One of the main attractions of Iceland is all of the gorgeous waterfalls. We were able to see so many different waterfalls, each amazing in its own way! Here are some of my favorites, along with tips on how to get there and notes on what makes each so special.
Godafoss
Godafoss, or waterfall of the gods, is probably one of the most incredible things I’ve ever been able to see. Godafoss is in north Iceland about 45 minutes away from Akureyri and is over 30 meters wide. We entered Godafoss on the east side and there were two main spots to stop and take in the view and take pictures. The first was a short hike down, less than 5 minutes, to the lower part of the waterfall,
allowing you to get a view looking up from the base.
Next, we walked back up the path to the second viewpoint which was at the top of the waterfall. Here we saw some awesome rainbows and the view was incredible.
Hengifoss (and Litlanesfoss)
Hengifoss is about an hour off the ring road in north Iceland, but the detour is 100% worth it. The drive up to Hengifoss is gorgeous. You get an amazing view of one of the biggest lakes I’ve ever seen and there are a lot of places to camp around the area. Hengifoss is the third highest waterfall in Iceland at 128 meters tall. The hike is about 1.5 miles each way, but the way in is all uphill and some parts are a little steep (we took a ton of breaks). The hike up to Hengifoss is definitely difficult, but you get a two-for-one with the waterfalls you see. About halfway up, you see Litlanesfoss? which is a gorgeous waterfall with basalt columns. Also along the hike, there were some sheep roaming around! Finally, at the end of the trail, you get to Hengifoss, which is one of the most unique waterfalls in my opinion.
Not only was it very tall, but the rock behind the waterfall had beautiful red and yellow stripes due to the iron and sulfur deposits. It is definitely worth the hike! The way down is much easier as it is all downhill, and there’s a food truck at the bottom where we got to try some sheep milk ice cream, which had interesting flavors such as blueberry and rhubarb. If you’re driving up to North Iceland, definitely stop to do this hike and see this view!
Seljalandsfoss
Seljalandsfoss is absolutely a must-do. About 2 hours away from Reykjavik, it’s one of the most awesome stops on the south coast of Iceland! With this 60 meter high waterfall, you get the opportunity to walk around and actually go behind the fall, which is absolutely beautiful. There’s no hike to the fall itself, just the short walk around and behind. The walk behind the waterfall is definitely a little muddy, so hiking boots or sneakers are a must. Also, wear a rain jacket and rain pants (if you have them) because you absolutely will get wet from the spray from the waterfall! There’s also a small cafe and some nice bathrooms, so it’s a good place to stop on your drive!
Skogafoss
Also on the south coast is Skogafoss. This is an awesome stop because you get the chance to walk right up to the base of the waterfall and definitely feel the spray. It’s one of Iceland’s bigger waterfalls, at 25 meters wide and 60 meters tall. To get to the base of the waterfall, you take a short, two-minute walk across some black sand. It’s an amazing view from down here, and the black sand is super soft to the touch! There is also an opportunity to walk up to the top of the waterfall but be prepared for A LOT of stairs. While walking up, we definitely needed some breaks because of how many stairs there were, but it is definitely worth the view from the top. Not only can you see the waterfall from another angle, but the rest of the landscape is also beautiful and there are some hiking paths up at the top. There are also some picnic tables, so if you have time, I would pack a lunch and bring it up here to eat while you enjoy the gorgeous food!
Skogafoss Stairs to the top of Skogafoss
Gullfoss
One of the most visited waterfalls of Iceland, and for good reason, is Gullfoss. Gullfoss is one of the three main stops on the golden circle and is located about 2 hours away from Reykjavik. The water flows over a staircase of rocks first, then plunges down muliple times, for a unique multiwaterfall experience. There’s a short walk down to get to the waterfall, and there are a lot of different viewing angles and places to stop and take pictures. I definitely recommend walking down the staircase to get the best views.
Dettifoss
Another awesome waterfall in the north is Dettifoss, the second most powerful waterfall in Europe. There are two entries to Dettifoss, we took the east side which is the one I would recommend, but it is usually only available during the summer. Coming in from the east, there is about a 40-minute drive on a gravel road, but you get some much better views of the waterfall. The west side, which we didn’t explore, still gets a nice view of the waterfall and is a paved road, but you face a lot of the spray from the falls and don’t get as close.
With Dettifoss, there is also the option to do some walks to get to two other waterfalls, Hafragilsfoss and Selfoss (not to be confused with Selfoss the town in South Iceland), but we chose to skip those. The walk to Detifoss was about 10 minutes down some stone steps, so nothing too difficult here, and you get to stop really close. to the top of the waterfall! This is a great place to stop before heading over to Godafoss if you’re coming on the ring road from the east
Kolufossar Falls
If you’re driving along the norhtwest part of the ring road, I recommend stoping at Kolugljúfur, a beautiful gorge with water flowing through multiple waterfalls called Kolufossar Falls. This is a less visiten gem, so if youre looking for something less crowded, definitely stop here for some amazing views. Here you are able to see the huge gorge about 50 meters deep, along with multiple cascading waterfalls.
There’s no hike to get to the gorge and falls, so it is super easy to access. You can view everything from the bridge the spans across the canyon, or for some unique views, you can walk along the dirt path on the side of the gorge, although beware, this can get a little muddy. Although Kolugljúfur is less visited, if you find yourself on the norhtwest side of the ring road, definitely stop here at this beautiful gorge.
