Walking guide
Walking and Trekking in Iceland
Paddy Dillon · 2015
Cicerone routes incl. the Fimmvörðuháls trek from Skógafoss, Skaftafell walks to Svartifoss and the Jökulsárgljúfur canyon by Dettifoss.
Iceland · South Coast
Skógafoss
A 60-metre curtain of the Skógá dropping off a former sea cliff beside the Ring Road — the anchor of Iceland's South Coast waterfalls, with Seljalandsfoss half an hour west and more than twenty further falls waiting up the staircase above it.
Full guide Checked September 2026 by David Bussell · 61 sources
Skógafoss falls 60 metres in a single, almost square sheet about 25 metres wide, off an escarpment that was the Icelandic shoreline until the land rose and the coast retreated roughly five kilometres south. That is the whole trick of the place: a river from the pass between two glaciers, Eyjafjallajökull and Mýrdalsjökull, reaches an old sea cliff and simply steps off it onto a flat gravel plain. The spray is heavy enough that on any sunny day a rainbow — often a double — hangs in front of the curtain, and heavy enough to soak you at the base within a minute.
You experience it in two halves. The base is a flat walk across the plain to the edge of the plunge pool, close enough to feel the noise in your chest; since January 2026 cars stop at a new paid car park about 500 metres away, outside the protected natural monument. The top is 527 metal steps up the east side to a platform that hangs over the lip, looking down the river and across the lowlands to the sea. Beyond it, a path follows the Skógá upstream past waterfall after waterfall — the start of the Fimmvörðuháls trail over the pass to Þórsmörk.
Skógafoss is the obvious base for the whole South Coast waterfall run. Seljalandsfoss, the one you can walk behind, and Gljúfrabúi, tucked inside a gorge, are 30 km west; Kvernufoss hides in a ravine a short walk from the Skógar Museum; Sólheimajökull's glacier tongue and the DC-3 wreck on Sólheimasandur are within 15 minutes east; and Vík, the ice caves under Mýrdalsjökull and Reynisfjara's black beach are half an hour beyond. Stay a night in Skógar and you get the falls empty at dawn, before the Reykjavík day tours arrive.
Book this trip
All activities & prices ↓- Fimmvörðuháls: Skógar to Þórsmörk in a dayfrom US$340 Check availability
- Sólheimajökull glacier walkfrom US$108 Check availability
- Katla ice cave by super-jeep from Víkfrom US$240 Check availability
Skógafoss or Seljalandsfoss?
Skógafoss
The power and the climbSkógar, Route 1 — 30 km east of Seljalandsfoss
The bigger, louder, simpler of the two: one wide curtain you approach head-on across flat gravel, with a 527-step staircase to a platform above the lip and a riverside path beyond it that keeps producing waterfalls for kilometres. You can't walk behind it, but you can stand in the spray at the base, climb for the view down to the sea, and spend anything from twenty minutes to a full day here. Kvernufoss and the Skógar Museum are a few minutes' walk from the village.
Base of the falls and plunge pool527-step staircase and top platformWaterfall Way upstream on the SkógáKvernufoss (walk behind it)Skógar Museum
- Entry Free, open 24 hours; parking 1,000 ISK (~US$8) per car per 5 hours via Parka, at a new lot ~500 m from the falls since January 2026
- Best for Rainbows, the clifftop hike, staying overnight, anyone who wants more than a photo stop
Seljalandsfoss & Gljúfrabúi
Walk behind the waterRoute 249, just off Route 1 — 30 km west of Skógafoss
A 60-metre ribbon rather than a curtain, dropping over an overhang so that a loop path runs through the cave behind it — the one South Coast fall you can walk all the way round, and the one where you'll get the wettest. A few hundred metres north along the cliff, Gljúfrabúi drops into a narrow gorge you enter by stepping or wading up a stream into a mossy chamber. The behind-the-falls path closes when it ices over, typically in the depths of winter.
