Of all the countries we have visited so far, Iceland holds the top place in our hearts because of its other-worldly nature and untouched beauty. Iceland is not just the land of Ice & Fire but also the land of waterfalls.  There are an estimated 10000 waterfalls named & unnamed, small & big, near & far from the capital city Reykjavik in Iceland. Though it is not possible to cover all the waterfalls in a single trip, the following are our favorites and the top 4 waterfalls one must not miss when in Iceland.

The Icelandic term for falls or a waterfall is “foss.” So, if a signpost ends in “Foss,” you’re probably headed to witness one of Iceland’s stunning waterfalls! The waterfalls visited during any time of the season are stunning and each one is unique from the other but equally magnificent.

Gullfoss waterfall

This was the first waterfall that we saw in Iceland as it is close to the capital city Reykjavik and can be reached in less than 90 minutes by car. This is the most famous waterfall in the Golden Circle tour in Iceland. Due to the water’s golden-brown color on bright days, Gullfoss is known as the “Golden Waterfall” in Icelandic. This is as a result of the fact that it is glacial water, which carries a lot of sediments that glacial ice has scraped off the soil over time. The waterfall is breathtaking when visited at any time of the year.

 

Did you know that the tourists now wouldn’t have been able to enjoy the beauty of this waterfall if not for a woman’s efforts? There were plans to build a hydroelectric power plant in the early 20^th century by a foreign investor named Tomas Tomasson.  But his daughter, Sigridur Tomasdottir was adamantly opposed to this since she cherished the waterfall so much. She made many exhaustingly long and arduous walks averaging 120 kilometers to protest in Reykjavik. She vowed to plunge herself into the waterfall in protest if everything else failed. She was able to have the contract voided with the aid of her attorney, Sveinn Bjornsson, who went on to become Iceland’s first president. Gullfoss came to belong to the Icelandic people in this way.

In order to permanently safeguard the waterfall and for people to take in this breathtaking location, Gullfoss was declared a natural reserve in 1979. Also, Gullfoss was ranked among the top ten waterfalls in the world once. In order to reach the waterfall, you must walk down a short trail from the parking area, but this gives you a close-up glimpse of the enormous, two-tiered waterfall below.

Kindly note that is no safety railings/fences while walking toward the waterfall. So, make sure you walk with utmost care and attention.

Skogafoss waterfall

In the southern part of Iceland, along the cliffs of the old shoreline, lies Skogafoss waterfall. This is our favorite waterfall in Iceland as you can walk & view it up close. The waterfall continuously produces a lot of sprays, thus on good sunny days, the rainbow is typically visible. So, you can get some awesome photos clicked. Also, Skogafoss is exceptional because the waterfall originates from two glaciers Eyjafjallajokull and Myrdalsjokull.

It is located 155 kilometers away from Reykjavik and takes approximately 2 hours to reach. The Golden Circle path frequently includes Skogafoss waterfalls. You can ultimately view Skogafoss from the ring road as you go east from Reykjavik. One kilometer off the main road, turn left to reach the parking lot. This waterfall is very easy to access and there is a huge parking lot close to it.  Last we visited, we heard that people are allowed to even camp close to the waterfall.

If you are interested in hiking a bit, then the 370 stairs up to the summit of Skogafoss waterfall will reward you with a breath-taking panorama of the coastline of south Iceland. Additionally, this is where the well-travelled Fimmvorduhals pass begins.

 

Seljalandsfoss waterfall

Do you fancy walking behind a waterfall? Then Seljalandfoss is a must-see waterfall in Iceland. We will never forget this waterfall because we got to experience this waterfall in midnight but with enough sunlight. We travelled to Iceland during summer so there was sunlight 24 x7.  The sun is always visible and never sets. Therefore,  your body clock might find it difficult to adjust to doze off.

 

Water from the Eyjafjallajökull glacier is used to create the crystal-clear water of Seljalandsfoss. Do you recall this name “Eyjafjallajökull”? In 2010, a volcano called Eyjafjallajökull erupted, disrupting air travel across Europe for nearly five days. That was when Iceland was in news for many days and that was when we even got intrigued about this country for the first time. The more we researched the more curious we became and added this beautiful country to our bucket-list destinations. So, this eruption, for whatever reason, elevated Iceland to the status of a must-see tourism destination!

Seljalandsfoss waterfall

To our surprise, even at the time we visited a souvenir shop was open and a tiny snack kiosk in the area even served coffee and sandwiches. As this waterfall is also located on the Ring Road, Seljalandsfoss is one of Iceland’s most accessible waterfalls. Both Vik and Skógafoss are all within a reasonable driving distance from Seljalandsfoss and is located 120km from Reykjavík.

Kirkkufellfoss waterfall

While the previous 3 waterfalls mentioned are all along the golden route, Kirkjufellsfoss is located in a village called Snaefellsnes.  Snaefellsnes is also home to the highest free-standing mountain in Iceland, Mt. Kirkjufell and many consider it the most beautiful in the country. So, it’s the most popular subject for landscape and travel photography.

Kirkjufell may be reached in roughly two hours from Reykjavik. Kirkjufell is a 10-minute drive west of Grundarfjordur, a fishing town on Snaefellsnesvegur Road 54.

Parking there is both simple and free of price, making it an excellent option for those on a budget.

 

Did you know that the Arrowhead Mountain shown in the popular Game of Thrones series is none other than Kirkjufellsfoss. You may see Kirkjufell in the Season 6 episode where Bran encounters the Night King and his army, where the Night King was born.

Don’t expect a huge drop in the waterfall. Rather the waterfall is very short and the famous pictures of Kirkjufellsfoss you see on social media is seen only in a particular angle. But the picture of this waterfall with a distinctive Kirkjufell mountain in the background makes it look more gorgeous. An Icelandic volcano called Helgrindur is the source of the river Kirkjufellsá. There are 3 waterfalls in this river, Kirkjufellsfoss waterfall is the name of three waterfalls in this river.

 

These are the 4 most beautiful waterfalls which we covered in Iceland. There are many more interesting and beautiful waterfalls in Iceland such as Glymur, Hraunfossar, Bruarfoss, Haifoss, Hjalparfoss, Godafoss, Aldeyjarfoss, Svartifoss etc. which will cover in our next trip to Iceland.

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