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 · Sveitarfélagið Hornafjörður
Morsárfoss
Morsárfoss is a waterfall in Vatnajökull National Park, Iceland. Measurements showed that one of the several waterfalls in the area is at least 240 metres in total height, making it the tallest waterfall in Iceland.
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.
Morsárfoss drops 227 metres (745 ft), inside Vatnajökull National Park. It is a plunge-type fall, and the nearest base for a visit is Sveitarfélagið Hornafjörður, Iceland. Access to the main viewpoint is rated moderate.
Summary adapted from the Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Morsárfoss is the tallest of the 32 waterfalls we cover in Iceland. As a plunge waterfall, water leaves the rock entirely and falls free through the air.
What you can do here
A walk-in-and-look waterfall
No commercial adventures run at Morsárfoss itself — the experience is the approach and the view. Guided day trips from Sveitarfélagið Hornafjörður 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 Sveitarfélagið Hornafjörður, Iceland
- Country Iceland
- Region Sveitarfélagið Hornafjörður, Nordics & Baltics, Europe
- Access Moderate — a real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail
How it compares
This waterfall
Morsárfoss
Iceland
Height227 mWidth—
Most similar
Svøufallet
Norway
Height246 mWidth—
Also a plunge waterfall, of similar height and in Norway
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
227 m
246 m
330 m
979 m
Victoria FallsMorsárfossSvøufalletEiffel TowerAngel Falls
Khone Phapheng Falls
10,783 m
Victoria Falls
1,708 m
Angel Falls is 4.3× taller than Morsárfoss. It drops 2.1× further than Victoria Falls (108 m). We don't have a reliable crest width for Morsárfoss 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
64.11241, -16.88481
Quick answers
Where is Morsárfoss?
Morsárfoss is in Iceland (Sveitarfélagið Hornafjörður), inside Vatnajökull National Park. The nearest base is Sveitarfélagið Hornafjörður, Iceland. Its coordinates are 64.1124, -16.8848.
How tall is Morsárfoss?
Morsárfoss drops 227 metres (745 feet). It is a plunge-type waterfall.
When is the best time to visit Morsárfoss?
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 Morsárfoss?
Beyond the viewpoints: hiking, photography and wildlife & safari. Access to the main viewpoint is rated moderate — a real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail.
How do you get to Morsárfoss?
The usual base is Sveitarfélagið Hornafjörður, Iceland. A real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail from there.
Nearby
Closest to Morsárfoss
Full guide Svartifoss
Iceland · 20 m · 10 km away
Framed by the basalt columns that echo in Hallgrímskirkja's design
Systrafoss
Iceland · 70 km away
Systrafoss is a waterfall in Iceland, found at Kirkjubæjarklaustur in Skaftárhreppur in the Suðurland region.
Fagrifoss
Iceland · 70 km away
Fagrifoss is a waterfall located in the Highland in Iceland. It is almost on the road leading to Lakagígar…
Ófærufoss
Iceland · 90 km away
Ófærufoss is a waterfall situated in the Eldgjá chasm in the western part of Vatnajökull National Park…