Loop path behind SeljalandsfossGljúfrabúi inside its gorgeCliff walk between the twoSunset through the curtain in summer
- Entry Free, open 24 hours; parking about 1,000 ISK (~US$8) per car per day via Check-it kiosk or online
- Best for The behind-the-curtain photo, evening light, a short stop on the way to or from Reykjavík
The short answer
Do both — they are 25 minutes apart on the same road, and every South Coast tour stops at each. If you only have time to linger at one, make it Skógafoss: the climb and the Waterfall Way turn it into a half-day, while Seljalandsfoss and Gljúfrabúi are done well in an hour. Bring a waterproof layer for Seljalandsfoss regardless.
When to go
June to August for the trail above the falls and endless light; September for thinner crowds with aurora returning; a clear February or March night if the aurora over the falls is the point.
Skógafoss flows hard all year; the real variables are light and ice. Summer gives near-endless daylight and the only window for the Fimmvörðuháls crossing, while winter shrinks the day to four or five hours and can close the staircase and the path behind Seljalandsfoss.
Summer — long light, full trail
June – AugustDaylight until close to midnight, snowmelt from both glaciers keeping the Skógá full, and the whole trail above the falls open — this is the only season for the full Fimmvörðuháls crossing, with huts staffed and the Highland Bus running from Þórsmörk. It is also peak coach season: from roughly 10:00 to 17:00 the base is crowded, so come early or late.
Open
- Staircase and Waterfall Way
- Fimmvörðuháls crossing (huts staffed ~late June – mid-Sept)
- Highland Bus to Skógar and Þórsmörk
- Glacier walks, ice caves, plane wreck shuttle
Closed or compromised
- Nothing at the falls; aurora not visible in the bright nights
Shoulder — quieter, aurora returning
May and SeptemberTour traffic thins noticeably, flow stays strong, and by September the nights are dark enough for aurora again. Snow can linger high on the Fimmvörðuháls pass into June and returns from mid-September, so treat the lower Waterfall Way as the realistic hike and the full crossing as summer-only. Weather swings fast: calm and bright one hour, gale and sleet the next.
Open
- Staircase and lower Waterfall Way
- Glacier walks and Katla ice cave
- Aurora chances from late August
Closed or compromised
- Fimmvörðuháls huts unstaffed outside the summer window
- Highland Bus ends around 20–24 September
Winter — ice, short days and aurora
October – AprilThe falls never stop, but spray glazes the rocks, the staircase and the path behind Seljalandsfoss, and either can be roped off when icy. December daylight runs to roughly four or five hours. In exchange you get the falls nearly to yourself, snow on the escarpment, and dark skies — Skógafoss sits well away from any town lights and is one of the South Coast's classic aurora foregrounds.
Open
- The base of Skógafoss
- Katla ice cave from Vík (year-round)
- Sólheimajökull glacier walks
- Skógar Museum (10:00–17:00)
Closed or compromised
- Staircase and Seljalandsfoss's rear path, intermittently when icy
- Fimmvörðuháls and the Highland Bus
- Route 1 itself, occasionally, in storms
The rainbow in the spray
Skógafoss throws so much spray that a rainbow appears on nearly every sunny day — often a double, sometimes arcing almost to the ground at your feet. The falls faces roughly south, so stand at the base with the sun behind you. You don't need to time it precisely; you need sun, which on Iceland's South Coast is the harder part.
Everything you can do here
Prices are 2025/2026 advertised rates in ISK or USD from operator, municipal and booking-platform listings, converted to USD at roughly 121 ISK/USD; they move with season, group size and exchange rates and should be treated as a planning guide rather than a quote.
The staircase and the Waterfall Way
free; parking 1,000 ISK (~US$8) per car
Climb the 527 steps on the east side to the platform over the lip, then keep going: a path follows the Skógá upstream through a narrow canyon past a chain of falls — Hestavaðsfoss, Fosstorfufoss, Skálabrekkufoss and many more unnamed ones — each different in shape from the last. Walk as far as you like and turn round; there is no need to commit to the full Fimmvörðuháls crossing to see most of the waterfalls. Grippy boots matter, since the path is muddy and exposed in places.
