (26ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 30 minutes
Hiking distance: 1,5km (0,9mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Steinbogafoss hiking trail

Stigafoss

Stigafoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Bromr, CCM license. Source link.

Location: South Highlands, see the map of Stigafoss
Height: 138m (453ft)
Road accessible by: large 4wd car in summer (F-road), super jeep in winter
Hiking time: 15-20 minutes
Hiking distance: 1km (0,6mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: hardly/inaccessible
Trail link: –

Stjórnarfoss

Stjórnarfoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Bromr, CCM license. Source link.

Location: South, see the map of Stjornafoss
Height: 6m (20ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 5 minutes
Hiking distance: 200m (220yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: easily accessible
Trail link: –

Strompgljúfrafoss

Strompgljúfrafoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Westfjords, see the map of Strompgljufrafoss
Height: 20m (66ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: 10 minutes
Hiking distance: 550m (0,3mi)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Strompgljufrafoss hiking trail
Our experience: Strompgljufrafoss visit

Strútsfoss

Strútsfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: East, see the map of Strutsfoss
Height: 120m (394ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, 4wd car/super jeep in winter
Hiking time: 1 hour
Hiking distance: 4km (2,5mi)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: hardly/inaccessible
Trail link: Strutsfoss hiking trail

Stuðlafoss

Stuðlafoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: East, see the map of Studlafoss
Height: 15m (49ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, super jeep in winter
Hiking time: 40 minutes
Hiking distance: 2,5km (1,6mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: hardly/inaccessible
Trail link: Studlafoss hiking trail

Svartifoss

Svartifoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Southeast, see the map of Svartifoss
Height: 20m (66ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 30 minutes
Hiking distance: 2km (1,2mi)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Svartifoss hiking trail
Our experience: Svartifoss visit

Svöðufoss

Svöðufoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Veronique Lopez, CCM license.

Location: Snaefellsnes, see the map of Svodufoss
Height: 40m (131ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, better 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: 15 minutes
Hiking distance: 800m (0,5mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Svodufoss hiking trail

Systrafoss

Systrafoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Source link.

Location: South, see the map of Systrafoss
Height: 80m (262ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: next to the road/parking
Hiking distance: 50m (60yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: easily accessible
Trail link: –

Þjófafoss

Þjófafoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Grunkhead, CCM license. Source link.

Location: South Highlands, see the map of Thjofafoss
Height: 15m (49ft)
Road accessible by: better 4wd car in summer, super jeep in winter
Hiking time: next to the road/parking
Hiking distance: 100m (110yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: –

Þórðarfoss

Þórðarfoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Bromr, CCM license. Source link.

Location: South, see the map of Thordarfoss
Height: 80m (262ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: 5-10 minutes
Hiking distance: 300m (330yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: –

Tófufoss

Tófufoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: East, see the map of Tofufoss
Height: 8m (26ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: 3 minutes
Hiking distance: 100m (110yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: easily accessible
Trail link: –

Tröllafoss

Tröllafoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Bromr, CCM license. Source link.

Location: West, see the map of Trollafoss
Height: 10m (33ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, 4wd car/super jeep in winter
Hiking time: next to the road/parking
Hiking distance: 50m (60yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: muddy/snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: –

Tungnaárfellsfoss

Tungnaárfellsfoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by John Inrik, CCM license. Source link.

Location: South Highlands, see the map of Tungnaarfellsfoss
Height: 5m (16ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, super jeep in winter
Hiking time: 10 minutes
Hiking distance: 500m (0,3mi)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: hardly/inaccessible
Trail link: –

Urriðafoss

Urriðafoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Ulrich Hess, CCM license. Source link.

Location: Southwest, see the map of Urridafoss
Height: 4m (13ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: next to the road/parking
Hiking distance: 50m (60yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: easily accessible
Trail link: –

Valafoss

Valafoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by nonnio, CCM license.

Location: Snaefellsnes, see the map of Valafoss
Height: 60m (197ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, better 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: 3-4 hours
Hiking distance: 8-10km (5-6mi)
Hiking difficulty: difficult
Trail in winter: inaccessible
Trail link: Valafoss hiking trail

Valagil

Valagil waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Werner, CCM license. Source link.

Location: Westfjords, see the map of Valagil
Height: 80m (262ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: 30-40 minutes
Hiking distance: 2km (1,2mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: hardly/inaccessible
Trail link: Valagil hiking trail

Vestdalsfossar

Vestdalsfossar waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: East, see the map of Vestdalsfossar
Height: 14m (46ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, better 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: 10 minutes
Hiking distance: 600m (0,4mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: muddy/snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Vestdalsfossar hiking trail
Our experience: Vestdalsfoss visit

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Dec

2021

Fimmvörðuháls hike guide

I’ve seen several articles which claimed to be the “Fimmvorduhals hike guide” but they still didn’t contain all information I needed and didn’t answer all my questions. I’m not saying they are not useful, they are just not detailed enough. For example, I couldn’t clearly find out how long the hike will take us, getting some very mixed estimates ranging anywhere from 6 hours to 2 days. This and more I tried to put together in 1 comprehensive article about the Fimmvorduhals hike.

Contents

Fimmvorduhals hike – what is it?
When to go
Weather
How to get to the Fimmvorduhals hike
Best Fimmvörðuháls hike tours
Length
Who to go with
Difficulty
Clothes and equipment
Our experience
The Fimmvorduhals trail step by step
Coming back
Fimmvorduhals hike Videos

Fimmvorduhals hike – what is it?

It is said to be one of the most beautiful Icelandic hikes located in the spectacular southern Highlands of Iceland. And I can only confirm that it really is. At least in nice weather 🙂 Otherwise, it may easily turn into a long and unpleasant struggle.

