Iceland is the beautiful land of fire and ice. The ice is located in the interior portion of the island where you’ll find snow capped glaciers. And when these glaciers melt, the glacial runoff seeps from the glaciers to the sea over miles of volcanic terrain, creating waterfalls along the way. As you drive around Iceland you’ll see waterfalls everywhere. Some waterfalls are so small they are just a trickle, while others are so large you can hear them before you can see them. We spent weeks exploring the land of fire and ice and stopping at every waterfall on the way and we’ve put together this list of the best places to stop to see waterfalls in Iceland.
Some waterfalls, like Seljalandsfoss and Dettifoss, are popular tourist destinations, while others are hidden in cracks or require a hike to see. For each waterfall we’ve listed, we’ve put it on the map below and listed the amount of time we spent seeing the waterfalls. While there are probably several more waterfalls in Iceland worth seeing, we’ve only included the ones that you can get to with a compact car. Several of the most beautiful waterfalls in Iceland require a 4×4 vehicle or a guide to get to.
We’ve also listed our 5 favorite waterfalls at the end of this post!
How to use this map: The map above has all of the attractions mentioned in this post. Click on each attraction to learn more about it. If you’d like to save this map, click on the square “View Larger Map” icon. This will open the map in your Google account (make sure you’re signed in). You can reference it in your account or you can create a copy to make your own edits.
Gullfoss
Time: 1 hour | Cost: FREE
Gullfoss is one of the most popular stops along the Golden Circle, a road trip route in southern Iceland. It is a short drive from Reykjavík and is a really easily accessible waterfall. You’ll find a large parking lot and a visitor’s center. From the parking area you follow a really well groomed trail to several viewpoints. Because this waterfall is super easy to get to, it’s also really crowded.
One of the best parts about this waterfall is that you’ll see a rainbow over the waterfall pretty much anytime the sun is out. It also is a beautiful two tier waterfall and you can get all the way to the top of the lower tier on the walkway. However, even if you visit on a sunny day, make sure to wear a rain jacket as the final platform at the top of the fall gets plenty of spray.
Öxarárfoss
Time: 30 minutes | Cost: 7,50 ISK for parking
Öxarárfoss is a beautiful waterfall located inside Thingvellir National Park. This is one of the many things to see inside Thingvellir National Park. Well marked boardwalks will take you to this waterfall from a parking lot.
The parking fee is for your entire visit to the park, so make sure to explore the other areas of the park as well as the beautiful waterfall.
Brúarfoss
Time: 4 hours | Cost: FREE
Brúarfoss is believed to be the bluest waterfall in Iceland. This waterfall used to be easy to see via a parking area on private land. However, due to disrespect of the area by visitors, it is now only accessible via a hike. The parking area for this hike is located along the Golden Circle drive and is easy to miss. However, because of the long hike, you’ll likely get to experience the waterfall with few people nearby.
Sejalandsfoss & Gljúfurárfoss
Time: 1-2 hours | Cost: 7,00 ISK for parking
This is probably the most popular waterfall in Iceland. It’s the one you can walk behind! You’ve probably seen the pictures. Walking behind Sejalandsfoss is a really neat experience. You are tucked into a little cave-like area and the water comes down in front of you. However, don’t forget your rain gear! You’ll get really wet. You can even venture out on the rocks and stand under the more gentle section of this waterfall in a real life splash zone.
Gljúfurárfoss is the real gem at this stop. While Sejalandsfoss is the big waterfall, Gljúfurárfoss is the magical waterfall. Just a short walk from Sejalandsfoss, Gljúfurárfoss is tucked into a crack in the cliff. You can walk into this cave-like area and see the waterfall tumbling from above. This is one of the most idyllic waterfalls in Iceland. Don’t miss it and don’t forget the rain gear.
To get to both of these waterfalls, you’ll need to pay for parking in the lot. You’ll also get soaked at this stop if you’re doing it properly so make sure to wear rain gear! Additionally, there is a gift shop and restroom on site.
Skógafoss and the Waterfall Way Hike
Time: 30 minutes – 6 hours | Cost: FREE
Skógafoss is one of the most popular waterfalls in Iceland. Part of this is because it is so easy to get to; only hours from Reykjavík and right on the Ring Road. But this waterfall is also beautiful, big and fun to explore. You can walk right up to the waterfall and experience the power and the spray up close, maybe even trying your hand at spotting the treasure rumored to be hidden behind the falls. Exploring the waterfall is easy and only takes a half hour.