Year-round for the stairs when not iced over; upstream path best June – September
No booking needed.
Fimmvörðuháls: Skógar to Þórsmörk in a day
US$340per person, guided, includes return Highland Bus; self-guided is free plus bus fare
Iceland's best-known day hike runs from Skógafoss up the Skógá past more than twenty waterfalls, crosses the 1,000-metre pass between two glaciers beside the Magni and Móði craters from the 2010 eruption, then drops steeply into the birch valley of Þórsmörk. Weather on the pass turns fast and fog is common; the Baldvinsskáli hut (16 beds, about 17,000 ISK / $140 a night, no drinking water) splits it into two days. Read the 2026 warning below before you go.
July – August for the guided day hike; trail generally late June – mid-September
Check availability
or compare on Viator
Sólheimajökull glacier walk
US$108from, per adult, meet at the glacier; longer Icelandic Mountain Guides hikes from US$174
Sólheimajökull, a tongue of the Mýrdalsjökull ice cap, ends about 10 km east of Skógafoss, and it's the easiest real glacier walk in the south to reach by car. Crampons, harness and ice axe are supplied; guides lead you past moulins, ridges and ash-banded crevasses. The glacier has retreated sharply in recent decades and the walk-in from the car park lengthens every year. Parking at the glacier is about 750 ISK (~$6).
Year-round
Check availability
or compare on Viator
Katla ice cave by super-jeep from Vík
US$240per person
The ice cave that runs in summer as well as winter: a super-jeep from Vík out across the Mýrdalssandur outwash plain to the edge of Mýrdalsjökull, then a short, easy walk into a cave of blue ice striped with black ash layers from past Katla eruptions. Helmet, headlamp and crampons are supplied. The cave shape changes season to season as the ice melts and moves, so the photos you see online won't match exactly.
Year-round
Check availability
or compare on Viator
Doing this one? Check your travel insurance covers adventure activities before you go — SafetyWing is one option.
Seljalandsfoss and Gljúfrabúi
free; parking about 1,000 ISK (~US$8) per car per day
Thirty kilometres west of Skógafoss, Seljalandsfoss drops 60 metres over an overhang, and a loop path takes you through the cave behind it — waterproofs essential, since you will get soaked. Then walk a few hundred metres north along the cliff to Gljúfrabúi, which falls inside a narrow gorge: step (or wade) up the stream through a slot into a mossy chamber with the waterfall pounding onto a boulder in the middle. Summer evenings put the low sun straight through the curtain.
Year-round; rear path at Seljalandsfoss closes when icy
No booking needed.
Kvernufoss
free; parking at the Skógar Museum lot about 750 ISK (~US$6)
The quiet counterpart to Skógafoss, about two kilometres east of it: a 30-metre fall at the head of the Kvernugil ravine, reached by an easy path from the Skógar Museum car park. Like Seljalandsfoss, a slippery track leads into the hollow behind the water, but with a fraction of the crowd. Go late in the day when the coaches have moved on, and expect the rocks behind the fall to be wet or iced whatever the season.
Year-round; crampons useful in winter
No booking needed.
The Sólheimasandur DC-3 wreck shuttle
US$28adult, return shuttle from the Sólheimasandur car park
The bare fuselage of a US Navy Douglas C-117 — a Super DC-3 — that crash-landed on the black sand in November 1973, with everyone aboard surviving. It lies about 4 km from the car park off Route 1, some 6 km east of Skógar. The walk takes 40–50 minutes each way across featureless sand; the shuttle cuts it to minutes. In January 2020 two visitors died of exposure on this walk, so don't attempt it in bad weather or failing light.
Year-round, daily roughly 10:00–17:00, daylight permitting
Pay on the day — nothing to book in advance.