Fimmvorduhals pass is a mountain pass located between the two glaciers between Skogar (yes, Skogafoss waterfall) and Basar hut in Thorsmork. And this is exactly the trail of the hike – the traverse from Skogar to Thorsmork or the other way round. Skogar is best known for its beautiful waterfalls, while Thorsmork is famous for its hard-to-access natural beauties, valleys, rivers, glaciers, and mountains. And the Fimmvorduhals hike is full of everything of these.

The trail around Fimmvorduhals snowfields

For any Icelandic enthusiast, the Fimmvorduhals hike is a must-go. It proudly belongs to the greatest spots in the Icelandic Highlands. It’s not a question of if, but rather a question of when. Of course only if you feel like doing it – because it’s not that easy (but also not any horror – in good weather) and it takes 7 to 12 hours to complete – based on your skills.

When to go

This is a crucial decision. I changed the planned day for the hike 4 times. This meant 4 times contacting the bus company for changing the tickets and 4 times explaining this to my foreign hiking buddy Vicente 🙂 But it was well worth it. If the weather doesn’t look good, please don’t go and better change your plans / reschedule the hike to a different day.

The basic answer is easy – in summer only. Some parts of the hike are covered by snow all year round, so you cannot avoid snow completely. But there are spots that are impassable if there’s too much snow and there are spots that are easily passable even when walking on the snow. So, the more specific answer would be – ideally in the second half of July or in August. At this time, the last winter’s snow should be already melted and the “next year’s” snow hasn’t arrived yet.

Descent from Fimmvorduhals craters of Magni and Modi to Thorsmork

Generally, the trail is open for hiking from somewhere around the beginning of June to somewhere around the middle of September. But the more away you go from July/August, the more difficult the hike will be. Of course, it all depends on your hiking skills. If you are used to hiking in snow, wind, cold, and/or rain, you have more flexibility in terms of when to go.

Even in July/August – please look at the forecast and look at the safetravel.is for any warnings. Although Fimmvorduhals is not Mt. Everest, it can get bad in unfavorable weather. How to read the weather forecast? We wrote an entire article about how to find good weather in Iceland, feel free to read it. Besides that, a short summary of it is below in the “Weather” section.

Weather

Ideally, you want to naturally aim for no rain, no wind, and clear skies. If this is the case, you have already won. But in Iceland, this is not the case most of the time 🙂 So what you at minimum want to aim for is little rain and little wind. Although fog is unpleasant because your view isn’t the best, it isn’t life-threatening, as is often the case with wind and rain.

It’s important to study the forecast at en.vedur.is. This is an Icelandic meteorological station and you will not get any other foreign forecast which is more precise. Forget about Google’s weather.com, sorry for saying that, but that one is complete bullshit. At en.vedur.is don’t look just at the general forecast – go into the detailed forecast for rain, detailed forecast for the wind, and look specifically at the Fimmvorduhals pass. We described this in detail in our Iceland weather forecast article.

Hiking the Fimmvorduhals waterfall way

Last but not least – looking at the 1 week ahead forecast is (almost) completely useless 🙂 The weather changes very quickly, oftentimes in minutes/hours, 1-week ahead forecast will almost surely change. The forecast which most of the time worked pretty well in our case was 1-2 days ahead forecast. This one didn’t change that much.

The word of caution – even the best forecast doesn’t guarantee you the weather it states. Reality may be better or worse (usually worse in Iceland). So please be prepared for it. And anytime you feel unsafe to proceed, better don’t proceed and turn back. Accommodation/money loss is always more reasonable than health loss. One part of the hike – the part exactly between the two glaciers – is the part where the weather is usually the most unpredictable, changes quickly, and usually is worse than forecasts.

How to get to the Fimmvorduhals hike

Another crucial question after the choice of the season, date, and day is a question of how to get to and from the Fimmvorduhals hike. Do you have a rental car? Yes, you can drive to Skogar (or Thorsmork) then – but how to get back, if the hike ends 30 kilometers away? 🙂 Unless you have an (experienced) friend (with a big 4×4) waiting for you at the other end of the trail, you would need to take the bus or the guided Fimmvorduhals tour with transportation. Or stay overnight in accommodation in Thorsmork. The bus is usually the cheapest option.

If you Google the buses from/to Skogar and Thorsmork, you will soon realize you don’t have that many options. If you want to start in Skogar and end in Thorsmork (as we did, and most of the visitors as well) the first bus arrives at Skogar at 9:45 AM and the last bus leaves Thorsmork at 20:00 PM. This means that if you want to complete the Fimmvorduhals hike in 1 day, you need to do it in 10 hours. Period.

Hiking to Baldvinsskali hut

Here is the schedule of the Thorsmork buses. Beware, that the evening bus from Thorsmork runs only during the peak season. Otherwise, you have to reach out for the other options. These are:

Booking a night roughly at the halfway of the hike in the Baldvinsskali hut
Booking a night in Thorsmork – the closest option is Basár hut, the next option is Langidalur campsite and the furthest one (but maybe the most glamorous) is the Volcano huts in Husadalur

What I did was to drive with our car to Hvolsvollur and leave the car there at the big car park of N1 gas station. Then I took the bus to Skogar, which (as mentioned above) arrived shortly before 10 AM. Then we made the Fimmvorduhals hike (which took us roughly 8 hours in a medium-to-quick pace) and ended up at Basar hut before 7 PM. Finally, we took the same bus back from Basar hut to Hvolsvollur and I came back to our car at 10 PM in Hvolsvollur, thus making it all in 1 day.

It is possible to do the same also with Reykjavik as your start/endpoint, but add additional 2 hours each way (that’s what my friend Vicente has done).

