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 · Western Iceland
Hraunfossar
Lava Falls
Rather than one main channel, dozens of narrow rivulets seep out from beneath a centuries-old lava field and trickle into the glacial Hvítá River over nearly a kilometre of frontage. The adjacent Barnafoss rapids, named for a local legend of two lost children, complete the same short visit.
Iceland's widest 'waterfall' by continuous frontage Essentials guide
Checked September 2026 by David Bussell
Hraunfossar drops over a series of steps across a face roughly 900 metres wide on the Hvítá (west). It is a fan-type fall, and the nearest base for a visit is Reykholt, with KEF the closest airport. Access to the main viewpoint is rated easy.
Hraunfossar is number 8 on our list of the widest waterfalls in the world. As a fan waterfall, the flow widens noticeably as it descends while staying on the rock.
What you can do here
A walk-in-and-look waterfall
No commercial adventures run at Hraunfossar itself — the experience is the approach and the view. Guided day trips from Reykholt are the easiest way to combine it with the area around it.
Also good forHikingPhotography
When to go
Flows steadily year-round, fed by groundwater filtering through the lava field rather than direct runoff.
Entry: Free; paid parking
Getting there
- Base town Reykholt
- Airport KEF
- Country Iceland
- Region Western Iceland, Nordics & Baltics, Europe
- Access Easy — a short walk or roadside viewpoint
How it compares
This waterfall
Hraunfossar
Iceland
Height—Width900 m
Most similar
Höllbachgspreng
Germany
Height—Width500 m
In Germany
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
108 m
330 m
979 m
Victoria FallsEiffel TowerAngel Falls
Khone Phapheng Falls
10,783 m
Victoria Falls
1,708 m
Hraunfossar
900 m
Höllbachgspreng
500 m
Khone Phapheng Falls is 12× wider. Tallest · widest lists.
Watch and read
Videos from Hraunfossar
6:49
2:57
14:12
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
64.7026, -20.9806
Quick answers
Where is Hraunfossar?
Hraunfossar is in Iceland (Western Iceland). The nearest base is Reykholt and the closest airport is KEF. Its coordinates are 64.7026, -20.9806.
When is the best time to visit Hraunfossar?
Peak flow is May to September. Flows steadily year-round, fed by groundwater filtering through the lava field rather than direct runoff.
What can you do at Hraunfossar?
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 Hraunfossar?
The usual base is Reykholt, and the closest airport is KEF. A short walk or roadside viewpoint from there. Free; paid parking.
Nearby
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