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15 Best Summer Tours in Iceland You Will Never Forget

15 Best Summer Tours in Iceland You Will Never Forget

We created a list of the top summer guided tours in Iceland run only by the best local tour companies. There are hundreds of trip providers in Iceland and it may be hard to choose the proper one. We went through almost all summer excursions and picked the top activities where your experience is guaranteed to be unforgettable!

You can see many magnificent places in Iceland on your own, but not all of them. You can’t fly a helicopter, raft in a river, watch a whale or hike a glacier by yourself in Iceland. But you can take the guided tour! The list below includes family tours, tours for solo travelers as well as tours for adventure seekers.

The list below is NOT just the random internet pick with affiliate links. We REALLY went through these tours and even personally took most of them. We guarantee that all the companies mentioned below are great and highly knowledgeable local companies, you will enjoy dealing with 🙂

Map of the best summer tours in Iceland

1. Super Jeep tours

summer super jeep tour iceland

Thorsmork super jeep tour by Glaciers and Waterfalls

Super jeep tours in Iceland are the safest and most comfortable way to enjoy the spectacular Icelandic highlands. Some places, like Thórsmörk, are unbelievably beautiful, yet very hard to access. This is where a local guide steps in and makes it through all the river crossings safely with his super jeep.

For guided highlands tours, we definitely prefer small local companies with amazing reviews. Why? The groups are very small, every trip is unique, the guides are often very sincere and funny and you support little-known family companies. Beautiful examples of such companies are Glaciers and Waterfalls in the south and Star Travel in the north. Both have 5* reviews only and will give you a unique local experience. And for both, you can enjoy our 10% discount with the discount code: EPICICELAND

1.1. Thórsmörk

thorsmork valahnjukur top view

A spectacular view from Thorsmork super jeep tour

If you can pick only one tour, then go for the Thórsmörk super jeep tour and you will not regret it! Þórsmörk is one of the most beautiful places in the Icelandic highlands, but it’s hard to get there safely. There are multiple treacherous river crossings where a local guide with a super jeep will help a lot.

We carefully chose our local Thórsmörk tour company and we think the best is a small family company Glaciers and Waterfalls. They have fabulous 5* reviews, always max 6 people on board, and some of the best and funniest guides in Iceland. Yes, we tried also different, slightly cheaper tours, but none of them was as great as the one with Glaciers and Waterfalls.

1.2. Landmannalaugar

landmannalaugar summer guided tour

Landmannalaugar guided tour

The two best highlands tours in the south are undoubtedly Þórsmörk and a Landmannalaugar super jeep tour. Yes, you can definitely visit Landmannalaugar on your own, if you prepare well, choose your car wisely and plan your trip accordingly. For those who don’t want to plan, we highly recommend taking a guided Landmannalaugar tour with a super jeep by Glaciers and Waterfalls.

Amazing guides of Glaciers and Waterfalls will maximize your day so that you can enjoy the most of Landmannalaugar in 1 day to the fullest. They will take you to all the hidden corners along the road and adjust your pace according to your needs. Everything is possible during their tour 🙂 We totally recommend this company and had the best experience with them.

1.3. Askja

askja oskjuvatn viti

Super jeep tour to Askja

If you are staying in the north, then a must-see tour is definitely the Askja super jeep tour. Askja is an otherworldly crater full of azure blue water, where you can actually even bathe when the conditions are right! Can you visit Askja on your own? Yes, you can, but it again requires a lot of planning and renting a proper car. If you don’t want to organize this on your own, then it’s recommended to better take a guided tour.

Not many tours will actually take you to Askja because it takes a lot of driving to reach it. But man, that drive is more than just worth it! The best local company doing tours to Askja is Star Travel. We personally know the owner, and he’s a very funny and friendly guy, and so is his entire family company 🙂 Highly recommended!

1.4. Kerlingarfjöll

kerlingarfjoll hveradalir stairs

Kerlingarfjöll guided tour

If we had to make a list of the best highlands tours, the Kerlingarfjöll guided tour would definitely be at the top of it. Kerlingarfjöll is a place like no other in Iceland and everybody who has been there will only confirm this to you. It’s located in the heart of the Icelandic highlands and it takes a lot of driving to reach it. If you want to see Kerlingarfjöll on your own, read our guide on how to visit Kerlingarfjöll.

The top Kerlingarfjöll tour is run from Akureyri by Star Travel, an amazing local company with only 5* reviews and a lot of highlands experience. This is one of the authentic Icelandic family companies that will make your trip even more unique.

2. Helicopter tours

helicopter tour iceland

Best helicopter tours in Iceland are run by Nordurflug

If you want to fly over Iceland physically, not just in the cinema, then taking a helicopter flight tour is the single best option 🙂 When it comes to helicopter tours in Iceland, it’s easy to find the best company. It’s called Nordurflug, or Helicopter.is (that is the same company) and we are proud to offer our readers a 5% discount on all their amazing tours. And boy, there are so many of them!

Whether you want to fly over a glacier, fly near a volcano, fly above the highlands, or just fly above Reykjavik, you can do all of these and more with Nordurflug’s award-winning flights.

3. Rafting

iceland rafting

Best Iceland rafting tour by Viking Rafting

Want to try one of the best adventure tours in Iceland? It’s an easy choice then, go for the rafting tours by Viking Rafting from Akureyri and Varmahlíð! Icelandic canyons are nothing less than stunning. Now imagine not only observing the canyon from the top but also sailing down the river in the canyon! Well.. or better said rafting down. Sounds scary? Not that much with experienced guides!

Luckily enough, there’s a 5***** Icelandic company that puts both safety and fun in the first place. Be prepared to get wet, though! (Not too much, don’t be afraid). Viking Rafting is a top-notch Icelandic tour company with 5/5 ratings. They will serve you a rafting experience you will never forget!

4. Whale watching

north sailing whale watching

Best Whale watching in Iceland by North Sailing

You’ve probably already heard about whale watching in Iceland. This is one of the most popular Icelandic tours. And there is a reason why. Watching whales, dolphins, seals, and puffins in their natural habitat is once in a lifetime experience. A whale tour is also probably the best summer tour for families in Iceland.

Whale watching is also an activity you simply have to book the tour for. Unless you have your own boat :). There are tens, if not hundreds, of different whale-watching tours. We reviewed all of them and picked the best 2 for you.

4.1. Húsavík

best whale watching husavik

Traditional whale watching from Husavik

If we had to pick the single best whale-watching tour in Iceland we would choose traditional whale watching by North sailing from Husavik. There’s a reason why all the best whale-watching companies in Iceland reside in Husavik. Husavik is the best place in Europe to see whales, that’s why it is also called the whale-watching capital of Europe. If you want to maximize your chances of seeing the whales in Iceland, then definitely come to Husavik.

And why North Sailing and why the traditional boat and not a RIB boat? North sailing is the oldest whale-watching company in Iceland with 30+ years of history, a great fleet, cool guides, and tons of knowledge about the whales. If there are any whales in the bay, be sure that North sailing will find them!

Moreover, a traditional boat is safer, more considerate towards sealife and the environment, has lower chances you will get seasick and is definitely more comfortable and warmer. The chances of seeing the whales are the same for both boat types because they visit the same spots in the bay.

top whale watching husavik

Whale-watching tour from Húsavík

4.2. Reykjavik

Reykjavik has lower chances of spotting the whales compared to Húsavík, but hey, Húsavík is no.1 in the world, and chances in Reykjavik are also good! So in case your itinerary doesn’t stretch all the way to Husavik, you can definitely still see the whales even in the vicinity of Reykjavik. We went through all of them and picked the best wooden boat whale-watching from Reykjavik and also the best RIB boat whale-watching:

5. Horse riding

icelandic horse riding snaefellsnes beach

Horse riding on a Snaefellsnes beach

Honestly, we are not much into guided tours, but horse riding tours are one of our favorite summer activities in Iceland. The reason why is simple – it’s one of the best summer tours for nature lovers in Iceland. You will enjoy Iceland slowly, to the fullest and so close to nature and the countryside. We picked a few tours in different parts of Iceland we consider the best horseback riding tours in Iceland.

The Icelandic horse is one of a kind. It is a unique breed of horse, exclusive solely to Iceland. Icelandic horses are smaller compared to “regular horses”, so it’s a bit easier to ride them. There’s even a law that states that it’s not allowed to breed any other type of horse in here. And once the Icelandic horse leaves the island, he’s even not allowed to come back. So – it’s some kind of a secluded, exclusive VIP horse club, here in Iceland.

5.1. Reykjavik and South

This is our hand-picked selection of the top horse riding tours from Reykjavik and in the south:

5.2. Snæfellsnes

horse riding akureyri iceland

Tvistur horse rental in Dalvik

One of the most beautiful horseback riding tours in Iceland is the horse riding on Snæfellsnes beach. The company we loved that will take you exactly to Snæfellsnes beach with their horses is called Stóri Kambur:

5.3. Akureyri

There’s a picturesque green valley hidden in a mountainous area of the village Dalvik, close to Akureyri. A small family company called Tvistur is running amazing horse riding tours right there. Highly recommended:

6. Snowmobiling

snowmobiling from gullfoss

Snowmobiling from Gullfoss

Can you ride a snowmobile in Iceland in the summer? Of course, you can! Thanks to gigantic glaciers, you can snowmobile all year round in Iceland with no issues. There are 2 top-tier local companies running the best snowmobiling tours in Iceland. The first one, Mountaineers of Iceland, has a base near Gullfoss, and the second one, Icelandic Mountain Guides sits near Skógafoss. Both these tours are amazing and totally worth taking!

6.1. from Gullfoss

The best company specializing in snowmobiling tours in Iceland with the longest history is undoubtedly Mountaineers of Iceland. We are proud to offer our readers a 5% promo code on all Mountaineers snowmobile tours:

Langjökull ice cave iceland

Langjökull man-made ice cave

6.2. from Reykjavik

The best Reykjavik snowmobiling tours are always combined with some other activities. The reason behind this is quite simple – it’s a long drive from Reykjavik towards the nearest glacier, si it doesn’t make sense to go only for snowmobiling. That’s why tour companies, like Mountaineers, combine the snowmobiles with either the golden circle or an ice cave visit, or with many other different activities.

6.3. from Mýrdalsjökull

snowmobiling myrdalsjokull iceland

Snowmobiling from Mýrdalsjökull

You don’t have to do snowmobiling from Gullfoss or from Reykjavik. There are also other great locations to ride a snowmobile at. One of the best snowmobiling locations in South Iceland is without a doubt the Mýrdalsjökull glacier. The top company running snowmobiling tours there from Vik is Arcanum Adventure Tours, or Icelandic Mountain Guides, or Icelandia – these are all just different names for the same company:

7. Hiking tours

best laugavegur hike guided tour

By far the best Laugavegur hike guided tour by Icelandic Mountain Guides

When looking at the best guided hiking tours in Iceland, the no. 1 company is pretty clear in this case. Icelandic Mountain Guides are by far the best and the longest-operating hiking guide in Iceland. Top reviews, top guides, top tour selection. They offer both physically guided tours as well as self-guided ones.

Many of the most beautiful hiking trails in Iceland are unmarked and often dangerous, so joining a guided hiking tour in Iceland often makes a lot of sense. Hiking tours are also one of the best Iceland summer tours for solo travelers because you can meet a lot of fellow enthusiasts on the same tour. Many hikers even find their future hike-mates on these guided tours.

7.1. Laugavegur guided hike

The most legendary and also the most beautiful multi-day hike in Iceland is the Laugavegur hike. It’s a 4-day hike through harsh but amazingly picturesque Icelandic highlands. It requires a lot of preparation, fording rivers, navigating in bad weather, and on difficult terrain. It, therefore, makes perfect sense to rather enjoy it as a guided tour for anyone less experienced in hiking:

Don’t see the availability in their booking system? No worries, just send them an e-mail and ask about your preferred dates. They may well create a new availability for you. Don’t forget to ask for a 5% EPICICELAND23 discount!

fimmvorduhals hike highest point

Fimmvorduhals hike guided tour

7.2. Fimmvörðuháls guided hike

While Laugavegur is the most beautiful multi-day hike, we argue that the Fimmvörðuháls hike is the best hike in Iceland out of all! At least the best day hike! It’s possible to hike Fimmvörðuháls also on your own, but it requires good planning of your logistics, adjusting to weather conditions, and navigating a slippery terrain while being bounded by bus times. If you want to do it on your own, be sure to read our ultimate guide to the Fimmvörðuháls hike. If you rather want to join the tour, here is the top Fimmvörðuháls hike guided tour:

7.3. Other amazing hikes in Iceland

Looking for off-the-beaten-path hikes in Iceland? Iceland has a clear number 1 company for the most amazing hiking tours with almost no competitors. And that company is Icelandic Mountain guides. When looking for spectacular hikes, definitely look at all their hiking tours in Iceland:

8. Ice caves

dragon glass katla ice cave iceland

Katla ice cave from Vik

Can you visit ice caves in Iceland in the summer? Yes, you can, but not all of them. There are 3 ice caves open for visitors also during the summer months. The first one is the Katla ice cave near the town of Vik. The second one is the man-made ice cave at the Langjökull glacier and the third one is in Skaftafell. Are ice caves in Iceland worth visiting in summer? Yes, they definitely are! The ice caves look different in summer compared to winter, but they are still very beautiful and worth visiting.

Map of the summer ice caves in Iceland:

8.1. Katla ice cave

The only natural ice cave in Iceland open to visitors in summer is the Katla ice cave. There’s more volcanic ash in Katla compared to for example crystal blue ice cave in Jökulsarlón, so Katla is not as shiningly blue, but this doesn’t mean it is not spectacular! It is! Just in a different way. The best and one of the cheapest tours for Katla ice cave is this one:

8.2. Langjökull ice cave

Langjökull ice cave iceland

Langjökull man-made ice cave

The second ice cave in Iceland that is open also in summer is the Langjökull glacier ice cave. This is the ice cave that was dug by men inside the Langjökull glacier. This means, the ice and the glacier are all-natural, just the ice cave was created artificially by men. Is Langjökull ice cave worth visiting? Yes, it is, it’s a completely different experience to walk through this ice tunnel compared to anything else in Iceland. You can visit this ice cave both as a combo tour with snowmobiles, which we highly recommend, or separately (but it will be a long drive):

8.3. Skaftafell ice cave

Ice cave in Skaftafell is smaller and can be partially or fully melted in summer. This really depends on specific weather conditions. However, even in summer, you can visit the place of the ice cave and observe a smaller or bigger part of it!

9. Glacier hike

iceland glacier tour

Amazing glacier hike by www.glacieradventure.is, 5% discount code: EPICICELAND

Can you hike glaciers in Iceland in summer? Yes, you can! There are actually many different glacier hiking tours at various locations. Glaciers are omnipresent in Iceland so it’s only up to you which one you want to hike. That being said, you have to use a certified guide to hike the glaciers in Iceland, otherwise, you may easily die due to the very dangerous glacial terrain full of crevasses.

What is the best glacier hike in Iceland? Well, this is a highly subjective matter. We loved the most Vatnajökull glacier hike by Glacier Adventure (5% discount on all their tours with the discount code: EPICICELAND). It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. But also the glacier hikes at Sólheimajökull and in Skaftafell are magnificent, so the choice is up to you. You won’t make a mistake by choosing any of these glacier tours.

Map of the glacier hikes in Iceland:

9.1. Vatnajökull glacier

Vatnajökull glacier is the biggest Icelandic glacier and the best glacier hiking tours there are run by a small family company Glacier Adventure. They have only 5* reviews, great and funny guides, and spectacular tours. We can only highly recommend them.

ice climbing iceland

Top ice climbing tour from Sólheimajökull run by www.mountainguides.is, 5% discount code: EPICICELAND23

9.2. Sólheimajökull glacier

The best glacier hikes in Iceland on the 2 smaller glaciers – Sólheimajökull and Skaftafell are being run by Icelandic Mountain Guides. This is a traditional Icelandic company with almost exclusively 5* reviews:

9.3. Skaftafell glacier

Skaftafell offers great opportunities for glacier hiking and once again Icelandic Mountain Guides run here their fabulous tours:

10. ATVs

atv tours iceland reykjavik

ATV tours from Reykjavik

ATVs are one of the top summer tours in Iceland for adventure seekers. There are multiple great spots all over Iceland to enjoy ATVs or quad bikes. We picked the 3 most popular and most beautiful locations to try ATVs in Iceland. The first one is the vicinity of Reykjavik, the second one is Vik with its marvelous black sand beach, and the third one is the amazing Westman islands.

There are many different tour variants, some ATV tours are longer and some shorter. With some, you ride alone, with some in doubles. Some allow kids, some don’t. You need to check all these small details yourself. What we’ve done for you, however, is we picked the best ATV tours in Iceland in some of the most picturesque spots.

10.1. from Reykjavik

There are numerous hidden spots around Reykjavik that serve as a great base for Icelandic quad-bike tours. Icelandic ATV tours are an action-packed once-in-a-lifetime experience:

10.2. from Vik

atv tours vik iceland

ATV tours from Vik

One of the most epic locations in Iceland to try ATVs is undoubtedly the black sand beach near Vik. If we had to pick the single best ATV tour in Iceland it would be this one:

10.3. from Westman islands

Similarly to the black sand beach, the Westman islands are an amazing spot for ATVs. It’s not only a huge adventure and a thrilling experience, but it’s also a great way to explore the main Heimaey island:

11. Puffin tours

puffin tour from reykjavik

Puffin-watching tour from Reykjavik

Any list of the best summer tours in Iceland would be incomplete without a puffin tour. While you can definitely see puffins also when you drive your own car, it’s much more unique to observe puffins from a boat on the puffin boat tour.  There are several great spots for puffin boat tours around Iceland. Among the best are Húsavík bay, the surroundings of the Westman islands, and small islands near Reykjavik. Below we picked the 3 best puffin tours in Iceland, according to reviews and our experience.

11.1. Puffin tour from Reykjavik

Can you see puffins in Reykjavik? Well, not directly in Reykjavik, but if you take a boat tour to nearby islands, you definitely can! The best time to see puffins in Iceland is between mid-April and mid-August, so be sure to book your spots during this time.

westman islands puffins storhofdi

Westman islands puffin tour

11.2. Puffin tour from Westman islands

Westman islands together with the bay around Húsavík are some of the best spots to see puffins in Iceland. You can either drive around Westman islands and find puffins by hiking or you can take a boat tour around the islands, that will find puffins for you:

11.3. Puffin tour from Húsavík

The best whale and puffin-watching company in Iceland with the longest tradition is North Sailing. We highly recommend taking a combo tour of whale watching and puffin watching by North Sailing as this is a 5* reviews company with great and knowledgeable guides:

12. Snorkeling

troll silfra snorkelling classic

Silfra Snorkeling tour

Did you know you can actually snorkel between the two continents in Iceland? This is exactly what has become available in Silfra – a place where two different tectonic plates meet. Many visitors even say that snorkeling was their favorite tour in Iceland. While this is not our case, snorkeling in Iceland is undeniably an interesting and popular activity. Below are the two best Silfra snorkeling tours in Iceland and the two top diving tours:

13. Kayaking

glacier lagoon kayaking tour south iceland

Glacier lagoon kayaking tour in south Iceland, 5% discount code: EPICICELAND23

The best kayaking tours in Iceland are paradoxically almost entirely hidden away from the tourist crowds. Everybody talks about snorkeling in Silfra and whale-watching in Reykjavik and that’s why these two aforementioned activities are already highly crowded. But have you heard about glacier lagoon kayaking? If not, it’s at least worth a thought!

