Svartifoss Waterfall Hike: Trail Guide, Tips, and What to Expect

• Hiking time: 60 minutes roundtrip.
• Allow about 1.5 hours for the hike + photos.
• Difficulty level: Easy-moderate because it does require you to hike uphill to get there. Of course, this means the return hike is downhill.

Svartifoss Waterfall is about a four-hour drive from Reykjavik, so this isn’t a quick day trip you can casually squeeze in. Iceland is big, and getting between places takes more time than you think.

We planned our south coast trip over several days, which made everything feel a lot more manageable and way less rushed.

For this part of the trip, we based ourselves in Vik and explored the southeastern side of Iceland from there, including Svartifoss.

If you’re still figuring out where to stay, I put together a guide to my favorite boutique hotels in Iceland by region that helped us map this whole route out a lot more smoothly.

Svartifoss is located within Vatnajökull National Park, specifically in the Skaftafell area. When you’re mapping it out, just plug “Skaftafell Visitor Center” into Google Maps and it’ll take you right where you need to go.

The trailhead for Svartifoss starts directly from the visitor center, which sits just off Route 1, also known as the Ring Road. It’s very easy to find and well-marked once you arrive.

To help you get oriented, take a look at the map below.

• Summer is best (June – August), where you get to experience longer daylight hours and clear trails

• If you can, go earlier in the morning or later in the evening. That’s when you’ll avoid the peak crowds and actually get to enjoy the waterfall without a ton of people around.

• We started the hike around 5:45 pm in July and crowds were minimal

There’s no entrance fee, which is always a nice bonus in Iceland.

After parking at the Skaftafell Visitor Center, we stopped for a quick look at the map at the kiosk and then headed straight onto the trail. It’s very straightforward and easy to follow from the start.

The first waterfall you’ll come across is Hundafoss. It’s nice, worth a quick glance, but not the main event. We kept moving.

From the visitor center, the well-marked trail takes you through a campsite before turning right uphill. This hike required just enough effort to get the blood pumping.

The trail is easy to follow as it winds its way up. At one point, you’ll come across an informational plaque along the path.

That’s your first real glimpse of Svartifoss in the distance. You’ll spot it tucked into the cliffs with those dark basalt columns starting to come into view.

At that point, you know you’re close!

Toward the end of the hike, you’ll come across a bridge off to the left of the main trail.

It’s worth walking over for the view.

From here, you get another great angle of Svartifoss. It was one of our favorite photo spots along the hike!

After crossing a few sections of the trail lined with wooden planks, we made our way up the stairs to the final viewing platform.

When we visited in July, there were only a handful of other tourists.

I’m not sure if we just got lucky, but more likely it’s because we started the hike later in the day.

That’s one of the best parts about visiting Iceland in July during the Midnight Sun. You have so many daylight hours, which makes it easy to time your hikes like this and avoid the crowds.

By the way, the photo below of us standing in front of Svartifoss is a pretty good reality check for Iceland in summer.

Hubby and I are both in long sleeves, and I’ve even got a beanie on. That’s Iceland for you. The weather can shift fast, and even in summer it rarely feels as warm as people expect.

If you’re trying to pack without overthinking it or ending up freezing halfway through your trip, my Iceland summer packing list breaks down exactly what I’d bring.

It’s not the tallest or widest waterfall in Iceland, but it easily stands out as one of the most unique.

There’s something about it that feels almost cinematic. The towering hexagonal basalt columns give it this Game of Thrones-like backdrop that’s hard to miss.

This 65-foot waterfall was so inspirational that the iconic Hallgrímskirkja Church in Reykjavik was designed after it.

Once you’ve seen both, you can totally see the resemblance.

After taking it all in, we started heading back down the trail. At this point, you have two options.

You can go back the same way you came on the eastern side, which is the more straightforward route.

Or you can cross over the bridge from that earlier viewpoint and follow the trail along the western side to turn it into a loop.

We opted to keep things simple, but if you have the time, the loop is a nice way to see a different perspective on the way back.

We were a little short on time, so we ended up hiking back the same way we came.

If you decide to do the full loop, it adds a bit more time and distance, about 2 to 2.5 hours total and roughly 3.4 miles roundtrip.

Along the way, you’ll pass a few additional waterfalls and even a traditional turf house.

Icelandic turf houses are pretty fascinating. They’re built with layers of turf around a wooden frame, which acts as natural insulation and helps them blend right into the landscape.

People don’t live in them anymore, but you’ll still find a few well-preserved ones scattered across the country. Keep an eye out along the trail, you’ll know it when you see it.

I do regret not squeezing in the glacier hike during our trip, but with limited time, we had to be selective with what we could fit in.

If you have an extra hour or so, I’d definitely recommend adding the easy 2.3-mile roundtrip hike to Skaftafellsjökull Glacier.

The trail also starts from the Skaftafell Visitor Center and follows a well-marked path the whole way.

You can refer back to the Svartifoss map at the beginning of this post to see how it all connects.

And honestly, how many places in the world can you hike right up to a glacier? It’s high on my list for next time.

If you want to explore more options, check out the official Vatnajökull National Park’s website for a full list of hikes in the area.

If you’re visiting Iceland’s south coast, Svartifoss is absolutely worth the detour. It’s a short hike with just enough of a challenge, and you get to see one of the more unique waterfalls in the country.

If you have the time, I’d definitely add on the extra hour to hike out to Skaftafellsjökull Glacier. It’s one of those experiences that feels pretty special and not something you can do in many places.

Vatnajökull National Park is absolutely worth making time for. It ended up being one of our favorite things to do on our Iceland trip!

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Questions about our Svartifoss waterfall hike?

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