9 Inspiring Icelandic Waterfalls

Must See Icelandic Waterfalls

The beautiful country of Iceland is rich with natural wonders to see. Some of the most incredible and awe-inspiring sites in Iceland are the various Icelandic Waterfalls. Drive along the Ring Road to explore the countryside and see your favorite waterfalls!

Most of the falls on this list are the “popular destination” Waterfalls. A couple of these exquisite beauties we saw are smaller, lesser known falls that we stumbled upon during our drive around the country. Some of our favorites were the ones that were not on our itinerary. These falls that we accidentally found were exciting hidden gems that made our trip that much more special. There are thousands to see around the country so if you like waterfalls, Iceland will not disappoint 😊

This list includes our 8 favorite falls that we came across during our Ring Road trip. We’ve listed them in the order we saw them so you can easily map out a route to see each of them during your trip!

Let me know if you have suggestions for more to see when I eventually return to Iceland!

1. Gulfoss

Gulfoss was the first of the falls we visited. It is located in Pingvellir National Park. This location makes it a great destination for day trips from Reykjavík, but unfortunately this also means that the crowds are HUGE. I’ve included a picture of the trail with all the tiny tourists waking to and from the falls to give you and idea of the crowds you’ll be battling. This magnificent waterfall is still worth a visit even though it’s crowded. I would suggest bringing a poncho along if you go during fall and want to stay dry 😊

2. Seljalandsfoss

My pictures really don’t do justice to the beauty of Seljalandsfoss. This towering waterfall has a trail you can walk to get up close and personal with the falls. You can walk behind the water and continue down the trail on the other side. I didn’t take many pictures with my camera here because the wind was pushing the water in every direction and I didn’t want to damage my equipment. Catch this waterfall at sunrise or sunset for even more magnificent views!

3. Skogafoss

Skogafoss!!! This waterfall was definitely one of my favorites of the trip. This waterfall may not look very big in photos, but when you stand beneath it you feel like an ant in comparison. This waterfall towers above all us tiny humans and the water rushes down with incredible strength. We walked up the many stairs along the hill (feeling incredible out of shape when we reached the top) and took a stroll on the grassy knoll above the falls. The trail goes on and on and you can walk along seeing all the smaller waterfalls leading up to the big drop. The landscape above this waterfall was green and lush and seemed to go as far as the eye can see.

4. Fos a Sidu

***Hidden Gem***

Fos a Sidu was a hidden gem that we stumbled upon during our road trip. We stopped because we loved the beauty and simplicity of this trickling waterfall. The further we got from cities, the more we noticed that most houses in the country seemed to have their own private waterfall behind the house. My assumption (though I could be wayyyy off with this) is that the houses were built in areas that already had water sources such as waterfalls. This way water was easily accessible for all the residents’ needs. As we continued driving, we saw more and more houses that had waterfalls, even if they were small, within a short distance from the house. This little waterfall was one of my favorite unplanned experiences and a great reason to get out of the van and stretch our legs while seeing the beauty of nature.

5. Rjukandi Waterfall

***Hidden Gem***

This waterfall was another favorite of mine and was also a hidden gem that we didn’t plan to see. We stopped at this waterfall because we saw other cars pulling off the road to see it. At first we thought we would be there about 5 or 10 minutes. I think we actually ended up staying for about an hour. We LOVED this waterfall! The colors of all the brush around made for a picture perfect view. This waterfall was unexpected but one of our favorite stops along the Ring Road. We pulled out the tripod, focused the camera, and set the self timer to get a shot together surrounded by the natural beauty.

6. Godafoss

We made it to Godafoss just before the sun set one night during our trip. It had been pouring rain almost all day but cleared up in time to enjoy this waterfall while staying dry. Due to the extensive rainfall, there was quite a bit of runoff that was caught up in the water. This made the water a bit murky looking, but the view was still astounding. This waterfall is named for its godlike beauty and is known to be one of the most spectacular waterfalls in Iceland. I spent a while at this waterfall trying to perfect the soft water feel of slow shutter speed settings on my camera. I’m far from perfecting my skills, but it gives me something to strive for during my next trip to this land of endless waterfalls.

7. Selvallavatn

This waterfall was on our itinerary as a “if we have time” item. We ended up squeezing it into our trip and I’m very happy we did. When we pulled off the road in the area the map indicated, we didn’t see this waterfall at first. We walked a good distance down a hill and eventually caught a view of the edge of the water. We walked further down and found this waterfall. It was similar to Seljalandsfoss in the sense that you could walk along behind the falls, but was smaller in size. The last shot I’ve added for this waterfall is one taken in the “live” mode from an iPhone. Live mode allows you to capture a long exposure from a photo, creating the soft water look.

8. Kirkjufellsfoss

One of the most widely known waterfalls in Iceland is Kirkjufellsfoss. This set of falls is across the road from the iconic Kirkjufell mountain. This was on Tim’s must-see list for Iceland since the first day of planning. We instantly fell in love with this view (despite the large crowds of people) and ended up returning the following day to see it again in the daytime. The first day we visited was close to sunset and the clouds had rolled in already, obstructing he view of the top of the mountain. The second day we visited, the sun was shinning and the mountain was visible all the way to the top. Definitely a must-see when traveling Iceland!

9. Fossarrett

The last on our list is Fossarrett. This waterfall was simple but gorgeous, and it was a great way to end our journey back towards Reykjavik.

What are your favorite Icelandic Waterfalls?!? Send me a message to share your thoughts and let me know which falls are on your Iceland Bucket List!

***The waterfall I most wanted to see on the trip was one we did not end up going to. Svartifoss was on our itinerary, but the day we planned to go was the day we hiked along a large gorge. As we were hiking the clouds opened up dumping buckets and buckets of rain on us. By the time we got to Svartifoss we had finally started drying off. It was still pouring rain outside and the hike to the falls was going to be longer than we initially thought. We decided to scratch this one off our list for the trip, but plan to return some day in the future and complete the hike to Svartifoss.