Skógar Museum
US$253,000 ISK adult; 2,000 ISK students/seniors; under-12s free; family 6,750 ISK
A two-minute drive from the falls and far better than a village museum has any right to be: a folk museum of around 15,000 objects, an open-air collection of turf houses and a wooden church, and a transport and technology museum. It also holds the old church door ring said to come from the treasure chest the settler Þrasi Þórólfsson hid behind Skógafoss. Freya Café is on site, and the Kvernufoss path starts from the car park.
Year-round; 09:00–18:00 June – August, 10:00–17:00 September – May
Pay on the day — nothing to book in advance.
South Coast day tour from Reykjavík
US$150from, per adult, with Reykjavík pickup
The standard way to see Skógafoss without a car: Seljalandsfoss, Skógafoss, Sólheimajökull, Reynisfjara and Vík in one long day, with around 30–60 minutes at each stop. That is enough for the base of Skógafoss but rarely for the staircase and the falls above it. Pick a small-group version if you can, and in winter expect the short daylight to squeeze the later stops.
Year-round
Check availability
or compare on Viator
Seljavallalaug hillside pool
no fixed entry fee
A 25-metre concrete pool built into the valley wall under Eyjafjallajökull in the 1920s, fed by a hot spring and reached by a river-side walk with a stream crossing, about 20 km west of Skógafoss. Water runs from around 35°C at the inlet to 25°C at the far end. There are no showers, no staff and no water treatment — algae builds up in summer and the changing shed is basic. Go for the setting, not the facilities.
Year-round, weather permitting
No booking needed.
LAVA Centre, Hvolsvöllur
US$435,200 ISK adult full exhibition; 2,000 ISK (~US$17) cinema only
An interactive volcano and earthquake exhibition in Hvolsvöllur, 30 minutes west of Skógafoss, that explains what you're driving past: the Eyjafjallajökull eruption of 2010 that grounded European air travel, the Katla volcano under Mýrdalsjökull, and the Hekla cone on the horizon. The obvious rainy-day stop on the South Coast, it also tracks live seismic activity across the region, which makes it worth a look before a glacier or ice-cave trip.
Year-round; 08:30–19:00 June – August, 08:30–17:00 September – May
Pay on the day — nothing to book in advance.
Fimmvörðuháls in 2026: read this before you commit
On 25 August 2026, Ferðafélag Íslands, Útivist, the Dagrenning rescue team and the Icelandic Tourist Board jointly advised people not to hike Fimmvörðuháls: glacier retreat has opened new ravines and crevasses and exposed steep scree between the Baldvinsskáli and Fimmvörðuskáli huts, and heavy rain had made parts of the route impassable. On 2 September Ferðafélag Íslands published a detour — a blue-marked route along the track between Baldvinsskáli and the Skógá bridge, with numbered GPS posts — as the recommended autumn line. The trail was never formally closed, but the organisations now treat it as a serious mountain journey rather than a maintained path. The warning concerns the high section; the Waterfall Way directly above Skógafoss wasn't mentioned. Check fi.is and safetravel.is before starting.
Where to stay
Most visitors pass through on a day tour, but a night in Skógar itself — or in Vík or Hvolsvöllur — gets you the falls without the coaches and a real chance at aurora from October to April.
Hótel Skógafoss
Run by EJ Hotels, with rooms decorated by local artists and a bistro and bar whose windows face the falls. The closest hotel bed to Skógafoss: walk out after dinner or before breakfast and have the base to yourself.
Hotel Skógá by EJ Hotels (formerly Hótel Skógar)
A 12-room, 3-star house in Skógar village with an à la carte restaurant built around local, seasonal produce and a fireplace lounge. Small, quiet and walkable to both Skógafoss and the Skógar Museum.
Skógar campsite
Open all year, first come first served, with toilets, paid hot showers (400 ISK) and electric hook-ups (1,200 ISK). Tents within sight of the falls — but only two toilets and two showers for a busy summer field.