14. Golden Circle tours

best golden circle tour iceland

Golden Circle tour

We usually advise against the Golden Circle, because this is where most of the visitors concentrate at. Nevertheless, the Golden Circle with Thingvellir national park is undeniably beautiful and easy to access. The Golden Circle tours are even up to this day the most popular tours in Iceland. We are getting questions on a daily basis asking “what is the best Golden Circle tour?” That’s why we include also this “must-see tour” in our list and we picked the 4 best Golden Circle tours in Iceland from our point of view:

15. Multi-Day tours

best multi day tours iceland

The best multi-day tours in Iceland are run by Nice Travel. 5% discount code: EPICICELAND

If you don’t want to drive and/or you are a solo traveler in Iceland, the best multi-day tours in Iceland may be a good choice for you. The multi-day tours typically include all your accommodations, transfers, and attractions. Some parts of the multi-day tours may sometimes be optional or customizable according to your preferences. The biggest advantage of these kinds of tours is that you don’t have to care about anything. No planning and no worries.

Below we selected the multi-day tours in Iceland we believe are the best in terms of all important aspects. This includes, but is not limited to the richness of the schedule, company reviews, quality of the tour guides, price, and group size. Nice Travel limits their tours to max 19 participants, and in reality, there will almost always be fewer attendees.

Best Family tours in Iceland

family whale watching tour iceland

Family whale-watching Húsavík, 10% discount code: EPICICELAND

Are you coming to Iceland with the kids? No worries, there are multiple great options for Iceland summer tours for families. The best summer family tours in Iceland definitely include:

  1. Whale-watching tours – try a traditional boat, rather than a speedboat
  2. Horse riding tours – check the age limit with a particular company, but age is often not any problem
  3. Family Rafting tours – from our feedback, kids love the family rafting
  4. Langjökull ice cave – this is one of the tours which even allows babies

Please always check the age limit for a particular tour. If you are unsure, contact the company, they are typically very responsive and speak good English. Everything is possible in Iceland if you ask nicely 🙂

Best Action tours in Iceland

iceland rafting

Viking rafting from Varmahlid, 10% discount code: IAMEPIC23

There’s no shortage of adventurous and action-packed tours in Iceland. The top tours in Iceland for adventure lovers include:

  1. Rafting tours – high level of adrenaline guaranteed
  2. ATV tours – the combination of high speed and magnificent surroundings
  3. Snowmobiling tours – you can even try special high-speed snowmobiling (5% discount code: EPICICELAND)
  4. Ice climbing and Glacier hike tours – for those who prefer action on the ice

Best Highlands tours in Iceland

iceland laugavegur trail hike

Icelandic Highlands

Highlands may be sometimes pretty difficult to navigate unless you have a super jeep and proper planning and experience. For the hardest-to-reach spots in Iceland or if you simply don’t feel like going on your own, we recommend the best highlands tours in Iceland:

  1. Super jeep tours – can take you ANYWHERE; we recommend e.g. Thorsmork
  2. Highlands Hiking tours – a lot of hidden gems you may miss when going on your own
  3. Glacier hiking tours – you have to take a guided tour for this unless you are a professional mountaineer

Should you book the tours in advance?

Yes, you definitely should book the tours in Iceland in advance. The most popular tours in the full summer or full winter season are often fully booked months in advance. We recommend booking the tours roughly 3 months in advance and more. This way you will be guaranteed a seat and should always be able to cancel/reschedule if anything unexpected happens.

The vast majority of companies offer free cancellation and/or rescheduling policies when you inform them enough in advance. Typically, you can cancel/reschedule for free up to 1, 2, or 3 days before departure. Some more expensive tours may require a deposit, which is normal and is, again, refundable when canceled/rescheduled enough in advance.

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List of all Waterfalls

List of all Waterfalls

We made a list of more than 130 most beautiful waterfalls in Iceland. This is of course nowhere near the list of all, because there are thousands of them. Nevertheless, we believe that our detailed guide to waterfalls in Iceland covers all you need to know about famous Icelandic waterfalls. We hope it will help you choose your favorite waterfalls to see in Iceland and plan your trip.

All the waterfalls in this article are accessible to visitors. Many of them easily, some of them not. We list the exact location of every waterfall, its photo, its height, and if a waterfall is accessible in winter. If a hike to a waterfall is necessary, we include all info about the hike – distance, difficulty, and hiking trail itself. Importantly, we also describe what type of car you need to reach every single waterfall, or in Icelandic, “foss”.

Note: We will be adding even more waterfalls. Please, if you know of any beautiful waterfall we have not covered yet, send us your picture and waterfall info and we will give you all the credit for it (and a bottle of wine when we meet in person)!

Map of waterfalls in Iceland

Below is the map of more than 130 most beautiful Icelandic waterfalls:

Green = easy in summer, easy in winter
Red = easy in summer, harder in winter
Black = harder in summer, hard in winter

The tallest waterfalls

The tallest waterfalls in Iceland are Morsárfoss (235m), Glymur (198m), Strútsfoss (175m), Prestagilsfoss (160m), and Stigafoss (137m). Various sources state various waterfall heights. We combined multiple sources and averaged them to arrive at our ranking. It’s interesting to note that out of the 5 tallest Icelandic waterfalls, only Glymur is well-known and highly visited.

Strútsfoss waterfall Iceland

Strútsfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

The 10 highest waterfalls in Iceland:

  1. Morsárfoss (235m / 770ft)
  2. Glymur (198m / 650ft)
  3. Strútsfoss (175m / 575ft)
  4. Prestagilsfoss (160m / 525ft)
  5. Stigafoss (137m / 450ft)
  6. Hengifoss (128m / 420ft)
  7. Granni (127m / 120ft)
  8. Hangandifoss (123m / 405ft)
  9. Háifoss (121m / 400ft)
  10. Múlafoss (101m / 330ft)

The biggest waterfalls

The biggest waterfalls in Iceland by volume are Urriðafoss, Dettifoss, Hafragilsfoss, Selfoss, and Goðafoss. Measuring volume is tricky and there are scarce data. The volume of the waterfalls varies seasonally and also in time. This means that any list of the largest Icelandic waterfalls can’t be entirely precise. Nevertheless, all these waterfalls are definitely big.

tourists at Dettifoss

Dettifoss

The 10 biggest waterfalls in Iceland by volume:

  1. Urriðafoss (350-400 m3/sec)
  2. Dettifoss (110-280 m3/sec)
  3. Hafragilsfoss (100-270 m3/sec)
  4. Selfoss (100-270 m3/sec)
  5. Gullfoss (100 m3/sec)
  6. Goðafoss (40-120 m3/sec)
  7. Aldeyjarfoss (20-100 m3/sec)
  8. Faxafoss (38 m3/sec)
  9. Kirkjufoss (20-50 m3/sec)
  10. Búðarhálsfoss (Dynkur) (20-50 m3/sec)

The widest waterfalls

The widest waterfalls in Iceland are Selfoss (400m), Urriðafoss (230m), Hraunfossár (220m), Gullfoss (180m), and Dettifoss (170m). In summer all of these waterfalls are easily accessible and we highly recommend visiting them, because they are all spectacular. Urriðafoss, Hraunfossár, and Gullfoss are also easy to visit in winter. To visit Dettifoss and Selfoss in winter you need a big 4wd car and proper winter hiking gear like crampons.

hraunfossar waterfall iceland

Hraunfossár

The 10 widest waterfalls in Iceland are:

  1. Selfoss (400m / 1300ft)
  2. Urriðafoss (230m / 750ft)
  3. Hraunfossár (220m / 720ft)
  4. Gullfoss (180m / 590ft)
  5. Dettifoss (170m / 560ft)
  6. Goðafoss (120m / 390ft)
  7. Tungnaárfellsfoss (100m / 330ft)
  8. Holmsárfoss (100m / 330ft)
  9. Faxafoss (90m / 300ft)
  10. Hafragilsfoss (90m / 300ft)

The most popular waterfalls

The most popular waterfalls in Iceland are Gullfoss, Seljalandsfoss, Skógafoss, Gljúfrabúi, and Dettifoss. Most of these waterfalls are located around the easily accessible south coast. These are not only the most visited Icelandic waterfalls but also the most visited places in entire Iceland. These waterfalls are very touristy and in full season you may meet tens of tourist buses there. To enjoy them to the fullest, it’s best to arrive at off-peak hours or during a shoulder season.

seljalandsfoss tourists

Tourists near Seljalandsfoss in February

The 10 most popular waterfalls in Iceland:

  1. Gullfoss
  2. Seljalandsfoss
  3. Skógafoss
  4. Gljúfrabúi
  5. Dettifoss
  6. Kirkjufellsfoss
  7. Goðafoss
  8. Bruárfoss
  9. Hengifoss
  10. Hraunfossar

The most beautiful waterfalls

The most beautiful waterfalls in Iceland are said to be Dettifoss, Skógafoss, Seljalandsfoss, Dynjandi, and Gljúfrabúi. This list is of course highly subjective and everyone has to choose his own favorite waterfall. Some prefer big waterfalls, some prefer remote waterfalls. This list is a blend of all waterfalls the most frequently referred to as the most beautiful ones.

Dettifoss is said to be the most beautiful because it’s one of the biggest, Skógafoss because it’s big and in picturesque surroundings, and Seljalandsfoss because you can walk behind it in summer. Dynjandi is probably the prettiest waterfall in Westfjords, Gljúfrabúi is uniquely hidden in a ravine, Aldeyjarfoss in the highlands, and Fagrifoss on a way to Laki craters. Bruárfoss has the bluest water, Raudufossar is fully covered in orange and Ófærufoss is the highlight of the Eldgjá reserve.

Bottom part of Skógafoss

Skógafoss waterfall

The 10 most beautiful waterfalls in Iceland:

  1. Dettifoss
  2. Skógafoss
  3. Seljalandsfoss
  4. Dynjandi
  5. Gljúfrabúi
  6. Aldeyjarfoss
  7. Fagrifoss
  8. Bruárfoss
  9. Raudufossar
  10. Ófærufoss

The most hidden waterfalls

The most hidden waterfalls in Iceland are Drifandisfoss, Nýifoss, Núpsárfoss, Bolugil, and Möngufoss. All of these are among the most remote Icelandic waterfalls, yet still accessible and amazingly beautiful. It is of course impossible to exactly tell which waterfall is the most hidden one, but this list should give a good overview of such waterfalls.

Prepare well when visiting the hidden Icelandic waterfalls. Most of them are hard to access and hidden in the highlands. You either need a proper car or proper hiking gear, or both. You should also visit them only in good weather conditions. That being said, there are nearly as many undiscovered waterfalls in Iceland as those that are already discovered. This means there’s still a huge room for exploration and adventure.

Stakkholtsgjáfoss waterfall iceland

Stakkholtsgjáfoss

The 10 most hidden waterfalls in Iceland:

  1. Drifandisfoss
  2. Nýifoss
  3. Núpsárfoss
  4. Bolugil
  5. Möngufoss
  6. Bergárfoss
  7. Axlafoss
  8. Múlafoss
  9. Blafjállafoss
  10. Stakkholtsgjáfoss

FAQ

Below are the most frequently asked questions about Icelandic waterfalls with up-to-date answers.

How many waterfalls does Iceland have?

There are thousands of different waterfalls in Iceland. If someone counted also all the sub-waterfalls the number can easily grow to tens of thousands. Most of the waterfalls in Iceland have actually not been discovered yet. They are hidden in uninhabited and remote parts of Iceland, often referred to as the highlands.

Which Iceland waterfall can you walk behind?

You can walk behind 4 Icelandic waterfallsSeljalandsfoss, Kvernufoss, Selvallafoss, and Skútafoss. The most famous waterfall you can walk behind in Iceland is Seljalandsfoss. Most of the sources wrongly state that this is the only waterfall you can walk behind. This is incorrect information. You can also walk behind Laugavallalaug, but it’s so small it doesn’t count.

When walking behind the waterfalls, please take special care. The terrain may be slippery and dangerous. Never do this in snowy or icy conditions. Typically you can walk behind the waterfalls in Iceland only in summer.

Is there a valley of waterfalls in Iceland?

There are 3 well-known waterfall valleys in Iceland:

Kirkjufoss waterfall iceland

Kirkjufoss, part of the hidden waterfall circle in East Highlands

Are Icelandic waterfalls free?

All waterfalls in Iceland are free to visit. The only thing you pay for is the parking. Parking is paid only at some of the most popular waterfalls, like Seljalandsfoss or Kirkjufellsfoss. There are no opening hours for the waterfalls in Iceland. You may visit them anytime you want. Just bear in mind, a visit may be dangerous in the dark in winter.

Are Icelandic waterfalls accessible in winter?

Waterfalls situated near the main roads are usually well-accessible in winter. On the other hand, the waterfalls located in the highlands or at more remote places may not be accessible at all. For each waterfall, we list below whether you can see it in winter easily, hardly, or not at all. Here you can also the list of all waterfalls we visited in winter.

List of all waterfalls – Legend

Road accessible by = what type of car you need to reach the car park or the beginning of the hiking trail for every waterfall

Hiking time and distance = the average one-way hiking time and distance from the nearest car park in summer

Hiking difficulty = easy – no/short hikes, moderate – more hiking, difficult – long and/or difficult hike

Trail in winter = typical winter trail conditions (November-April), when there’s no storm or weather alert

* = an asterisk means conditions vary a lot according to weather/snow

Æðarfossar

Æðarfossar waterfall Iceland

Æðarfossar waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Bromr, CCM license. Source link.

Location: North, see the map of Aedarfossar
Height: 3m (10ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, 4wd car/super jeep in winter
Hiking time: next to the road/parking
Hiking distance: 50m* (60yd*)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: easily accessible*
Trail link:

Ægissíðufoss

Ægissíðufoss waterfall Iceland

Ægissíðufoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Source link.

Location: Southwest, see the map of Aegissidufoss
Height: 3m (10ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: next to the road/parking
Hiking distance: 50m (60yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: easily accessible
Trail link:

Aldeyjarfoss

Aldeyjarfoss waterfall Iceland

Aldeyjarfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: North Highlands, see the map of Aldeyjarfoss
Height: 20m (66ft)
Road accessible by: 4wd car in summer (F-road), super jeep/inaccessible in winter
Hiking time: 5 minutes
Hiking distance: 300m (330yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: hardly/inaccessible
Trail link: Aldeyjarfoss hiking trail

Árbæjarfoss

Árbæjarfoss waterfall iceland

Árbæjarfoss (click to enlarge). Photo by Bromr, CCM license. Source link.

Location: Southwest, see the map of Arbaejarfoss
Height: 10m (33ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: next to the road/parking
Hiking distance: 50m (60yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: easily accessible
Trail link:

Axlafoss

axlafoss waterfall iceland

Axlafoss (click to enlarge)

Location: South Highlands, see the map of Axlafoss
Height: 7m (22ft)
Road accessible by: 4wd car in summer (F-road), super jeep/inaccessible in winter
Hiking time: next to the road/parking
Hiking distance: 50m (60yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: hardly/inaccessible
Trail link:

Bæjarfoss

Bæjarfoss waterfall Iceland

Bæjarfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Westfjords, see the map of Baejarfoss
Height: 6m (20ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: next to the road/parking*
Hiking distance: 50m (60yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Baejarfoss hiking trail
Our experience: Baejarfoss visit

Bárðarfoss

Bárðarfoss waterfall Iceland

Bárðarfoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Bromr, CCM license. Source link.

Location: West, see the map of Bardarfoss
Height: 8m (26ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, better 4wd in winter*
Hiking time: 2 minutes
Hiking distance: 50m (60yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: muddy/snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link:

Barnafoss

Barnafoss waterfall Iceland

Barnafoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: West, see the map of Barnafoss
Height: 5m (16ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, better 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: 5 minutes
Hiking distance: 300m (330yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: easily accessible
Trail link: Barnafoss hiking trail

Bergárfoss

Bergárfoss waterfall Iceland

Bergárfoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Hörður Kristinsson, CCM license. Source link.

Location: Northwest, see the map of Bergarfoss
Height: 40m (131ft)
Road accessible by: 4wd car in summer (F-road), 4wd car/super jeep in winter*
Hiking time: 20 minutes
Hiking distance: 1km (0,6mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link:

Bjarnarfoss

Bjarnarfoss waterfall Iceland

Bjarnarfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Snaefellsnes, see the map of Bjarnarfoss
Height: 80m (262ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, better 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: 15 minutes
Hiking distance: 500m (0,3mi)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Bjarnarfoss hiking trail

Blafjállafoss

Blafjállafoss waterfall Iceland

Blafjállafoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: South Highlands, see the map of Blafjallafoss
Height: 5m (16ft)
Road accessible by: 4wd car in summer (F-road), super jeep/inaccessible in winter
Hiking time: next to the road/parking
Hiking distance: 50m (60yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: hardly/inaccessible
Trail link:

Bolugil

Bolugil waterfall Iceland

Bolugil waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by roquenval, CCM license. Source link.

Location: North, see the map of Bolugil
Height: 140m (459ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer / better 4wd car in winter*
Hiking time: 15 minutes
Hiking distance: 600m (0,4mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Bolugil hiking trail

Brúarfoss

Brúarfoss waterfall Iceland

Brúarfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: West, see the map of Bruarfoss
Height: 5m (16ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 40-60 minutes
Hiking distance: 3,5km (2,2mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Bruarfoss hiking trail

Búðarárfoss

Búðarárfoss waterfall Iceland

Búðarárfoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Source link.

Location: East, see the map of Budararfoss
Height: 12m (39ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, 4wd car in winter*
Hiking time: next to the road/parking
Hiking distance: 50m* (60yd*)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link:

Búðareyrarfoss

Búðareyrarfoss waterfall Iceland

Búðareyrarfoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Joe deSousa, CCM license. Source link.

Location: East, see the map of Budareyrarfoss
Height: 60m (197ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, better 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: 5-10 minutes
Hiking distance: 300m (330yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link:

Búðarhálsfoss (Dynkur)

Búðarhálsfoss (Dynkur) waterfall Iceland

Búðarhálsfoss (Dynkur) waterfall (click to enlarge). Source link.

Location: Central Highlands, see the map of Budarhalsfoss dynkur
Height: 50m (164ft)
Road accessible by: 4wd car in summer, super jeep/inaccessible in winter
Hiking time: 20-30 minutes
Hiking distance: 1,5km (0,9mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: hardly/inaccessible
Trail link:

Bunárfoss

Bunárfoss waterfall Iceland

Bunárfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Westfjords, see the map of Bunarfoss
Height: 80m (262ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: 15 minutes
Hiking distance: 400m (440yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Bunarfoss hiking trail

Dettifoss

Dettifoss waterfall Iceland

Dettifoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Northeast, see the map of Dettifoss
Height: 44m (144ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, 4wd car/super jeep winter*
Hiking time: 15 minutes
Hiking distance: 600m (0,4mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Dettifoss hiking trail
Our experience: Dettifoss visit

Djúpagilsfoss

Djúpagilsfoss waterfall Iceland

Djúpagilsfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Southwest, see the map of Djupagilsfoss
Height: 40m (131ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 1,5-2 hours
Hiking distance: 5km (3,1mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Djupagilsfoss hiking trail

Djúpavíkurfoss

Djúpavíkurfoss waterfall Iceland

Djúpavíkurfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Westfjords, see the map of Djupavikurfoss
Height: 160m (525ft)
Road accessible by: better 4wd car in summer, super jeep/inaccessible in winter
Hiking time: next to the road/parking*
Hiking distance: 50m* (60yd*)
Hiking difficulty: easy*
Trail in winter: easily accessible*
Trail link: Djupavikurfoss hiking trail

Drifandi

Drifandi waterfall Iceland

Drifandi waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Alexander Grebenkov, CCM license. Source link.