Buses to and from Thorsmork and Skogar

As of the 2022 season, the only option to do the Fimmvorduhals hike in 1 day and come back to your accommodation is to

a) complete it under 10 hours, AND

b) depart from Reykjavik or Hvolsvollur/Hella.

The Fimmvorduhals bus schedule is located here. This 1-day loop can only be achieved during the peak season when the last bus from Thorsmork leaves as late as 8 PM.

The Fimmvorduhals bus is also called “the highland bus” and the tickets – although a bit misleading – work pretty well. You can buy 1 ticket which includes the round trip – i.e. either from Reykjavik/Hvolsvollur to Skogar + from Thorsmork back to Reykjavik/Hvolsvollur – or the other way round. The ticket from Reykjavik is roughly 20-30Eur more expensive compared to that from Hvolsvollur.

Bus to/from Thorsmork standing at Básar hut

After buying the ticket you also have to reserve your seats on the bus for a particular day and time by writing an email to the bus company. To sum it up, the entire process works like this:

You buy the ticket (free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure)
You write an email to the bus company with a specific date and time request (free changes up to 24 hours before departure)

I recommend booking in advance and then making changes a few days before if necessary due to weather. That’s what I had to do several times due to changing rain and wind forecasts. There are usually enough places on the buses (and if there’s a lot of tourists, they usually send more buses). That being said – yes, it’s good to book in advance, but changing a few days before the hike shouldn’t be a problem under normal circumstances.

If you already know beforehand that you can’t make it on time for the bus schedules, you may still book a night in either the Baldvinsskali hut or in Basar/Langidalur/Husadalur campsites. If they have free places, you may come there even without booking it in advance. Of course, booking in advance is recommended. But you can call there and ask a few days in advance for availability and decide based on that.

Best Fimmvörðuháls hike tours

Best Fimmvörðuháls hike guided tour by Icelandic Mountain Guides

Would you rather like to take a guided tour? The best Fimmvorduhals hike guided tour is undoubtedly operated by Icelandic Mountain Guides. We can more than just recommend this 5* local Icelandic company with amazing reviews and guides. If you don’t feel like hiking alone, Icelandic Mountain Guides specialize exactly in hiking tours, like Fimmvorduhals is.

1-Day Fimmvörðuháls guided tour

We’ve researched all available 1-day tours to Fimmvorduhals and the tour by Icelandic Mountain Guides wins on all fronts – price, guides, reviews, organization. You can have a 5% discount for Icelandic Mountain Guides tours with the discount code: EPICICELAND23 (you can find the currently working promo code also here).

6-Days combo Fimmvörðuháls + Laugavegur tour

By far the best Laugavegur hike guided tour by Icelandic Mountain Guides

This tour is the gem among all hiking tours in Iceland. You will see the most beautiful Icelandic landscapes and sleep in authentic Icelandic mountain huts along the way. All this accompanied by amazing guides who will take care of you all the time.

You can have a 5% discount for Icelandic Mountain Guides tours with the discount code: EPICICELAND23 (you can find the currently working promo code also here).

Length

The hike is 26 kilometers long (16 miles). How long does it take to complete it? This is the aspect that is kind of hard to estimate because everyone has a different pace. One American website stated that it took their entire family some 6-7 hours to finish the hike. This I find unbelievably fast (don’t know if they are superheroes or what), but it can be considered as a bottom estimate of the time.

On the other hand, some guys on the Alltrails app stated it took them around 12 hours to complete the hike. This is a bit long in my opinion, but it can be pretty much realistic if you have a slow hiking pace. So yes, the estimate to complete the entire hike is somewhere between 7 to 12 hours and depends on both the weather and your hiking skills.

Last part of the Fimmvorduhals hike

We’ve done the Fimmvorduhals hike in the perfect weather and it took us 8 hours to complete it, including small food breaks and several little photo pauses. If I had to assess our pace, I would say it was pretty quick in the beginning and then we slowed down considerably. So, to sum it up, our pace was probably medium-to-quick. This may change drastically in case of bad weather, though, so count on that, please.

This is also how I recommend doing the hike. It’s better to be quicker in the beginning, not make that many pauses and check the trail map about your status. If you realize that 3 hours have passed and you are already halfway through the hike (as we realized), then your pace is probably quick and you can slow down. And vice versa – if you realize that 5 hours have passed and you are halfway through the hike, then your pace is probably slower and you should hurry up to make it under 10 hours.

Who to go with

This may be a strange question for someone, but I’m gonna put it in here anyway 🙂 My wife didn’t feel like doing such a long and strenuous hike and I didn’t want to push her. On the other hand, I really wanted to do the hike. So how do we solve this situation? One of the options is to go alone. Yes, this is doable. We even met a girl our age who has done the hike alone. Still, I don’t recommend going alone. You never know what can happen during the hike and it’s always better to have a companion for a plethora of reasons.

Little streams in the beginning of the Fimmvorduhals trail

I knew I didn’t want to go alone for the trail I hadn’t already known. But I didn’t give up and I decided to find a company – via FB. There are many groups on Facebook devoted to Iceland, one of them particularly popular called “Travel Iceland”. I’m thankful to this group for useful Icelandic info and even for finding a hiking buddy for the Fimmvorduhals hike 🙂 And I was pretty lucky, because (only after we started the hike) I realized my hiking buddy Vicente was really well equipped and an experienced hiker.

Difficulty

I’m originally from Slovakia where we do have somewhat high (2500+ meters) mountains. I’m used to hiking, though I wouldn’t say I’m any good at it. I would consider the hike to be of medium difficulty. The trail itself is not that difficult. The first half of the trail is basically a long gravel/clay walk without any steep sections. The only real issue with the Fimmvorduhals hike might be its length – for someone this hike may be too long for 1 day. For me, it was just right and I still had some energy left after the finish.