Umi Hotel
A small, minimalist country hotel with floor-to-ceiling windows on the glacier and the Atlantic, a restaurant built on local ingredients, and a private sauna. Holds a Michelin Key and sits between Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss.
Hótel Kría
A modern 73-room hotel on the edge of Vík, opened in 2018, with Drangar restaurant and a cocktail bar. A practical base for the Katla ice cave, Reynisfjara and Dyrhólaey, with Skógafoss half an hour west.
Vík HI Hostel
A small farm-hostel with views of the Reynisdrangar sea stacks, a guest kitchen, family rooms and a resident flock of chickens and ducks. Closes every year from 5 to 31 January.
Hótel Hvolsvöllur
A 66-room family-run hotel in business since 1984, with hot tubs, a restaurant and bar, and triple and family rooms. Well placed between Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss, next to the LAVA Centre.
Hótel Rangá
A log-built luxury lodge on the Rangá river with its own observatory, geothermal hot tubs and an aurora wake-up call. The South Coast's upscale aurora base, though it puts Skógafoss well down the road.
Search all Skógar, Iceland accommodation
Getting there & getting in
KEF
Keflavík International
Iceland's only major international gateway, about 50 km southwest of Reykjavík and roughly 200 km / 2.5 hours from Skógafoss by road via Route 1. Direct flights from North America and across Europe on Icelandair, Play and seasonal carriers.
Keflavík is the only realistic way in; every route to Skógafoss runs through or around Reykjavík and then east along the Ring Road via Selfoss and Hvolsvöllur.
Ring Road, buses and the way back from Þórsmörk
Route 1 is paved all the way and kept open in winter, but the stretch under Eyjafjöll between Hvolsvöllur and Vík is notorious for gusts strong enough to damage car doors and push campervans off the road; check road.is and safetravel.is before every winter drive. Without a car, Strætó's route 52 (Reykjavík–Höfn) stops at Hvolsvöllur, Skógar and Vík four days a week — Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday — at 7,200 ISK (~$60) from Mjódd to Skógar; it does not stop at Seljalandsfoss. Fimmvörðuháls hikers get back from Þórsmörk on the summer Highland Bus (roughly 1 June – 24 September 2026), sold by Icelandia and Trex.
Visas & entry
- Schengen 90/180-day entry
No visa fee for most Western passport holders Iceland is a full Schengen member. Citizens of the US, Canada, UK, EU/EEA, Australia, New Zealand and roughly 60 other countries can enter visa-free for stays up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period on a passport valid at least three months beyond departure. - ETIAS travel authorisation
€20 when it launches, valid about 3 years Not yet required. The EU has pushed ETIAS's launch back repeatedly — most recently delayed indefinitely in August 2026 alongside continuing problems with the new Entry/Exit System (EES) — and no confirmed date exists at the time of writing. Do not pay any third party claiming to sell it early.
EES and ETIAS timelines have shifted several times through 2025–2026 and are likely to shift again; check the EU's official ETIAS site or your carrier shortly before you fly rather than relying on this guide's date.
Ways to spend the time
1 day from Reykjavík, self-drive
The South Coast waterfall day
- Early morning — leave Reykjavík by 07:30; Seljalandsfoss and Gljúfrabúi before the coaches, waterproofs on.
- Late morning — Skógafoss: base first, then the 527 steps and the first two or three falls of the Waterfall Way upstream.
- Afternoon — Kvernufoss from the Skógar Museum car park, then Sólheimajökull or the DC-3 wreck shuttle on Sólheimasandur.
- Late afternoon — Reynisfjara from the upper viewing area and Vík, then two and a half hours back to Reykjavík.
2 days, May – September
Two days with a night at Skógar
- Day 1 — Seljalandsfoss and Gljúfrabúi, lunch in Hvolsvöllur, a soak at Seljavallalaug, then check in at Skógar.