Location: Southwest, see the map of Drifandi
Height: 70m (230ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: next to the road/parking
Hiking distance: 50m (60yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: easily accessible
Trail link: Drifandi hiking trail

Drifandisfoss

Drifandisfoss waterfall Iceland

Drifandisfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Hornstrandir, see the map of Drifandisfoss
Height: 60m (197ft)
Road accessible by: no road, only ferry and hiking
Hiking time: 7 hours*
Hiking distance: 25km* (15,5mi*)
Hiking difficulty: difficult
Trail in winter: inaccessible
Trail link: Drifandisfoss hiking trail

Dynjandi

Dynjandi waterfall Iceland

Dynjandi waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Westfjords, see the map of Dynjandi
Height: 100m (328ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: 15 minutes
Hiking distance: 800m (0,5mi)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Dynjandi hiking trail
Our experience: Dynjandi visit

Fagrifoss

Fagrifoss waterfall Iceland

Fagrifoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: South Highlands, see the map of Fagrifoss
Height: 80m (262ft)
Road accessible by: 4wd car in summer (F-road), super jeep/inaccessible in winter
Hiking time: 5 minutes
Hiking distance: 200m (220yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link:
Our experience: Fagrifoss visit

Fardagafoss

Fardagafoss waterfall Iceland

Fardagafoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: East, see the map of Fardagafoss
Height: 20m (66ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 15-20 minutes
Hiking distance: 1km (0,6mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Fardagafoss hiking trail

Faxafoss

Faxafoss waterfall Iceland

Faxafoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Southwest, see the map of Faxafoss
Height: 10m (33ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: next to the road/parking
Hiking distance: 50m (60yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: easily accessible
Trail link:

Faxi

Faxi waterfall Iceland

Faxi waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Peter Stobbart, CCM license.

Location: East Highlands, see the map of Faxi
Height: 20m (66ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, super jeep/inaccessible in winter
Hiking time: 40 minutes
Hiking distance: 2500m (1,6mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: hardly/inaccessible
Trail link: Faxi hiking trail

Femri-Fellsfoss and Inri-Fellsfoss

Femri-Fellsfoss and Inri-Fellsfoss waterfall Iceland

Femri-Fellsfoss and Inri-Fellsfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: South, see the map of Femri-fellsfoss and innri-fellsfoss
Height: 15m (49ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 40 minutes
Hiking distance: 2,2km (1,4mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Femri-fellsfoss and Innri-fellsfoss hiking trail
Our experience: Femri and Innri Fellsfoss visit

Flögufoss

Flögufoss waterfall Iceland

Flögufoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: East, see the map of Flogufoss
Height: 60m (197ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 20 minutes
Hiking distance: 1500m (0,9mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Flogufoss hiking trail

Folaldafoss

Folaldafoss waterfall Iceland

Folaldafoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: East, see the map of Folaldafoss
Height: 20m (66ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, super jeep/inaccessible in winter
Hiking time: 5 minutes
Hiking distance: 300m (330yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link:
Our experience: Folaldafoss visit

Foss

Foss waterfall Iceland

Foss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: North, see the map of Foss
Height: 10m (33ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 5 minutes
Hiking distance: 50m (60yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link:

Foss á Síðu

Foss á Síðu waterfall Iceland

Foss á Síðu waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Christian Bickel fingalo, CCM license. Source link.

Location: South, see the map of Foss a sidu
Height: 30m (98ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 5 minutes
Hiking distance: 100m (110yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: easily accessible
Trail link:

Fossálar

Fossálar waterfall Iceland

Fossálar waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: South, see the map of Fossalar
Height: 5m (16ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: next to the road/parking
Hiking distance: 50m (60yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: easily accessible
Trail link:

Fosstorfufoss

Fosstorfufoss waterfall Iceland

Fosstorfufoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: South, see the map of Fosstorfufoss
Height: 10m (33ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 20 minutes
Hiking distance: 1,1km (0,7mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Fosstorfufoss hiking trail
Our experience: Fosstorfufoss visit

Gilsárfoss

Gilsárfoss waterfall Iceland

Gilsárfoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by El_Gulio, CCM license.

Location: East, see the map of Gilsarfoss
Height: 7m (23ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, 4wd car/super jeep in winter
Hiking time: 15 minutes
Hiking distance: 1km (0,6mi)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Gilsarfoss hiking trail

Gjárfoss

Gjárfoss  waterfall Iceland

Gjárfoss  waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: South Highlands, see the map of Gjarfoss
Height: 15m (49ft)
Road accessible by: better 4wd car in summer, super jeep/inaccessible in winter
Hiking time: 10 minutes
Hiking distance: 500m (0,3mi)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: hardly/inaccessible
Trail link: Gjarfoss hiking trail
Our experience: Gjarfoss visit

Glanni

Glanni waterfall Iceland

Glanni waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Izsonzo, CCM license. Source link.

Location: West, see the map of Glanni
Height: 10m (33ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, better 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: 5 minutes
Hiking distance: 300m (330yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link:

Gljúfrabúi

Gljúfrabúi waterfall Iceland

Gljúfrabúi waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Southwest, see the map of Gljufrabui
Height: 40m (131ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 10 minutes
Hiking distance: 600m (0,4mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: easily accessible
Trail link:

Gljúfurárfoss

Gljúfurárfoss waterfall Iceland

Gljúfurárfoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Bromr, CCM license. Source link.

Location: Westfjords, see the map of Gljufurarfoss
Height: 8m (26ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, super jeep/inaccessible in winter
Hiking time: next to the road/parking
Hiking distance: 50m (60yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: easily accessible
Trail link:

Gljúfursárfoss

Gljúfursárfoss waterfall Iceland

Gljúfursárfoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Bromr, CCM license. Source link.

Location: East, see the map of Gljufursarfoss
Height: 45m (148ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, 4wd car/super jeep in winter
Hiking time: next to the road/parking
Hiking distance: 50m (60yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: easily accessible
Trail link:

Gluggafoss

Gluggafoss waterfall Iceland

Gluggafoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Hornstrandir1, CCM license. Source link.

Location: South, see the map of Gluggafoss
Height: 120m (394ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: 5 minutes
Hiking distance: 300m (330yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link:

Glymur

Glymur waterfall Iceland

Glymur waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Andreas Tille, CCM license. Source link.

Location: West, see the map of Glymur
Height: 198m (649ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, inaccessible in winter
Hiking time: 1 hour
Hiking distance: 3,5km (2,2mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: inaccessible
Trail link: first Glymur hiking trail, second Glymur hiking trail

Goðafoss

Goðafoss waterfall Iceland

Goðafoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: North, see the map of Godafoss
Height: 12m (39ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 10 minutes
Hiking distance: 500m (0,3mi)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: easily accessible
Trail link:
Our experience: Godafoss summer visit, Godafoss winter visit

Göngumannafoss

Göngumannafoss waterfall Iceland

Göngumannafoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Bromr, CCM license. Source link.

Location: Westfjords, see the map of Gongumannafoss
Height: 4m (13ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: 7 minutes
Hiking distance: 400m (440yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Gongumannafoss hiking trail

Granni

Granni waterfall Iceland

Granni waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: South Highlands, see the map of Granni
Height: 100m (328ft)
Road accessible by: better 4wd car in summer, super jeep in winter
Hiking time: next to the road/parking
Hiking distance: 50m (60yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link:
Our experience: Granni visit

Grundarfoss

Grundarfoss waterfall Iceland

Grundarfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Snaefellsnes, see the map of Grundarfoss
Height: 70m (230ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: 20 minutes
Hiking distance: 1,5km (0,9mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Grundarfoss hiking trail

Gufufoss

Gufufoss waterfall Iceland

Gufufoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: East, see the map of Gufufoss
Height: 12m (39ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, better 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: next to the road/parking
Hiking distance: 100m (110yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link:

Gullfoss

Gullfoss waterfall Iceland

Gullfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Southwest, see the map of Gullfoss
Height: 32m (105ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 5-10 minutes
Hiking distance: 400m (440yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: easily accessible
Trail link:
Our experience: Gullfoss visit

Gýgjarfoss

Gýgjarfoss waterfall Iceland

Gýgjarfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Central Highlands, see the map of Gygjarfoss
Height: 5m (16ft)
Road accessible by: 4wd car in summer (F-road), super jeep/inaccessible in winter
Hiking time: next to the road/parking
Hiking distance: 50m (60yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: easily accessible
Trail link:

Hænubrekkufoss

Hænubrekkufoss waterfall Iceland

Hænubrekkufoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: East, see the map of Haenubrekkufoss
Height: 53m (174ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, super jeep/inaccessible in winter
Hiking time: 10 minutes
Hiking distance: 500m (0,3mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link:

Hæstahjallafoss

Hæstahjallafoss waterfall Iceland

Hæstahjallafoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Jennifer Boyer, CCM license. Source link.

Location: Westfjords, see the map of Haestahjallafoss
Height: 5m (16ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: 12 minutes
Hiking distance: 700m (0,4mi)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Haestahjallafoss hiking trail

Hafragilsfoss

Hafragilsfoss waterfall Iceland

Hafragilsfoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Bernd Thaller, CCM license. Source link.

Location: Northeast, see the map of Hafragilsfoss
Height: 27m (89ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, 4wd car/super jeep winter*
Hiking time: next to the road/parking
Hiking distance: 50m (60yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link:

Háifoss

Háifoss waterfall Iceland

Háifoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: South Highlands, see the map of Haifoss
Height: 122m (400ft)
Road accessible by: better 4wd car in summer, super jeep in winter
Hiking time: next to the road/parking
Hiking distance: 50m (60yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link:
Our experience: Haifoss visit

Hangandifoss

Hangandifoss waterfall Iceland

Hangandifoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Southeast, see the map of Hangandifoss
Height: 110m (361ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, super jeep/inaccessible in winter
Hiking time: 30-45 minutes
Hiking distance: 1500m (0,9mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: hardly/inaccessible
Trail link: Hangandifoss hiking trail

Helgufoss

Helgufoss waterfall Iceland

Helgufoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: West, see the map of Helgufoss
Height: 12m (39ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, 4wd car/super jeep in winter
Hiking time: 10*
Hiking distance: 500m* (0,3mi*)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link:

Hengifoss

Hengifoss waterfall Iceland

Hengifoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: East, see the map of Hengifoss
Height: 128m (420ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, better 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: 30-40 minutes
Hiking distance: 2km (1,2mi)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Hengifoss hiking trail

Hestavaðsfoss

Hestavaðsfoss waterfall Iceland

Hestavaðsfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: South, see the map of Hestavadsfoss
Height: 9m (30ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 15 minutes
Hiking distance: 800m (0,5mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Hestavadsfoss hiking trail
Our experience: Hestavadsfoss visit

Hjálparfoss

Hjálparfoss waterfall Iceland

Hjálparfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Southwest, see the map of Hjalparfoss
Height: 13m (43ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, better 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: next to the road/parking
Hiking distance: 100m (110yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link:

Hlauptungufoss

Hlauptungufoss waterfall Iceland

Hlauptungufoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by G.Mannaerts, CCM license. Source link.

Location: West, see the map of Hlauptungufoss
Height: 2m (7ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 30-40 minutes
Hiking distance: 2km (1,2mi)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Hlauptungufoss hiking trail

Hólmsárfoss

Hólmsárfoss waterfall Iceland

Hólmsárfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: South Highlands, see the map of Holmsarfoss
Height: 3m (10ft)
Road accessible by: 4wd car in summer (F-road), super jeep/inaccessible in winter
Hiking time: next to the road/parking
Hiking distance: 50m (60yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link:

Hólmsárfossár

Hólmsárfossár waterfall Iceland

Hólmsárfossár waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: South Highlands, see the map of Holmsarfossar
Height: 10m (33ft)
Road accessible by: 4wd car in summer (F-road), inaccessible in winter
Hiking time: 40 minutes
Hiking distance: 2km (1,2mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: inaccessible
Trail link: Holmsarfossar hiking trail
Our experience: Holmsarfossar visit

Hrafnabjargafoss

hrafnabjargafoss waterfall iceland

Hrafnabjargafoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Source link.

Location: North Highlands, see the map of Hrafnabjargafoss
Height: 8m (26ft)
Road accessible by: 4wd car in summer (F-road), super jeep/inaccessible in winter
Hiking time: 5 minutes
Hiking distance: 300m (0,2mi)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: hardly/inaccessible
Trail link: Hrafnabjargafoss hiking trail

Hraunfossar

Hraunfossar waterfall Iceland

Hraunfossar waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: West, see the map of Hraunfossar
Height: 10m (33ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, better 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: 5 minutes
Hiking distance: 300m (330yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: easily accessible
Trail link: Hraunfossar hiking trail

Hrísvaðsfoss

Hrísvaðsfoss waterfall Iceland

Hrísvaðsfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Westfjords, see the map of Hrisvadsfoss
Height: 3m (10ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: 5 minutes
Hiking distance: 300m (330yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Hrisvadsfoss hiking trail

Hundafoss (Westfjords)

Hundafoss waterfall Iceland

Hundafoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Westfjords, see the map of Hundafoss dynjandi
Height: 2m (7ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: 3 minutes
Hiking distance: 100m (110yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Hundafoss dynjandi hiking trail
Our experience: Hundafoss visit

Hundafoss (Skaftafell)

Hundafoss waterfall Iceland

Hundafoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Southeast, see the map of Hundafoss skaftafell
Height: 25m (82ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 15 minutes
Hiking distance: 800m (0,5mi)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Hundafoss skaftafell hiking trail

Húsárfoss

husarfoss waterfall iceland

Husarfoss waterfall (click to enlarge)

Location: Westfjords, see the map of Husarfoss
Height: 25m (80ft)
Road accessible by: 4wd car in summer (F-road), super jeep/inaccessible in winter
Hiking time: 20-30 minutes
Hiking distance: 1,5km (1mi)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: hardly/inaccessible
Trail link: Husarfoss hiking trail

Hvitárfoss

Hvitárfoss waterfall Iceland

Hvitárfoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Snorri Thor Trygvasson, CCM license. Source link.

Location: South, see the map of Hvitarfoss
Height: 30m (98ft)
Road accessible by: super jeep and only in summer
Hiking time: 1-4 hours
Hiking distance: 3-14 km (2-9mi)
Hiking difficulty: difficult
Trail in winter: inaccessible
Trail link: Hvitarfoss hiking trail

Írárfoss

Írárfoss waterfall Iceland

Írárfoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Source link.

Location: South, see the map of Irarfoss
Height: 60m (197ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: next to the road/parking
Hiking distance: 50m (60yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link:

Kæfufoss

Kæfufoss waterfall Iceland

Kæfufoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: South, see the map of Kaefufoss
Height: 8m (26ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 1 hour
Hiking distance: 3,2km (2mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Kaefufoss hiking trail

Kerlingarfoss

Kerlingarfoss waterfall Iceland

Kerlingarfoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Bromr, CCM license. Source link.

Location: Snaefellsnes, see the map of Kerlingarfoss
Height: 60m (197ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, 4wd car/super jeep in winter
Hiking time: 5 minutes
Hiking distance: 250m (270yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Kerlingarfoss hiking trail

Kermóafoss

Kermóafoss waterfall Iceland

Kermóafoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Reykjavik, see the map of Kermoafoss
Height: 7m (23ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 3 minutes
Hiking distance: 150m (160yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: easily accessible
Trail link:

Ketubjörg

Ketubjörg waterfall Iceland

Ketubjörg waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: North, see the map of Ketubjorg
Height: 120m (394ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, 4wd car/super jeep in winter
Hiking time: 5-10 minutes
Hiking distance: 200m-500m, depends on from where you go (0,1-0,3mi)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link:

Kirkjufellsfoss

Kirkjufellsfoss waterfall Iceland

Kirkjufellsfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Snaefellsnes, see the map of Kirkjufellsfoss
Height: 20m (66ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, better 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: 3 minutes
Hiking distance: 150m (160yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: easily accessible
Trail link:
Our experience: Kirkjufellsfoss visit

Kirkjufoss

Kirkjufoss waterfall Iceland

Kirkjufoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: East Highlands, see the map of Kirkjufoss
Height: 40m (131ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, super jeep/inaccessible in winter
Hiking time: 30 minutes
Hiking distance: 2000m (1,2mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: hardly/inaccessible
Trail link: Kirkjufoss hiking trail

Klifbrekkufoss

Klifbrekkufoss waterfall Iceland

Klifbrekkufoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: East, see the map of Klifbrekkufoss
Height: 90m (295ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, super jeep in winter
Hiking time: 5-15 minutes
Hiking distance: 100-250m (100-300yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy*
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Klifbrekkufoss hiking trail

Klukkufoss

Klukkufoss waterfall Iceland

Klukkufoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Bromr, CCM license. Source link.

Location: Snaefellsnes, see the map of Klukkufoss
Height: 25m (82ft)
Road accessible by: 4wd car in summer (F-road), inaccessible in winter
Hiking time: 15 minutes
Hiking distance: 500m (0,3mi)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: hardly/inaccessible
Trail link: Klukkufoss hiking trail

Kolufossar

Kolufossar waterfall Iceland

Kolufossar waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by DasPumm, CCM license. Source link.

Location: Northwest, see the map of Kolufossar
Height: 8m (26ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, better 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: next to the road/parking
Hiking distance: 50m (60yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: easily accessible
Trail link:

Króksfoss (Skógar)

Króksfoss waterfall Iceland

Króksfoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Source link.

Location: South, see the map of Kroksfoss fimmvorduhals
Height: 14m (46ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 2 hours
Hiking distance: 6,5km (4mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Kroksfoss fimmvorduhals hiking trail

Króksfoss (Norðurárdalur)

Króksfoss waterfall Iceland

Króksfoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Source link.

Location: West, see the map of Kroksfoss
Height: 5m (16ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 5 minutes
Hiking distance: 100m (110yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: easily accessible
Trail link:

Kvernufoss

Kvernufoss waterfall Iceland

Kvernufoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: South, see the map of Kvernufoss
Height: 40m (131ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 10-15 minutes
Hiking distance: 700m (0,4mi)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: easily accessible
Trail link: Kvernufoss hiking trail
Our experience: Kvernufoss visit

Laugavallalaug

Laugavallalaug waterfall Iceland

Laugavallalaug waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: East Highlands, see the map of Laugavallalaug
Height: 6m (20ft)
Road accessible by: 4wd car in summer, super jeep/inaccessible in winter
Hiking time: 5 minutes
Hiking distance: 300m (330yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: hardly/inaccessible
Trail link:
Our experience: Laugavallalaug visit

Litlanesfoss

Litlanesfoss waterfall Iceland

Litlanesfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: East, see the map of Litlanesfoss
Height: 35m (115ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, better 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: 15-20 minutes
Hiking distance: 1200m (0,7mi)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Litlanesfoss hiking trail

Mígandifoss

Mígandifoss waterfall Iceland

Mígandifoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Markus Trienke, CCM license. Source link.

