Godafoss is a waterfall on the Skjálfandafljót in northern Iceland, in Þingeyjarsveit. It sits on the Ring Road at the junction with the Sprengisandur highland road. The river falls 12 metres over a curved basalt lip about 30 metres wide, which gives the waterfall its horseshoe shape. Paved paths and viewpoints run along both banks, and a walking trail loops around the area. The name reads as the waterfall of the gods or of the chieftain. The falls were granted protected status in 2020.
Godafoss Waterfall
Local name: Goðafoss
An Icelandic steamer named after the waterfall, E/S Godafoss, was sunk by the German submarine U-300 in the Second World War, with great loss of life.
- Accessibility
- Paved walkways run from the car parks to the viewpoints on both banks. The lower viewpoints involve a descent towards the water.
- Parking
- Free car parks on both sides of the river. The nearest is asphalt, about 375 m from the falls; a second lies about 440 m away.
- Difficulty
- Easy: paved paths to the main viewpoints, with a descent to the lower ones. A 1.8-mile (2.9 km) trail loops around the waterfall area.
- Transport
- Bus stop Fosshóll – Godafoss, about 650 m from the waterfall. No route number in the sources.
What makes it special
Godafoss curves. The Skjálfandafljót drops 12 metres over an arc of basalt roughly 30 metres wide, splitting into several chutes, with a narrow bridal veil fall coming down to one side.
Paved paths lead to viewpoints on both banks, and the two sides show different shapes: from one you look into the curve, from the other along it. The lower viewpoints put you close to the water, where the noise and the spray are strongest. In sunshine a rainbow stands in the spray below the drop — sunshine is not guaranteed in Iceland.
Good to know
- Spray: the lower viewpoints sit in it. Waterproof jacket, trousers, boots and a hat if you plan to go down towards the water.
- Toilets: the toilets here are paid, by the shop and restaurant, about 600 m from the falls.
- No drinking water: there is no drinking water point at the waterfall. Fill up before you arrive.
- Both banks: viewpoints are set on each side of the river and are reached from separate car parks.
Getting there
Godafoss stands directly on the Ring Road in northern Iceland, where the highland road to Sprengisandur turns off, about 45 minutes' drive east of Akureyri. The stop is right off the main highway, and almost everyone arrives by car. Car parks serve both banks of the Skjálfandafljót; from the nearest one it is under 400 metres of paved walkway to the viewpoints. The lower viewpoints are reached by going down towards the water.
Best time to visit
Better: a clear day — with sun on the spray a rainbow appears below the drop.
Avoid: the middle of a summer day, when coach tours make this their Ring Road stop.
Sunshine is not guaranteed in northern Iceland, and the waterfall runs all year regardless of the weather. Early and late in the day the paths and car parks are emptier.
Sun & daylight
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Frequently asked questions
Why is it called Godafoss?
The name reads either as the waterfall of the gods (goð) or of the chieftain (goði). The placename scholar Svavar Sigmundsson traces it to two crags at the falls that resemble pagan idols. The better-known story — that the lawspeaker Þorgeir Ljósvetningagoði threw his statues of the Norse gods in here after Iceland adopted Christianity in 999 or 1000 — was published in Denmark in 1879–1882 and appears to be a nineteenth-century fabrication. Íslendingabók, which records Þorgeir's role, says nothing about it. A window in Akureyrarkirkja, the main church in Akureyri, shows the scene.How big is the waterfall?
The Skjálfandafljót falls 12 metres over a lip about 30 metres wide. The lip is curved, which is why the falls are described as horseshoe-shaped, and a narrow bridal veil fall comes down to one side.Can you walk around the waterfall?
Yes. Paved paths run from the car parks to viewpoints on both banks of the river, and a path leads down towards the water at the foot of the falls.Will I get wet at the viewpoints?
At the lower ones, yes. The spray carries well beyond the water there. Waterproof jacket, trousers, boots and a hat make it possible to stay and watch rather than turn back.