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 · Northeast Iceland
Goðafoss
Known as the 'waterfall of the gods,' legend holds that Iceland's lawspeaker threw statues of Norse gods into the falls here in the year 1000 after the country formally adopted Christianity. The horseshoe-shaped curtain sits an easy stop directly beside the Ring Road.
Historically tied to Iceland's conversion to Christianity Essentials guide
Checked September 2026 by David Bussell
Goðafoss drops 12 metres (39 ft) across a face roughly 30 metres wide on the Skjálfandafljót, inside Goðafoss Natural Monument. It is a block-type fall, and the nearest base for a visit is Akureyri, with AEY the closest airport. Access to the main viewpoint is rated easy.
Goðafoss is number 9 on our list of waterfalls at the ends of the earth. As a block waterfall, a wide sheet of water falling from a broad river.
What you can do here
A walk-in-and-look waterfall
No commercial adventures run at Goðafoss itself — the experience is the approach and the view. Guided day trips from Akureyri are the easiest way to combine it with the area around it.
Also good forHikingPhotography
When to go
Getting there
- Base town Akureyri
- Airport AEY
- Country Iceland
- Region Northeast Iceland, Nordics & Baltics, Europe
- Access Easy — a short walk or roadside viewpoint
How it compares
This waterfall
Goðafoss
Iceland
Height12 mWidth30 m
Most similar
Borer's Falls
Canada
Height15 mWidth—
Also a block waterfall and of similar height
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
12 m
15 m
108 m
330 m
979 m
GoðafossBorer's FallsVictoria FallsEiffel TowerAngel Falls
Khone Phapheng Falls
10,783 m
Victoria Falls
1,708 m
Goðafoss
30 m
Angel Falls is 82× taller than Goðafoss. Victoria Falls is 9.0× taller and 57× wider. Khone Phapheng Falls is 359× wider. Tallest · widest lists.
Watch and read
Videos from Goðafoss
8:41
2:03
1:52
Chosen from YouTube; videos belong to their creators and play from YouTube's privacy-enhanced player.
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
65.6828, -17.5514
Quick answers
Where is Goðafoss?
Goðafoss is in Iceland (Northeast Iceland), inside Goðafoss Natural Monument. The nearest base is Akureyri and the closest airport is AEY. Its coordinates are 65.6828, -17.5514.
How tall is Goðafoss?
Goðafoss drops 12 metres (39 feet), across a face about 30 metres wide. It is a block-type waterfall on the Skjálfandafljót.
When is the best time to visit Goðafoss?
Peak flow is May to September. Flows year-round; summer gives easiest footing on both riverbank paths.
What can you do at Goðafoss?
Beyond the viewpoints: hiking and photography. Access to the main viewpoint is rated easy — a short walk or roadside viewpoint.
How do you get to Goðafoss?
The usual base is Akureyri, and the closest airport is AEY. A short walk or roadside viewpoint from there. Free.
Nearby
Closest to Goðafoss
Aldeyjarfoss
Iceland · 20 m · 40 km away
The Aldeyjarfoss waterfall is situated in the Highlands of Iceland at the northern part of the Sprengisandur…
Full guide Dettifoss
Iceland · 44 m · 60 km away
Among Europe's most powerful waterfalls
Hengifoss
Iceland · 128 m · 140 km away
Hengifoss is the third highest waterfall in Iceland, 128 meters. It is located in Hengifossá in…
Litlanesfoss
Iceland · 30 m · 140 km away
Litlanesfoss is a waterfall in Hengifossá in Fljótsdalur, Eastern Iceland, also known as Stuðlabergsfoss .…