Selfoss is a waterfall on the Jökulsá á Fjöllum in Northeast Iceland. The river carries meltwater from the Vatnajökull glacier and drops over a series of falls across some 30 km before reaching Öxarfjörður, a bay of the Arctic Sea. Selfoss itself is 11 metres high and around 100 metres wide, curved like a horseshoe. Below it the river runs through the gorge of Jökulsárgljúfur National Park, and a few hundred metres downstream stands Dettifoss, the second-most powerful waterfall in Europe.
Selfoss Waterfall
Local name: Selfoss
Selfoss is 11 metres high; a few hundred metres downstream the same river drops again as Dettifoss, the second-most powerful waterfall in Europe.
- Accessibility
- Not wheelchair accessible.
- Parking
- Car park shared with Dettifoss, about 1.4 km from the falls. Parking was free in 2025.
- Difficulty
- Easy track, about 1.4 km each way from the car park; around ten minutes' walk from Dettifoss.
- Address
- 671, North Iceland
What makes it special
The rim at Selfoss is a curve roughly 100 metres across, and the river comes over it in separate columns rather than one sheet. The drop is 11 metres, which is low for the amount of water involved. That shape is why the falls work better from a distance than up close: stand at the lip and half of them is hidden behind the rock. Trails run along both banks of the Jökulsá á Fjöllum, and the view holds up from the west side and from the east. The water is glacier melt, so the volume changes with the season, the weather and with volcanic activity under Vatnajökull.
Good to know
- See it from back: at the very edge you only see half the falls; the horseshoe reads from further away.
- The flow varies: the river is glacier melt, so volume changes with the season, the weather and volcanic activity.
- Two waterfalls, one trip: markings and signs link Selfoss with Dettifoss a few hundred metres downstream; a couple of hours covers both.
- Both banks: the falls are worth looking at from the west side and from the east side.
Getting there
The last stretch is on foot. Cars stop at the car park shared with Dettifoss, and from there it is about 1.4 km to Selfoss on an easy track. If you are already at Dettifoss, Selfoss is roughly a ten-minute walk one way along the same marked trail system. Paths run down both banks of the Jökulsá á Fjöllum, so the falls can be reached from the west side or the east side.
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Frequently asked questions
How big is Selfoss?
The drop is 11 metres and the falls are around 100 metres wide, curved like a horseshoe across the Jökulsá á Fjöllum.How long is the walk to the waterfall?
About 1.4 km from the shared car park, on an easy track. From Dettifoss it is roughly ten minutes one way.Can you see Selfoss and Dettifoss on the same visit?
Yes. The two falls are a few hundred metres apart on the same river and share trails and parking. Markings and signs cover both, and a couple of hours is enough for the pair.Is Selfoss wheelchair accessible?
No. The route to the falls is not accessible.Why does the waterfall look different from one visit to the next?
The Jökulsá á Fjöllum is fed by meltwater from the Vatnajökull glacier. The flow depends on the season, the weather and volcanic activity, so the volume of water over the rim varies.