One big bonus of this waterfall is the Waterfall Way hike. This hike will take you up the Skóká River passing several other waterfalls. You can spend up to 6 hours on this hike.
Svartifoss
Time: 1.5 hours | Cost: 7,50 ISK for parking
Svartifoss or ‘“Black Falls” are located in Vatnajökull National Park. These beautiful falls tumble from the top of a columnar basalt cliff. This waterfall in Iceland is so beautiful that it inspired the design for the Hallgrimskirkja Church in Reykjavík. The hexagonal columns drip runoff from the Vatnajökull glacier. Along the steep hike to Svartifoss, you’ll see three other waterfalls before getting to Svartifoss. The waterfall is located at the far end of a 3 km hiking loop.
Hengifoss
Time: 2 hours | Cost: FREE
A trip to Hengifoss is a great detour from the Ring Road trip. You’ll drive along Lagarfljót (a lake section of a river) before getting to the parking area. From the parking area, you’ll need to take the uphill hike to the viewing area. This is one of the most popular waterfalls in eastern Iceland.
Dettifoss, Selfoss & Hafragilfoss
Time: 2-3 hours | Cost: FREE
Dettifoss is one of the most powerful waterfalls in Europe. And a visit here will leave you in no doubt of this claim. The power of the waterfall can be felt from the viewpoints. What makes Dettifoss one of the best waterfalls in Iceland is the fact that you get to see three impressive waterfalls all in one trip!
While Dettifoss is the most powerful, we think Selfoss is the most beautiful. The elegant waterfall made our top 5 favorite falls list! The third waterfall here is Hafragilfoss and it is also worth the short hike to see it.
Goðafoss
Time: 1 hour | Cost: FREE
Another beautiful waterfall in Northern Iceland – the waterfall of the Gods! This horseshoe shaped waterfall is just off of the Ring Road. This waterfall is easy and quick to get to. From the parking area, you can walk along both sides of the river until you get to the waterfall. There are upper and lower viewing areas as well. While this isn’t the tallest of waterfalls, it is beautiful and the ease of access makes it a great waterfall to visit if you are traveling the ring road.
Barnafoss & Hraunfossar
Time: 1.5 hours | Cost: FREE
Hraunfossar are one of the most amazing falls we have ever seen and one of the most magical waterfalls in Iceland. Because these falls are coming out of the rock with no sight of a lake or river above it. So where is the water coming from? Scott thought it was wizards. What it really is is an underground water way that travels through the Hallmundarhraun lava field.
After seeing the amazing Hraunfossar, you can hike a short trail to Barnafoss. Barnafoss is a more traditional waterfall on the Hvítá River. There is also a bridge here that gives you option of seeing the waterfalls from both sides of the river.
Kirkjufellsfoss
Time: 30 minutes | Cost: FREE
This is one of the most popular waterfalls in Iceland due to its elevation into popular culture via Game of Thrones. Kirkjufellsfoss is the waterfall in the foreground of most photos of Kirkjufell, the peak. From the parking lot, you can take the very quick walk to the waterfall. This is also one of the most crowded waterfalls in Iceland. The parking lot is too small and the trail is too narrow. Prepare to spend some time here navigating the crowds.
Glymur
Time: 4 hours | Cost: FREE
Glymur used to be the tallest waterfall in Iceland. However, with many glaciers melting, new waterfalls are being found each year. After unearthing a new waterfall in Vatnajökull, Glymur is now the second tallest waterfall in Iceland. However, with a long hike to get there and a short drive from Reykjavík, this is makes a great day trip from Reykjavík. The hike is also fun as you get to cross the river twice.
Bonus waterfalls
We’re adding the bonus waterfalls in Iceland to this list as well. What are the bonus waterfalls? We found so many waterfalls just along the road as we were driving through Iceland. Some had small plaques with names, others were on someones property behind a sheep field. While you couldn’t always get close to these falls, we did enjoy stopping to appreciate how beautiful and plentiful these waterfalls in Iceland were. So make sure to allot extra time in your drives for random waterfall stops!
Our Favorite Waterfalls In Iceland
We hope this list of our favorite waterfalls in Iceland will help you to plan your own Iceland road trip. Please leave any suggestions for waterfalls in Iceland that are accessible without a 4WD vehicle!
