Iceland is consistently voted the most beautiful country in the world by travellers voting on a range of online platforms like TripAdvisor and Rough Guides. Over the years, Iceland has shared the top spot with the likes of Scotland, Canada, and New Zealand — the other big hitters. For some, the most beautiful thing about Iceland is the access it offers to the Northern Lights in winter. In fact, we recently wrote a photographer’s guide to the Aurora Borealis – so, check it out if this interests you. For many other visitors, it’s Iceland’s waterfalls that make the biggest impression. This is why we’ve created this guide to the most scenic waterfalls in Iceland. If anything in this article inspires you to book a trip, take a look at our Iceland Day Trips and our Private Iceland Tours.
Skógafoss
As you might expect, Skógafoss is a waterfall on the Skóga River. This incredible waterfall is found in the south of Iceland, just off the ring road, making it very easy to access. It is 25m wide and 60m high, making it one of the county’s most impressive waterfalls. What’s interesting about Skógafoss is that it used to mark an earlier coastline for Iceland. But, as Iceland is always growing and changing, it is now roughly 3.1 miles from the coast. Due to the large amount of spray, a visit to Skógafoss on a bright day will pretty much guarantee a rainbow.
Hengifoss
Hengifoss is 128 meters tall, making it the third-highest waterfall in Iceland. But it’s not just its great height that makes Hengifoss stand out. The stark black basalt and clay-red layers of rock all around Hengifoss make it one of the most striking waterfalls in Iceland. You can visit this waterfall in Hallormsstadur National Forest to the east of Iceland. In fact, Hengifoss is usually considered the star attraction of Hallormsstadur, and we highly recommend that you visit if your travels take you over to the east side of the island.
Goðafoss
You’ll find this epic waterfall in northern Iceland, just off the country’s main road, so it is very easy to drive to. Goðafoss is one of Iceland’s most impressive waterfalls due to the sheer amount of water rushing and falling from it every second. While not as tall as some of the other waterfalls on this list, Goðafoss more than makes up for this with its 30m width and huge volumes of water. The word Goðafoss is usually taken to mean ‘waterfall of the gods’ — and there are some fascinating stories about how it got its name… But you’ll have to discover these stories for yourself when you visit.
Dettifoss
Dettifoss has Niagra Falls vibes and is said to be the most powerful waterfall in Europe. When you visit this gargantuan waterfall, you’ll be blown away by its scale and beauty. Dettifoss gets its huge supply of water from a very big glacial river called Jökulsá á Fjöllum. And Jökulsá á Fjöllum gets its water from Vatnajökull — the largest glacier in Europe. You can find this epic waterfall in Vatnajökull National Park, which is in the north and not far from the Lake Myvatn area. At over 100 metres wide, the sheer scale of Dettifoss will take your breath away.
Gullfoss
Gullfoss is perhaps Iceland’s most famous waterfall, and there is good reason for this. Gullfoss translates to ‘Golden Falls’ and it is found in Iceland’s world-famous Golden Circle Tour. Gullfoss is technically two different water features very close together: the first is an 11-metre cascade, and this is followed by a 21-metre waterfall. The overall effect is breath-taking. Just make sure you bring a camera with you. Another reason why Gullfoss is so popular is because it is very easy to get to. In fact, it’s only a two-hour drive from Reykjavik!
That’s all we have time for today. There are, of course, many more beautiful waterfalls in Iceland. This list (and any others like it) are obviously subjective. What’s particularly wonderful, however, is the sheer number of beautiful waterfalls available in Iceland and we hope you will add one or two of the waterfalls on this list to your next Iceland adventure. If this blog has inspired you to start planning a trip to Iceland and you’d like to know more about our Custom Iceland Tours, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.