Gullfoss Waterfall

Gullfoss is a two-stage waterfall on the Hvítá river in south Iceland, about 10 km east of Geysir at the far end of the Golden Circle. The glacial river drops 11 metres, turns at an angle and plunges a further 20 metres into a narrow canyon, so from the rim the lower fall seems to vanish into the ground.

It is the biggest waterfall on the route by volume. An average of 109 cubic metres of water a second goes over the edge, rising to around 130 in summer, and the largest flood ever recorded here pushed 2,000 cubic metres a second through the canyon. Classic Golden Circle tours end their loop here, including the Gullfoss and Secret Lagoon day, which finishes with a soak at Flúðir.

What is Gullfoss?

Gullfoss, "golden falls", is the point where the Hvítá leaves the open highland edge and drops into Hvítárgljúfur, a canyon roughly 2.5 km long that it has cut through the rock below. The river rises in Hvítárvatn at the foot of Langjökull, Iceland's second-largest ice cap, which is why the water is grey-brown with glacial silt for most of the year.

The falls and the canyon below have been a protected nature reserve since 1979. The reserve covers 154.9 hectares, and its rules protect the vegetation along the rim as well as the waterfall itself, since the spray creates a damp, sheltered strip where berry heather, mosses and scrub grow well despite the altitude.

How the two tiers of Gullfoss formed

The shape of Gullfoss comes from the rock it falls over. Hard layers of dolerite form the two ledges, and between them sits a band of sediment almost 10 metres thick, made of conglomerate, mudstone and loose gravel. The gravel washes out easily, undercutting the harder rock above, and that is what drives the falls slowly back upstream.

There are two explanations for the canyon. One holds that a huge glacial outburst flood at the end of the last Ice Age carved it in a short burst, and the other that the Hvítá has cut it steadily since the ice melted. Iceland's Environment Agency considers gradual erosion the more likely of the two. For the full story, our piece on the geology of the canyon goes layer by layer.

Gullfoss viewpoints: upper and lower

There are two main ways to see Gullfoss, and they show you different things. Do both if you can, because neither gives the whole picture alone.

The upper viewpoint

The upper viewpoint sits on the rim near Gullfosskaffi, the café and shop above the falls. From here you see the layout clearly: the wide upper step, the turn of the river, and the deep crack of the canyon running away to the south-west. On a clear day Langjökull shows on the horizon to the north.

It is also the drier option. Spray rarely reaches this high, so it is the place for photographs on a windy day and the easier choice for anyone who would rather avoid steps.

The lower path

A staircase leads down from the upper level to a path that runs along the rim almost to the edge of the upper fall, ending on a rocky spur beside the water. Down here Gullfoss is loud, wet and close, and you feel the force of the river in a way the upper viewpoint cannot give you.

Expect to get wet. The spray drifts across the path even in sunshine, and on a breezy day it soaks everything. In winter this path ices over quickly and is closed when it is unsafe, so follow the signs and ropes rather than stepping round them.

Sigríður's memorial

Near the falls stands a stone memorial to Sigríður Tómasdóttir, raised in 1978, with her profile carved into it. It is easy to walk past, but it explains why the river is still running free.

The story of Sigríður and the fight to save Gullfoss

Sigríður Tómasdóttir was born at Brattholt, the farm above the falls, on 24 February 1871 and lived there almost all her life. She and her sisters guided travellers down to Gullfoss and built the first path to the waterfall themselves.

Early in the twentieth century foreign investors wanted Iceland's big rivers for hydroelectric power. In 1907 an Englishman offered 50,000 krónur for Gullfoss, fifty times the fire insurance value of Brattholt, and Sigríður's father Tómas refused with the reply "I will not sell my friend". The falls were later leased to men acting for foreign interests, and Sigríður spent years walking and riding to Reykjavík to fight the deal, without winning in court.

The scheme failed anyway. The rent stopped coming in 1928, the agreement lapsed, and no dam was ever built. Sigríður died in 1957 at 87 and is buried in Haukadalur. The full account, including the part played by her lawyer Sveinn Björnsson, later Iceland's first president, is in our story of Sigríður's fight to save Gullfoss.

How to get to Gullfoss from Reykjavík

Gullfoss is about 123 km from Reykjavík by road, which takes around two hours without stops. The falls sit at the end of Route 35 (Biskupstungnabraut), about 10 km past the Geysir hot springs, and the road is paved and ploughed all the way.

You can approach from two directions. The usual Golden Circle loop runs from Þingvellir over Lyngdalsheiði on Route 365 to Laugarvatn, then on Routes 37 and 35 past Geysir to Gullfoss. The other way leaves the Ring Road at Selfoss and follows Route 35 north through Biskupstungur. Coming back, many drivers take Route 30 south from just below Gullfoss towards Flúðir, which passes the Hvítá gorge at Brúarhlöð and makes a loop rather than a return trip.

North of Gullfoss the road becomes the Kjölur highland route, a gravel road across the interior to the north coast. It is closed in winter and is a different kind of drive altogether, so do not follow your sat nav onto it by mistake if you are heading home.

Parking and fees at Gullfoss

Seeing the falls is free. Parking is not: since autumn 2026 the car park by Gullfosskaffi, built by the café's owners on their own land, has charged 1,080 ISK for a car and 8,700 ISK for a large coach, as reported by Heimildin in October 2026. Check the signs on arrival, since the rate may change.

