Top 10 Waterfalls in Iceland
Iceland sits on a volcanic plateau soaked by North Atlantic storms and capped by glaciers, a combination that produces waterfalls in extraordinary density. Rivers spill off basalt edges every few kilometres along the Ring Road, fed by rain, snowmelt, and meltwater from icecaps like Vatnajökull. Many are roadside; a few demand a hike. The selection below ranges from the country's most photographed curtains to its most powerful single drop. All ten sit on the map.
1. Gullfoss, Suðurland
Gullfoss, the Golden Falls on the Hvítá river, is the centrepiece of the Golden Circle route that loops east from Reykjavík through the geothermal valley at Geysir. It drops in two stepped stages totalling 32 metres, the lower step plunging into a narrow crevice set at right angles so the water appears to vanish into the earth. Fed by glacial meltwater from Langjökull, it runs year round and is busiest in summer when tour buses from the capital arrive in convoy. Two viewpoints, the upper by the car park and a lower path close to the torrent, give very different perspectives. In sunlit afternoons the spray creates persistent double rainbows. The falls were nearly dammed for hydropower in the early twentieth century but were protected after a public campaign led by farmer Sigríður Tómasdóttir, who threatened to throw herself into the current if work proceeded. Entry is free. Allow at least an hour to explore both viewpoints. Nearest town is Laugarvatn, about 45 minutes by road.
2. Dettifoss, Norðurland eystra
Dettifoss on the Jökulsá á Fjöllum is the most powerful waterfall in Europe by average flow, discharging up to 500 cubic metres per second in summer. It is 100 metres wide and 44 metres tall, grey with glacial sediment carried down from Vatnajökull. The sheer noise and spray are overwhelming at the viewing platform. The west bank (road 862, paved) is easier to reach from Akureyri or Mývatn; the east bank (road 864, unpaved F-road) is rougher but places visitors directly at the lip with no fence between you and the drop. Peak flow runs July to August when meltwater from the glacier is highest. The falls sit within the Jökulsárgljúfur section of Vatnajökull National Park. Nearby is Selfoss, a wide shallow cascade about a kilometre upstream, and Hafragilsfoss downstream. Plan for half a day if combining all three. The nearest major services are at Reykjahlíð on Lake Mývatn, about 65 kilometres southwest.
3. Seljalandsfoss, Suðurland
Seljalandsfoss drops 60 metres off a former sea cliff in the south, and a path runs behind the falling curtain into a mossy alcove — one of the few walk-behind falls in Iceland. The experience of standing in the grotto while the sheet of water passes a metre or two in front is unlike anything else in the country, and on sunny evenings golden light refracts through the curtain. Fed by meltwater from Eyjafjallajökull, it flows year round, though the behind-path can ice over and close in winter — check locally before attempting it in November through February. Bring a waterproof jacket regardless of season; you will get wet. A short walk north along the base of the same cliff reveals the hidden Gljúfrabúi, where you must wade a shallow stream to squeeze into a slot canyon and find a modest but dramatic cascade hidden from the road. Parking costs a small fee in summer. The site sits directly on the Ring Road roughly 30 kilometres east of the junction with the road to Landmannalaugar.
4. Skógafoss, Suðurland
Skógafoss drops a clean 60 metres over a 25-metre-wide cliff on the Skógá river, also a relict sea cliff lifted from the sea floor by post-glacial rebound. Its sheer volume throws constant spray that produces frequent rainbows on sunny afternoons — the falls face southwest, making the middle of the day best for light in summer. A staircase of 527 steps climbs to a viewpoint above the brink, where the Fimmvörðuháls trail continues inland and upward past some two dozen further cascades toward the pass between Eyjafjallajökull and Mýrdalsjökull. The full Fimmvörðuháls route to Þórsmörk is one of Iceland's best day hikes, taking eight to ten hours. At the foot of the main falls, the open lawn fills quickly in July and August with tour groups; early morning (before 8 a.m.) offers near-solitude and soft side light. Year-round flow. Entry is free; pay to park. The village of Skógar has a folk museum and a hostel.
5. Goðafoss, Norðurland eystra
Goðafoss, the Falls of the Gods on the Skjálfandafljót, sweeps 12 metres over a horseshoe-shaped basalt rim some 30 metres wide. Its name recalls the year 1000, when the lawspeaker Þorgeir Þorkelsson is said to have thrown his carved pagan idols into the falls upon Iceland's conversion to Christianity at the Alþing — a moment that symbolically marked the end of Old Norse religion in the country. Viewpoints on both banks are reached from parking areas just off Route 1 about 50 kilometres east of Akureyri; cross the nearby road bridge to access the east side. Year-round flow but most vivid in June and early July when snowmelt from the northern highlands is still running strongly. The falls illuminate well in the extended summer dusk, and the relatively open landscape makes aurora photography in winter rewarding. Combined with a stop at Hrafnabjörg viewpoint nearby, this makes a natural break on the drive from Akureyri toward Mývatn.
