With over 10,000 waterfalls in Iceland, you could spend a lifetime trying to see each one.
Viewing these cascades is a highlight for many travelers to Iceland, but unlike some other locations, you don’t need to be an expert hiker to access some of the most famous falls. Plenty are just a short stroll from the parking lot along paved or gravel paths.
All you’ll need is a rental car, some waterproof gear (you’ll get surprisingly close to the falls, and the mist can be strong), and money to park.
I visit Iceland regularly and can confirm the following seven waterfalls are worth the trip, and won’t require you to lace up your boots and commit to a half-day of hiking.
In this article
Gullfoss
Most first-timers to Iceland start out on the Golden Circle, which is a popular route near Reykjavik that takes you to some of the island’s most famous sites, including dramatic waterfalls, historic national parks, and unique geological spots.
One is Gullfoss, a two-tiered waterfall on the Hvítá River. The name translates to “Golden Falls,” because the water can look gold when sunlight catches it at the right angle.
The upper viewpoint is open year-round with no hiking required; it’s just a brief walk on a paved path to the lookout spot. There’s also a lower viewpoint that offers a closer view accessible via a staircase, but it is often closed in winter due to icy conditions.
Seljalandsfoss
Seljalandsfoss is one of the first major waterfalls travelers visit when driving along Iceland’s south coast.
Clocking in at 196 feet, Seljalandsfoss can be seen from the road, and the parking lot is right by the waterfall, requiring less than a 5-minute walk.
I particularly like this one as it’s one of the few waterfalls in Iceland where you can walk behind the waterfall. An easy-to-navigate path leads inside a cave-like space for a unique vantage point behind the crashing fall of water. Just know that it may be closed in the winter when everything starts to freeze over.
But if the path is open, take it. It’s one of the most mesmerizing viewpoints, especially at sunset.
Skógafoss
Skógafoss is another major waterfall along Iceland’s southern coast. It’s only 30 minutes away from Seljalandsfoss, so I like to try and see both on the same day.
Here, visitors can walk right up to the base of the 197-foot waterfall from the parking lot, or if you’re up for it, take the staircase to the top to view Skógafoss from above. There are 527 stairs to reach the top, and while it’s a moderate climb, the views from the top are outstanding.
Skógafoss is also known to produce vivid rainbows. On one of my visits to Skógafoss, I experienced rain, hail, extreme wind, and then a beautiful rainbow appeared over the waterfall—all within 30 minutes.
Goðafoss
Goðafoss is a 39-foot waterfall fed by the glacial Skjálfandafljót River. What it lacks in size, it makes up for in history.
As the legend goes, a local chief named Þorgeir Ljósvetningagoði threw his pagan idols into the waterfall in 1000 A.D. as a symbolic gesture of the nation’s transition into Christianity, and the waterfall became known as the “Waterfall of the Gods.”
The horseshoe-shaped waterfall is a popular stop along northern Iceland’s Diamond Circle, which is North Iceland’s version of the Golden Circle. There is parking on either side of the waterfall ensuring a quick walk, and a large visitor center with a cafe and gift shop, too.
Hraunfossar and Barnafoss
Found in West Iceland, Hraunfossar and Barnafoss are two waterfalls that are so close, you can walk between them in fewer than 5 minutes.
They even share the same parking lot, which also has a seasonal cafe and a small network of paths that weave between the two waterfalls so you may see them from various vantage points.
Barnafoss comes with some interesting lore. Named “children’s fall,” Barnafoss takes its name from a story about a widow who lived on a nearby farm with her two young children. After returning home from a Christmas service, she discovered that her children were missing. A search party found their footprints near a stone arch that went over the river. The mother destroyed the arch to prevent anyone else from falling into the river below.
The story is dark, but these falls are sights to be seen.
Kirkjufellsfoss
Iceland’s most photographed mountain, Kirkjufell, is a favorite stop for anyone traveling through the Snaefellsnes Peninsula in West Iceland.
“Game of Thrones” fans may even recognize it as Arrowhead Mountain from the show's later seasons when it was used as a reference to a location north of the Wall.
Kirkjufell is an impressive sight, but so are the three waterfalls that stand in front of it. Collectively called Kirkjufellsfoss, these waterfalls are 16 feet high, but look impressive paired with the grand scale of the mountain. The water comes from the Kirkjufellsa River, which flows from the Helgrindur volcano, and seeing them takes just a few moments as the parking lot is less than a 5-minute walk away.
Brúarfoss
I’m a sucker for the glacier-blue water found in Iceland, which is why Brúarfoss is easily my favorite waterfall. The water streaming through it has an almost electric blue glow.
Often called “Iceland’s Bluest Waterfall,” Brúarfoss is often skipped by many Golden Circle Tours in favor of longer stops at Gullfoss, Þingvellir National Park, or the Geysir Geothermal Area. As a result, it tends to be less crowded than nearby attractions.
But I think it makes an easy add-on. Brúarfoss is less than a 5-minute walk from the parking lot down a gravel path surrounded by lava fields. See it alone or tack it onto any Golden Circle drive.
The Shortcut
Many of Iceland’s most popular waterfalls don’t require an extensive hike and are located just a 5-minute walk from a parking lot, even the most iconic ones such as Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss on the southern coast.
Some waterfalls also come as a pack, allowing you to see multiple at once, such as Kirkjufellsfoss or Hraunfossar and Barnafoss.
Brúarfoss and its glacial blue water is also reminiscent of Iceland’s Blue Lagoon, minus the crowds.
