It would be almost impossible to visit Iceland and not notice that the country is a prime waterfall viewing location.  You can’t drive more then a few minutes at a time on any the highways outside of the city without seeing another waterfall tucked into the surrounding mountains.  Some are larger then others, but each has its own beauty.

I couldn’t afford to rent a car myself while I was in Iceland, mostly because I didn’t learn how to drive a standard (thanks dad.)  Without a rental car my only means of getting around the country to see all the sights I wanted to see was to take the official coach tours offered by the many tourism companies in Iceland.  While this wasn’t how I had originally planned on seeing the sights, the stories and information on the waterfalls and sights given by the guides was well worth the money.

Because I was on organized tours though, I mostly only got to stop to take pictures of the big, famous waterfalls, but that doesn’t mean this post lacks amazement!  Keep reading and see the amazing and most famous waterfalls of Iceland!  These are certainly not to be missed!

First up is Skógafoss!  This is a giant and tall waterfall found not too too far outside of Iceland’s capital, Reykjavik.  This huge masterpiece of nature was first discovered by the vikings when they settled in Iceland.  At the time of its discovery, it was surrounded by a forest.  That fact explains is how it got its name, which translates to Waterfall in the Woods, as there are certainly no trees nearby now.

Skógafoss: The Waterfall in the Woods. Note: The woods are long gone, but they were there when the vikings found it, I swear.

Next up is Seljalandsfoss.  Sadly our tour visited this waterfall after dark, so it was hard to capture it’s splendor.  This waterfall is best known for the path that leads behind it.  Apparently walking behind the falls is a fantastic experience, and I recommend you try it if you go.  However, as I went when it was dark and raining heavily I decided that my chances of death or serious injury were a little too high for me to risk going behind the falls on my visit.

Seljalandsfoss: Sadly waterfalls and night time don’t work well together for photography, especially where talent is lacking.

Here’s a better picture! It should be noted that I did not take this picture.

Next up is… well I don’t actually know what this one’s called.  It can be found fairly close to the geothermal area where you can find the geysers, including Geysir, the first geyser.  Can I say geyser anymore?  Anyway, this waterfall is a sight to see.  Over to the left you can also see that it has a man made portion.  This is a salmon ladder, created so that the spawning salmon can climb the waterfall and spread out through more of the river.  This gives more ground area for fisherman, and thus the owners of the river are able to make more money off fishing licences.

I wish I remembered what it was called, or if we were even told what it was called. My notes just call it “the one with the fish ladder” Helpful, I know.

Finally, and I believe I saved the best for last, Gullfoss: the Golden Waterfall.  This waterfall is absolutely fantastic, and it’s easy to see why it is one of the most popular in Iceland. It falls in two stages, the first drop being 11 meters and the second 21 meters, into a huge crevasse.  It reminded me a lot of Niagara Falls in Canada.  While it’s not as big, it’s as spectacular to me.  To get the best views you should walk along the side of the crevasse, looking down into the falls, until you get to a platform out by the top portion of the falls. The rocks here are wet and slippery, but it’s worth navigating to see the waterfall so up close.  Here you can get so close that the waterfall basically surrounds you, and the spray and mist flows through the air nonstop.  Wear waterproof clothing for sure!

Gullfoss: The Golden Waterfall. See those little dots on the rock on the left? People. You can get THAT close.

There are many more waterfalls to find around the countryside.  These are just the three highlights from my trip.  You could make an adventure out of just trying to find all the named waterfalls in Iceland, let alone the smaller ones.  It’s a waterfall paradise, and well worth the trip.