The second half of the trail (after the hut) is slightly more technical, but except for one spot, I didn’t find it dangerous or highly difficult. This one spot is the 2^nd hill after the Baldvinsskali hut (when going from the Skogar direction). There’s a steep slope with the ground consisting of a mix of clay, ice, and ash. The grip is not very good and the angle/slope is pretty steep. This is the only part where I felt unsafe and even scared a bit. But that may be my specific issue – I just don’t like steep slopes with bad grip and uneven terrains – like ice and ash. This is where hiking poles literally saved my life (or at least avoided a broken leg).

Resting after finishing the most difficult part of the hike

Snowfields were not any big issue for us, they were easily passable and not steep at all. No crampons were needed. I even took a pair with me, just to be sure, but I didn’t need to use them at all. Next, the only part of the hike with chains – the part after Modi and Magni volcanoes – wasn’t that dangerous in my opinion. Yes, the chains are a bit scary, or better said, the steep fall below them is a bit scary – but this part is short and thanks to the chains easily doable.

Last but not least, the famous Kattarhryggur pass – the “cat’s spine”, was maybe a bit scary because it was narrow, but otherwise it was not any difficult. The pass has firm and flat ground, so if the wind isn’t too strong it shouldn’t be an issue.

For some inexperienced hikers or visitors afraid of heights (like my wife) this hike may be too stressful. For medium+ experienced hikers used to heights, chains and mountain passes it is definitely doable, some may even consider it to be easy. It’s definitely long, though.

Clothes and equipment

I’m not much of a person who would advise you which jacket you should buy on Amazon 🙂 But I can definitely advise you to dress well for the Fimmvorduhals hike. What does “dress well” mean? Well, dress for any kind of weather – especially rain, wind, and cold. A waterproof layer (pants and jacket) is a must (at least in your backpack). Something to protect you from cold and wind is a must as well (some backup hat, gloves, jacket, etc.). You might not need any of these if the sun shines and the wind is non-existent, but they come priceless if the weather turns to the dark side.

The temperature during the summer hike usually ranges anywhere between 5°C-20°C (51F – 68F). If the wind blows badly and the sun doesn’t shine, you may easily feel like -5°C (23F) even in August, though! On the other hand, without wind, and with the sun shining, there were parts when we hiked in our T-shirts only.

Do you need hiking poles? For 98% of the trail I would say you don’t. BUT. For the steep section after the Baldvinsskali hut, I cannot imagine going without them. My friend Vicente, though, has done it without any hiking poles, but he’s a hiking machine :)). My final advice would be – better take them.

fimmvorduhals views into thorsmork valley

Views from the Fimmvorduhals into the Thorsmork valley

Do you need crampons? During the best time to go (mid-July to the end of August) you don’t need them at all. At other times it really depends. But the parts covered the most by snow are not very steep, so I wouldn’t say you need crampons under normal circumstances.

Anything other to take? Good shoes, sun cream in case of sunny weather, water and food (there’s no place to buy any during the trail and Skogar campsite is not well equipped).

Our experience

Since the day I’ve first seen the Fimmvorduhals hike and read about it, I knew I have to try it 🙂 Planning is crucial for the Fimmvorduhals hike (see above). After many changes, we finally decided to go for the hike on Day 3 of our highlands trip.

A month before the hike I found my hiking buddy via Facebook group Travel Iceland. My wife didn’t feel like going for such a long hike and I didn’t want to push her. My buddy – Vicente – seemed to know what he was doing, although you never know before you really get to know each other 🙂 I took care of the entire organization of the trip – i.e. mainly choosing the specific day, buying bus tickets, and making a bus seat reservation.

The final part of the Fimmvorduhals hike near Thorsmork

Our plan

We had a 3-day window when we could both do the hike (as an intersection of my and Vicente’s schedule). I waited 5 days before the hike and when the weather looked reasonable I booked the bus and reserved the seats for Friday. I received the response from the bus company anytime from 1 hour after my email to almost 24 hours – but they always responded and always positively. Vicente travelled from Reykjavik, I travelled from Hvolsvollur.

The plan for our trip was as follows:

Vicente getting on the bus at 7:00 in Reykjavik towards Skogar
Me coming by car to Hvolsvollur and getting on the same bus to Skogar at 9:00
Starting the hike at 10:00 in Skogar
Finish the hike before 20:00 in Basar
Take the bus back from Basar hut at 20:00 – me to Hvolsvollur, my friend to Reykjavik

The waterfall way in the first third of the Fimmvörðuháls hike

3 days before the hike the weather forecast changed and it looked much better for Saturday. So, I wrote a kind email to the bus company asking for rescheduling and they quickly replied positively. 2 days before the hike the forecast started to show some strong winds exactly in the worst part of the hike – between the two glaciers. I decided to reschedule again – back to Friday – although I must have looked dumb already at that point in the eyes of the bus company.

On a Thursday evening, I looked at the forecast once again and it showed slight rain for Friday and the wind forecast for Saturday disappeared. I felt like an idiot but I decided to write the bus company once again and reschedule the trip for the fourth time. They replied late in the evening that yes, it’s rescheduled. At that moment I just prayed I had made a good decision. And it turned out I did. The weather on our day was almost perfect.

The snowy part of the hike

The Fimmvorduhals trail step by step

0. Map of the Fimmvorduhals trail

Click to enlarge:

Fimmvörðuháls hike map (from Skógar to Thórsmörk)

1. Skógar and Skogafoss

The Fimmvorduhals trail starts with the magnificent, giant green scenery of Skogar. This is usually the place where most of the tourists both start and finish, as was the case during our first visit to Skogafoss. While Skogafoss is an admiringly beautiful place definitely worth visiting, it’s a mistake not to continue further up the Skogafoss waterfall trail. It doesn’t take too long to finish it, nor is the trail too hard. So we do recommend you reserve some extra time to see it!

