Dettifoss waterfall Iceland – photos + tips + best side (+ Selfoss waterfall)

The Dettifoss waterfall is one of the most famous places to visit in North Iceland. Located in Jokulsargljufur national park,  Dettifoss is wide and majestic. And if you want more, a walk will take you to the Selfoss waterfall, which is spread out and delicate. Both a pleasure for the eyes! Here is my guide with photos and planning tips.

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About Jokulsargljufur – the canyon

About the Dettifoss waterfall

Dettifoss is one of the most famous waterfalls in Iceland because it is reputed to be the biggest waterfall in Europe in terms of volume which varies between 200 and 500 cubic metres of water per second.

Dettifoss is a curtain-shaped waterfall that is 100m (330ft) wide and 44m (144ft) in height.

About the Selfoss waterfall

Selfoss is lesser known because it is smaller and requires walking to reach it from Dettifoss.
The waterfall is a horse-shoe shaped waterfall. It is 10m high and continues into a veil like series of small waterfalls.

About theHafragilsfoss waterfall

The 3rd waterfall is Hafragilsfoss and is far less famous because you need a 4WD to reach it. There is no easy track to reach its bank, but the views from the ridge of the canyon are magnificent. You can learn more about it and see more photos on my article about Hafragilsfoss.

Dettifoss is a curtain-shaped waterfall. It is 27m high.

Rettarfoss

To the North is also Rettarfoss: 75m wide and a 7m high drop (or 12m depending on sources...). I have not seen it.

More photos of Dettifoss and Selfoss after the Practical info and Planning tips.

How to get to Dettifoss waterfall and the others

• Located in North Iceland (see my guide about North Iceland)
• East of Lake Myvatn and the town of Reykjahlíð
• There are 2 roads to reach views of the waterfalls, on each side of the canyon
• East bank - Road 864 (Hólsfjallavegur) - 30km on that road and the parking is on the left - Also accessible from Husavik
• West Bank - Road Road 862 (Dettifossvegur) - 25km on that road and parking on the right with 3 more km. It is now paved from the Ring Road (before as you can see on other articles is was a gravel road)

If you are visiting North Iceland and the Myvatn area, I strongly recommend renting your own car. This gives you the freedom to visit all the locations you are interested by. I personally rented my car with Route 1 car rental and really appreciated the experience (you can see my article about driving in Iceland)

Otherwise most of the Iceland Organized tours will stop at this location because it is so easy to access - to compare tour operators and programs, I recommend GuidetoIceland

Ideally you should visit both side of Jokulsargljufur 🙂
 They bring something different. But for those who are limited in time, here is a summary of the comparison, or you can check the pictures below.

• East Bank – easy road all the way along the canyon, better views of Selfoss, access to Hafralgilsfoss
• West bank – easier walking paths (especially to Selfoss), better views of Dettifoss (to my own opinion), less tourists

These two waterfalls are generally inaccessible in winter, and hard to access during early spring

Note: Do not mix with the Selfoss waterfall in North Iceland with Seljalandsfoss, the waterfall near the town of Selfoss in South Iceland...

It is essential to wear good waterproof shoes, a waterproof jacket and have something to protect your camera from the mist.

Check out my complete article with detailed suggestions and tips on what to wear and pack for Iceland to stay warm and comfortable

Dettifoss waterfall Iceland - West Bank

Selfoss and Dettifoss walks on the West Bank

• Easy access to both Dettifoss and Selfoss on the West Bank
• 10min walk to Dettifoss – you can go to the top section or take stairs for another view
• 15min more to Selfoss on a flat path

On this side of the canyon, you can get really close to the waterfall and appreciate a lot more its width.

Here is the view from the top (no stairs):

And then you can walk down to get up close with the massive flow of water. Be reasonable and don't walk too close to the edge, it is slippery!

Dettifoss Iceland - East Bank

Selfoss and Dettifoss hikes on the East Bank

• Attention there is a lot of spray from the waterfall and rocks can be slippery. Good footwear is recommended
• Parking to Dettifoss: 1.5km return (30min to 1h)
• Parking-Dettifoss-Selfoss – Loop 2.5km (1h to 1h30) – the path is not paved. There are rocks and boulders.

Dettifoss falls from the East Bank

On The path is clearly marked but there are a lot of slippery stairs because the rain and the mist. You can walk right up to the edge of the waterfall and realise its power.

On this side, you can't grasp the width but you can see the height better:

On this photo you can see the edge of the West bank with the people at the top and the track down to the waterfall:

Selfoss waterfall - West Bank

Selfoss isn’t nearly as tall or as powerful as Dettifoss but it has a horseshoe shape with many smaller waterfalls which are very elegant.

Below are my pictures of Selfoss from the West bank. The walk was very easy and flat. We see less of the many waterfalls but it is still very pretty

Selfoss Iceland - East Bank

When I was planning to see Selfoss on the East Bank, it was the end of the day and I was very tired so after 5 minutes on the path to Selfoss I decided to turn around. This is not and easy flat path. There are boulders and it requires focus. I decided it was not reasonable for me to continue. 

So here is a shot by another photographer:

And if you love waterfalls, check out my list of 21 falls in Iceland which includes the famous Gullfoss, Godafoss, Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss.

Want to see more of Iceland's beauty?

Discover more things to do and places to see in Iceland in my online Iceland Destination Guide.

Which bank will you visit?

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