25 Jan Svartifoss Waterfall Hike in Iceland

Svartifoss is not the tallest nor the most powerful waterfall in Iceland. Nevertheless, it is one of the most unique. Why? It is surrounded by basalt rock columns. These columns are present in a couple of other areas in Iceland, for example Stuðlagil Canyon and Reynisfjara black sand beach. They even inspired the architect who designed the Hallgrimskirkja church in Reykjavík. Keep reading below to learn more about Svartifoss waterfall, including the hike to reach the falls.

Need some help with your Iceland itinerary? Then look no further than this nine-day road trip itinerary for Iceland. Even if you do not follow my itinerary, then at least make sure you check out some of Iceland’s hidden gems.

Contents:

1) Location of Svartifoss Waterfall Hike

2) Opening Hours and Entrance Fee

3) The Best Time to Visit

4) Quick Facts

5) Background

6) Two Trail Options – Svartifoss Hike

7) General Hiking Information

8) Recommended Items to Bring

9) Nearby Attractions 

1) Location of Svartifoss Waterfall Hike

Svartifoss is located in eastern Iceland within the Skaftafell Nature Reserve. Furthermore, it is within the borders of Vatnajökull National Park. For reference, Svartifoss is one hour and 45 minutes northeast of the black sand beach in Vík. Additionally, it is one hour and 45 minutes southwest of the town of Höfn.

There are other attractions in this area as well. There is a visitor center for Skaftafell, a couple of cafés/food trucks, and a campground. The area thus has everything necessary for either a quick visit or a weekend-long stay. 

Svartifoss is included on my list of the 4 Best Waterfalls in Iceland; be sure to check out the others during your time in Iceland.

Parking

The parking lot to begin the hike is right off the Ring Road. Turn onto road 998 and then arrive at the parking area on the right after about a three minute drive. 

There is a small parking fee. It costs 1,000 ISK to park in the lot for the day. A small price to pay for such beautiful scenery. 

Nearby Lodging

For nearby lodging, check out The Barn in Vík or Laekjarhus Farm Holidays in Höfn. We stayed at both of these accommodations and would recommend them to others. The Barn is similar to a hostel while Laekjarhus is more similar to a bed and breakfast. 

On the other hand, why not turn your trip into a romantic getaway and book a stay at one of the most romantic hotels in Iceland?

Enjoying the beauty of Svartifoss Waterfall

2) Opening Hours and Entrance Fee

First, there are no restrictions concerning visiting hours for Skaftafell National Park or the hike to Svartifoss waterfall. You can thus visit at 2:00pm or 2:00am. Additionally, there are campgrounds located within the park, so you can book a stay here if you need a spot to camp for the night. 

Second, there is no entrance fee for either the national park or the waterfall. 

Third, there is a small parking fee for all parking lots located within Skaftafell National Park. You will thus need to pay a small fee when you park and begin the hike to Svartifoss waterfall. Do not worry, for the fee is only 1,000 ISK. In my opinion, the small fee is well worth it to see the beauty and uniqueness of Svartifoss. Furthermore, you can even plan to spend a whole day in the national park to really get your money’s worth. 

Svartifoss waterfall wayyy in the distance

3) The Best Time to Visit

To avoid peak crowds, visit in the early morning or late afternoon. The majority of people will be hiking to the waterfall in the late morning and early afternoon.

Best Season to Visit

Let me first say that Svartifoss is beautiful in all seasons. However, accessing the waterfall can be much easier in the summer months.

In the winter, it is possible there will be snow or ice along the trail. If the trail conditions become too hazardous, the park will close the trail to visitors. On the other hand if the trail remains open, you will need crampons to trek through the snow. Crampons are spikes that attach to the bottom of your shoes.

Estimated Visit Time – Svartifoss Hike

There is a two mile (~3.2 kilometer) out and back hike to Svartifoss waterfall from the parking lot. It has around 450 feet in elevation gain and takes the average hiker an hour to complete. I would thus recommend you plan for a minimum visit time of one and a half hours. You always want to add a bit of padding time in case the hike takes you longer than planned, you stop and take photos, and/or you want to relax and enjoy the view once you arrive. 

If you return the way you came, you will only need to hike back one mile (~1.6 kilometers). However, there is another option for the return portion of the trail that is slightly longer at 1.5 miles (~2.4 kilometers). This other (and longer) option will take a bit more time, so plan for an extra half hour if you decide to follow this route. More information on the trails and hiking in general can be found in the following sections. 

