Lonely Planet IcelandLonely Planet
Guidebook
Lonely Planet Iceland
Lonely Planet · 2026
Newest Lonely Planet edition: Ring Road planning, road and weather advice, and practical detail for every major Icelandic waterfall.
Iceland · Bláskógabyggð
Faxi
The Faxi waterfall is located on the Golden Circle, a popular tourist trail approximately 120 km east of Reykjavik. The waterfall is located on the Tungufljót river, a tributary of the river Hvita.
Essentials guide
Facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia, compiled September 2026; season and access are our estimate, not a visit report. How we build these pages.
Faxi drops 7 metres (23 ft). It is a cascade-type fall, and the nearest base for a visit is Bláskógabyggð, Iceland. Access to the main viewpoint is rated easy.
Summary adapted from the Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA 4.0).
As a cascade waterfall, water tumbles down a series of rock steps rather than falling free.
What you can do here
A walk-in-and-look waterfall
No commercial adventures run at Faxi itself — the experience is the approach and the view. Guided day trips from Bláskógabyggð are the easiest way to combine it with the area around it.
Also good forHikingPhotographyWildlife & safari
When to go
Snowmelt feeds the falls from late May; June to August is the short, bright season, and many access roads close in winter.
Getting there
- Base town Bláskógabyggð, Iceland
- Country Iceland
- Region Bláskógabyggð, Nordics & Baltics, Europe
- Access Easy — a short walk or roadside viewpoint
How it compares
This waterfall
Faxi
Iceland
Height7 mWidth—
Most similar
Kamianka waterfall
Ukraine
Height7 mWidth—
Also a cascade waterfall, of similar height and in Ukraine
Largest curtain
Victoria Falls
Zimbabwe · Zambia
Height108 mWidth1,708 m
Largest single sheet of falling water
Tallest on earth
Angel Falls
Venezuela
Height979 mWidth—
Widest on earth
Khone Phapheng Falls
Laos
Height21 mWidth10,783 m
Measured across the whole multi-channel system
7 m
7 m
108 m
330 m
979 m
FaxiKamianka waterfallVictoria FallsEiffel TowerAngel Falls
Khone Phapheng Falls
10,783 m
Victoria Falls
1,708 m
Angel Falls is 140× taller than Faxi. Victoria Falls is 15× taller. We don't have a reliable crest width for Faxi yet, so it is left off the width chart. Tallest · widest lists.
Watch and read
Books worth packing
The Rough Guide to IcelandRough Guides
Guidebook
The Rough Guide to Iceland
Rough Guides · 2025
Current Rough Guide with region-by-region coverage of the south coast, Mývatn area, Snæfellsnes and Vatnajökull.
Guidebook
DK Eyewitness Iceland
DK Eyewitness · 2024
Map-heavy illustrated guide, handy for picturing the Golden Circle and south-coast falls before you drive them.
Iceland (Classic Geology in Europe)Thor Thordarson & Ármann…
Natural history
Iceland (Classic Geology in Europe)
Thor Thordarson & Ármann Höskuldsson · 2022
Field geology of Iceland's volcanic landscapes, explaining the lava, basalt and canyons that shape falls like Svartifoss and Dettifoss.
On the map
64.22522, -20.33658
Quick answers
Where is Faxi?
Faxi is in Iceland (Bláskógabyggð). The nearest base is Bláskógabyggð, Iceland. Its coordinates are 64.2252, -20.3366.
How tall is Faxi?
Faxi drops 7 metres (23 feet). It is a cascade-type waterfall.
When is the best time to visit Faxi?
Peak flow is June to August. Snowmelt feeds the falls from late May; June to August is the short, bright season, and many access roads close in winter.
What can you do at Faxi?
Beyond the viewpoints: hiking, photography and wildlife & safari. Access to the main viewpoint is rated easy — a short walk or roadside viewpoint.
How do you get to Faxi?
The usual base is Bláskógabyggð, Iceland. A short walk or roadside viewpoint from there.
Nearby
Closest to Faxi
Brúarfoss
Iceland · 10 km away
Brúarfoss is a waterfall in Iceland.
Full guide Gullfoss
Iceland · 32 m · 15 km away
Iceland's most iconic waterfall, on the Golden Circle
White-water rafting
Hjálparfoss
Iceland · 30 km away
Hjálparfoss is one of several waterfalls in the south of Iceland situated in the lava fields north of the…
Þjófafoss
Iceland · 30 km away
Þjófafoss aˌfɔsː] , "thieves' waterfall"; also Thjofafoss) is located on the river Þjórsá on the east side of…