Dettifoss is often called the most powerful waterfall in Europe. The glacier river Jökulsá á Fjöllum, fed by Vatnajökull, drops about 45 m over a 100 m wide edge into the Jökulsárgljúfur canyon, inside Vatnajökull National Park.
You can see it from either bank. The west side has paved access and viewing platforms that look at the falls more from the front, and the spray often drifts over you. The quieter east side looks across the full width. Selfoss, about 10 m high, is a short walk upstream.
Getting there
For the west side, take road 862 from Route 1 east of Mývatn; it is paved all the way north to road 85 near Ásbyrgi. The car park has toilets and a path of about 1 km to the viewpoints. The east side is reached on road 864, a slow gravel road from road 85.
When to go
Best from June to September. Road 864 has no winter service and usually stays closed until late May. Road 862 has limited winter service and can close at short notice in snow, so check umferdin.is before you set out.
Good to know
- Bring a waterproof jacket: the spray soaks the west-side paths.
- Add the 2.5 km Dettifoss and Selfoss loop from the west car park.
- In winter, stay well back from the canyon edge, where snow can build up into unstable overhangs.
- Stay on the marked paths; the rocks near the falls are wet and slippery.
Sources: Dettifoss, Wikipedia, Dettifoss, Visit Akureyri, Dettifoss, North Iceland (Diamond Circle), Dettifoss trail D1, Vatnajökull National Park. Facts checked October 2026.
Drive times are approximate and depend on weather and road conditions. Check road.is and vedur.is before you set off.