- Day 1 evening — Skógafoss after the tour buses leave; climb the stairs in the late light.
- Day 2 morning — the Waterfall Way upstream for two to four hours, then the Skógar Museum and Kvernufoss.
- Day 2 afternoon — Sólheimajökull glacier walk, then on to Vík for the night or back west.
2–3 days, October – April
Winter falls and aurora
- Day 1 — drive out in daylight, Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss around midday, overnight in Skógar or Vík.
- Day 1 night — check the aurora forecast and cloud cover; if clear, back to Skógafoss after dark.
- Day 2 — Katla ice cave from Vík in the morning, Reynisfjara from the upper area in the afternoon.
- Day 3 — Sólheimajökull glacier walk or the LAVA Centre, then back to Reykjavík before dark, checking road.is first.
Practical notes
- The new car park Since 1 January 2026, cars can no longer drive into the protected area; you park at a municipal lot outside it, about 500 metres from the falls, and walk in on an improved path. Fees are charged by number-plate camera: 1,000 ISK (~US$8) per car per 5 hours, paid through the Parka app or site within 24 hours, or a 1,960 ISK penalty lands on your rental bill.
- Parking elsewhere Almost every South Coast stop now charges. Budget roughly 1,000 ISK at Seljalandsfoss (Check-it kiosk or online, valid all day), 750 ISK at Sólheimajökull and at the Skógar Museum lot for Kvernufoss, and 750–1,000 ISK at Reynisfjara depending on the lot. Rental companies add their own admin fee to any unpaid charge.
- Reynisfjara is dangerous The black beach half an hour east kills people: a nine-year-old was swept away in August 2025, the sixth death there since 2007. Sneaker waves run far up the sand without warning. Obey the warning light at the entrance — yellow or red closes those zones — keep well back from the water, never turn your back on the sea, and skip the Hálsanefshellir cave in any swell.
- Wind and winter roads The Ring Road under Eyjafjöll and Mýrdalsjökull gets some of the strongest gusts in Iceland, and Route 1 between Hvolsvöllur and Vík closes several times most winters. Check road.is and safetravel.is before every drive October to April, rent a car with studded tyres, and hold car doors with both hands in wind.
- What to pack A proper waterproof jacket and trousers — you'll get wet at the base of Skógafoss and soaked behind Seljalandsfoss. Boots with grip for the steel stairs and muddy upstream path, microspikes from November to March, and a headlamp in winter, when daylight can run to barely four hours.
- Beating the crowds Reykjavík day tours reach Skógafoss from about 10:00 and leave by 17:00. Arrive before 09:00 or after 18:00 in summer — the light is better anyway, and a night in Skógar makes it easy. In winter the tours cluster around the few hours of daylight, so aim for first light.
- Money and accessibility Iceland is near-cashless: cards and phone wallets work everywhere, including parking apps. Choose ISK when a terminal offers to bill in your home currency, and don't tip. The base path from the new car park is being improved for wheelchairs and pushchairs, but the staircase and the path behind Seljalandsfoss are not accessible.
How it compares
This waterfall
Skógafoss
Iceland
Height60 mWidth25 m
Most similar
Seljalandsfoss
Iceland
Height60 mWidth—
Also a plunge waterfall, of similar height and in Iceland too
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
60 m
60 m
108 m
330 m
979 m
SkógafossSeljalandsfossVictoria FallsEiffel TowerAngel Falls
Khone Phapheng Falls
10,783 m
Victoria Falls
1,708 m
Skógafoss
25 m
Angel Falls is 16× taller than Skógafoss. Victoria Falls is 1.8× taller and 68× wider. Khone Phapheng Falls is 431× wider. Tallest · widest lists.
Watch and read
Videos from Skógafoss
1:36
10:03
7:47
Chosen from YouTube; videos belong to their creators and play from YouTube's privacy-enhanced player.
Books worth packing
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.
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.
