Hengifoss Waterfall

Local name: Hengifoss

At 128 metres it is the third highest waterfall in Iceland, and the red clay bands in the cliff beside it hold fossilised conifer trunks from a warmer age.

Hengifoss is a waterfall on the Hengifossá river in East Iceland, about half an hour's drive from Egilsstaðir. At 128 metres it is the third highest in the country. It drops against a cliff of stacked basalt with thin red bands of clay between the layers, and that banded rock is as much of the draw as the water. A path runs from the car park up to the falls. Litlanesfoss, a lower waterfall ringed by columnar basalt, sits further down the same river.

Waterfall Hiking

Accessibility: Not wheelchair accessible. The only approach is a steep hill path.
Parking: Paid car park at the trailhead, with restrooms and a café. 1,000 ISK in summer 2026.
Difficulty: Around 5 km with some 300 m of ascent; 40–60 minutes to the falls. Steep in places and well maintained, with the steepest section in the first 20 minutes.
Hours: Open 24 hours.
Address: Fljótsdalsvegur, 701 Egilsstaðir

What makes it special

The cliff behind the water is striped. Layers of basalt alternate with thin red bands of clay, and the falls come down 128 metres through the middle of them. The red bands hold fossilised trunks of conifers and lignite, laid down when this part of Iceland was warmer than it is now.

The walk in counts for as much as the arrival. The path climbs above the canyon of the Hengifossá, past gigantic basalt columns, and the left-hand branch passes Litlanesfoss, a lower waterfall ringed by columnar basalt. Hengifoss is the most walked hiking route in East Iceland.

Good to know

Two paths up. Two trails leave the car park and join at the top. The left is steeper and shows Litlanesfoss; the right does not.
The start is the hardest. The first 20 minutes are the steepest part of the climb. After that the path eases.
Cloud can hide the falls. In low cloud and fog the drop and the canyon views are lost, and the climb is still the same climb.
Facilities are at the trailhead. There are restrooms and a café at the car park.

Getting there

Hengifoss is about a 30-minute drive from Egilsstaðir, and the road ends at a car park with restrooms and a café. Two paths leave the car park and loop together at the top before running on to the falls; the left one is steeper and goes fairly straight up. The walk is around 5 km with some 300 m of ascent and takes 40–60 minutes to the waterfall. You can go up one path and come back down the other.

Best time to visit

Best: early morning, from around 8am. Avoid: late morning, when the flow of walkers heading up is steady.

Just after 8am the path is close to empty. By the time the early walkers are coming back down, a steady line is going up. Cloud matters as much as the hour: in low cloud and fog both the falls and the canyon views disappear.

Sun & daylight

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