Looking upstream to Svartifoss

4) Quick Facts

1. Svartifoss waterfall is located within Skaftafell National Park in eastern Iceland. 

2. There is no entrance fee but rather a 1,000 ISK parking fee, which covers parking in all lots within the national park for the day.

3. The out and back hike to Svartifoss waterfall is two miles (~3.2 kilometers) round trip, and an average hiker can complete it within one hour. 

4. Svartifoss is a unique waterfall due to the fact it is surrounded by basalt rock columns.

Svartifoss waterfall surrounded by basalt rock columns

5) Background – Svartifoss Waterfall Hike

The river Stórilækur cascades down Svartifoss, though it is a fairly small river. It has its origin in the Svínafellsjökull glacier, which is an outlet glacier of Vatnajökull. Moreover, Vatnajökull is the largest glacier in Iceland. 

Svartifoss translates to mean “Black Falls”. It received its name from the basalt rock columns surrounding it. Moreover, the waterfall stands at 65 feet (~20 meters).

Basalt Rock Columns

Svartifoss is unique due to its basalt rock column structure. The basalt rock columns formed through columnar jointing. The process of columnar jointing goes something like this: lava flows over a hillside, slowly cools, shrinks, and then breaks into a hexagonal shape.

Basalt rock columns are also in a couple of other places in Iceland, for instance Stuðlagil, a canyon with a turquoise glacial river, and Reynisfjara, a black sand beach. Be sure to take a couple of minutes to examine the basalt rock columns, for they are truly extraordinary.

Furthermore, the columns behind the waterfall inspired architecture all over Iceland, for instance the Hallgrimskirkja church in Reykavík and the National Theatre of Iceland. 

Standing right at the base of the falls

6) Two Trail Options – Svartifoss Hike

Let me lay out the two hike options for you before I go into some more detail and break down the hike section by section.

For additional hikes in Iceland, check out Fimmvorduhals Pass behind Skógafoss Waterfall and Rauðfeldsgjá Gorge on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula.

Out and Back Trail

First, there is a two mile (~3.2 kilometer) out and back hike to Svartifoss from the parking lot. The trail has around 450 feet (~137 meters) in elevation gain and will take approximately one hour to complete. You will come to one fork along this trail, and you simply need to stay to the right. Additionally, you will pass two other waterfalls on the trail, but please note these are not Svartifoss. Do not turn around prematurely! When you arrive at Svartifoss, there is a small viewing platform. You can also walk right up to the base of the falls. 

Loop Trail – Svartifoss Hike

Second, there is a 2.5 mile (~four kilometer) loop hike to Svartifoss from the parking lot. The trail will take around one and a half hours to complete. For the portion of the hike from the parking lot to the waterfall, you will do everything the same as for the hike above. At the one fork, continue to the right. You will pass by two other waterfalls and eventually end up at a viewing platform for Svartifoss.

However, the way back is a bit different. Rather than returning the way you came, you will instead follow the trail on the other side of the waterfall. This trail leads you past a sundial as well as an old turf house. Eventually the loop trail merges with the out and back trail and they follow along the same path. Therefore, you will end up right back at the spot where you started the hike in the beginning, so no worries about getting lost. 

As you can probably tell from the mileage of this route, the way back for the loop trail is slightly longer than that for the out and back trail. Specifically, it is a half mile (~0.8 kilometers) longer. 

7) General Hiking Information

The hike to Svartifoss is somewhat challenging. It is a one mile hike with around 450 feet in elevation gain. An average hiker can complete it within 30 minutes. The hike is uphill almost the entire time, which can cause some to have more difficulty than others.

However, the hike rewards visitors with two additional waterfalls. Be careful, though, not to assume these are Svartifoss so you do not turn back prematurely. The two waterfalls are known as Hundafoss and Magnúsarfoss. While they are beautiful, they are not the main attraction of this hike. 

Another waterfall visible along the trail to Svartifoss

Reaching the Waterfall

Upon arrival at Svartifoss, you can walk right up to the base. Having said that, do be considerate of others and do not stand or sit down for an extended period of time right in front of the falls. Some people might not venture that close, and they do not want to have strangers featured in all of their photos.

Moreover, if you do not want to walk along the rocks and up to the base of the falls, there is a small viewing platform. You can take a few photos and admire the falls from there. 

When we visited, we first got up close and personal with the falls to snap a few pictures. We then found some rocks a little bit down the stream to sit on as we enjoyed the presence of the falls and ate our lunch. What is better than lunch with a view?! 