Location: North, see the map of Migandi
Height: 45m (148ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 5-20 minutes
Hiking distance: 100-1000m (100yd-0,6mi)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link:

Mögáfoss

Mögáfoss waterfall Iceland

Mögáfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: South, see the map of Mogafoss
Height: 40m (131ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 10-15 minutes
Hiking distance: 600m (0,4mi)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: easily accessible
Trail link: Mogafoss hiking trail
Our experience: Mogafoss visit

Möngufoss

Möngufoss waterfall Iceland

Möngufoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Westfjords, see the map of Mongufoss
Height: 60m (197ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, super jeep in winter
Hiking time: 1 hour
Hiking distance: 4km (2,5mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: hardly/inaccessible
Trail link:

Morsárfoss

Morsárfoss waterfall Iceland

Morsárfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Southeast, see the map of Morsarfoss
Height: 228m (748ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 4 hours
Hiking distance: 11km (7mi)
Hiking difficulty: difficult
Trail in winter: inaccessible
Trail link: Morsarfoss hiking trail

Múlafoss

Múlafoss waterfall Iceland

Múlafoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Southeast, see the map of Mulafoss
Height: 50m (164ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, super jeep/inaccessible in winter
Hiking time: 1-1,5 hour
Hiking distance: 3km (1,9mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate*
Trail in winter: hardly/inaccessible
Trail link: Mulafoss hiking trail

Nauthusáfoss

Nauthusáfoss waterfall Iceland

Nauthusáfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: South, see the map of Nauthusafoss
Height: 20m (66ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, better 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: 20 minutes
Hiking distance: 800m (0,5mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: inaccessible
Trail link: Nauthusafoss hiking trail
Our experience: Nauthusafoss visit

Neðstifoss and Miðfoss

Neðstifoss and Miðfoss waterfall Iceland

Neðstifoss and Miðfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: South, see the map of Nedstifoss and Midfoss
Height: 15m (49ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 2,5 hours
Hiking distance: 8km (5mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Nedstifoss and Midfoss hiking trail
Our experience: Nedstifoss and Midfoss visit

Núpsárfoss

Núpsárfoss waterfall Iceland

Núpsárfoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Snorri Thor Trygvasson, CCM license. Source link.

Location: South, see the map of Nupsarfoss
Height: 25m (82ft)
Road accessible by: super jeep and only in summer
Hiking time: 1-4 hours
Hiking distance: 3-14 km (2-9mi)
Hiking difficulty: difficult
Trail in winter: inaccessible
Trail link: Nupsarfoss hiking trail

Nýifoss

nyifoss waterfall iceland

Nýifoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Polarlys, CCM license, Source link.

Location: West, see the map of Nyifoss
Height: 40m (130ft)
Road accessible by: 4wd car in summer (F-road), super jeep/inaccessible in winter
Hiking time: 30-40 minutes
Hiking distance: 2km (1,3mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: hardly/inaccessible
Trail link: Nyifoss hiking trail

Ófærufoss

Ófærufoss waterfall Iceland

Ófærufoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: South Highlands, see the map of Ofaerufoss
Height: 40m (131ft)
Road accessible by: 4wd car in summer (F-road), super jeep/inaccessible in winter
Hiking time: 40 minutes
Hiking distance: 2,5km (1,6mi)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: hardly/inaccessible
Trail link: Ofaerufoss hiking trail

Öxarárfoss

Öxarárfoss waterfall Iceland

Öxarárfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: West, see the map of Oxararfoss
Height: 7m (23ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 10 minutes
Hiking distance: 400m (440yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: easily accessible
Trail link: Oxararfoss hiking trail

Prestagilsfoss

prestagilsfoss waterfall iceland

Prestagilsfoss (click to enlarge). Source link.

Location: East, see the map of Prestagilsfoss
Height: 160m (520ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, super jeep in winter
Hiking time: 10 minutes
Hiking distance: 600m (0,4mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate/difficult
Trail in winter: hardly/inaccessible
Trail link:

Rauðárfoss

Rauðárfoss waterfall Iceland

Rauðárfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: South, see the map of Raudarfoss
Height: 20m (66ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, better 4wd car in winter*
Hiking time: 10*
Hiking distance: 300m* (330yd*)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: tougher, but accessible
Trail link: Raudarfoss hiking trail

Raudufossar

Raudufossar waterfall Iceland

Raudufossar waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: South Highlands, see the map of Raudufossar
Height: 60m (197ft)
Road accessible by: 4wd car in summer (F-road), super jeep/inaccessible in winter
Hiking time: 20-30 minutes
Hiking distance: 1500m (0,9mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: hardly/inaccessible
Trail link: Raudufossar hiking trail
Our experience: Raudufossar visit

Raudufossafjol

Raudufossafjol waterfall Iceland

Raudufossafjol waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: South Highlands, see the map of Raudufossafjol
Height: 5m (16ft)
Road accessible by: 4wd car in summer (F-road), super jeep/inaccessible in winter
Hiking time: 1,5 hour
Hiking distance: 4,5km (2,8mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: inaccessible
Trail link: Raudufossafjol hiking trail
Our experience: Raudufossafjol visit

Reykjafoss

Reykjafoss waterfall Iceland

Reykjafoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: North, see the map of Reykjafoss
Height: 20m (66ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, better 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: 10 minutes
Hiking distance: 400m (440yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: muddy/snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link:
Our experience: Reykjafoss visit

Rjúkandi

Rjúkandi waterfall Iceland

Rjúkandi waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: East, see the map of Rjukandafoss
Height: 139m (456ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 5-10 minutes
Hiking distance: 300m (330yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: icy but accessible
Trail link:

Rollutorfufoss

Rollutorfufoss waterfall Iceland

Rollutorfufoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: South, see the map of Rollutorfufoss
Height: 5m (16ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 45 minutes
Hiking distance: 2,5km (1,6mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Rollutorfufoss hiking trail

Selfoss

Selfoss waterfall Iceland

Selfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Northeast, see the map of Selfoss
Height: 10m (33ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, super jeep in winter
Hiking time: 30 minutes
Hiking distance: 2km (1,2mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Selfoss hiking trail
Our experience: Selfoss visit

Seljalandsfoss

Seljalandsfoss waterfall Iceland

Seljalandsfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: South, see the map of Seljalandsfoss
Height: 65m (213ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 3 minutes
Hiking distance: 150m (160yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: easily accessible
Trail link:
Our experience: Seljalandsfoss in summer, Seljalandsfoss in winter

Selvallafoss

Selvallafoss waterfall Iceland

Selvallafoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Snaefellsnes, see the map of Selvallafoss
Height: 10m (33ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, better 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: 5 minutes
Hiking distance: 200m (220yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: muddy/snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link:

Sigöldufoss

Sigöldufoss waterfall Iceland

Sigöldufoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Mickaël Delcey (Silverkey), CCM license. Source link.

Location: South Highlands, see the map of Sigoldufoss
Height: 10m (33ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, super jeep in winter
Hiking time: next to the road/parking
Hiking distance: 50m (60yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: easily accessible
Trail link:

Skalabrekkufoss

Skalabrekkufoss waterfall Iceland

Skalabrekkufoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: South, see the map of Skalabrekkufoss
Height: 43m (141ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 1 hour
Hiking distance: 3,5km (2,2mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Skalabrekkufoss hiking trail
Our experience: Skalabrekkufoss visit

Skiptárfoss

Skiptárfoss waterfall Iceland

Skiptárfoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Bromr, CCM license. Source link.

Location: Westfjords, see the map of Skiptarfoss
Height: 80m (262ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, 4wd car in winter*
Hiking time: 2*
Hiking distance: 50m* (60yd*)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: muddy/snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link:

Skógafoss

Skógafoss waterfall Iceland

Skógafoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: South, see the map of Skogafoss
Height: 62m (203ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 2-10 minutes
Hiking distance: 100-300m (100-330yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: easily accessible*
Trail link:
Our experience: Skógafoss in summer, Skógafoss in winter

Skorhagafoss

Skorhagafoss waterfall Iceland

Skorhagafoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Bromr, CCM license. Source link.

Location: West, see the map of Skorhagafoss
Height: 8m (26ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd
Hiking time: 2 minutes
Hiking distance: 50m (60yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: easily accessible
Trail link:

Skútafoss

Skútafoss waterfall Iceland

Skútafoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Southeast, see the map of Skutafoss
Height: 6m (20ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 15 minutes
Hiking distance: 700m (0,4mi)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: muddy/snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Skutafoss hiking trail
Our experience: Skútafoss visit

Snædalsfoss

Snædalsfoss waterfall Iceland

Snædalsfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Southeast, see the map of Snaedalsfoss
Height: 37m (121ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 20-25 minutes
Hiking distance: 1km (0,7mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate/difficult
Trail in winter: muddy/snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Snaedalsfoss hiking trail

Staðarfoss

Staðarfoss waterfall Iceland

Staðarfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Westfjords, see the map of Stadarfoss
Height: 30m (98ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: 10-15 minutes
Hiking distance: 500m (0,3mi)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: muddy/snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link:

Stakkholtsgjáfoss

Stakkholtsgjáfoss waterfall Iceland

Stakkholtsgjáfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: South Highlands, see the map of Stakkholtsgjafoss
Height: 30m (98ft)
Road accessible by: large 4wd car in summer (F-road), super jeep in winter
Hiking time: 30-40 minutes
Hiking distance: 1,5km (0,9mi)
Hiking difficulty: difficult
Trail in winter: hardly/inaccessible
Trail link: Stakkholtsgjafoss hiking trail
Our experience: Stakkholtsgjafoss visit

Steinbogafoss

Steinbogafoss waterfall Iceland

Steinbogafoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: South, see the map of Steinbogafoss
Height: 8m (26ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 30 minutes
Hiking distance: 1,5km (0,9mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Steinbogafoss hiking trail

Stigafoss

Stigafoss waterfall Iceland

Stigafoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Bromr, CCM license. Source link.

Location: South Highlands, see the map of Stigafoss
Height: 138m (453ft)
Road accessible by: large 4wd car in summer (F-road), super jeep in winter
Hiking time: 15-20 minutes
Hiking distance: 1km (0,6mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: hardly/inaccessible
Trail link:

Stjórnarfoss

Stjórnarfoss waterfall Iceland

Stjórnarfoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Bromr, CCM license. Source link.

Location: South, see the map of Stjornafoss
Height: 6m (20ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 5 minutes
Hiking distance: 200m (220yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: easily accessible
Trail link:

Strompgljúfrafoss

Strompgljúfrafoss waterfall Iceland

Strompgljúfrafoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Westfjords, see the map of Strompgljufrafoss
Height: 20m (66ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: 10 minutes
Hiking distance: 550m (0,3mi)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Strompgljufrafoss hiking trail
Our experience: Strompgljufrafoss visit

Strútsfoss

Strútsfoss waterfall Iceland

Strútsfoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: East, see the map of Strutsfoss
Height: 120m (394ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, 4wd car/super jeep in winter
Hiking time: 1 hour
Hiking distance: 4km (2,5mi)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: hardly/inaccessible
Trail link: Strutsfoss hiking trail

Stuðlafoss

Stuðlafoss waterfall Iceland

Stuðlafoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: East, see the map of Studlafoss
Height: 15m (49ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, super jeep in winter
Hiking time: 40 minutes
Hiking distance: 2,5km (1,6mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: hardly/inaccessible
Trail link: Studlafoss hiking trail

Svartifoss

Svartifoss waterfall Iceland

Svartifoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: Southeast, see the map of Svartifoss
Height: 20m (66ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: 30 minutes
Hiking distance: 2km (1,2mi)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Svartifoss hiking trail
Our experience: Svartifoss visit

Svöðufoss

Svöðufoss waterfall Iceland

Svöðufoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Veronique Lopez, CCM license.

Location: Snaefellsnes, see the map of Svodufoss
Height: 40m (131ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, better 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: 15 minutes
Hiking distance: 800m (0,5mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Svodufoss hiking trail

Systrafoss

Systrafoss waterfall Iceland

Systrafoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Source link.

Location: South, see the map of Systrafoss
Height: 80m (262ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: next to the road/parking
Hiking distance: 50m (60yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: easily accessible
Trail link:

Þjófafoss

Þjófafoss waterfall Iceland

Þjófafoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Grunkhead, CCM license. Source link.

Location: South Highlands, see the map of Thjofafoss
Height: 15m (49ft)
Road accessible by: better 4wd car in summer, super jeep in winter
Hiking time: next to the road/parking
Hiking distance: 100m (110yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link:

Þórðarfoss

Þórðarfoss waterfall Iceland

Þórðarfoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Bromr, CCM license. Source link.

Location: South, see the map of Thordarfoss
Height: 80m (262ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: 5-10 minutes
Hiking distance: 300m (330yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link:

Tófufoss

Tófufoss waterfall Iceland

Tófufoss waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: East, see the map of Tofufoss
Height: 8m (26ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: 3 minutes
Hiking distance: 100m (110yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: easily accessible
Trail link:

Tröllafoss

Tröllafoss waterfall Iceland

Tröllafoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Bromr, CCM license. Source link.

Location: West, see the map of Trollafoss
Height: 10m (33ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, 4wd car/super jeep in winter
Hiking time: next to the road/parking
Hiking distance: 50m (60yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: muddy/snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link:

Tungnaárfellsfoss

Tungnaárfellsfoss waterfall Iceland

Tungnaárfellsfoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by John Inrik, CCM license. Source link.

Location: South Highlands, see the map of Tungnaarfellsfoss
Height: 5m (16ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, super jeep in winter
Hiking time: 10 minutes
Hiking distance: 500m (0,3mi)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: hardly/inaccessible
Trail link:

Urriðafoss

Urriðafoss waterfall Iceland

Urriðafoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Ulrich Hess, CCM license. Source link.

Location: Southwest, see the map of Urridafoss
Height: 4m (13ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car
Hiking time: next to the road/parking
Hiking distance: 50m (60yd)
Hiking difficulty: easy
Trail in winter: easily accessible
Trail link:

Valafoss

Valafoss waterfall Iceland

Valafoss waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by nonnio, CCM license.

Location: Snaefellsnes, see the map of Valafoss
Height: 60m (197ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, better 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: 3-4 hours
Hiking distance: 8-10km (5-6mi)
Hiking difficulty: difficult
Trail in winter: inaccessible
Trail link: Valafoss hiking trail

Valagil

Valagil waterfall Iceland

Valagil waterfall (click to enlarge). Photo by Werner, CCM license. Source link.

Location: Westfjords, see the map of Valagil
Height: 80m (262ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: 30-40 minutes
Hiking distance: 2km (1,2mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: hardly/inaccessible
Trail link: Valagil hiking trail

Vestdalsfossar

Vestdalsfossar waterfall Iceland

Vestdalsfossar waterfall (click to enlarge).

Location: East, see the map of Vestdalsfossar
Height: 14m (46ft)
Road accessible by: 2wd car in summer, better 4wd car in winter
Hiking time: 10 minutes
Hiking distance: 600m (0,4mi)
Hiking difficulty: moderate
Trail in winter: muddy/snowy/icy but accessible
Trail link: Vestdalsfossar hiking trail
Our experience: Vestdalsfoss visit

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Þakgil – Full Guide + Best Hiking Trails

Þakgil – Full Guide + Best Hiking Trails

Þakgil is amazingly beautiful, yet there was no detailed guide to Thakgil, nor any detailed description of the best hiking trails in Þakgil. We want to fill this gap and will be writing in deep detail about all the hiking trails, the Thakgil campsite, how to get to Þakgil, what to see and when to go.

Hikes in Thakgil (or in Icelandic Þakgil) definitely belong to the best hikes in Iceland. Thakgil is a hiking paradise full of canyons, ravines, waterfalls and even melting glaciers! Þakgil is located pretty close to Vik, a very popular city in southern Iceland, very well accessible to all tourists. There are three main hiking trails and several possible detours.

Huldujökull glacier hike Þakgil iceland

Amazing views at the melting Huldujökull glacier in Þakgil

Most of the other blogs out there describe only one of the Þakgil hikes in detail – the purple one – the Remundargil ravine hike. Probably, because it’s the easiest and the quickest one. However, definitely not the most rewarding one 🙂

That being said, we will do the opposite. We will describe in detail our day hike which included hiking a yellow trail and a red trail in Thakgil. These hikes are called the Austurafréttur hike and the Mælifell hike. We also added an amazing hidden bonus – a hike to Huldujökull glacier.

When to visit Þakgil

You can visit Thakgil only in summer when the hiking trails are open. When do hiking trails in Þakgil open? The trails open once there is no snow on the trails. This usually happens any time between the beginning of June and the first half of July.

When do the Thakgil hiking trails close? The trails close after the first heavier snowfall. The first heavier snowfall typically reaches Þakgil at any time between the first half of September and the end of October.

canyon red Mælifell trail Þakgil iceland

Magnificent canyon next to the red Maelifell trail, Þakgil

So, when should you visit Thakgil? To be sure to have clear and dry trails, visit Þakgil between the first half of July and the second half of September. This period also coincides with the mildest and warmest weather, which you will definitely need. For 100% accurate info on the current state of the trails, please contact the campsite or safetravel.is.

Can I visit Þakgil in winter? Outside of the main season? Only in theory. First of all, the road leading to Thakgil is full of snow at that time. Secondly, the trails are full of snow too. This means both the road as well as the trails are very dangerous to navigate and you should never do that without a professional guide. Even with their help, Þakgil is typically inaccessible between October and May.

Tips on the most beautiful places in Icelandic Highlands.

How to get to Þakgil

The only way to get to Thakgil is to use the gravel Road 214, Kerlingardalvegur. Since the road is 16 kilometers (10 miles) long, you have to rent a car or hitchhike. There’s no bus service to Þakgil. You may probably be able to arrange some expensive private transport, but in that case, better rent a car.

road to thakgil iceland

Beginning of the road to Þakgil. This was the easiest part.

Road to Þakgil

Kerlingardalvegur, or Road 214, leading to Thakgil is a pretty bumpy gravel road. Road to Thakgil is officially a normal 3-digit road, however, it could quickly be classified as an F-road. I could easily name several F-roads that are easier (and more comfortable) to drive on than Road 214. The thing is, the road to Þakgil doesn’t contain any river crossings, so they decided to classify it as a normal road.

The road is open to normal vehicles only in summer. In winter there’s usually “no winter service”. What does it mean? Feel free to read our article about Icelandic Roads to find out more. Long story short, expect a very bumpy and slow drive with many potholes and in summer also many fellow tourists.

road 214 Kerlingardalvegur thakgil iceland

Road 214 Kerlingardalvegur to Þakgil on a beautiful sunny day.

Do you need a 4×4 to get to Thakgil? The road to Thakgil is definitely passable also in a 2wd car, but you will feel much safer in a 4×4 car. I’m glad we had our Land Cruiser. This way we didn’t need to worry about any damages to the car’s undercarriage / chassis. Or you can rent with Lotus, the only car rental company in Iceland which insures undercarriage / chassis). If you are interested in details of how car rental insurance works in Iceland, we wrote a detailed guide on that.

All that being said, if you are lucky enough with the weather, the road to Þakgil is amazingly beautiful on a sunny day. A scenic drive through a valley full of river streams, black ash, and green moss hills everywhere around you with a lush green Thakgil valley slowly coming closer to you in the background. Totally worth the bumpy drive.

Parking in Thakgil

The only actual sort of “official” car park in Þakgil is located at the campsite. This is probably the best spot to leave your car and it’s free unless you stay overnight. That would be camping already and you need to pay for that. Not all the hikes in Thakgil begin at the Thakgil campsite, though – see the map of Thakgil hiking trails below.

parking Þakgil iceland

We left our car on the gravel, next to the road, close to the purple hiking trail.

If you want to park your car as close to the beginning of your chosen hiking trail as possible, you may also park the car next to a road, close to the start of the hiking trail (as we did). However, please keep strictly in mind, that you can NOT park on the moss or grass. You have to find a gravel spot or a spot where there’s nothing you may potentially destroy and evidently other cars have already parked there before. Additionally, never leave your car parked on the road itself! Park NEXT to the road. If you are unsure about where to park, better leave your car at the campsite, it’s pretty close to all the trails anyway.

A detailed guide on How to choose the best Car for Iceland.

