Dettifoss is a powerful waterfall! Plus it is the waterfall with the greatest volume of water in all of Europe! And while this waterfall may be a bit of a drive from the popular Ring Road, feeling the power of the waterfall beneath your feet as you look over the edge is completely worth a trip. What’s even better? If you’re making a trip to Dettifoss, you may as well visit Selfoss and Hafragilfoss as they are just a short walk or drive away.
About Dettifoss
Dettifoss is located in Vatnajökull National Park. Dettifoss, Selfoss and Hafragilfoss are on the Jökulsá á Fjöllum River. This river is runoff from the Vatnajökull Glacier melt as it makes its way to the ocean. The water flow here is massive! And the power of Dettifoss is palpable as you stand near this waterfall. While Dettifoss is sometimes considered to be the most powerful waterfall in Europe, during other times of the year it comes in second, but it still is amazing to experience.
So how do you get there? Which side of the waterfall do you explore? And how long does this all take? Keep reading this Dettifoss visitor’s guide to help plan your trip.
East or West Dettifoss?
There are two roads that will take you to two different sides of the river: East and West. But which side of Dettifoss is better? We think the East Side is better. However, keep reading to see which is the best option for you.
East Side
We think Dettifoss, Selfoss and Hafragilfoss are most beautiful from the east side of the river. The main reason people don’t visit this side is the unpaved road leading to the parking area. Following Route 864, it takes about 45 minutes to reach the Dettifoss parking area from the Ring Road. The road is rough and bumpy but you can drive it with a compact car like we did. We liked the east side of the river best because the view of Selfoss was amazing. Also, there was less spray from the waterfalls on the east side.
West Side
However, it is easiest to access these three waterfalls from the west side of the river. Route 862 is paved all the way to the Dettifoss parking lot. That is the main reason for choosing the west side of the river. Because of the paved road, your driving time decreases; it’s only 30 minutes from Route 1 (aka the Ring Road). From the west side of the river you do have great views of Dettifoss because the waterfall is angled slightly to that side of the river. However, you have bad views of Selfoss, which was our favorite of the three waterfalls so that’s a bummer.
Whichever side you choose, both parking areas are free. Both areas have toilets and little else.
If you have the time and want to visit both sides, this is a great idea. However, there is no way to cross the river. So our thoughts of driving to the waterfall, seeing it from one side, crossing the river, and then seeing it from the other side before returning to Route 1 were dashed. To visit both sides, you have to make two separate out and back journeys.
Full disclosure: we didn’t actually go to Dettifoss west. We fully intended to visit both sides of the falls. However, after visiting the east side and seeing the viewing platforms on the west side we decided that we didn’t want to. That’s how much better we think the east side is. And that’s how wet we assumed the west side was.
Dettifoss
Whether you’re on the east of west side, getting to Dettifoss is a short walk from the parking area. Both walks are well marked and easy to spot.
From the east side, you get to stand right on top of the falls. The power here is palpable. There are ropes for your safety but stay away from the edge.
From the west side, you’ll get a more head on view of Dettifoss. However, you’ll also get wet as the spray seems to go in this direction most days. The people on this side looked soaked. They also were farther away from the falls.
Selfoss Hike
Selfoss was our favorite of the three waterfalls along the Jökulsá á Fjöllum River. You access the viewpoint on either side of the falls from the Dettifoss parking area. From the parking area, you’ll follow the trails to Selfoss which is about a 15 minute hike from the Dettifoss viewing area.
From the east side, you follow markers as you scramble over rocks. You get panoramic viewpoints of Selfoss where the entire waterfall is visible. This was our favorite viewpoint. We stopped here and had a picnic. You can continue on the rocks and get right up on the top of the waterfall. There are no safety markers here so make sure to stay away from the edge and keep an eye on the kiddos.
From the west side, you can only get a partial view of Selfoss. Which is a big reason we decided not to go to the west side.
Selfoss is a big horseshoe shaped waterfall. While Dettifoss is powerful, Selfoss is beautiful and large! Bring a wide-angle lens to get it all in one shot.
Hafragilfoss Viewpoint
Harfragilfoss is just a short 5 minute drive north of the Dettifoss parking area. You can see it from either side of the river.
On the east side of the river, you can get a large panoramic view of the waterfall. You’ll be quite far away and high up. However, this is actually is really great view of the waterfall. There is hiking here to bring you closer to the waterfall but the view from above is wonderful.
From the west side, you can also see Hafragilfoss. Well we’d love to comment on the view here, no one was on the west side while we were on the east side, so we couldn’t really tell how the view was. Check it out for yourself and let us know 🙂
When to Visit the Falls
You cannot visit Dettifoss, Selfoss and Hafragilfoss year-round. You can visit from the west side (route 862) in the spring-fall, generally. This road is maintained for some of the snow season and then closed for the worst of the winter. The road giving access to the east side (route 864) is not maintained during snow season at all and doesn’t open until summer has started. You can check the road conditions in Iceland here.
We recommend visiting in the summer. July and August are the best times to visit Dettifoss. Additionally, this will give you access to both sides of the falls and it will let you see the waterfall at its most powerful. The summer glacial melt with allow you to see Dettifoss at its peak.
What to Budget
A visit to Dettifoss is completely FREE! There are just so many free things to do in Iceland and Dettifoss is one of them.
You will want to remember fill up your tank with gas in either Myvatn or Egilsstadir so that you have a full tank for your drive.
What to Pack for Visiting Dettifoss
Make sure to pack shoes with good traction for these short hikes. The rocks can get slippery from the spray and you’ll need to keep your balance.
You’ll also want to pack a good rain jacket as you’re bound to get a little wet from the spray. Make sure to carry a waterproof cover for your camera bag as well.
In your camera bag, make sure to pack your tripod and a wide angle lens, in addition to your standard equipment.
Dettifoss is a ways out of the way and there are very few spots anywhere close for food or water. So you’ll want to make sure your water bottles, hydration packs and picnic baskets are full. We packed a lunch and ate right across from Selfoss and it was a great picnic spot!
We hope this has helped you to plan your visit to the Detifoss, Selfoss and Hafragilfoss waterfalls. Please let us know if you have any questions in the comments section below. If you’re looking for more information to help you plan your Iceland vacation, check out all of our posts here.