A wider charge is also on the table. In September 2026 the government published a draft bill for a nature pass covering Gullfoss, Geysir and Þingvellir, at 4,500 ISK for a year from 1 May 2027, with residents of Iceland exempt. The bill is still a draft, and because the Gullfoss car park is private, its fee would not be removed by the pass.

Facilities at Gullfoss

Gullfosskaffi, on the rim above the upper viewpoint, is the only building at the falls. It has a café, toilets and a souvenir shop, and it is best known for its Icelandic meat soup, which is exactly what you want after twenty minutes in the spray. Opening hours vary by season, so do not count on it late in the evening.

There is no petrol station at Gullfoss. The nearest is at Geysir, 10 km back down Route 35, and it is the last one before the Kjölur road.

Rules at Gullfoss

The reserve has a short list of rules, and most of them protect the thin vegetation on the rim:

• Stay on marked paths and do not cut across the slopes.
• No driving off-road or outside marked tracks.
• Do not damage plants, disturb wildlife or break geological formations.
• Drones are banned unless you have permission from the Environment Agency.

The unmarked paths you will see trodden into the moss beside the official ones take years to heal, so it is worth sticking to the gravel even when the short cut looks harmless.

Best time to visit Gullfoss

Gullfoss runs all year, but its character changes with the seasons. In summer the Hvítá is fed by melting glacier ice and the flow rises to about 130 cubic metres a second, so June to August is when the falls are at their loudest. Long days also let you visit late in the evening, when the coaches have gone.

Winter brings a different spectacle. Spray freezes onto the canyon walls and the rocks either side, and parts of the falls build up thick ice, though the river keeps running underneath. The trade-offs are short daylight, icy paths and the occasional closure of the lower path. Our guide to Gullfoss under winter ice covers what to expect month by month.

Spring and autumn sit in between. Flow is often strong in spring as snow melts across the catchment, while autumn brings quieter paths and, from September, a chance of northern lights over the canyon on clear nights.

Best time of day

Crowds follow the coach timetable. Between late morning and mid-afternoon the upper viewpoint fills up, especially when several tour groups arrive together. Before 10:00 or after 16:00 in summer the falls are far quieter, and in winter the low sun around midday lights the spray and gives the best chance of a rainbow over the canyon.

How long to spend at Gullfoss

Thirty to forty-five minutes covers both viewpoints at a steady pace, which is what most guided tours allow. Add twenty minutes if you want soup at Gullfosskaffi, and longer if you are photographing, since the light on the spray changes quickly.

In winter allow a little more time for the walk, as the paths are slower in spikes, but you may spend less overall if the lower path is closed.

What to wear at Gullfoss

Gullfoss sits high and open, and the wind off the highlands makes it one of the coldest stops on the Golden Circle. A waterproof jacket with a hood matters more than anything else, because the spray on the lower path is heavy, and waterproof trousers are worth having if you plan to stay near the edge for long.

Good footwear comes next. The paths are wet much of the year and icy in winter, and slip-on spikes make the stairs and the lower path far safer from November to March. Gloves help in every season, since you will be holding a camera in wind and spray.

Photographing Gullfoss

The upper viewpoint gives the classic picture, with both tiers and the canyon in one frame. A wide lens helps here, because the falls are broader than they look from the car park. The lower path is better for detail and for a sense of scale, especially with a person standing on the spur beside the water.

Spray is the main problem. Keep a cloth in your pocket and shoot between gusts, and on sunny days look for the rainbow, which forms in the spray whenever the sun is behind you. Tripods are fine on the paths as long as you keep them out of the way of other visitors.

Gullfoss on a Golden Circle day

On the classic loop Gullfoss comes last, after Þingvellir and Geysir, and it is the turning point of the day. Coach tours usually arrive in the early afternoon, spend around forty-five minutes at the falls, and head back to Reykjavík either the way they came or south through Flúðir and Selfoss.

Self-drivers can make that turn work for them. Reversing the loop and starting at Gullfoss in the morning puts you at the falls before most coaches, and on long summer days you can also leave it until after dinner, when the light is softer and the paths are almost empty.

Things to do near Gullfoss

Geysir is ten minutes back down Route 35, and most visitors pair the two. Upstream, Gullfoss is the starting point for trips onto Langjökull, including snowmobile tours that start from Gullfoss and drive up to the ice cap.

Heading south on Route 30, the Hvítá narrows sharply at Brúarhlöð gorge downstream, where the river runs between basalt walls beside an old bridge. It is a quick roadside stop, and it shows the same river at a completely different scale.

The farm at Brattholt, where Sigríður lived, lies just south of the falls along the same road, and Haukadalur church, where she is buried, is a few minutes beyond Geysir. Together they make a short detour for anyone who wants to follow her story on the ground.

Further afield, Faxi waterfall lies about 20 km away towards Reykholt, and the Secret Lagoon at Flúðir is about 34 km south. Our list of stops within an hour of Gullfoss sets out drive times and how long each one needs.

Is Gullfoss worth visiting?

Yes. Of the three main Golden Circle stops, Gullfoss is the one that most often stops people in their tracks, because the scale only becomes clear when you are standing at the rim. Few other large waterfalls in Iceland combine this volume with paved access and two easy viewpoints within a short walk of the car park.

It also has a story that gives the place meaning. A waterfall that came close to being dammed, saved partly by one farmer's daughter, says a lot about how Iceland came to value its rivers.