Thakgil campsite

Þakgil campsite is probably one of the most beautiful campsites in Iceland. Thakgil camping is located directly in the heart of Þakgil. In summer you will be surrounded by magnificent lush green hills and ravines. There’s also a much more expensive possibility to book your private hut. Take a look at the website of the campsite for an up to date info. The website may be a bit outdated from time to time (seems like locals are not much of web admins, understandably) but the phone number is working, so I suggest you call them if you need anything. They do speak (simple) English 🙂

Þakgil campsite iceland

Þakgil campsite

If you want to book a hut or accommodation nearby, we highly suggest you do so enough in advance. Huts in Thakgil are in very high demand in summer. With simple camping, you don’t need to book in advance. It’s a first come, first serve system and I don’t remember the campsite being full at any time. There’s also a possibility to ask for the current trail conditions at the campsite. Sometimes you may also get an accurate answer. Don’t rely on that, though – see our hiking story below :).

Hiking trails in Þakgil

  • Ravine walk from the campsite, 1km, 15-20 minutes
  • Remundargil ravine (purple trail), 13km, 3-5 hours
  • Austurafréttur range (yellow trail), 17km, 6-8 hours
  • Maelifell (red trail), 14km, 4-5 hours
  • Huldujökull glacier detour (white trail), 3km, 1-3 hours
  • Austurafréttur + Maelifell + Huldujökull loop (yellow + red +white trail), 20km, 6-9 hours

Map of the hiking trails in Þakgil

There are 3 main hiking trails in Þakgil – the red trail, the yellow trail, and the purple trail. Then there are several “side” trails. See the hiking map of Thakgil below. This map is accurate and you can rely on it. The original map, however, didn’t mark any dangerous parts, or river crossings. That’s why we added our notes to the map and we suggest you read our entire article if you plan on going hiking in Thakgil.

Map Þakgil hiking trails

Map of Þakgil hiking trails with our notes (click to enlarge)

If I had to rank the main trails by difficulty, the order would be as follows:

  • Common red/yellow trail (the easiest)
  • Yellow and purple trails (medium)
  • Red trail (more difficult)
thakgil all hiking trails map

Local map of all the hiking trails, roads and tracks in Thakgil (click to enlarge)

The alternative map above depicts all these trails (including the detour) and distinguishes between hiking trails only (yellow/green dashed line) and buggy/jeep tracks (brown) which also serve as hiking trails.

Myths and Facts about hiking in Thakgil

The lack of factual information about hiking trails in Thakgil gives rise to many weird myths about Thakgil. Below we answer all questions we’ve heard about Þakgil.

What is the best hiking trail in Thakgil?

The most beautiful trails are the eastern part of the Yellow trail and the western part of the Red trail, in our opinion. They are also the most difficult trail segments. Views from these parts of the trails are simply stunning, see our trip report below. Probably the most beautiful unmarked detour from these trails is a detour to Huldujökull glacier.

Þakgil canyon iceland

The red Mælifell trail is very green, full of spectacular canyons and ravines.

Is one day in Thakgil enough?

If you catch the nice weather, one day is definitely enough to see the best of Þakgil. If you want to hike all the trails, it would take you 2 days if you are a quick hiker, and 3 days if you are a slow hiker. Just bear in mind, the trails and the surrounding landscapes are somewhat similar, so it doesn’t entirely make sense to hike every single inch of all of them.

The yellow and the red trail may be done in 1 day as a huge loop. This is exactly what we’ve done and couldn’t be happier! Totally worth every mile! The yellow and the red trail are pretty diverse and quite different from each other – it felt like hiking at two different places. The entire loop took us 9 hours to finish, including many photo pauses, a longer lunch break, and losing almost an hour by finding the proper route when crossing the river. See our trip report below.

Many useful discounts on Icelandic car rentals and Guided tours.

How difficult are the hiking trails in Thakgil?

The hiking trails in Þakgil are of medium difficulty. They are definitely not easy hikes for families with little children or for the elderly. They are also not any mountaineering expeditions. No special equipment is required in summer. We recommend taking hiking poles and if you plan to hike the red trail, then also water shoes for the river crossing.

maelifell red hiking trail thakgil iceland

Steep descent from the red hiking trail in Þakgil

Can you get to Thakgil with a 2wd car?

Yes, you can, but you will have to drive slowly and there’s a chance you may damage your car because the road to Thakgil is very bumpy. We recommend taking any 4wd car and driving carefully.

Is the yellow trail the most beautiful one?

We think that the eastern part of the yellow trail and the western part of the red trail are the most beautiful trails. If we had to choose just one, it would be a hard decision. The yellow trail is definitely an easier one, though, with no river crossings.

The least exciting trail is the common red/yellow trail because it leads via old jeep tracks. This part of the trail is, on the other hand, also the easiest part to hike. If you aim for a worry-free hike, or you are simply hiking in unfavorable weather, then go for this trail.

yellow trail Þakgil iceland

Amazing views from the yellow hiking trail in Þakgil

Should you do the Þakgil hikes only in the nice weather?

Yes, definitely. Aim for clear skies and no strong winds. The hikes are doable in light rain and slightly windy weather, but if it gets worse, they may be pretty dangerous. There are some steep ridges and slippery parts, so please, choose your day wisely and better turn back when feeling unsafe.

Especially the western part of the red trail and the eastern part of the yellow trail are pretty dangerous if it strongly rains/snows/wind blows, regardless of your hiking experience. The common red/yellow trail should be fine because it leads through the old road/track. However, consider also the views – if it’s foggy, you will see nothing despite doing a pretty demanding hike.

Is the yellow trail dangerous?

I’ve read that the yellow trail is pretty demanding, steep, and dangerous at some points and you should better do it starting from the east (counter-clockwise).

Well, I don’t think this is true. From our experience, the route is doable in both directions in good weather and if you are used to longer hikes. If you are not used to hiking, then yes, this trail is demanding and possibly dangerous.

rainy red trail thakgil iceland

Rainy picture from the middle of the red hiking trail in Þakgil. Still amazing views.

All trails are dangerous during bad weather, like strong rain, strong wind, snow, or bad visibility due to fog. In the nice weather, the yellow trail is not more dangerous than the other trails of Thakgil in any way. In fact, the most dangerous trail is the red trail in our opinion, due to the sharp ridge part and river crossings.

Do you have to cross the river during the hikes?

Only when hiking the red Maelifell trail. There are 3 river crossings located close to the campsite. The river is pretty fast flowing and it’s no joke to ford it, see our experience below. Take water shoes, adhere to river fording principles, and always hike at minimum in a group of 2.

Is the purple trail and the common red/yellow trail worth hiking?

Of course, they are worth hiking 🙂 The entire Þakgil area is totally beautiful and all the hikes are nice. We are just cherry-picking here the best out of the already beautiful options.

Hiking the Yellow and Red trail loop – our experience

view top maelifell thakgil iceland

Our rainy and a bit foggy view from top of Mælifell red trail in Thakgil

Yellow hiking trail in Thakgil, also known as Austurafréttur, is one of the two hikes we consider the most amazing in Thakgil and also the most difficult. The second one is the red trail to Maelifell. Here is a link to our Wikiloc hiking trail in Þakgil.

The yellow trail is probably slightly easier than the red one, though. You may form your own opinion after reading our report. As you can see on the map, there are several options for how to hike the yellow trail. We chose the counter-clockwise direction, i.e. an ascent from the east and a hike towards the Austurafréttur range. It took us 3 hours one way to hike the eastern part of the yellow trail and to reach the Huldujökull glacier.

Map yellow red trail loop Thakgil

Map of the yellow-red loop hiking trail in Þakgil we took

There are several different starting points for the yellow trail available. We aimed to choose the “most efficient” starting point to minimize walking on the road and maximize hiking the trail itself. That being said, we parked our car at the intersection of the road to Þakgil and the purple hiking trail, see above.

We had first crossed the little stream next to the road, then ascended up via the purple trail, and then continued to the north via the yellow trail.

The ascent towards the Remundargil ravine

We started our hike by first crossing the river. It was possible to cross the river by jumping and we didn’t have to take our shoes off. Hiking poles definitely helped. The river is pretty narrow, though, and it was also possible to find some “jumping stones” to cross the river through. Afterward, the hike began with a pretty steep, but safe, climb on the purple trail. The climb led to the intersection with the yellow trail, up on the ridge.

remundargil ravine Þakgil iceland

First ascent via the purple Remundargil ravine trail crossing our yellow trail. Our car is in the distance.

Technically, we haven’t done the “entire“ yellow trail, because we made a shortcut via the purple trail, and the yellow trail continues further toward the southeast. Nevertheless, we made this decision on purpose, because we wanted to save some time for a hike towards Huldujökull. Moreover, the southernmost part of the yellow trail (which we skipped) is said to be the least interesting one.

A pretty steep, but short ascent via the purple trail led us up towards an intersection with a yellow trail, where we continued left on the yellow trail. After finishing the ascent, you will be rewarded with amazingly beautiful 360 degrees views. Only 15 minutes into the hike and you may already admire the stunning beauty of Þakgil from this viewpoint. Our car already looked so tiny in the distance after the climb.

Austurafréttur trail

I’ve read on some blogs that the yellow trail is unmarked. This is not true at all. The yellow trail is well-marked. After an intersection of a purple and a yellow trail, the yellow trail then continues to the north as a gravel path. This part of the trail is slightly boring but doesn’t last very long. No worries, many nice views are yet to come.

yellow hiking trail austurafrettur Þakgil iceland

View after the first ascent towards Austurafréttur range – the yellow hiking trail

You will soon reach a point where you have to perform one additional steep ascent. This ascent leads via the old moss field and can be very tricky if it’s wet because it can become pretty slippery. We had perfect weather with blue skies, therefore also no problems with the ascent at all, just burning some calories. After this last ascent, the trail mostly continues as a gravel path along the eastern edge of the pretty wide Austurafréttur ridge.

Another picturesque viewpoint will soon pop up on your right – a view over a gigantic Kötlujökull glacier. This viewpoint may serve as one of the great picnic spots as well. The yellow trail then continues further north along the edge of the ridge and several little waterfalls and canyons can be observed in the distance, right next to the Kötlujökull glacier.

Kotlujökull glacier Þakgil iceland

Views over the Kotlujökull glacier from the yellow Austurafréttur range trail

You will then reach the point where the yellow trail (and marks) start turning left and lead to the dirt tracks probably used by jeeps or ATVs/quad bikes. This is where the marked yellow trail connects to the dirt road and continues back west to the intersection with the red trail. On top of the yellow trail to the left, however, you have the option to continue further north towards Huldujökull glacier. This is exactly what we’ve done and what I highly recommend on a nice day!

Hike to Huldujökull glacier

After hiking the eastern part of the yellow trail, you will reach an intersection of yellow marks (continuing to the left) and white marks (continuing straight ahead in the northern direction). We followed the white marks and made a detour away from the yellow trail towards the melting Huldujökull glacier (which our friend Dace kindly pointed out to us, thank you!). An ideal time to hike this trail is summer – because this is when the glacier melting may actually be observed and witnessed in real time!

White Trail

You won’t find a white hiking trail to Huldujökull on a classical hiking map, only on a local Icelandic map. It leads via a pretty dull stony/gravel path on the eastern edge of this Thakgil ridge. However, the trail itself is not your main aim here. Instead, you aim for reaching the Huldujökull Glacier, which will slowly start to reveal itself in front of you (on a nice day with good visibility). Hiking the white/unmarked trail to the glacier and back took us roughly 2.5 hours including a lunch break and many pauses for photos.

thakgil huldujokull glacier white trail

Scarce white marks on the white “bonus” trail leading to amazing Huldujökull melting glacier in Þakgil

If I remember correctly, at some point even white marks disappeared. Nevertheless, the orientation is not that hard, because you more or less hike pretty close to the eastern edge of the wide ridge all the time. After the marks had disappeared, we simply followed the edge until the edge basically ended. This included a few little ascents and descents on stony terrain. Although being unmarked, a walk like this is perfectly fine, unless you don’t damage anything “alive” (like moss, please don’t step on any!).

Huldujökull Glacier Views

There are many different viewpoints of Huldujökull, just have in mind where it’s located and you can definitely get there. I don’t recommend going in foggy or (strongly) rainy weather though. Not only you will not see a thing but you may also get lost.

thakgil iceland melting glacier trail

Final, unmarked part of the trail leading to the melting Huldujökull glacier

After reaching the northern edge of this Thakgil ridge a monumental view over almost the entire Huldujökull Glacier opened directly in front of us. And not only that! We had a chance to witness a bit sad but amazingly beautiful phenomenon of a melting glacier! Right in front of us. We were even lucky enough to observe and hear a massive fall of part of the glacier into the ravine below, due to thawing. I’ve caught one of these falls on camera (see the video below, to be added later). Power of nature as a live broadcast.

We made a little picnic with views over a thawing glacier and soaked up the sunrays on this heavenly beautiful day. We then admired the glacier from many viewpoints, hiking a bit to the west. Subsequently, we hiked back via an unmarked trail to reach the yellow, marked one. We’ve first seen the yellow marks and then reached the intersection of a red and a yellow trail.

Huldujökull glacier Þakgil iceland

The end of the partially unmarked white hiking trail in Þakgil

Hiking the Red trail to Mælifell

The red trail in Thakgil is full of lush green valleys and peaks, amazing canyons, and green river valley views. We totally recommend it, just please go only if you are a more experienced hiker. There are 2-3 pretty exposed and steep parts towards the southern part of the trail. It took us 4-5 hours one way to complete the western part of the red trail, including a 1-hour search for the correct river crossing route.

thakgil red hiking trail maelifell

Beginning of the red hiking trail, near the top, near the intersection with the yellow trail. Mælifell on the right.

Originally, we had planned on doing only the yellow trail, i.e. we had wanted to descend back via the common yellow/red trail (western part of the yellow trail / eastern part of the red trail). However, once we reached the intersection of a yellow and a red trail, we realized that this “common yellow and red trail” is simply a rough track for jeeps/ATVs. And, we rather prefer driving the tracks than hiking on them. That being said, we rather wanted to descend back via a pure hiking trail – which is exactly what a western part of the red trail is.

At that point I texted our friend Dace, asking whether the common red/yellow trail is worth the hike. She responded that this was the only option, because a map at the campsite showed some “X” marks on the red trail, indicating that the red trail may have some obstacles or impassable spots. Therefore, I decided to call the campsite directly and ask about the red trail. After a few minutes of trying hard to explain that we want to ask about the conditions of the red trail, I didn’t get any answer. The other side didn’t understand what we were asking about.

red trail thakgil iceland

Hiking near the top of the red Mælifell trail in Þakgil

Finally, we made a decision to try the red trail and in case we reach any impassable point, we still had enough time to turn back and hike down via the easier trail/track. Unfortunately, as is often the case in Iceland, the weather turned from clear blue skies to quite annoying rain. Still not strong enough to change our plans, though.

95% visitors visit only 5% of places. How to avoid tourists in Iceland?

Ascent to Mælifell

The northernmost part of the red trail (where we began our hike) leads to a mountain called Mælifell. Beware, this is not the same Maelifell as this one. Probably the most famous “Maelifell” is instead located next to the road F210, Fjallabaksleið Syðri. Did you know that there are actually more than 10 Mælifells in Iceland? Just to make it easier for a foreign visitor 🙂 Nevertheless. This Maelifell was nice too and more so were the views from the top of it!

This part of the red trail to Mælifell in Þakgil is quite easy and even in normal rain, it wasn’t complicated to hike it. Contrary to the gravel/glacier scenery of the yellow trail, the surroundings of the red trail are much much greener. The final ascent to Mælifell is a bit steeper but fairly short.

peak view red trail thakgil iceland

Foggy and rainy view from the peak of Mælifell on the red trail in Þakgil

After reaching the peak, you will be rewarded with some of the best views over the entire Thakgil! I definitely recommend this detour (even if you then turn back to the yellow route) on a nice day! Unfortunately, this was the point when it rained the most during our trip and also Mrs. Fog came to visit us, so the view was a bit blurred but amazing anyway.

Green canyons and ravines

What follows next during the middle part of the red trail is a pretty easy walk on the western edge of a Thakgil ridge. Stunning views over huge canyons on your right will be your company all along this part of the red trail. There are several scenic photo spots worth stopping at. One of these spots is a view over a gigantic green canyon, multiple times more spectacular compared to, for example, a very touristy Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon. And guess what, you will have it all for yourself! The chances that you will meet someone here are close to zero. We met exactly ZERO people on this trail! Besides that, a lot of friendly trail-following sheep will be your guides.

canyon red trail Þakgil Iceland

Me in front of the huge canyon on the red trail in Thakgil (better then Fjadrargljufur!)

Slippery ridges and descent to a hut

The trickiest part of the red trail is located in the southwestern part of the trail, roughly more than halfway into the hike (halfway of the western part of the red trail). It’s near a spot marked on maps as “Barð”. This tricky part is a pretty exposed ridge followed by a steep and slippery descent. By an exposed ridge I mean a narrow hiking trail with steep falls both to your left and to your right. Definitely not for anyone with a fear of heights. This is where the hiking poles were priceless to maintain our balance. I don’t want to even imagine doing this in a strong wind, or strong rain. Stay away from this part in unfavorable weather!

After a short walk via the exposed ridge, a steep, slippery, and again exposed ridge descent continues for about 50 meters. This was the worst part of the hike for me because personally I just hate terrain where I don’t have any firm ground to walk on available. I have to admit I had to step inch by inch because I felt like slipping and falling with each step. Thus, these 50 meters took me about 15 minutes to finish. My cousin finished this quite quickly, though, so maybe it’s just my problem with these steep and slippery trails ^^.

steep red hiking trail Þakgil iceland

The most exposed part of the red hiking trail in Þakgil. It’s much scarier in reality.

Nevertheless, despite this part of the red trail being dangerous, it is amazingly beautiful too! View over the entire valley and all of the river arms was spectacular and we totally enjoyed it. The descent soon turned into a much safer one, and ended all the way down in the river valley, right next to an empty mountain hut. There’s also a track for jeeps leading to the hut, including several interesting (and not that small) river crossings. The track was easy to be observed from above when descending.

River crossings

There’s a big and fast-flowing river right next to the hut. This is also where the well-trodden path ends. We were able to spot the next red trail mark far in the distance on the other side of the river. Well, this meant, we had to cross the river. But the question was – where? Right next to the hut, the crossing simply looked too wide and the river too fast-flowing to be safe. Moreover, we left our water shoes in the car, so we aimed for crossing without getting our feet wet. And this finally turned out to be an unachievable task.

maelifell red trail Þakgil steepest part

The steepest and most slippery ridge a) from above, b) from below. Much worse in reality than in the picture.

Long story short, we first hiked along the eastern bank of the river only to realize there was no way to continue. Firstly, we climbed a little hill on the left (where we saw human steps) and continued, but the river looked nothing like anything you wanted to cross. A fast stream and very wide even at this spot. We tried for about an hour to find a spot where to cross but unsuccessfully. Turning back was not an option at this point, we were already about half an hour of walking away from our car.

At this point, I finally remembered reading about the red trail before our trip. I forgot that one of the route descriptions mentioned “you may have to cross a river; several times”. Well, the hell they were right. My cousin resigned a bit at that time, rather wanting to hike his own way via huge hills to our right. This wasn’t an option for me because it was both dangerous and illegal, creating your new own route in an unknown place. Luckily, we met a local glacier guide hiking this trail for the first time too, struggling to find a spot to continue and ford the rivers as well.

Þakgil iceland red trail river crossings

The best spot where to cross the first river arm on the red Maelifell trail. Don’t have pics of the other 2 fords :-/ (click to enlarge)

After a little brainstorming, the glacier guide approved my idea, that we should cross the river where cars cross. My reasoning was that Icelanders probably know why they cross the river there with their cars. The spot where cars cross should (generally) be shallow enough also for people to cross. Some of us took our shoes off, some crossed in their shoes. We held each other’s arms and crossed slightly upstream – exactly according to river wading guidelines. A river reached our knees at the worst point and was flowing pretty fast, but we made it without major problems to the other bank.