6. Svartifoss, Suðurland
Svartifoss in Skaftafell, part of Vatnajökull National Park, drops 20 metres framed by hexagonal black basalt columns. The columns have inspired Icelandic architects including Guðjón Samúelsson, who referenced their form in the National Theatre and Hallgrímskirkja in Reykjavík. A 1.5-kilometre uphill trail from the Skaftafell visitor centre reaches the falls in about 30 to 40 minutes at a moderate pace; the path continues to the Sjónarnípa viewpoint above the glacier for those with time. The columns break off as the falls erode their base, leaving the jagged organ-pipe edge that makes the composition so distinctive. Flow is steady year round, fed by highland meltwater percolating down through the lava field above. The Skaftafell area also offers access to glacier walks on Skeiðarárjökull. Entry to the national park is free; parking at Skaftafell has a fee.
7. Háifoss, Suðurland
Háifoss, near the Þjórsá valley, is one of Iceland's tallest falls at 122 metres, plunging into a deep, narrow canyon alongside its neighbour Granni (about 48 metres). Together they form a dramatic paired drop viewed from the canyon rim. A rough gravel track beyond Landmannalaugar junction (4x4 advised after rain) and a short walk reach the viewpoint — plan for an hour from the Ring Road each way. Fed by the Fossá river, it flows year round but the access track is typically only dry enough from late May to September. The canyon walls reveal stacked lava flows laid down over successive eruptions, with each layer a different shade of brown and grey. This is a less-visited alternative to the south coast crowds; the combination of height, twin falls, and geological colour is outstanding.
8. Dynjandi, Vestfirðir
Dynjandi, the jewel of the Westfjords, fans out as it falls 100 metres, widening from about 30 metres at the top to 60 at the base in a broad trapezoid of white threads — the word means thunderous in Icelandic. A series of six smaller named falls steps below it down to the fjord shore at Arnarfjörður: Hæstahjallafoss, Úðafoss, Goðafoss (a different one from the north), Hvítishjallafoss, Hundafoss, and Bæjarfoss. A short uphill walk of about 20 minutes from the parking area takes you past all the lower falls to the base of Dynjandi itself. The remote Westfjords location keeps crowds thin even in peak summer. Access is by Route 60, which is paved but winding; the Westfjords are best explored by car between June and September. A ferry from Stykkishólmur can cut the driving time from Reykjavík considerably. Camping is permitted at the site.
9. Hraunfossar, Vesturland
Hraunfossar is unlike any other on this list: instead of a river plunging over an edge, clear groundwater seeps out of the edge of the Hallmundarhraun lava field along a full kilometre of bank, spilling into the Hvítá river in countless small rivulets of vivid aquamarine. There is no single dramatic drop, but the combined breadth and the clarity of the water — filtered through centuries of porous lava — make the scene mesmerising. The falls are easily combined with Barnafoss, a turbulent narrow gorge a few hundred metres upstream where a natural lava bridge once crossed. Both sites are reached by a short level path from the Hraunfossar car park on Route 518, about 30 kilometres north of Borgarnes. Year-round access; especially beautiful in September and October when the birch scrub turns gold against the blue water. A café at the car park is open in summer.
10. Aldeyjarfoss, Norðurland eystra
Aldeyjarfoss on the Skjálfandafljót drops about 20 metres into a broad pool ringed by dramatic basalt columns, the dark angular rock contrasting with the white glacial water. It sits at the northern edge of the central highlands on the Sprengisandur highland road (F26); the final stretch from the north is rough gravel passable in a 4x4 in summer. From the south, access is via Goðafoss downstream and then north on paved road 842 to the highland junction. Less visited than Goðafoss, which lies on the same river about 30 kilometres downstream, it rewards the detour with genuine solitude even in July. The basalt column formations here are especially photogenic, forming near-vertical walls around the amphitheatre pool. Best visited July to early September when the highland track is open.
Planning an Iceland waterfall trip
The Ring Road (Route 1) passes within reach of most falls on this list, and a full circuit in summer can take in Seljalandsfoss, Skógafoss, Svartifoss, Goðafoss, and Dettifoss in sequence over a week or more. The South Coast cluster (Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss) is an easy long day from Reykjavík, roughly 170 kilometres east; adding Svartifoss extends that to a round trip of about 500 kilometres and benefits from an overnight at Kirkjubæjarklaustur or the Skaftafell campsite. The Westfjords (Dynjandi) and the highlands (Háifoss, Aldeyjarfoss) require detours on rougher roads, generally passable June to September.
Glacial-fed falls run strongest in July and August when meltwater peaks. Rain-fed falls like Dynjandi are more consistent across the season. The shoulder months of May and September offer better light for photography, fewer crowds, and the chance of snow on the highland rim. Keflavík International Airport (KEF), 50 kilometres from Reykjavík, is the main entry point. Car rental is essential for reaching most falls; campervan rental is popular and makes logistics simpler on a multi-day circuit.
Why Iceland has so many falls
Three factors combine. First, heavy precipitation — the south coast receives over 3,000 millimetres of rain a year, some areas considerably more. Second, recent volcanic geology: young basalt forms hard, sharp edges that rivers drop over cleanly rather than wearing into gentle slopes over geological time. Third, glaciers, whose summer melt feeds rivers that never run dry even in drought years. The relict sea cliffs of the south — stranded inland as the land rose after the Ice Age through a process called isostatic rebound — give falls like Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss their characteristic clean vertical drop of 60 metres over what was once a coastal cliff.
Plan your next trip
Every waterfall above is plotted on the interactive map — filter to plan a Ring Road circuit, a South Coast day trip, or a Westfjords detour to the thunder of Dynjandi.