On the map
Questions people actually ask
How many steps are there to the top of Skógafoss?
527 metal steps, climbing the east side of the falls to a viewing platform over the lip. Most people take 15–25 minutes up with stops. The treads are scored for grip and there's a handrail, but the stairs are steep, get slick with spray, and can be closed when iced over in winter.
Is Skógafoss free to visit?
Entry is free, but parking isn't. Since May 2025 a camera system charges 1,000 ISK (~$8) per car per 5 hours, paid through Parka, and since January 2026 the car park sits about 500 metres from the falls, outside the protected area. Unpaid fees are billed to the car's owner — your rental company — with a penalty.
Can you walk behind Skógafoss?
No. There's no path behind the curtain, and the base is as close as you can get — close enough to be soaked. For walking behind a waterfall, go to Seljalandsfoss 30 km west, or to Kvernufoss, a quieter fall two kilometres east of Skógafoss reached by a one-hour return walk from the Skógar Museum.
How far is Skógafoss from Reykjavík and Seljalandsfoss?
About 155 km from Reykjavík, roughly two hours' driving on Route 1, and 200 km or about two and a half hours from Keflavík airport. Seljalandsfoss is 30 km west, around 25 minutes. Vík is roughly 30 km east, which is why most people see all three in one South Coast day.
Can I hike Fimmvörðuháls from Skógafoss in 2026?
Only with real care. In August 2026 Iceland's hiking and rescue organisations advised against the crossing after glacier retreat opened crevasses and ravines on the high section; in September a blue-marked detour was published as the recommended route. The trail is also a summer-only route, roughly late June to mid-September. The lower Waterfall Way above Skógafoss makes an excellent out-and-back instead.
When will I see a rainbow at Skógafoss?
Whenever the sun is out. The spray is so dense that a single or double rainbow forms in front of the falls on most sunny days; stand at the base with the sun behind you. The limiting factor is the weather — the South Coast is one of the cloudiest, wettest parts of Iceland.
Can you see the Northern Lights at Skógafoss?
Yes, from roughly September to mid-April, on clear nights with enough solar activity. Skógafoss has little light pollution and faces south, so the aurora usually appears to the north over the escarpment, above the falls. Stay in Skógar or Vík rather than driving from Reykjavík, and check the cloud and aurora forecasts.
Do I need an ETIAS or visa to visit?
Not yet. Iceland is in the Schengen Area and most Western passport holders enter visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. ETIAS, the planned €20 pre-travel authorisation, has been delayed repeatedly through 2026 with no confirmed launch date — check before you fly rather than assuming it's live.
Where is Skógafoss?
Skógafoss is in Iceland (Southern Iceland), inside Skógafoss Natural Monument. The nearest base is Skógar and the closest airport is KEF. Its coordinates are 63.5321, -19.5114.
Can you camp at Skógafoss?
Yes. Skógar has a simple campsite near the falls (about 2,200 ISK, roughly $18, per adult per night in 2026), and it's the classic way to have the falls to yourself at dawn. Wild camping in a vehicle or tent outside designated sites isn't allowed along the South Coast.
What does Skógafoss mean?
It means 'the waterfall of Skógá' — the river Skógá, which takes its name from the farm and hamlet of Skógar ('forests'). The falls sit at the edge of the former coastline above the village.