We followed the car tracks afterward, which, however, soon disappeared. And the river appeared again. Another river crossing. At that point, I remembered again what the description said: “you may have to cross a river; several times”. I see now. Several times. To make it shorter – we crossed again, the same technique, only this time the current was much stronger. At one point I felt like the current might drag me down, but this is where holding each other’s arms totally helped and we crossed successfully.

There was one last crossing (the smallest one) before we reached road 214 to Thakgil. After 9 hours of hiking, we happily got into our cars again, thanking god for all – a beautiful day, views, making it safely back, and successfully finishing all these adventures! What a day!

huldujokull glacier thakgil iceland

Enjoying out-of-this-world views over Huldujökull Glacier in Þakgil

Tips for hiking in Thakgil

  1. Pick a day with good weather. I know it’s not that easy, but at least try. We wrote a handy guide on How to find nice weather in Iceland. Nice weather, at minimum, means no strong wind and no strong rain. Some trails are pretty dangerous to hike in bad weather. Secondly, I more than just recommend going in clear weather, i.e. no fog or very little fog. You may have good weather but with poor visibility, all the spectacular views may be gone. But fog is still a better alternative compared to rain and wind, which, when being strong, are dangerous.
  2. Wear proper clothes and gear. Good hiking shoes, layers, and one waterproof (not water-repellent) layer for both trousers and jacket are a must. I highly advise taking hiking poles as well, they are amazing support on all kinds of slippery terrain. Take a GPS with trail coordinates at least in your phone as well. If you are a novice hiker, you better rent a Location Device or a satellite phone.
  3. Don’t go alone and bring water shoes and a little towel, if you plan to hike a red trail. There will be river crossings. Cross them where cars cross and slightly upstream, holding arms of each other as support.
  4. Try both the yellow and the red trails, they are amazing! Of course, only if you already have an experience with all-day hikes. You can hike the yellow and the red trail both in one day or as separate day hikes.
  5. Don’t be shy to change your plans and/or turn back if the weather worsens or if you get lost. You don’t want to get injured or die in here.

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Westman Islands – Full Guide + Top Things to Do [our experience]

Westman Islands – Full Guide + Top Things to Do [our experience]

We wrote this detailed guide to Westman islands, including top things to do in Westman islands, to help you with our practical, in-depth experience, unlike other often very shallow blogs out there. We include detailed info about what to see in Westman Islands, a ferry to Heimaey island, the need to have a car, the best hikes, our favorite spots, puffins and many more.

Map of Westman Islands

Below you may find the handy map of Heimaey, the biggest of all Westman islands. Heimaey map depicts all interesting spots on the Westman Islands and should help you orientate much better. Here is also the detailed map of Vestmannaeyjar town.

westmann islands map

Local map of the Westman islands (click to enlarge)

Westman Islands, or in Icelandic Vestmannaeyjar, is an amazingly picturesque group of islands very close to and well accessible from the touristy south coast of Iceland. Are Westman islands worth visiting? The answer depends, but most of the time it’s definitely yes.

What are the top places in the Westman islands? And how much time should you devote to a visit to Vestmannaeyjar? We answer all of these questions in our new guide to the Westman islands below. We also include a lot of our own experience with visiting the islands.

Vestmannaeyjar heimaey town

Vestmannaeyjar Heimaey town

The main, the most diverse, and the most visited Westman island with all the infrastructure is called Heimaey. In the entire text below, we will be referring to Heimaey only, if not stated otherwise.

How to get to Westman islands?

First and foremost, the only way to get to Westman islands is by ferry, a private boat, or by plane. Undoubtedly the most comfortable and also the most widely used option is by taking a ferry. Alternatively, you may book a boat tour to or around Westman islands, see below. There’s also a small airport for small airplanes, though this option is usually not used much, because it’s definitely the most expensive one and also not that flexible.

A detailed guide on How to choose the best Car for Iceland.

Westman Islands Ferry

The most used, most flexible, most affordable, and in our opinion also the best option to visit Westman islands is by taking a ferry. You can check all the current information about the ferry on the official Icelandic website of the Westman islands ferry company called Herjólfur.

Vestmannaeyjar ferry

Ferry heading from Landeyjahöfn to Vestmannaeyjar

Westman Islands ferry schedule

In summer AND when the weather is fine, the ferry departs from the closest possible harbor, the harbor in Landeyjahöfn. How long is the ferry? The sailing time is about 40 minutes and in summer there are 7 different time slots available each day. In case the weather is NOT favorable, the ferry has to take the longer route and it departs from Þorlákshöfn instead and just twice a day. The journey from Þorlákshöfn to the Westman islands takes about 3 hours and can be very bumpy.

Landeyjahöfn ferry schedule:

  • Departures from Landeyjahöfn daily at 8:15, 10:45, 13:15, 15:45, 18:15, 20:45 and 23:15
  • Departures from Vestmannaeyjar daily at 7:00, 9:30, 12:00, 14:30, 17:00, 19:30 and 22:00

Þorlákshöfn ferry schedule:

  • Departures from Þorlákshöfn at 10:45 and 20:45
  • Departures from Vestmannaeyjar at 7:00 and 17:00
westman islands ferry

Westman islands ferry. Source: https://herjolfur.is/

How to book a ferry to the Westman islands?

Book only and only via the official Icelandic ferry company called Herjólfur. Although this name is not very user-friendly, this is the ONLY OFFICIAL ferry website! All the other websites (for example www.visitwestmanislands.com) are just re-sellers or other tour operators. This means they will take a commission to book on Herjólfur on your behalf. We always book directly with Herjólfur, because booking with someone else is an unnecessary complication.

To book a ferry, simply visit www.herjolfur.is and make a booking for the desired time. There’s a full refund policy up to 24 hours before the departure for all payments made by a debit/credit card. You’re gonna pay 500ISK (about 4 USD) for each change/cancellation. If your sail is canceled, you will be offered an alternative time. If there’s a chance a ferry may be full, you will be put on a waiting list – see below.

ferry to westman islands

Ferry to Westman islands, passenger deck

How far in advance should you buy a ferry ticket to the Westman islands?

To have a 100% certainty to get a spot (especially if you take your car), of course, you need to book in advance. Is there a chance you will get a spot even if you don’t book in advance? Yes, most of the time you can get the spot, even in summer. What we’ve done and what we also suggest is booking a few days in advance. This way you can book only on a day with nice weather and you have a high chance to get the spot as well.

The alternative with even bigger certainty, just a little bit more work, is booking further in advance and then rescheduling a few days before your trip. Yes, it will cost you a few dollars but it will leave you full peace of mind.

The ferry is usually fully booked on Icelandic summer holidays and also during summer festivities and festivals. Check those carefully, because if you plan to visit Westman islands on these dates, you really need to book very far in advance (months). You can find the list of all events happening on the Westman Islands here.

Moreover, if you are visiting without a car, the chances for a free slot are very high most of the time. Because there are naturally much more spots available for pedestrians compared to cars.

heimaey harbor Vestmannaeyjar

Heimaey harbor, Vestmannaeyjar

We wanted to visit Westman islands with our car in July, i.e. in full season, but only on a nice day (see weather section below). In Facebook groups, everybody was scaring people out that they should book the ferry months in advance. We didn’t follow this advice. Instead, I checked every day the availability on www.herjolfur.is for our planned days of visit and what I observed was that the availability was always there even for all the time slots. Hence, I booked the ferry just 3 days in advance, to be sure about the nice weather.

I recommend you the same strategy as we conducted above. Just beware of the Icelandic holidays and festivals. And, secondly, I don’t recommend booking totally last minute (like on the same day). This is a bit too late in my opinion.

We actually even had a pretty good “last minute” booking and rescheduling experience with the ferry. We booked a ferry from Landeyjahöfn for 20th July for 2 people and also for 1 normal car for 8:30 in the morning and back from Westman islands at 22:00. Finally, we finished our day quite soon, around 16:00, so we decided to try our luck and catch a ferry back at 17:00. I asked at the ticket office at 16:30 and they told me that they need to first put us on the waiting list to see whether there’s any spot left. The ferry had first boarded everyone else and in the end, they shouted our names to indicate there was still some space. This way we got back 5 hours earlier, even at the last minute without re-booking in advance.

elephant rock westman islands

The famous Elephant rock on the western coast of Vestmannaeyjar

How often does the ferry to Westman Islands get Canceled?

Cancellations happen only when the weather or seas are too harsh to sail. This almost never happens in summer, i.e. between June and September. From October until May cancellations happen from time to time, usually during weather alerts, i.e. on average around twice a month.

The ferry is only very rarely canceled completely, instead, it sails from the bigger harbor called Þorlákshöfn instead. The sail in this case, however, takes a very long time, usually around 3 hours. It Is also often pretty unpleasant due to huge waves. If the ferry gets canceled last minute, you will be always offered an alternative time slot, just bear in mind your trip schedule will change in this case. But hey, that’s Iceland, get used to it!

best hikes heimaey westman islands

Eldfell volcano hike is one of the easiest and most beautiful ones

How much time do you need on the Westman Islands?

You can easily see the best spots of the Westman Islands in 1 day. The main Heimaey island is pretty small and if you have a car, 1 day is more than enough to explore it. If you enjoy traveling slowly, you can go for 2 days, but not more.

So how should you decide? We managed to see everything we wanted in under 7 hours, including the two most beautiful hikes of the Westman islands. We had a car, which helped a lot with cutting down the transportation times. To sum up – for us – 1 day was more than enough. If you have nice weather. And if you have a car.

Tips on the most beautiful places in Icelandic Highlands.

If you really want to take it slowly and/or you simply have to arrive late, and/or the weather is not that nice, in that case, I recommend you go for 2 days, but not more. Heimaey is not that big and, unless you just want to sit and chill, you will not have much to do there after some time.

heimaklettur hike westman islands

Heimaklettur hike is our favorite hike of the Westman islands

Do you need a car on the Westman islands?

You don’t need a car, but we recommend you bring one. A car will make your visit to the Westman islands much more comfortable and flexible. Why? Well, yes, everything is within “walking distance” on Westman islands. BUT. This walking distance sometimes means walking 40-60 minutes just on an ordinary road for cars. And that’s not very pleasant. We’ve actually met several walking-only visitors who tried to hitchhike with us, unfortunately, our car was totally packed up with stuff.

Not to mention if the weather worsens. Trust me, you don’t want to stay outside in bad weather on the Westman islands 😉 That being said, if you have a lot of time and you really need to save money, then yes, you can definitely visit Westman islands also without a car. However, if you are either short on time or if you prefer more comfort, I totally recommend rather bringing a car, the cost of doing so is not that horrible.

westman islands western coast puffins

The western coast of Heimaey, popular puffin watching area

Can you walk around Vestmannaeyjar?

Yes, everything on the main Heimaey island is within a walking distance. Just bear in mind weather may often be uncomfortable for walking. Secondly, if you plan to see puffins in the southern part of the island, the walk there from the harbor is a pretty long one and takes around 40-60 minutes. Thirdly, there are no pedestrian roads, so you will need to walk on normal roads for cars.

When to visit Westman islands

Long story short, in good weather 🙂 I know this is easier to be said than done, but it is especially true for Vestmannaeyjar. In our opinion visiting the islands in foggy weather is simply not worth it. Westman islands are all about amazingly beautiful views and you will get none of these in a fog or mist. The same applies to heavy rain or heavy wind.

heimaklettur hiking trail westman islands

Sun shining in July during the Heimaklettur hike

Westman islands are sometimes called the windiest place in Europe. For some reason. Weather can get pretty ugly here from time to time, especially the wind. That being said, do what you can to try and pick a nice day for a visit – we wrote a guide on that. Now, what is a nice day? Well, ideally no heavy rain, no heavy wind, and no fog. Light rain is OK, the medium wind is OK, and a light fog is OK.

Westman islands in Summer

Logically, summer is the most popular time to visit Vestmannaeyjar. Seas are calm, the weather is at its best and naturally also the number of visitors skyrockets. We carefully waited for a day with blue skies in July to visit Westman islands and we didn’t regret it, not even for a second. Crowds were bearable and nice weather was more than just worth waiting for it.

Judge yourself from our pictures taken just by our phones. To conclude – we totally recommend a visit in summer, i.e. from June to September. An alternative to visiting islands in the main season is a near-summer shoulder season when the old snow has already melted and the new one hasn’t arrived yet. This period usually lasts during a warm April or May, and October.

eldfell volcano hiking trail

Eldfell hiking trail is best enjoyed in summer

When visiting Heimaey, definitely consider also a puffin-watching season! Puffins typically arrive at Westman islands in late April, or in May and leave in the second half of August, when they begin to migrate south for the winter.

Westman islands in Winter

It’s definitely possible to visit Westman islands also in winter. The ferry runs all year long. One of the things you will be rewarded with in winter is you will probably be there alone with locals only. Very few visitors come to Vestmannaeyjar in winter. Why? It’s much harder to catch a day with nice weather, plus islands may be covered with snow. And Westman islands are at their most beautiful in lush green colors.

westman islands in winter

Westman islands in winter

Moreover, you will often need to take a much longer ferry ride from Þorlákshöfn, due to harsh weather or rough seas, which may cost you not only time but probably also several unpleasant moments of sea sickness. Is it then worth it to visit Westman islands in winter? We recommend a winter visit only if you have a lot of time and if you can be flexible and reschedule your trip based on nice weather. We think Vestmannaeyjar is much nicer in summer, with melted snow.

Should I visit Westman islands if …?

I have 7 days to do the ring road

Personally, I would visit Westman islands only if I had enough time for a time-flexible, stress-free visit in nice weather. 7 days for the ring road doesn’t sound like enough time at all. Therefore, the answer is no, I would not visit Vestmannaeyjar in this case.

I have 14 days in Iceland

Well in this case it depends on what your priorities are. Is it a ring road at a relaxed pace? Do you want to do a lot of highlands? All of these are definitely manageable also along a visit to Westman islands, but you need to set your priorities. If you are able to wait for nice weather to visit the islands and this will not ruin your plan, then definitely go for Westman islands.

heimaklettur peak

Chilling at the peak of Heimaklettur on a beautiful July day

I stay just 4 days in Reykjavik

If you stay in Reykjavik only, this probably means you will be taking some day trips only and probably by tour companies only. So, a better question would be – should I book a day tour to Westman islands? My answer would be – on a nice day, why not? It would be an amazingly beautiful, but long day.

I will be in Iceland for a month

Totally go also for the Westman islands. Totally worth it. And wait for nice weather, please 🙂

Many useful discounts on Icelandic car rentals and Guided tours.

Parking, Accommodation, and Food

All of the above, parking, food, and accommodation are easy to get on Heimaey. Just with accommodation be sure to book enough in advance.

Where to park on Westman islands?

Parking is free at Westman islands and there are enough car parks. Just adhere to basic parking rules. For example, don’t block the roads, someone’s private property, or anything similar. You can park for free also at Landeyjahöfn harbor when waiting for a ferry and also at Heimaey island harbor.

westman islands eldfell volcano hike

Views from Eldfell volcano, the most popular Westmann islands hike

Where to stay?

There are several cozy accommodation options. We recommend you take a look yourself and pick the one you like.

Should you book accommodation on Westman islands in advance? Totally. With lodgings, we recommend booking them several months in advance, when coming in summer. Hotels and guesthouses (excluding dorm rooms) tend to get fully booked. Dorm rooms are usually available even last minute.

Where to eat?

There are several restaurants, don’t worry, you will definitely find something which suits your taste buds. Just look at Google Maps. We dined at a gas station, which is the cheapest option. Food definitely isn’t our priority when coming to Iceland 🙂

How to see puffins on the Westman Islands

Heimaey is home to the largest puffin colony in the world, with over a million puffins nesting on the island each year. That’s why many visitors come to the Westman islands specifically to see the puffins. Your chances of seeing puffins at Vestmannaeyjar from May until August along the southwestern coast will be pretty high.

Vestmannaeyjar puffins

Vestmannaeyjar puffins, Stórhöfði puffin lookout

To see the puffins, you can also take a boat tour from the town of Vestmannaeyjar on Heimaey. These tours depart from the harbor and take you to several locations around the islands where you can observe the puffins in their natural habitat nesting and hunting near the cliffs.

Are Westman islands the best place in Iceland to see puffins?

There are many great spots to observe puffins in Iceland. Vestmannaeyjar is just one of many. Other popular puffin-watching spots include Dyrhólaey in the south, Borgarfjörður eystri in the east, Grimsey island in the north, Látrabjarg cliffs in Westfjords or Lóndrangar cliffs on Snæfellsnes. Westman islands are not superior to any of these spots, so just pick the place which suits you.

Where to see puffins on the Westman Islands?

The puffins can be observed at several locations on the island, including Stórhöfði, a rocky headland on the southern coast of Heimaey, or the entire western coast all the way up to the famous Elephant rock in the northwest.

The best spot to see puffins on Vestmannaeyjar is in our opinion the puffin lookout located right before the final ascent to Stórhöfði. The easiest way to get to the puffin lookout at Stórhöfði is by car or by minibus tour.

Stórhöfði puffin lookout Vestmannaeyjar

Stórhöfði puffin lookout

When to see puffins on the Westman Islands?

The highest chances of observing puffins are from the second half of May until the end of July. Puffins typically come back to the Westman islands in late April, or in early May and leave in the second half of August, when they begin to migrate south for the winter.

Is there any specific time of the day when puffins are the most active? Puffins are most active early in the morning and late in the evening, as they spend much of the day out at sea feeding. Late afternoons are also favorable because the puffins are more likely to return to their nests or leave to go to sea. That being said, there are almost always some puffins during the main season, throughout the day. The specific time of the day is just about their quantity and their specific behavior rather than seeing them at all.

How to see the best of the Westman Islands in 1 day – our itinerary

  • Arrive by a morning ferry from Landeyjahöfn at 8:55 or 11:20
  • Take a car to have maximum flexibility
  • Hike the Eldfell volcano from the western car park
  • Go see puffins at the Stórhöfði lookout
  • Visit Elephant rock via the golf course
  • Hike the steep Heimaklettur hill
  • Pay a short visit to the Urðaviti Lighthouse
  • Bonus places: Herjólfsdalur hike, Beluga whale sanctuary, Eldheimar museum, Vikin black beach, Guided boat tours
  • Take a ferry back to Landeyjahöfn in the evening

Are Westman islands worth it for a day?

Westman islands are definitely worth a 1-day visit. In fact, 1 day is more than enough to see the best of Vestmannaeyjar, when the weather is favorable. Heimaey island is pretty small and with the help of a car, you can easily see everything in one day. We don’t recommend a visit in bad weather, including huge fog, strong rain, or very strong winds. In that case, either reschedule your trip or book for more days to wait for a clear day.

heimaklettur hike steep trailhead

Heimaklettur hike steep trailhead (click to enlarge)

Top things to do on the Westman islands – our experience

We wanted to visit Westman islands sometime between 19th and 23rd July, waiting for nice weather. We had accommodation within a 2-hour drive from Landeyjahöfn. I finally made a booking for a ferry 3 days in advance and booked for 2 people plus a car. Roundtrip at 8:15 from Landeyjahöfn and back at 22:00. This should have been more than enough and it actually even was. We returned earlier, already seeing everything we wanted (including the 2 most beautiful hikes) in roughly 7 hours, at a relatively quick pace.

What are the best hikes on the Westman islands?