Bottom part of Skógafoss waterfall (and a wedding in the background ☺)

2. The waterfall way

It is the waterfall way that begins with the famous Skogafoss and continues with several other, less known but not any less beautiful waterfalls. The waterfall way is one of the most beautiful short hikes in Iceland I’ve seen. I can highly recommend doing this hike to everyone – even if you don’t want to continue. Just take the waterfall way from Skogar and come back.

The waterfall way looking back to Skogar

The entire waterfall way is around 8 kilometers long and took us around 2 hours to complete from Skogafoss to the last waterfall on the route. That being said, we hiked very quickly with only short pauses for taking pictures. At a relaxed pace, it may take some 2.5-3 hours one way. But you don’t need to take it all the way to the end. The most beautiful part was its first half, i.e. some first 4 kilometers. Doing that as a roundtrip makes for some 3-hour long hike at a relaxed pace that everyone can make.

waterfall way skogafoss fimmvorduhals iceland

The Fimmvörðuháls hike trail during the waterfall way part

Water and moss are literally everywhere during this part of the Fimmvorduhals hike. We felt as if we were a part of some fairy tale, with hobbits possibly chasing us somewhere. This hike is also doable even if it rains lightly and the visibility isn’t perfect, so it’s a great candidate also for moody days. And what’s one of the best features about Icelandic landscapes – they look very different in the cloudy and in the sunny weather. So, you may even visit them twice and still have a different experience!

One of the largest waterfalls at the waterfall way of the Fimmvorduhals hike

3. The ascent towards Baldvinsskáli hut

The waterfall way ends with a little bridge and roughly marks the first third of the Fimmvorduhals hike. The next part is the most boring one – the first part of the ascent towards Baldvinsskali hut. For around 40-50 minutes there’s pretty much nothing to see and you just have to walk up the gravel road where emergency vehicles can drive to Baldvinsskali hut.

The most boring part of the Fimmvorduhals hike – right after the end of the waterfall way

Then you will reach the area where nice views start to slowly appear – in good weather with good visibility of course. The combination of snow, gravel, and hills in the distance is very nice, though definitely not the best part of the hike. We soon spotted the Baldvinsskali hut in front of us, and, as expected, it was covered in a fog 🙂

fimmvorduhals trail to baldvinsskali hut

Fimmvorduhals trail just before the Baldvinsskali hut

This part of the hike took us around 1.5 hours to complete, still at a pretty quick pace, including a 10-minute lunch break. After 3.5 hours of quick pace, we were supposed to be already almost halfway through the entire hike. This meant, we decided to slow our pace and enjoy the scenery more and take more pictures.

A very bad selfie (and our only picture) of us in front of the Baldvinsskáli hut in a total fog

4. Between the two glaciers

The middle part of the hike – between the Baldivnsskali hut and the Kattarhryggur pass is the most difficult one, yet I still think – not too difficult. This is also where the weather usually gets worse (more foggy, rainy, or windy). We were pretty lucky, though, to have nearly perfect weather with fog only on at a short part near the hut. This middle part is also the one where hiking poles do come in handy.

Right after the Baldvinsskali hut, first glacial snowfields of the Fimmvorduhals trail appear

The first snowfield appears right after the Baldvinsskali hut (coming from the Skogar direction) and in our case was pretty easy to walk on. Just remember we had no rain, no wind, and an occasional fog and sun. There are several other snowfields on a way towards the craters of Magni and Modi. None of the snowfields seemed difficult to us and crampons were useless in our opinion. If you walk carefully and follow the steps in the snow (in case they are there), you shouldn’t have a problem crossing the fields. This part of the hike really felt like “ICEland” thanks to all this snow even in the middle of the summer.

5. The most difficult part of the Fimmvorduhals hike

After a few snowfields, the most difficult part of the hike (at least for me) followed. We descended into the small valley full of ash, clay, and melting ice and snow. Firstly, we had to descend down through the slippery path consisting of ice and ash. It was unclear where exactly the path led and we had to find our own. OK, done. But next, we had to climb the very unpleasant hill. We had already seen several hikers in front of us struggling at this part and in a while, I completely understood why.

For me the most difficult part of the Fimmvörðuháls trail in front of us

The hill in front of us was pretty steep and had a pretty bad grip. It reminded me of the slippery part of the hike to Bláhnjukúr in Landmannalaugar, but this one was much worse. This hill again consisted of black ash, melting ice, gravel, and clay. None of them was any firm and I felt like slipping and falling with each step. And this didn’t feel very pleasant given that you were on a steep slope. This part was the only one where I was a bit scared and which seemed dangerous to me. But that may be only me – I just hate places where I can’t stand firmly on the ground.

The steep and slippery trail made of ash and dry clay. Hiking poles saved my life.

Hiking poles literally saved my life at this part and thanks to them I was able to finish it without stumbling. I cannot imagine hiking this part in rain or strong wind, that must be terrifying.

6. Almost two thirds into the hike

Afterwards, several lunar landscapes followed. Red ash, black ash, moon-like hills, really a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The terrain wasn’t difficult anymore at this part. The only spot where we were slightly confused was a crossroad where you had to decide to go on a big snowfield or climb through big black lava stones. We decided to go for the stones and then followed to the nearest yellow stick-mark.

For me one of the 3 most beautiful parts of the Fimmvörðuháls hike

What follows is a beautiful picturesque lunar area around the craters of Magni and Modi. The views are getting better at this part and in nice weather, you are able to already see a bit into Thorsmork valley as well as into the other beautiful valleys in the distance.

