Skogafoss Waterfall | Iceland Travel Guide
Iceland’s waterfalls were one of the highlights of my recent trip along the Golden Circle Iceland. While there were some less ‘spectacular’ sights, the Skógafoss Waterfall didn’t disappoint.
If you are trying to pick only the best Iceland waterfalls while travelling along the Golden Circle, I would recommend the following:
- Skógafoss Waterfall;
- Gulfoss Waterfall;
- Seljalandsfoss Waterfall; and
- Hraunfossar Waterfall.
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Fun Facts
- “Skógafoss” means “Forest Waterfall”, despite the clear lack of trees around this area!
- The Skógafoss Waterfall is one of Iceland’s greatest waterfalls with a height of 200 feet (60m) and width of 82 feet (25m);
- It is a must-see attraction when doing the Golden Circle Iceland route;
- The Skógafoss Waterfall originates from two glaciers: Eyjafjallajökull (where Iceland’s most recent volcanic eruption occured) & Mýrdalsjökull (north of Vík í Mýrdal);
- You can catch at least one rainbow any time on a sunny day due to the spray; and
- There is a steep flight of stairs to the right. If you climb all 500 steps, you will get an incredible view of the waterfall, sea cliffs and Atlantic Ocean from the observation platform.
The Skogafoss Waterfall Legend
Þrasi Þórólfsson, the area’s first Viking settler, was rumoured to have buried his treasure chest behind the Skógafoss Waterfall. After many attempts, a local boy managed to find the treasure but only managed to grab a hold of the ring of the treasure chest.
This ring can now be found in the Skógar Folk Museum.
Visiting the Skógafoss Waterfall
Visible from Iceland’s Ring Road, the only thing you will really be doing here is visiting the Skógafoss Waterfall. This is something you will realise quickly when travelling around Iceland – you will be spending quite a lot of time on the road. Most times, you might spend an hour (that’s considered near) to go from one place to another.
Following Waze / GPS, you will catch sight of the the Skógafoss Waterfall on your left if you are driving from Vík í Mýrdal. Soon after, you will glimpse a little road that leads in. Follow that path, drive pass the scattering of small Icelandic houses and homestays nearby. The path towards the Skogafoss Waterfall will be evident.
You will arrive at a large car park. Parking is FREE (hooray!). But if you are unlucky, you might arrive when there is a large tour bus on site. Even so, just wait awhile and the crowd will soon clear.
If you are coming during summer, expect quite a lot of people.
However, because Skógafoss Waterfall is so huge, the crowd gets considerably smaller the closer you get to the waterfall.
If you want a close up photo, make sure EVERYTHING is waterproof! You will be drenched from the spray even from afar.
I saw some people going around with umbrellas, but a raincoat will do just fine.
Skogafoss River
The lovely river that flows from the Skógafoss Waterfall is popular for fishing due to its large salmon and char population. You will likely catch sight of fisherman by the river around July to October.
Hiking to the Top of the Skógafoss Waterfall
Did you know that you can actually hike around the Skógafoss Waterfall?
One your right, you will find a series of steep steps. Keep to the marked paths and go upwards. There will be around 500 steps. Not as many people opt to hike all the way to the top of the Skogafoss waterfall, but you do get a spectacular view of the South West Iceland coast!
If you come during the summer and are up for a 1 to 2 day hike, try the 25 kilometers Fimmvörðuháls route (five-cairn trail). It is generally recommended that you do this around July to mid-September. The starting point is from the Skógafoss Waterfall and ends in the valley of Thorsmork, or vice versa. Guide to Iceland has done a lovely in-depth hiking guide which you can read here.
Skógafoss Toilets
You will find some toilets near the entrance to the Skógafoss Waterfall parking lot. They are functional, but not the cleanest. They do require payment but the pay box is sometimes broken so you get to use it for free.
When Can You Visit?
The Skógafoss Waterfall is open throughout the year (there isn’t any barrier preventing people from approaching it).
Summer
Like other parts of Iceland, the view varies depending on the season and time of the day.
Over the summer, the place was a carpet of lush greenery albeit still rather chilly (and WET). It can go up to 20°C but the wind will make it feel a lot colder.
Winter
Winter conditions descend around October to December.
If you are visiting during the winter time, BE CAREFUL! The place will be gorgeous but covered in dangerous, slippery ice. Heavier rain, violent winds, fog, ice and snow will be the normal. The view will be breathtaking, and the waterfall will still be flowing. However, it will also be that much more dangerous.
Make sure you’re wearing sturdy shoes with crampons and/or a walking stick. People take spills all the time because it’s so slippery.
Personally, I would recommend visiting the Skógafoss Waterfall as part of a group tour during winter. The road conditions are very icy and you’d want people to be around in case anything happens! You will also get around 3 – 4 hours of daylight a day.
A plus point however is that you might have a catch the Northern Lights here!
Accommodations near Skogafoss
Iceland accommodations are expensive, particularly when they are located to huge landmarks like the Skógafoss Waterfall!