There are basically only 4 main hikes which you may all easily complete even in one day. Our favorite hikes were an easy hike to the Eldfell volcano and a technically difficult hike to Heimaklettur with amazingly beautiful views over the islands.

heimaklettur views westman islands

Views from the Heimaklettur hike on the Westman islands

The number one activity we more than just recommend in Westman islands is hiking. There are several amazingly beautiful hikes, each one a bit different and you should totally do at least two of them. These hikes were an absolute highlight of our trip to Vestmannaeyjar. Here is the list of all Westman islands’ hiking trails.

Hike to Heimaklettur

If I had to pick one most amazing and beautiful place on Westman islands, it would be Heimaklettur. The hike to Heimaklettur starts as a bit scary ascent with ladders, ropes, and chains, but soon turns into one of the most beautiful views I’ve ever seen. If you are fit enough and have nice weather, then go and hike Heimaklettur in the Westman islands!

heimaklettur hiking trail

Heimaklettur hiking trail map (click to enlarge)

We started our hike with a very steep ascent, which soon leads into two series of steep ladders and follows by ropes and chains to help you climb off the ladders. This part is definitely not for anyone afraid of heights and/or someone not physically fit and/or not to be done in stronger rain or wind. Otherwise, this hike was a truly unforgettable adventure. We brought our hiking poles with us but then regretted it because they only slowed us down when climbing all these ladders.

After finishing the steepest section, the part with the ladders, chains, and ropes ends and the trail continues as a typical Icelandic hiking trail of medium difficulty. After a few tens of minutes of ascending the marked trail leading via grass fields, you will soon reach one of the most spectacular views Westman islands have to offer. It took us less than 1 hour of quick hiking to reach the top.

heimaklettur ropes chains ladders

Heimaklettur hiking trail – ropes, chains and ladders

From the top of Heimaklettur, you will be rewarded with the best views of Westman islands available out there. The views stretch to all sides and you really do feel like a master of the universe when standing here and admiring the surroundings. It’s an amazing place for a picnic as well.

heimaklettur hiking trail Vestmannaeyjar

Heimaklettur hiking trail

Hike to Eldfell volcano

A hike to Eldfell is the easiest and most touristy hike on the Westman islands. Eldfell volcano also offers the best “price-to-value” views, because it only takes a few minutes to reach the top and the views are spectacular on a nice day. There are a few small car parks next to Eldfell – several in the northern direction and one main car park in the west. The main western car park is located next to the shortest hiking trail. The northern car parks are located a bit farther, but it’s probably only some 10 additional minutes of hiking.

westmann islands top things to do

Eldfell volcano hiking trail

Hiking Eldfell is a must if you are visiting Vestmannaeyjar. The view from the summit of the volcano is the most famous and photographed view of the Westman islands. And you’ll quickly understand why, once you get there. It’s totally worth seeing it, even though you most probably won’t be alone there. We took a western trail to Eldfell from the western car park and it took us around 10 to 15 minutes to get to the top. A very easy walk for virtually anyone. We met several guys with either jeans or shorts or sandals along the way.

eldfell hike map

Eldfell volcano hiking map (click to enlarge)

The peak of Eldfell offers magnificent photo opportunities in all directions. Even if you share this hike with other tourists, you are almost guaranteed to take a picture without them, there are more than enough spots for that. Once again – judge for yourself from some of our pictures taken by our phones.

Hike to Herjólfsdalur

Right next to the popular Elephant rock there lies a hidden and not much-known hike called Herjólfsdalur. It starts from the side of the golf course and leads steeply up the nearby hills. We haven’t done the hike to Herjólfsdalur ourselves, because we rather opted for hiking the nearby Heimaklettur. However, given the altitude of Herjólfsdalur hills, great views will be guaranteed once you get to the top on a nice day. See also the map of a hike to Herjólfsdalur below:

herjolfsdalur hiking trail

Herjolfsdalur hiking trail, sometimes called also Dalfjall hike (click to enlarge)

Hike to Stórhöfði

storhofdi hiking trail westman islands

Stórhöfði hiking trail

Stórhöfði is the southernmost area of Westman islands, visited primarily due to the presence of puffins. Except for puffins, there are also easy hiking trails at Stórhöfði offering sea views and views of the neighboring smaller islands with cute and lonely houses. Stórhöfði hikes lead via grass fields and are fairly easy. Views are less spectacular compared to Eldfell or Heimaklettur, though, simply because there’s no ascent anywhere.

Stórhöfði hiking trail

Stórhöfði hiking trails map (click to enlarge)

Puffins of Westman islands

Many visitors come to Westman islands because there’s one of the largest puffin colonies in Europe residing in Westman islands. Puffins are present in Westman islands usually from May until August/September.

There are two main puffin lookouts in Vestmannaeyjar. The first one is located in Stórhöfði. There’s a little car park right in front of it and the wooden shelter has been built there as an observatory. The second series of viewpoints is along the western coast of Heimaey all the way from Stórhöfði to Elephant rock, on the coast.

westman islands puffins storhofdi

Westman islands puffins at Stórhöfði

Elephant rock

Halldórsskora in Icelandic, or Elephant rock in English, is a popular photo spot on the westernmost part of Westman islands. As the name suggests, Elephant rock is an interestingly shaped rock in a way that resembles a head of an elephant. You can observe elephant rock either from the west coast or arrive close to it by a walking path leading via a golf course. Please take care and don’t get hit by a golf ball. This is surprisingly a pretty popular golf course.

elephant rock Vestmannaeyjar

Elephant rock as seen from the car

Black beach Vikin

Only a few hundred meters north of Stórhöfði, there’s a cute little black sand beach. There’s also a picnic table and Vikin black beach makes it a nice little spot for a short pause. Not overwhelming, though.

black sand beach vikin westman islands

Black sand beach Vikin

Urðaviti Lighthouse

Another place worth visiting for someone who would like to tick off visiting all the sightseeing spots in Westman islands. We didn’t spend much time visiting Urðaviti lighthouse, though. I think there are many more interesting lighthouses all over Iceland.

Eldheimar museum

For those interested in museums or simply if the weather worsens, there’s a most popular museum of Westman islands called Eldheimar. Not our cup of tea, though. Here is the website of the museum.

Beluga whale sanctuary

The Sea Life Trust Beluga Whale Sanctuary is a famous aquarium located on Vestmannaeyjar. Once again, it makes for a nice stop during bad weather, when visiting for more days, or with children. We wouldn’t come here specifically to see the aquarium, though. There are more interesting aquariums around the world than the Beluga whale sanctuary. Here is the website of the Beluga whale sanctuary.

sudurey island westman islands

Suðurey island, one of the small Westman islands

Smaller islands of Vestmannaeyjar

Heimaey is not the only island of Westman, despite being the biggest and the most versatile. There are several smaller islands nearby and many of them are actually settled! You will generally find just one lonely house located in the flattest area of these islands. And yes, it’s possible to get to these houses! But only by boat (or helicopter). One of these tiny Westman islands actually even offers accommodation, with somewhat scary reviews. If you wonder how people get up to these houses when getting off their boat, the answer is there are usually either some hidden stairs or a path leading to these houses.

Westman islands summer festival

There’s a huge festival taking place every summer on the Westman islands. It’s called Þjóðhátíð and of course, you can visit it too. You can find all the necessary info about the festival here.

Just bear in mind, cars are banned from the festival. Secondly, we highly recommend not coming for hiking or any peaceful sightseeing during the festival. Heimaey is just totally full at that time. This is one of the biggest Icelandic festivals, often with tens of thousands of visitors.

westman islands summer festival

Westman islands summer festival, source: https://www.dalurinn.is/en

Guided tours to Westman islands

There are several guided tours that will take you to Westman islands from Reykjavik, operated by several tour providers. We picked the one we liked the most, the private super jeep tour to Westman islands from Reykjavik.

There are two main advantages of taking a guided tour to Westman islands. Firstly, as with any other tour, you simply don’t have to take care of anything. The guide will take care of it. Secondly, you don’t have to rent a car, the guide will pick you up from your hotel in Reykjavik.

Best guided tours on Westman islands

So, you’re already on Heimaey and you don’t only want to explore the island on your own? Well, there are plenty of great tour choices. We picked a few of our favorites below.

puffin boat tour westman islands

Combo hiking + puffin watching boat tour

Seeing islands from the boat is definitely an adventure. A Westman islands boat tour will also give you an entirely different perspective of the islands. Some spots are definitely nicer for a photo shoot from the perspective of a boat. Some are even accessible exclusively by boat. These are the three boat tours we think are the best:

Coming without a car and want to see most of Heimaey in 1 day? Our ultimately favorite tour for those without a car on Westman islands is a 2-hour bus tour of the main Heimaey island.

What about an ATV volcano tour on the Westman islands? Our favorite is this Vestmannaeyjar ATV tour.

Don’t have enough time for a guided tour? No worries, in our opinion, you will not miss out much by not taking a boat tour. Instead, when going on your own, you will gain a lot of flexibility and you may have all the places for yourself, not sharing them with your tour group. But that’s just us, someone else may prefer the comfort of a tour.

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Best winter places in North Iceland

Best winter places in North Iceland

We wrote a short list of places we consider the most beautiful winter places in North Iceland. North Iceland is definitely more often visited compared to for example Eastfjords, but on the other hand much less compared to the most touristy South. This is also true for winter.

The aim of this article is not to list all of the beautiful places. We rather want to show you how some of our most favorite places in Iceland look like in winter. You can then decide for yourself, whether you want to visit a specific place or not, or whether you want to visit the place in summer or in winter, or at both times.

This post is part of our Winter Iceland articles series:

Hverir hot springs

hverir namaskard in winter

Hverir, or Námaskarð, in winter

Hverir hot spring area is well accessible also in winter. This is a very touristy spot, though, where all the tour buses stop throughout the day. We recommend only a short visit. Beware you cannot bath in any of these hot springs, they are simply too hot and too small. Námaskarð is just the synonym, that is another name for the same Hverir hot spring area.

Dimmuborgir lava field

dimmuborgir in winter

Dimmuborgir in winter

Dimmuborgir lava field is another place around lake Mývatn worth a short visit. This is one of the places which are usually too touristy and too boring to visit in summer, however in winter it’s slightly different. There are several very easy hiking trails around the Dimmuborgir lava field and in winter it makes much more sense to take a short walk around the lava field.

Höfði hike

hofdi myvatn winter

Höfði in Skutustadhir, Mývatn, in winter

Höfði is a little peninsula and nature reserve, where you may take a short walk and enjoy the views and atmosphere of lake Mývatn.

Skútustaðagígar craters

skutustadagigar in winter iceland

Skútustaðagígar in winter

Skútustaðagígar is a nice crater area right next to lake Mývatn, well accessible also in winter. Skútustaðagígar is hard to pronounce but easy to hike. It takes less than an hour to hike around the entire crater area, and you will be rewarded with peaceful surroundings and nice views over lake Mývatn. We definitely recommend a short visit to Skútustaðagígar in winter.

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Hverfjall hike

hverfjall in winter

Hverfjall in winter

Hverfjall is usually accessible also in winter. In summer it makes for a short (10-15 minutes) climb from the car park all the way up to the rim of the crater. In winter, a hike up Hverfjall gets much more difficult, though. The trail is usually slippery due to snow and ice, so it’s definitely helpful to have spikes on your shoes. We also recommend climbing Hverfjall only when weather is alright, i.e. no strong wind, rain or weather alert. But this is more or less a general advice for almost any moderate hike in Iceland in winter.

hverfjall hike in winter

Hverfjall hike in winter

We climbed up Hverfjall on a nice March day even without wearing spikes, but we struggled a bit and slipped a few times along the way. A short climb is totally worth it, because the view from above are amazing. And they are totally different from the summer views. While we had nice weather, we took a little hike all around the entire crater of Hverfjall, which took us around 1 hour.

Here is a short video of our Hverfjall hike in winter.

Geosea Húsavík hot SPA

husavik geosea geothermal baths

Husavik Geosea geothermal baths

Another in the series of fabulous paid SPAs in Iceland is located in Húsavík and is called Geosea. There are two hot pools with different temperatures and of course also a pool bar. There’s also a beautiful lighthouse right next to Geosea hot springs.

husavik geosea in winter

Husavik Geosea Baths in winter

But the main attraction of Húsavík’s Geosea hot springs is the view. On a nice day, there’s an amazing view over the nearby fjord and mountains on the other side of the fjord. Hot springs are also made in the style of an “infinity pool” which only adds to the magic of the place. A visit totally recommended, especially in winter 🙂

Mývatn Winter Festival

myvatn winter festival

Mývatn winter festival

We usually do not recommend any restaurants or festivals, these are simply not our things and we leave them for someone else to comment on. But with Mývatn Winter Festival we will make one exception. Why? Simply, because we consider Mývatn Winter Festival to be the nicest, cutest and possibly the most beautiful winter festival in Iceland.

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Check the website of the festival for dates and schedule. You can usually expect horse riding on ice, several funny competitions, dog sledging, ice fishing and many other fun local activities, including food tasting etc. A great way to spend a winter day in our opinion!

Goðafoss waterfall

godafoss in winter

Goðafoss in winter

Goðafoss is one of the most beautiful winter waterfalls in Iceland in our opinion. Goðafoss, contrary to many other waterfalls, does not get completely frozen in winter. Goðafoss is also easily accessible also in winter, so we more than just recommend a short and easy visit.

Here is a short video of our Goðafoss visit in winter.

Hjalteyri

hjalteyri winter

Hjalteyri in winter

Hjalteyri is a cute little village sitting in the fjord northwest of Akureyri. We spent a night in Hjalteyri and took several romantic walks in here. You will usually not find here any restaurants open in winter, though. You will rather find here tranquil, quiet and peaceful fjord surroundings, whale watching tour companies and an old factory.

Here is a short video of our Hjalteyri visit in winter.

Hauganes hot pots

hauganes hot pots in winter

Hauganes hot pots in winter

Hauganes is mostly famous due to its hot springs. Hauganes hot springs are accessible also in winter and we more than just recommend stopping for a visit. We visited Hauganes hot springs both in summer and in winter. Winter was actually even more comfortable season for a visit, because the hot tubes were simply too hot for us in summer. The opposite is true for a “boat-shaped” hot spring, though, where water is much less hot, so this one is more comfortable in summer.

Here is a short video of our Hauganes hot spring visit in winter.

Tvistur horse rental

winter horse riding iceland

Tvistur horse rental in Dalvik

With my wife being an avid horse rider, we of course have to go for Icelandic horse riding each time we visit Iceland. Our winter visit was not the exception. Not all horse-riding services are open in winter, so definitely contact them in advance to check if they operate also in winter.

tvistur horse rental winter

Tvistur horse rental in Dalvik in winter

We’ve had a great experience with Tvistur horse riding in Dalvik and they operate also in winter, so it was an easy choice for us to book a tour with them again. And we didn’t regret it at all. We had a cold but nice March day and a winter horse riding experience was pretty different from the summer one, despite riding almost the same trail. Everything looked totally different.

horse riding winter iceland

Horse riding in winter in Iceland

If you are afraid of the cold, as we had been, don’t be. A good horse-riding company, as Tvistur undoubtedly is, would usually give or rent you also warm overalls to keep you comfortable.

Here is a short video of our Tvistur horse riding in winter.

Siglufjörður

siglufjordur in winter

Siglufjörður in winter

As we mentioned earlier, picturesque Icelandic coastal towns are often even nicer in winter. And exactly in winter it makes perfect sense to visit them more, due to lower number of visitors. This is the case also with famous Siglufjörður.

siglufjordur winter

Winter Siglufjörður

Siglufjörður makes for a beautiful few-hours long stop, where you can simply walk around this cute town, or have probably the best coffee in Iceland in Café Freda. Views over the fjord along the entire town are more than just worth stopping by.

Here is a short video of our Siglufjörður visit in winter.

Grafarkirkja

grafarkirkja in winter

Grafarkirkja in winter

Did you know that Iceland has a turf church that is almost 400 years old? Well, that’s Grafarkirkja, the oldest church in Iceland. You will find it close to coast near Varmahlíð, so definitely not on a touristy route. Grafarkirkja is located just a short a walk from the road and can be a nice stop also in winter.

grafarkirkja winter parking

Grafarkirkja winter parking

Interior of Grafarkirkja was closed for visitors at the time of our trip but it may open in the future and also the exterior is interesting to visit. We’ve managed to make some pretty cool skyline shots right next to Grafarkirkja.

Fosslaug

fosslaug hot spring iceland

No winter picture, sorry, just summer one from Fosslaug

Fosslaug hot spring is accessible also in winter and definitely worth visiting if you haven’t been there yet. That was not our case, though. We had visited Fosslaug already in summer. And if we have to compare these two periods, we rather prefer a summer visit. Why? Because the water in Fosslaug is not that hot and in winter can get only mildly warm instead of hot. On the other hand, the water felt just right in summer.

We picked the Best Winter Guided tours in Iceland for you

Fosslaug is well hidden south of Varmahlíð, away from civilization. It’s also not that easy to find, we had wandered a lot around the area when we visited Fosslaug for the first time. Nonetheless, once you find an improvised muddy car park, Fosslaug is then about 15 minutes of walk away from the car park. There’s no changing room, so I recommend bringing some bag to keep your clothes at when bathing.

reykjafoss in winter

Reykjafoss in winter

On your way to Fosslaug you’re gonna see also a beautiful Reykjafoss waterfall. We’ve met two couples when we visited Fosslaug last time in the beginning of March. That was still bearable, while the hot spring is definitely getting more and more popular.

Glaumbær

glaumbaer winter

Glaumbær in winter

Have you ever wondered where to visit these typical Icelandic turf houses? Well, Glaumbær is possibly one of the best such places. There’s a little museum for which you have to pay and surroundings of the Glaumbær are also beautiful. If you are not into museums, you may just take a look at Glaumbær turf houses from the outside, without actually paying the entrance fee.

Hvitserkur

hvitserkur in winter

Hvitserkur in winter

Hvitserkur is probably the most famous Icelandic rock in the sea. You can find Hvitserkur in countless picturesque photos of Iceland. Hvitserkur is not among our favorite spots in Iceland, because in our opinion, well, it’s just a rock in the water 🙂 But, of course, a beautiful rock. So, many would disagree with us and come and see it anyway.

Hvitserkur is usually accessible also in winter, just watch the road conditions on www.road.is. A 4wd car is highly recommended to reach Hvitserkur in winter, because only a 3-digit road leads there. This means, the road is usually less maintained and covered more by snow than ring road.

hvitserkur winter hike

Hvitserkur winter hike in the background (if you want to get as closer as possible)

You can see Hvitserkur already from the car park in the distance. It’s also possible to hike all the way down closer to Hvitserkur, but we again recommend proper hiking shoes for that with spikes to protect you against icy, snowy and slippery trails.

Kolugljúfur

kolugljufur in winter

Kolugljúfur in winter

Kolugljúfur canyon is a beautiful canyon not that far from the ring road. Kolugljúfur is typically accessible also in winter, while it’s definitely better to drive with a 4wd car there.

Videos of North Iceland in Winter

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Posted by epiciceland in Winter, 0 comments
Best Winter places in East Iceland

Best Winter places in East Iceland

We wrote a short list of most beautiful winter places in Eastfjords. East Iceland is much less visited compared to the most touristy south. The difference is even more pronounced in winter. You will be often totally alone at many beautiful spots in Eastfjords in winter.

The aim of this article is not to list all of the beautiful places. We rather want to show you how some of our most favorite places in Iceland look like in winter. You can then decide for yourself, whether you want to visit a specific place or not, or whether you want to visit the place in summer or in winter, or at both times.

This post is part of our Winter Iceland articles series:

Vestrahorn

vestrahorn winter fog iceland

Vestrahorn hidden in the fog in the background.