Sources (61)
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sk%C3%B3gafoss
- www.worldwaterfalldatabase.com/waterfall/Skogafoss-14730
- www.nattura.is/en/visit/skogafoss
- www.nattura.is/stofnunin/framkvaemdir-vid-skogafoss
- www.icelandreview.com/news/new-parking-changes-at-skogafoss-aims-to-protect-landscape/
- www.ruv.is/frettir/innlent/2026-02-19-faera-bilastaedin-vid-skogafoss-til-ad-vernda-fridly…
- www.visir.is/g/20252810429d/faera-bila-staedin-vid-skoga-foss-nu-er-stefnan-su-ad-allir-sk…
- thingstodoiniceland.is/attractions/skogafoss
- parka.is/pay/skogafoss/
- www.gocampers.is/guides/money/parking-fees-iceland/
- www.checkit.is/en-gb/seljalandsfoss
- seljalandsfoss.org/parking/
- skogafoss.org/stairs/
- skogafoss.org/camping/
- perlan.is/articles/seljalandsfoss-waterfall-guide
- guidetoiceland.is/travel-iceland/drive/kvernufoss-falls
- www.fi.is/en/hiking-trails/trails/fimmvorduhals
- www.fi.is/en/mountain-huts/all-mountain-huts/fimmvorduhals-baldvinsskali
- www.fi.is/is/fi/frettir/vidvorun-vegna-haettulegra-adstaedna-a-gonguleidinni-yfir-fimmvord…
- www.fi.is/is/fi/frettir/leidin-yfir-fimmvorduhals
- www.ferdamalastofa.is/en/news/warning-dangerous-conditions-on-the-fimmvorduhals-hiking-tra…
- www.icelandreview.com/travel/safety/fimmvorduhals-dangerous-conditions-hiking-warning-2026…
- epiciceland.net/fimmvorduhals-hike-guide-detailed/
- www.icelandia.com/tours/day-hike-over-fimmvorduhals
- www.mountainguides.is/tour/fimmvorduhals-day-hike
- www.icelandia.com/highland-bus
- trex.is/tours/
- adventures.is/iceland/day-tours/glacier-tours/glacier-experience/
- www.mountainguides.is/tour/glacier-hike-solheimajokull
- troll.is/tour/katla-volcano-ice-cave/
- www.icelandia.com/tours/plane-wreck-shuttle
- www.mountainguides.is/tour/plane-wreck-shuttle
- aglobewelltravelled.com/2026/04/03/solheimasandur-plane-wreck-iceland/
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1973_S%C3%B3lheimasandur_Douglas_C-117D_crash
- www.icelandreview.com/news/two-bodies-discovered-on-solheimasandur/
- www.skogasafn.is/
- www.skogasafn.is/opening-hours-and-bookings/
- adventures.is/iceland/day-tours/sightseeing-tours/south-shore-adventure/
- www.re.is/tour/south-shore-adventure/
- www.iceland.org/hot-springs/seljavallalaug
- lavacentre.is/
- grapevine.is/news/2025/08/05/nine-year-old-dies-at-reynisfjara/
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reynisfjara
- www.ferdamalastofa.is/en/moya/news/increased-safety-and-better-information-with-new-signs…
- www.icelandia.com/inspiration/reynisfjara-beach-erosion-update
- www.lilja-tours.com/blog/what-happened-in-reynisfjara/
- www.straeto.is/en/user-information/news/changed-route-system-in-the-countryside
- www.straeto.is/media/2026/03/prices-single-fares-south-iceland-2026.pdf
- www.icelandbusmap.com/vik-to-reykjavik-bus/
- www.hotelskogafoss.is/
- guidetoiceland.is/accommodation/iceland-hotels-hvolsvollur/hotel-skogafoss-1
- guidetoiceland.is/accommodation/iceland-hotels-hvolsvollur/hotel-skogar-2
- en.planetofhotels.com/iceland/skogar/hotel-skogar
- hotelumi.is/
- www.hotelkria.is/
- www.hostel.is/en/hostels/hi-vik
- www.hotelhvolsvollur.is/about-us
- hotelranga.is/rooms-suites/
- www.funiceland.is/accommodation/hotels-in-hella-and-hvolsvoellur/
- www.icerental4x4.is/en/icerental-4x4-blog/etias-iceland/
- www.euronews.com/travel/2026/08/12/europe-has-officially-delayed-the-roll-out-of-the-etias…
Prices, fees and entry rules change. We re-check full guides regularly; spotted something out of date? Tell us.
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Írárfoss is a waterfall in Iceland.
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