Goðafoss Waterfall, Viewpoints and Photo Tips

Here is the map of the hike. You can download the GPX file for free from the activity linked below.

How to get to Goðafoss and Parking

Located directly along the Ring Road, Route 1, you can’t miss it. It’s literally next to the road. Realistically, though, it’s a waterfall you can only visit if you have planned a trip around the ring road or across Iceland.

Though if you really, really want to see it and are based in Reykjavik, the distance is about 420km or 260 miles. That would take at least 5 hours each way in summer, so realistically feasible in a couple of days. Including all the other scenic stops along the way.

• Driving Directions: From Akureyri, it’s rather straightforward. You can take the ring road toward the east, so clockwise. You can either drive to the Vaðlaheiðargöng Tunnel, a toll road you can pay for here. Alternatively, you can take the “old” section of the ring road, which adds about 20-30 minutes to the total driving time.
• Parking: There are two main paid parking areas, one on each side of the waterfall. The main one is on the Eastern side of the waterfall, and it’s the first one you’ll see to your left if you are arriving from Mývatn. The other parking area is on the Western side of the waterfall, and it’s the first one you’ll see to your right if you are coming from the opposite direction, Akureyri. Both parking areas are free at the time of writing.
• Public Transport: There is one bus stopping at Strætó Line 79 (Akureyri to Húsavík); timetable here. The Stop os called Fosshóll – Goðafoss.

There is also a small visitors center near the West side parking area, with a cafe/bistro.

The Goðafoss Walking Trail

The path around Goðafoss allows you to visit both the East and West viewpoints without having to drive between the two. On each one of the two sides, a path leads to a viewing area and a viewing platform right above the waterfall. A pedestrian bridge downstream of the waterfall connects them.

East Side Path in winter.

Goðafoss East Side

From the main parking area on the Eastside, there’s a short, wide, well-maintained trail that follows the river upstream.

Before reaching the main viewpoint above the East side of the waterfall, you’ll see another path to your right, leading down to the river. I’d recommend not skipping that, as it leads to one of the best viewpoints. It’s right by the river and right in front of the waterfall. I also think it’s the most photogenic spot – at least it is for my own preferences.

East side lower viewpoint

However, it’s a short dead-end detour, so you have to walk back up to the main trail to reach the viewing platform. About that, it’s quite a wide, metal platform with railings, and it allows for several people to watch the waterfall, but it can get crowded, depending on how many tours are stopping by at any given moment.

East Side upper viewpoint

Goðafoss West Side

To reach the other side of the waterfall, you have to walk back toward the main parking area on the Eastside and follow the short trail that leads to the bridge across the river. As you cross the bridge, you also have the best views of another smaller waterfall downstream of Goðafoss, Geitafoss.

West Side Path

Geitafoss, a small waterfall downstream of Goðafoss.

The trail continues again following the river upstream, but it splits into two; there’s an upper section and a lower one. The lower one follows the river closely, while the upper stays a little farther away. Both will merge again closer to the main viewpoint, so you can take a different path each way.

Goðafoss from the West side Viewpoint.

Again, it’s just a short walk to the viewpoint on the westside which, in my opinion, is not as good as the one on the east side. It’s a little farther back, and part of the waterfall is obstructed. Several years ago, it was still possible to get quite close to the waterfall on the west side, too, similarly to the viewpoint in the photo below.

However, the area has since been closed to protect the micro-environment around the waterfall, which was the right thing to do.

Goðafoss in Winter

A special mention for Goðafoss in winter, as I think it’s one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Iceland at that time of the year. With snow and Ice, Goðafoss assumes an entirely different character. And, unlike many other waterfalls, it does not suffer as much in terms of reduced flow. Or, the ice around it hides it better.

In winter, the main viewpoint on the East side is accessible, but other parking areas and viewpoints on the West side may be closed. However, the main viewpoint more than makes up for it.

Goðafoss Photos and Photography Tips

As I mentioned above, my favourite spot is the one down by the river on the East side, for a few reasons:

• The waterfall dominates the view
• There are plenty of foreground rocks to choose from
• The rather featureless background that you see on the Upper East Side viewpoint

This is also possibly one of the most classic and popular photo spots at Goðafoss.

Goðafoss, lower viewpoint on the East Side, 16mm

On the Upper East Side viewpoint: I think it works well when there is a somewhat interesting sky, either a colorful or dramatic one. Or, you can opt to minimize it and focus entirely on the fall. You also have some degrees of freedom to play around with the rocks in the foreground to find the composition that work best.

From late spring to early autumn it’s a good time to try and catch sunset. The sun stays low on the horizon to the north for longer, and it provides good sidelight and potentially colors. The example below is from an evening in late May. Though in May/July sunset happens much later in the evening compared to late August and September.

16mm, 0.5 seconds exposure.

Photo taken at 21mm, exposure of 10 seconds.

On the West Side, you need a little more reach, I’d say, from 24 upward. So, in terms of lenses, I’d recommend a focal length range between 14-16 mm and 35 mm (full frame equivalent). A longer reach isn’t necessary unless you want to isolate parts of the waterfall.

Long exposures work well here, but it’s a hard balance to avoid blowing out the water and losing all the detail. There’s no ideal shutter speed, since it depends not only on how much light there is, but also on how much water is going over the falls and how fast. So it’s a matter of playing around. For that same reason i would recommend bringing a variety of ND filers, so you can adjust accordingly. I usually have with me a set covering 1, 3, 6 and 10 stops.

Definitely bring a microfiber cloth to wipe the front element of your lens. The waterfall generates quite a lot of water vapor, especially in windy conditions.

One complaint I have about Goðafoss for landscape photography is the lack of an interesting background, so the waterfall itself has to carry the composition. However, where the several viewpoints come in handy, and it’s easy to spend a lot of time setting up the tripod to the millimeter and looking for different compositions.

That’s partly why one personal goal of mine is to photograph it under the northern lights. I’ve been there in the Winter, but no luck so far. That’s a good excuse to keep trying :).

Where to Stay

There are mainly guesthouses in the immediate vicinity. This work great if you want to stay in a rural and peaceful location.

Otherwise, there is more choice in Akureyri, some 40 minutes to the west. Also called “The Capital of the North” in Iceland, it’s a nice, small town with plenty of accommodation types and restaurants. If you are going the opposite direction, Mývatn is another hub you could look at, some 40 minutes to the east.

Additional Resources

• Check out more Hikes in Iceland (with maps) here.
• Another beautiful waterfall abut 40km upstream on an f-road: Aldeyjarfoss.