Gullfoss Waterfall

Gullfoss Waterfall – Golden Waterfall

Gullfoss, one of the most famous and most visited waterfalls in Iceland, is a gem of the Golden Circle that you should definitely not miss. This breathtaking two-tiered waterfall, whose name means “Golden Waterfall,” has won the hearts of visitors not only for its power, but also for its beauty and dramatic scenery.

Upper viewpoint

One of the best ways to enjoy Gullfoss is to start at the top viewpoint. From the car park, you will continue along the waterfall to the start. It takes a few minutes to get there and you’ll almost be on your own. Most people only go to the second lookout point, thus missing out on the view of the river valley.

Waterfall not only shows you its beauty, but also reveals the canyon through which the river continues to flow.

If you’re lucky, you’ll see a rainbow too. On sunny days, several of them form in the waterfall and you just have to look for them.

In the winter months (October-April), the surrounding rocks are covered with a white blanket that looks as if salt has dried on the rocks.

Lower viewpoint

Your next steps should definitely lead to the bottom view. To reach it, you need to continue down the stairs from the car park. There are not many steps, but they are slippery, so you should be careful. Significantly more hikers go to this viewpoint than to the upper one.

Photo spot at the waterfall is quite busy and you have to accept that there are people all around you who also want a photo with the iconic view .

In the summer months, you can continue along the path right up to the waterfall. However, from the beginning of October the road is closed as it is covered with ice and therefore dangerous. If you want to go directly to the waterfall, you have to go in the summer months.

How to get here?

We visited Gullfoss after the geysers, which lie just a 10 minute drive along Route 35. Driving from Reykjavik is getting longer and takes almost 2 hours by car. This makes Gullfoss the perfect end to the Golden Circle, that is, if you haven’t already stopped at Secret Lagoon, which lies 30 minutes from the waterfall towards Reykjavík.

Be sure to set aside at least an hour when visiting Gullfoss. This place is a popular stop and can be busy, especially in high season. However, if you arrive early in the morning or late in the afternoon, you’ll enjoy the peace and beauty without the people. We also arrived here quite late and appreciated it very much. In fact, when we arrived, we saw several full buses of tourists leaving and no new ones arrived during our visit.

As with the other waterfalls, you pay a parking fee of 1000 ISK.

Interesting fact about Gullfoss Waterfall

Also interesting is the history of Gullfoss. In the past, it was almost the subject of building plans when proposals were made to use it to generate electricity. However, well-known Icelandic activist Sigríður Tómasdóttir intervened to preserve the waterfall in its natural form. Sigríður even threatened to jump into the waterfall if the project was approved. Today, Gullfoss is protected as a national treasure, which is why it has been preserved in all its majesty.