If you catch a nice day without fog, stopping at Vestrahorn and even paying the entrance fee can be worth the nice picturesque views. Not on a foggy day, though. When we visited Vestrahorn at the end of February, the entire Vestrahorn was covered in fog. It didn’t make any sense to visit it in this case, so we rather stopped nearby and enjoyed the company of beautiful horses. This is how Vestrahorn looked on a sunny day in summer instead.

Skútafoss waterfall

skutafoss waterfall winter iceland

Skútafoss in winter

One of the waterfalls accessible also in winter is Skútafoss. You have to hike for about 20 minutes from the little (in winter often frozen) car park to reach Skútafoss. The trail was unclear at times, especially when covered by snow, ice or both. Bear this in mind. And don’t step on the moss. It will die.

Djúpavogskörin hot spring

djupavogskorin hot spring winter

Djúpavogskörin hot spring in winter

One of our favorite hot springs to visit in winter is Djúpavogskörin. Why? Because in winter, Djúpavogskörin is hot just right. In summer, though, it was simply too hot to be pleasant. Oftentimes, you’re also gonna be alone at Djúpavogskörin. Going for hot springs makes also perfect sense during foggy weather, as you can see from our pictures 🙂

djupivogur hot spring winter iceland

Djúpavogskörin in winter

Update: Djúpavogskörin was bit working from April 2022 until October 2022 but now it seems to be working again. Please check the signs onsite and beware of the potentially unstable water temperature.

Djúpivogur

djupivogur in winter

Djúpivogur in winter

We usually do not recommend to visit Icelandic cities and villages much in summer, because this is often where the most tourists concentrate at, due to restaurants, infrastructure, etc. Winter is a bit different, however. Number of visitors is much lower and they mostly focus only on the south and on areas close to Reykjavik. The further you go away from Reykjavik, the more “alone” you will feel.

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Some of the Icelandic villages and cities away from the south actually often look like they are deserted in winter. This was the case when we visited Djúpivogur in February. Almost nobody was there, just a few locals and us.

Djúpivogur is a cute little coastal town definitely worth making a short coffee or lunch stop. Just be prepared all the restaurants and cafes may be closed in winter 🙂 Don’t rely on opening hours from Google Maps. In winter everything is different in Iceland and many sites, including restaurants and cafes have different hours or are closed entirely.

Fáskrúðsfjörður

winter Fáskrúðsfjörður

Winter Fáskrúðsfjörður

Fáskrúðsfjörður is our personal favorite when it comes to Eastfjords. It’s not so overhyped and touristy as Seyðisfjörður and it’s still so beautiful! We simply love the view of this fjord and always admire the reflection of nearby mountains in the fjord on a nice day. Don’t forget to visit Café Sumarlina for the (not very Icelandic) curry fish soup and book your night at the guesthouse Elinar and Helgu with the best views over the fjord!

Here is a short video of our Fáskrúðsfjörður visit in winter.

Klifbrekufossar waterfall

klifbrekkufossar winter

Klifbrekkufossar

Klifbrekufoss is often inaccessible in winter, due to too much snow on the road 943 leading there. Always watch carefully www.road.is, once the road turns grey/red/black, stay away from the road, unless you have a true monster super jeep, like Land Rover Super Defender. Even with such a car, we highly recommend having a local Icelandic company to help if any emergency occurs.

Seyðisfjörður

Seyðisfjörður winter road vestdalur hike

Winter road from Seyðisfjörður to Vestdalur hike trailhead

Seyðisfjörður is popular for a reason. Not only is it a harbor for large cruise ships, it’s also one of the most beautiful fjords in Iceland, if not the most beautiful one. We more than just recommend stopping in Seydsfjordur and spending a half-day, day or even more in here. You won’t regret it, trust me.

Here is a short video of us getting stuck on a road to Seyðisfjörður in winter.

In winter, though, it’s sometimes difficult to get to Seyðisfjörður. It’s located down in the fjord, behind the mountain. This means you have to drive a pretty tricky, steep and zig-zagged mountain pass to get there. In summer it’s easy, but in winter, especially when there’s strong wind and a lot of snow, it may be an adventurous drive. The road to Seyðisfjörður is being ploughed several times a day. This, however, doesn’t stop snow from falling on the road when the plough isn’t there.

road to seydisfjordur winter

Road to Seyðisfjörður in winter

This is exactly what happened to us when we drove to Seyðisfjörður. Close to the highest point of the mountain pass, a strong wind started to blow and it made a huge pile of snow fall on the road from the nearby hill, right in front of our car. The road suddenly became impassable, because of 50cm / 20inches of snow, even for our “4wd” Dacia Duster. This was most likely the scariest moment of our trip, because we were simply stuck up at the mountain pass, with snow falling, wind blowing and no help nearby.

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Luckily enough, an Icelander with a jeep paved the way into the snow wall from the other direction with his jeep. This way he created firmer tracks we could try to follow. That’s exactly what we did and with our hearts beating (and with some luck) we were able to pass the snow pile. This is just a little example of how tricky the road may get in Iceland, and all of a sudden.

Seyðisfjörður in winter

Seyðisfjörður in winter

Nevertheless, once you finally get to Seyðisfjörður, you may quickly fall in love with this Icelandic city. On one hand, there are countless beautiful views everywhere around you and on the other hand there are many great restaurants and fancy accommodations. And also several beautiful hikes nearby!

Vestdalur hike

seydisfjordur vestdalur hike parking

Vestdalur hike parking. Seydisfjordur in the background.

One of the most beautiful, yet not much known hikes is called Vestdalur. Vestdalur hike starts as a quiet, not well visible detour up the mountains located right behind Seyðisfjörður, next to northwestern part of the fjord. The name Vestdalur comes from the nearby river Vestdalsá and a lake Vestdalsvatn, where this hiking trail actually leads. Vestdalur is then a „Vestdal“ valley.

vestdalur hike seydisfjordur map

The trail to Vestdalur we wanted to take, but took just the very beginning.

While a hike to Vestdalur is an easy summer hike, things get different in winter, as is often the case in Iceland. Why? Because everything may be covered by a lot of snow and ice. Unsurprisingly, exactly this happened when we tried to hike Vestdalur in the beginning of March. Trail was hardly visible, very slippery and didn’t seem very safe to follow.

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There are 2 different trailheads where you may begin the Vestdalur hike – the western and the eastern trailhead. The main advantage of an eastern trailhead is the little car park right next to it, and also a beautiful Vestdalsfossar waterfall along the way. That’s why we chose the eastern trail.

winter vestdalur hike views

Views from the Vestdalur hike in winter

We left our car on a little car park right next to the fjord. There’s a little, hardly visible, signpost pointing to “Vestdalur” on a western side of the road. This is how we knew where to stop and where to leave our car. We (wrongly) didn’t have any spikes on our shoes, so we struggled basically from the beginning of the usually pretty easy hike. There were some stairs built for support, which definitely helped.

Here is a short video from our Vestdalur hike in winter.

With every additional step leading upwards, though, the views over Seyðisfjörður get only better and better. Thus, no matter how far you get we definitely recommend at least taking a short walk by the beginning of Vestdalur trail to enjoy these beautiful views. We were alone on the hike. Just a few minutes into the hike, you will run into a picturesque Vestdalsfossar waterfall.

seydisfjordur farm

Friends next door at farm close to Vestdalur

That being said, soon after firstly seeing Vestdalsfossar we reached the point where the snow was simply too deep and the hill to climb too steep. Moreover, we couldn’t see the trail at all. This was the point where we simply admired the views a bit and rather turned back. We recommend you do the same at any hike where you don’t feel comfortable to continue, because Icelandic winter hikes may be very tricky and dangerous.

Vestdalur hike then actually continues a quite long way into the valley, along the Vestdalsá river, but views over Seyðisfjörður will soon disappear, because you will get more deeply into the valley. The final destination of the Vestdalur hike is the Vestdalsvatn lake, however we do not recommend hiking there in winter, because the trail is often inaccessible and may be dangerous to follow. We recommend doing what we did – start the hike, enjoy the views and continue until you feel comfortable to do so, and then turn back.

Vök baths

Vök Baths hot spa iceland

Vök Baths hot spa

After a day of exploring Eastfjords, we went for a relaxing evening at Vök baths. We were lucky to catch a beautiful sunset there. Vök baths are modern Icelandic hot spring SPAs with entrance fee, definitely worth visiting, though. At least in winter. We prefer going for SPAs more in winter, when it’s less comfortable and more difficult getting to wild hot springs.

Vök baths have several different hot pools. Large enough to accommodate 100+visitors. There were around 30 of them at the time of our visit in the beginning of March. There’s of course a pool bar and actually also a cold lake right next to hot pools. Those who dare may switch between hot pools and an ice-cold lake as often as they wish 😉

Hengifoss waterfall

winter hengifoss

Winter Hengifoss

A famous Hengifoss waterfall is accessible also in winter. There’s a huge car park where you may leave your car even in winter. Beware, though, the trail to Hengifoss may be covered with snow and ice in winter and thus be pretty slippery and not that easy to follow. On a windy and/or foggy they, the hike isn’t very pleasant.

Hengifoss also may or may not be frozen, this depends on the season. The same applies to its orange colors, which may not be visible when covered by snow and ice. This is usually the case anywhere from November to March. We rather recommend visiting Hengifoss outside of the winter months due to above mentioned reasons.

Borgarfjörður Eystri

winter borgarfjordur eystri

Winter Borgarfjörður eystri

Borgarfjörður Eystri is accessible also in winter, because the road is being ploughed few times a day. To get to Borgarfjörður Eystri you have to drive through the mountain pass, similarly to Seyðisfjörður. The mountain pass leading to Borgarfjörður Eystri may become a bit scary and dangerous to drive during snow and wind, so try to avoid such times.

Borgarfjörður Eystri is a hikers’ and puffin lovers’ paradise in summer and is also a very popular place in Eastfjords to visit with many tourists heading there. In winter, this is very very different. Firstly, majority of hiking trails are inaccessible due to snow and ice (such as Stórurð for example). Secondly, there are no puffins in winter. Thirdly, most of the accommodations and restaurants are closed.

We visited Borgarfjörður Eystri in the beginning of March and the place resembled a ghost town to us. This is both good and bad, depends what you’re looking for 🙂 On one hand, you had the town all for yourself. On the other hand, there’s not much to do in Borgarfjörður Eystri in winter.

Videos of East Iceland in Winter

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Best Winter places in South Iceland

Best Winter places in South Iceland

We wrote a short list of places we consider the most beautiful winter places in South Iceland.

South Iceland is undoubtedly the most touristy region, but for a reason. There are plenty of amazingly beautiful places, with most of them being well accessible also in winter. The aim of this article is not to list all of the beautiful places. We rather want to show you how some of our most favorite places in Iceland look like in winter. You can then decide for yourself, whether you want to visit a specific place or not, or whether you want to visit the place in summer or in winter, or at both times.

This post is part of our Winter Iceland articles series:

Reykjadalur hot river valley

reykjadalur river in winter

Beginning of a Reykjadalur hike in winter

Reykjadalur in winter is accessible during good weather and with proper winter hiking gear, see below.

reykjadalur hike winter iceland

Views from the Reykjadalur hike in winter

Hike to Reykjadalur hot river is a very easy hike in summer. In winter it’s still easy, but snow and ice complicate it a little bit. I admit we had underestimated hiking Reykjadalur in winter, because we used just regular hiking shoes. And that was a mistake. Definitely bring at least little spikes for your shoes. Hiking trails to Reykjadalur in winter are all icy and slippery and thus may be even dangerous if you fall.

reykjadalur hot river hike in winter

The most slippery part on the right with a steep fall to the left. In reality this was much more scary than in the picture.

Apart from the icy and slippery trails, hiking to Reykjadalur in winter is a nice and pleasant hike, with a hot river in the end as a reward. A winter hike to Reykjadalur is especially beautiful on a nice sunny day. In case of strong winds and/or stronger rain/snow, we don’t recommend doing the hike, nor any other hike longer than just a few minutes.

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reykjadalur hot river winter

Reykjadalur hot river in winter

It took us roughly 3-4 hours to complete a winter Reykjadalur hot river hike, which is naturally considerably longer compared to summer. We’ve already explained in our Iceland in Winter – What you need to know article that you should prepare for considerably longer and tougher hikes in winter compared to summer.

Here is a short video of our Reykjadalur hike in winter.

Kerid crater

kerid crater in winter

Kerid crater in winter

Kerid crater in winter is a nice short stop, though we think it’s nicer in summer.

Hrunalaug hot spring

hrunalaug in winter

Hrunalaug in winter

Hrunalaug in winter is probably are most favorite winter hot spring in Iceland. Most of the time it’s easy to get to Hrunalaug by car even in winter and the surroundings of winter Hrunalaug are simply amazing! Moreover, there are usually considerably less visitors compared to summer. Water in Hrunalaug is pleasantly hot also in winter, which is not always the case with Icelandic hot springs in winter. We write more about Hrunalaug in our List of all Hot Springs in Iceland.

Here is a short video of our Hrunalaug visit in winter.

Seljalandsfoss waterfall

seljalandsfoss winter iceland

Seljalandsfoss in winter

Seljalandsfoss in winter is touristy as well, but for a good reason. In spite of tourists, Seljalandsfoss is one of our favorite Icelandic waterfalls in winter. Pretty often, a rainbow appears over winter Seljalandsfoss and the waterfall itself is simply picturesque in winter.

Here is a short video of our Seljalandsfoss visit in winter.

Gljúfrabúi waterfall

Gljúfrabúi waterfall in winter

Gljúfrabúi waterfall in winter

If you are visiting Seljalandsfoss, definitely go see also Gljúfrabúi in winter, a “hidden” waterfall just a few minutes of walk from Seljalandsfoss. Gljúfrabúi in winter is easily accessible and comparably, if not more, beautiful compared to summer.

Here is a short video of our Gljúfrabúi visit in winter.

Nauthuságil waterfall

Nauthuságil waterfall in winter is unfortunately not accessible for most of the time, due to snow.

hiking trail nauthusagil winter

Hiking trail to Nauthuságil waterfall in winter

Nauthuságil waterfall is in our opinion one of the most amazing Icelandic waterfalls in summer. Especially if you include in the ranking also a little adventurous hike to reach Nauthuságil. That being said, we tried to visit Nauthuságil also in winter, but it wasn’t possible. Nauthuságil in winter is inaccessible, once the first real snow settles down. The gorge leading to Nauthuságil is just full of snow and impassable.

Read How we fit all of these into a 2-week itinerary.

Skógafoss waterfall

skogafoss in winter

Skógafoss in winter

Skógafoss in winter is well accessible and totally worth the visit. Skógafoss definitely belongs to the most beautiful winter waterfalls in Iceland. We stopped at Skógafoss on a day with strong winds and clear skies. We were lucky to see the rainbow at Skógafoss, which occurs quite often on a sunny day, so be sure to go and see it too.

skogafoss winter iceland

Skógafoss with tourists cut out of the picture

There are stairs leading above Skógafoss, which are very slippery when covered with snow. Many visitors were struggling when climbing up and down the stairs. Some of them even wore sneakers and jeans – totally inappropriate shoes and clothes for Iceland – see section of our article How to dress properly for Iceland in winter. These stairs are another example of a place where shoe spikes come pretty handy.

Here is a short video of our Skógafoss visit in winter.

Waterfall way

waterfall way skogafoss winter

The waterfall way next to Skógafoss in a Fimmvörðuháls direction in winter

One of the most beautiful parts of the legendary Fimmvörðuháls hike (summer only) is called the waterfall way and begins exactly at Skógafoss. Is it possible to hike the waterfall way in winter? Yes, it is, on a nice day and with proper winter clothes and shoe spikes. The waterfall way in winter is accessible for visitors but much harder to visit compared to an easy summer hike.

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We attempted to hike the waterfall way in February on a partially sunny day with some strong winds and we didn’t succeed. The wind was simply too strong making the hike too dangerous. We decided to stop and turn back after the first few hundreds if meters, because at times we felt like falling and not moving at all due to the strong wind. Additionally, we also made a mistake of not bringing shoe spikes, which made the waterfall way in winter impossible to pass.

Here is a short video of our Waterfall Way hike in winter.

Kvernufoss waterfall

kvernufoss winter

An easy hike to Kvernufoss in winter

Kvernufoss in winter is well accessible and we highly recommend a visit! Kvernufoss undoubtedly belongs to the most amazing winter waterfalls in Iceland. We were lucky enough to be alone at Kvernufoss and enjoyed Kvernufoss in winter actually even more than in summer! A roundtrip took us roughly 45 minutes.

Here is a short video of our Kvernufoss visit in winter.

Dyrhólaey

dyrholaey in winter iceland

Dyrhólaey in winter

Dyrhólaey cliffs are easily accessible in winter and make for a nice winter stop in the south.

Reynisfjara beach

reynisfjara beach winter

Reynisfjara beach can easily get crowded also in winter. This is one of the most touristy places in Iceland.

Reynisfjara beach, or the black beach in winter is also easily accessible in winter. Please take special care about the unexpected waves there, which may be deadly. Stay only where you see the dry ground.

Reynisdrangar beach

Horses Reynisdrangar beach Vik winter

Horses at Reynisdrangar beach in Vik in winter

Reynisdrangar cliffs in Vik are a beautiful stop during a winter trip in Iceland. We were lucky to witness a horse photo-shoot during sunset at Reynisdrangar, one of the most picturesque moments in the area.

Here is a short video of our Reynisdrangar visit in winter.

Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon

fjadrargljufur canyon winter iceland

Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon in winter

Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon in winter is easily accessible to visitors. Although we prefer a lush green “summer” look of Icelandic canyons compared to a winter white one, Fjaðrárgljúfur is undoubtedly nice also in winter.

Here is a short video of our Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon visit in winter.

Svartifoss waterfall

svartifoss waterfall in winter iceland

Svartifoss waterfall in winter

Svartifoss waterfall in winter is easily accessible to visitors and totally worth stopping by. Svartifoss proudly belongs to the list of the top places to see in Iceland in winter. A hike to Svartifoss in winter will take you slightly longer due to snow, but on a nice day is very beautiful and pretty different compared to a summer one. A roundtrip took us roughly 75 minutes.

Here is a short video of our Svartifoss waterfall visit in winter.

Svínafellsjökull glacier

svinafellsjokull glacier walk winter

A walk to Svínafellsjökull glacier

Want to hike to a glacier in Iceland without a guided tour? There are a few possibilities to actually do this. Just remember, you should never walk ON the glacier without the guide, because you can die easily. But, you can still hike close enough to glacier to see the glacier and admire it.

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road to svínafellsjökull in winter

Road to Svínafellsjökull in winter

One of the best spots to see a glacier in winter in Iceland is Svínafellsjökull glacier. Svínafellsjökull is located very close to the ring road, thus it doesn’t take much time to get there, whether by walking or by car. There’s a road leading pretty close to the Svínafellsjökull glacier, but this road is usually covered by snow. We were able to drive roughly into the half of the road with Dacia Duster. Then the snow started to be thicker and wetter, so we rather decided to park our car on the side of the road and continue by walking.

svinafellsjokull glacier winter iceland

Svínafellsjökull glacier in winter

Why go and see glaciers in Iceland in winter rather than in summer? The trick is, glacier colors are much much more beautiful in winter, compared to summer. Due to cold and ice, glaciers will shine with azure blue colors in winter, making them an amazing target for all photographers.

Here is a short video of our Svínafellsjökull visit in winter.

Diamond beach

diamond beach winter iceland

Diamond beach next to Jökulsárlón in winter

Jökulsárlón lagoon