7. Magni and Modi craters

If you have time, definitely go for the little detour up to the Móði crater. It takes less than 10 minutes to reach the top (turn left in the direction of the red peak, coming from the Baldvinsskali hut).

Unforgettable views from the peak of the Móði crater

If the visibility is good, views from the top of the Móði crater are entirely stunning. 5 hours have passed and we were already two-thirds into the entire hike, so we took our time and stayed for a while on top of the Móði, enjoyed the views, and slowly descended back.

One of the highest points of the Fimmvorduhals hike with stunning views

Shortly after reaching Magni and Modi craters, the magnificent Thorsmork valley starts to reveal itself in front of you. This was one of my favorite views of the entire hike. A huge green valley, mountains, rivers, and different valleys are everywhere in the distance. From this point onwards, only the descent follows – no more climbs 🙂

8. The only chains of the hike

The only chains at Fimmvörðuháls trail

As you approach Thorsmork, views are getting better and better. Eventually, we reached the only technical passage of this part of the hike – chains. The descent continues next to the steep ravine and to make it more safe chains were tied into the nearby stones. Take care though, some of them are moving. This passage is a little bit scary when looking at it but otherwise isn’t dangerous because you just walk on the firm flat ground, holding onto chains (and the ravine is below you).

This is the wrong way. The right path leads to the left via chains.

My friend mistakenly took the wrong way and had to literally jump a bit from the cliff to be able to proceed. Do not take this way, it’s dangerous. After seeing him struggling, I took the right path described above. Chains are the right part. Take chains.

The part many find the most dangerous. Not me. Chains to the right, valley to the left.

These chains at Fimmvorduhals are the part many people described as the scariest one. I definitely didn’t think so. The worst part for me was the one in the middle of the hike with slippery ash and clay without any chains.

9. Thorsmork valley descent

Views of Thórsmörk from the final part of the Fimmvörðuháls trail

The final slightly technical part of the entire hike is the famous Kattarhryggur, or “cat’s spine” pass. It’s a narrow pass where there’s a steep ravine both on your left and on your right. There are no chains, but the pass is pretty flat with firm ground. Unless the weather is very windy or otherwise unpleasant, hiking this part shouldn’t be any problem.

A famous Kattarhryggur (cat’s spine) pass was not that bad in a beautiful weather

The gradual descent into the Thorsmork valley continues afterward. Huge green areas with views towards Thorsmork, Krossa river, and its arms. We made roughly a 1-hour long break before Kattarhryggur to admire the surroundings and arrived down at the Basar hut at 7 PM. Without the break, the hike would take us 8 hours at a medium-to-quick pace, including photo pauses and short food pauses. Our bus was supposed to leave from the Basar hut so we stayed at Basar and waited for it.

Coming back

If you have time, energy, or you simply don’t go for the bus from Basar, you may continue on foot to other campsites which are further away. The closest one is the Langidalur campsite (another bus stop), which is roughly 30 minutes by walk from Basar. And then there’s also the Husadalur campsite with well-known Volcano huts, which is another 20-30 minutes by walk from the Langidalur campsite. We took the bus from Basar to Hvolsvollur (and my friend to Reykjavik) at 8 PM and ended our beautiful day.

Fimmvorduhals hike Videos

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Nov

2020

Best Icelandic Waterfalls

Here are the best Icelandic waterfalls, with a focus on those that are easily accessible. According to our humble opinion B-). Based on the overall experience, i.e.:

Uniqueness
View
Atmosphere
Accessibility
Crowds

Contents

9. GULLFOSS
8. SELFOSS
7. GODAFOSS
6. HAIFOSS
5. DYNJANDI
4. SVARTIFOSS
3. SKÓGAFOSS
2. DETTIFOSS
1. SELJALANDSFOSS

9. GULLFOSS

Gullfoss at the time of our visit, i.e. 7 pm

Summary

Distance from car park: 5 minutes 
Time spent at: 10-20 minutes 
Worth visiting even with bad weather: yes
Physical condition needed: little 
Interesting index: 2 – great  (1-amazing, 2-great, 3-nice)

How to get to Gullfoss

In summer, Gullfoss is easily accessible by any 2wd car. Read about how we chose our car. Or just get free discounts for your Icelandic car rental.

Our experience with Gullfoss

The waterfall is very easily accessible, which probably explains why it’s usually so touristy. It’s also very picturesque. It wasn’t one of our favourites, though. We were already spoiled enough with all of the places we had seen already at that time. As someone on the Google maps had put it “3/5 Icelandic stars, that is 5/5 stars anywhere else”.

Tips about Gullfoss

Gullfoss is typically one of the most touristy places in Iceland. You’re going to notice it once you arrive at the gigantic car park next to the restaurant and a souvenir shop. However, we arrived in the evening during Covid-19 times. This meant an empty car park and a closed restaurant with a souvenir shop. And also – almost no tourists.

8. SELFOSS

The east viewpoint of the Selfoss waterfall

Summary

Distance from car park: 20-30 minutes
Time spent at: 10-15 minutes 
Worth visiting even with bad weather: yes
Physical condition needed: little / medium 
Interesting index: 2 – great  (1-amazing, 2-great, 3-nice)

How to get to Selfoss

In summer, Selfoss is accessible by any 2wd car. I do recommend renting a cheap 4wd, though. Especially the eastern access is a rough gravel road. Read about how we chose our car. Or just get free discounts for your Icelandic car rental.

You may reach the waterfall from 2 different sides – the west and the east. Read below in our Tips section details about both of them.

Our experience with Selfoss

You have to reach Selfoss by walking, there’s no car park. Nevertheless, it’s a short walk of about 10-15 minutes from Dettifoss, again on either stony or normal path. After the waterfalls we’d already seen at that point, we were not that overwhelmed by Selfoss. It’s a nice series of many small waterfalls, so what’s interesting about it is its width. Needless to say, it’s still a very beautiful place to see.

