Dettifoss
Europe's most powerful waterfall by volume — 500 cubic metres a second of grey glacial water dropping 44 metres into Jokulsargljufur.
Dettifoss thundering brown glacial water into canyon
What to expect at Dettifoss
Dettifoss carries the meltwater of Vatnajokull straight off a basalt shelf into a 100-metre-deep canyon, and the sheer weight of it produces a spray plume visible for miles. Opening scenes of Prometheus were shot here for good reason — the landscape looks pre-human. Just upstream lies the smaller but prettier Selfoss (not to be confused with the town), and downstream the more elegant Hafragilsfoss. All three sit within Jokulsargljufur, the northern arm of Vatnajokull National Park.
You can approach from either bank. Route 862 (paved, west side) is the reliable year-round choice with a wheelchair-friendly viewing platform and a $0 car park 1 km from the falls. Route 864 (unpaved, east side) puts you meters from the lip but is only open in summer and is rough on 2WD cars. Combine with Myvatn (60 km west) on the same day. Wear waterproof trousers — the spray soaks you at 30 m.
Questions about Dettifoss
Free. No entry fee, no parking fee, no facilities to pay for.
Free at all hours, every day of the year.
2-3 hours if you also walk to Selfoss upstream, plus driving time from Myvatn or Asbyrgi.
West-side approach open year-round. East-side Route 864 closes roughly mid-October to mid-June.
No. Guided tours from Myvatn or Akureyri ($90-130) exist if you don’t have a car.
The west car park is at the end of Route 862, a 26 km paved spur off Ring Road 1. Nearest town is Reykjahlid at Myvatn, 60 km southwest.
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