For some of my other favorite waterfalls in Iceland, check out Seljalandsfoss + Gljufrabúi in southern Iceland and Gullfoss in the Golden Circle.

Return Hike from Svartifoss Waterfall

There are two trail options to choose from when you are ready to depart. Both options lead you back to the parking lot. First, you can return on the same trail that you hiked along to reach the falls. The trail is one mile (~1.6 kilometers) in length and will take around 30 minutes.

Second, you can follow the trail that continues on from the other side of the waterfall. This trail is slightly longer at 1.5 miles (~2.4 kilometers) in length and will take around an hour to an hour and a half to complete. If you decide to hike along this trail, you will essentially be completing a loop instead of an out and back trail as described above. 

Additionally, this second trail option actually meets up with the first trail option near its end. No turns or anything are necessary to remember, but instead just keep hiking straight and the trails eventually merge. You thus do not have to worry about getting lost, for each trail will take you back to where you originally started. 

Lastly, you will encounter a sundial as well as an old turf house along this trail. You thus have to decide whether you would like to complete the shorter out and back trail or explore the longer loop trail with additional attractions.

Up-close view of Svartifoss waterfall

8) Recommended Items to Bring – Svartifoss Hike

For additional recommendations on what to pack, check out my Iceland road trip packing list as well as my list of hiking essentials for Iceland.

1. Water bottle: Be sure to bring water with you while you hike to Svartifoss. Even though Iceland has cooler temperatures, you still need to drink water to stay hydrated. For example, I brought my Yeti water bottle everywhere in Iceland.

Hiking Items 

2. Hiking shoes: A pair of hiking shoes will be incredibly helpful as you hike along the trail to the waterfall. The trail is mainly loose dirt and rocks, and hiking shoes will help provide you with traction.

3. Hiking poles: Bring hiking poles along if you want a bit of extra support while hiking to the waterfall. 

4. Crampons: These are only necessary in the winter months if there is snow or ice on the trail. Crampons are spikes that attach to the bottom of shoes.

9) Nearby Attractions

Try to stop by some of the below attractions as well. All of the following are within about two hours of the hike to Svartifoss, which is within Skaftafell Nature Reserve. 

Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon  

If you have ever desired to enter the world of a Disney princess movie or any other fairytale, then this is your chance. Fjadrárgljúfur Canyon is stunning and the exact type of scenery present in such a world. Walk to the viewpoints along the canyon’s edge and/or hike down inside the canyon. If hiking down into the canyon, be prepared to wade through parts of the river.

Fjadrárgljúfur Canyon is located only 1 hour and 10 minutes southwest from Svartifoss. If you need lodging in the nearby area, check out The Barn.

For more information: Fjadrárgljúfur Canyon Viewpoint and Hike in Iceland. 

Fjadrargljufur Canyon looking like an animated Disney movie

Glacier Lagoon and Diamond Beach 

We engaged in one of my favorite activities in Iceland at the Glacier Lagoon (aka Jökulsárlón): glacier kayaking. When else are we going to have the opportunity to kayak next to glaciers? We thus had to take advantage of this opportunity. The tour guide led us around the lagoon, highlighting the largest icebergs of that day. We even saw a couple of seals swimming nearby. Additionally, across the road from the Glacier Lagoon is Diamond Beach. It is a black sand beach that has icebergs washed ashore as well as floating out in the ocean. 

The Glacier Lagoon is located only 55 minutes east from Svartifoss. If you need lodging in the nearby area, check out Laekjarhus Farm Holidays.

For more information: Glacier Lagoon and Diamond Beach in Iceland.

Kayaking in the Glacier Lagoon

Stokksnes Peninsula

This is one of the most photographed locations in Iceland. Why, you might ask? Just beyond the black sand beach is Vestrahorn Mountain. Visitors can see the beautiful reflection of the mountain in the water along the sand if visiting on a day with clear skies. Unfortunately we visited on a cloudy day and did not get to enjoy this iconic reflection. However, it was still definitely worth our time to visit. 

Stokksnes Peninsula is located two hours and five minutes northeast of Svartifoss. If you need lodging in the nearby area, check out Laekjarhus Farm Holidays.

For more information: What to Know Before Visiting Stokksnes / Vestrahorn in Iceland.

Looking at the foggy view on Stokksnes Peninsula

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Check out some geothermal pools in Iceland: Blue Lagoon vs. Myvatn Nature Baths. 

For all your Iceland itinerary needs: 9 Day Road Trip Itinerary for Iceland.