Dettifoss with Selfoss were also the only places during the Covid-19 times where we met Asian tourists. I just wonder how many tourists are here usually, when there’s no Covid? Probably a lot of.

Tips about Selfoss

You have two choices about how to get to these well-known waterfalls. From the west or from the east. There are endless debates all over the internet about which side is the best. I will make it easier for you. Eastern side is the best. No discussion. Easy.

Ok, let’s be a bit more serious now. Yes, I think the eastern side is much better. Why?

The road leading there is more adventurous
View from the eastern side is much better
Most likely you won’t get wet (much) on this side
Car parks are smaller, but that should mean fewer tourists, right?

That’s why we went for the eastern side.

7. GODAFOSS

Godafoss before sunset

Summary

Distance from car park: 10 minutes
Time spent at: 10-20 minutes 
Worth visiting even with bad weather: yes
Physical condition needed: little 
Interesting index: 2 – great  (1-amazing, 2-great, 3-nice)

How to get to Goðafoss

In summer, Goðafoss is easily accessible by any 2wd car. Read about how we chose our car. Or just get free discounts for your Icelandic car rental.

Our experience with Goðafoss

Godafoss is a waterfall on a bucket list of everyone driving the entire ring road. You’ll most likely find it in every Icelandic guide. That means we’re talking about a touristy place again. Reaching Godafoss is easy. You may leave your car at the Fossholl parking lot. From there you take a 10 minutes’ walk either from the south or from the north of the waterfall. We took the southern route and I can recommend it, views from there were very nice.

Tips about Goðafoss

We were lucky again to have beautiful sunny weather and arrived at the waterfall around the sunset time. Path to the Godafoss is paved and literally, everyone can make this little walk. Goðafoss is very nice and definitely worth visiting, though not our favourite Icelandic waterfall.

6. HAIFOSS

Just Haifoss

Summary

Distance from car park: 5 minutes
Time spent at: 15-30 minutes
Worth visiting even with bad weather: yes
Physical condition needed: little
Interesting index: 1 – amazing  (1-amazing, 2-great, 3-nice)

How to get to Haifoss

In summer, Haifoss is accessible by any 2wd car. I do recommend renting a cheap 4wd, though. The road 332 leading there is a rough gravel road, so you may save your car by using an SUV. Read about how we chose our car. Or just get free discounts for your Icelandic car rental.

Our experience with Haifoss

Once you reach the well-marked car park, Haifoss is just a few steps next to it, in a huge moss-covered green valley with many sheep around. Haifoss is supposed to be more touristy, due to its accessibility also by 2wd cars, and yes it was even during our visit. There were some 3-4 cars other than us parking at the car park, which seemed like a lot compared to our experience at that time.

There are several viewpoints of the waterfall, all next to each other so you will have enough space to admire the waterfall from and make some nice pictures. Despite the weather being cloudy already, we were able to make some nice pictures anyway.

Tips about Haifoss

The road leading to Haifoss (332) is the gravel road which you will be able to drive fast on with any 4wd car because it doesn’t have any potholes just a lot of gravel on it. That’s also why it’s not marked as an F-road. With a 2wd car, you would need to slow down, however.

5. DYNJANDI

Dynjandi waterfall trail

Summary

Distance from car park: 10 minutes 
Time spent at: 30-45 minutes 
Worth visiting even with bad weather: yes
Physical condition needed: little to medium
Interesting index: 1 – amazing (1-amazing, 2-great, 3-nice)

How to get to Dynjandi

In summer, Dynjandi is accessible by any 2wd car. I do recommend renting a cheap 4wd, though. Westfjords’ roads near Dynjandi may get tough to drive in rough weather. Read about how we chose our car. Or just get free discounts for your Icelandic car rental.

Our experience with Dynjandi

Probably the most beautiful waterfall in Westfjords (and one of the best in Iceland as well) – that’s Dynjandi waterfall. The huge car park and the entire infrastructure around the waterfall suggest that Dynjandi waterfall is apparently a very touristy place during normal times. Not during Covid-19 times, though. When we reached the parking lot at 8 am, we were the only car parking there. Just us and the beautiful Dynjandi.

There are several smaller waterfalls below Dynjandi and you will meet them along your trail towards Dynjandi. The actual Dynjandi definitely belongs to the top Icelandic waterfalls we’ve seen. Its unique shape makes it more than just memorable.

Tips about Dynjandi

I had read before, that the hiking trail towards Dynjandi takes about 45 minutes to complete. That’s not true. It takes only some 10-15 minutes of light hiking to arrive at the base of the waterfall. Maybe there’s a trail continuing even further to the upper part of the waterfall (which takes 45 minutes to complete), I don’t remember any though.

4. SVARTIFOSS

The closest viewpoint to Svartifoss after sky finally cleared a bit. Still, we are wet in the pic as you may see.

Summary

Distance from car park: 20-30 minutes one way
Time spent at: 15-30 minutes
Worth visiting even with bad weather: yes
Physical condition needed: little
Interesting index: 1 – amazing  (1-amazing, 2-great, 3-nice)

How to get to

In summer, Svartifoss is easily accessible by any 2wd car. Read about how we chose our car. Or just get free discounts for your Icelandic car rental.

Our experience with Svartifoss

This was a touristy day and we were aware of it, as we were visiting the most touristy part of an Iceland – the south. Svartifoss waterfall is famous mostly thanks to the Vikings series. Once we reached the car park of the Skaftafell national park, we realized what “touristy” actually means here. The car park and entire infrastructure around the entrance of the park were huge compared to all other sites we’d seen before. So we did park our car along 40 other cars and went for the Skaftafell trail towards Svartifoss.