We noticed plenty of accommodations along the road that leads straight towards the Skogafoss Waterfall parking lot. Those are options you can look into.
If you are looking to visit Iceland on a budget, you can try camping! There is a camping area right beside the Skógafoss Waterfall, for a small fee.
Alternatively, I would recommend finding another place to stay that isn’t right beside the Skógafoss Waterfall.
Another top tip for keeping your Iceland budget to a minimum is to visit one of Iceland’s many grocery stores (look for the pig!) to stock up on food.
In fact, we actually took it a slight step further and purchased some of our snacks from London before flying over. For 120 other travel tips for visiting Iceland, click here.
If you are looking for accommodation recommendations, try the Magma Hotel. We stayed there for 2 days and it was by far the best place we stayed at!
Outfit for Visiting
No matter when you visit Iceland, the general rule is to ALWAYS pack appropriately. And by appropriately, that means packing warm.
If in doubt, dress in layers so that you can always peel off the outerwear when it gets too stuffy but have something else to add on when it gets chilly.
In particular, make sure everything you have is waterproof (protect your camera!) when visiting the Skógafoss Waterfall. If you can’t, make sure you at least have a raincoat to protect yourself if you want to get close to the Skogafoss Waterfall. If not, then standing away from the spray is still a good option.
Get shoes with a good grip, especially if you are going to hike. I used Salomon for my entire trip and had no regrets. If you intend to just walk up to the waterfall (and not hike), then normal shoes are just fine. You will just be walking on black sand beach pebbles.
How Long You Should Spend Here
At minimum, you will likely spend around 10-15 minutes here if you stay at the base and decide to just walk up to the Skógafoss Waterfall.
If you have the time, you can easily spend up to 1-2 hours taking photos and doing a short trek up to the top of the waterfall (takes around half an hour).
As in other parts of the island, Skogafoss Iceland looks amazingly different throughout the day and year so you won’t be losing out!
Respect the Environment
Please don’t litter. Throw your rubbish into the allocated rubbish bins or bring them with you to your next destination.
Did You Know…
That the Skógafoss Waterfall has been featured in a number of popular films and music videos? This includes Thor: The Dark World, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Vikings (History Channel series) and “I’ll Show You” by Justin Biber.
Directions to Skogafoss
The Skogafoss Waterfall is a mere 2 kilometers from the Ring Road and 500 meters from Road 1.
It is easily visible from the Ring Road – you will see the massive waterfall rushing down from the cliffs – and all you have to do is find the road to turn in!
It will be another 1 km before you reach the car park from the Ring Road.
By Car
Address: Skogafoss Waterfall, Skógar, Iceland
GPS Location: GPS N63° 31′ 54.500″ W19° 30′ 43.187″
If you are coming from Reykjavík, the journey to the Skogafoss Waterfall will take you around 2 hours (150 km). It is 40 km from Vík í Mýrdal, 25 km from Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach and 30 km Seljalandsfoss Waterfall.
To be on the safe side, I highly recommend turning on both your GPS and Waze. For a complete set of travel apps that you will need when exploring Golden Circle Iceland, read this post.
By Tour
Sometimes, it’s just nice to not have to stress about where to go and let someone else take the reins.
If you want to travel from the capital city, these day tours will be a fantastic option to consider.
By Private Tour
For a truly exclusive experience, these private tours will be perfect.
They also hit all the highlights along the South West of Iceland, ensuring that you leave with no regrets.
Other Nearby Golden Circle Iceland Attractions
When visiting the Skogafoss Waterfall along Iceland’s south coast, check out these other incredible attractions (travel tips & guides included):
- Top 120+ Travel Tips to Iceland
- Things to do in Reykjavik, Iceland
- Glacier Hiking at the Sólheimajökull Glacier | Adventure Travel
- Iceland’s Diamond Beach (Breiðamerkursandur)
- Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon
- Kerid Crater
- Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach
- The Best 8 Black Sand Beaches in Iceland
- Top 13 Travel Apps You Need When Visiting Iceland
- Gullfoss Waterfall
- Seljalandsfoss Waterfall
- Vík í Mýrdal (a village with its famous white church).
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12 Comments
Shirley
I love articles like this…so helpful for travel planning. Thanks!
Iuliya
You’re welcome. I’m glad you found it helpful!
Jenny Bhatia
Wow. Another reason to visit Iceland to add to many others. Gorgeous. And great tips, now I know everything that I need to know about getting there and how to experience the falls. Stunning images.
Iuliya
Iceland is absolutely a place you should visit! Can’t recommend it enough 🙂
Sara Kendall
What a wonderful guide. And very detailed too! Bookmarked for future reference.
Iuliya
Glad you found this useful!
Kez
Waterfalls are awesome!
Iuliya
I agree!
Nomads RTW
I did not have the time to visit this waterfall on my first trip to Iceland, but I’ll be coming back for sure. It is truly amazing
Iuliya
Would definitely recommend putting this on your list when you return to Iceland! 🙂
Tricia Snow
Iceland is definitely on my bucket list! Beautiful!
Iuliya
Definitely a great place to visit! 🙂