The trail takes some 20-30 minutes to reach the Svartifoss waterfall and it’s a fairly easy one. Here is a map of the Skaftafell area. You’re going to probably meet a lot of fellow tourists, as we did, along the path. When we reached the Svartifoss, however, there were just 2-3 couples together with us and shortly thereafter we were there all by ourselves. The weather was so-so with cloudy sky and slight fog. Still, Svartifoss was really beautiful and worth seeing.

Tips about Svartifoss

There are many other hiking trails in the Skaftafell national park, so if you are into hiking you have several options to go for. Since Svartifoss is supposed to be the highlight of the entire area, we again didn’t go for any other trail and went just for Svartifoss. After seeing it and enjoying the views we turned back towards our car.

3. SKÓGAFOSS

The bottom part of Skógafoss waterfall (and a wedding in the background ☺) at 8 pm

Summary

Distance from car park: 2 minutes (lower part), 7 minutes (upper part)
Time spent at: 30-60 minutes
Worth visiting even with bad weather: yes, probably
Physical condition needed: little
Interesting index: 1 – amazing  (1-amazing, 2-great, 3-nice)

How to get to Skógafoss

In summer, Skógafoss is easily accessible by any 2wd car. Read about how we chose our car. Or just get free discounts for your Icelandic car rental.

Our experience with Skógafoss

The entire area around Skógafoss is just incredibly pretty. There’s a campsite just next to the waterfall so if you have a chance to camp in here, definitely go for it! The next time we visit Iceland we would definitely camp in here. Waking up to the sound of bursting water and seeing the magnificent waterfall right after getting out of your tent must be an unforgettable experience.

With regards to the waterfall itself, you may walk literally into its bottom part. We were surprised that in most of the cases there were no barriers restraining you from going as close to the waterfall as you want. Which of course means, you have to take care of any danger for yourself.

Tips about Skógafoss

You may also climb a few stairs to get to the upper part of the waterfall, which we again definitely do recommend (especially in good weather) because you will be rewarded with a really nice view. Near the upper part, you will probably meet some sheep and you will see the path continuing more deeply into the national park. We didn’t go further as Skogafoss was supposed to be the highlight anyway.

2. DETTIFOSS

Observe tourists on our side (east) and the other side (west) of the Dettifoss

Summary

Distance from car park: 5-10 minutes
Time spent at: 10-15 minutes 
Worth visiting even with bad weather: yes
Physical condition needed: little / medium 
Interesting index: 1 – amazing  (1-amazing, 2-great, 3-nice)

How to get to Dettifoss

In summer, Dettifoss is accessible by any 2wd car. I do recommend renting a cheap 4wd, though. Especially the eastern access is a rough gravel road. Read about how we chose our car. Or just get free discounts for your Icelandic car rental.

You may reach the waterfall from 2 different sides – the west and the east. Read below in our Tips section details about both of them.

Our experience with Dettifoss

We visited Dettifoss on Day 7 of our packed 2-week trip. Dettifoss is close to many other beautiful sights in the Mývatn area, which we definitely recommend visiting too! We arrived at the eastern bank of the waterfall (see below, why the eastern one).

It will take you some 5-10 minutes to walk from the eastern car park on a stony but perfectly safe trail to reach the waterfall. Dettifoss is one of the most beautiful Icelandic waterfalls we’ve seen. Mostly, because its massive water volume is really impressive. It’s also said to be the most powerful Icelandic waterfall, and one of the most powerful ones in Europe as well. For those interested, there’s a nice website summarizing all waterfalls here. We were also lucky enough to catch Dettifoss with a rainbow over it.

Tips about Dettifoss – Which side to choose?

Ok, let’s be a bit more serious now. Yes, I think the eastern side is much better. Why?

The road leading there is more adventurous
View from the eastern side is much better
Most likely you won’t get wet (much) on this side
Car parks are smaller, but that should mean fewer tourists, right?

That’s why we went for the eastern side.

1. SELJALANDSFOSS

Seljalandsfoss at 7 pm

Summary

Distance from car park: 5 minutes
Time spent at: 20-60 minutes 
Worth visiting even with bad weather: yes, probably
Physical condition needed: little
Interesting index: 1 – amazing  (1-amazing, 2-great, 3-nice)

How to get to Seljalandsfoss

In summer, Seljalandsfoss is easily accessible by any 2wd car. Read about how we chose our car. Or just get free discounts for your Icelandic car rental.

The car park in front of the waterfall is a paid one (7eur). Nobody had been checking the tickets at the time, however, we didn’t want to risk getting any infamously high Icelandic fines (e.g. 10 000 USD here) so we headed to the ticket machine. Over there my girlfriend realized that somebody had left their used parking ticket for someone else to use again, which seemed a really nice gesture, although I’m not sure whether this is, in reality, good or not (depends on, whether the area is being maintained using the fees collected from the parking or whether just someone is getting rich by renting a piece of ground for parking).

Our experience with Seljalandsfoss

Anyway, Seljalandsfoss was amazing. We were lucky enough that the sky cleared just before our arrival and we could experience the waterfall playing with the sun and an accompanying rainbow. And yes, Seljalandsfoss is the waterfall you can walk behind, and yes it’s a beautiful experience to do it. During Covid times, there were some 5-8 people around the waterfall area at the time of our visit, so we had the waterfall almost entirely to ourselves. We are not sure whether it’s because this was our first Icelandic waterfall or because of the really beautiful weather, but we feel like Seljalandsfoss was our favourite waterfall in entire Iceland.

Tips about Seljalandsfoss

Oh, and an important note – take a raincoat! It’s a waterfall so expect a water splashing everywhere, especially if you are planning to walk behind it (which you should!).

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