Goðafoss

Stand on the edge of Goðafoss on a still morning and you'll hear it before you see it: a steady, low rumble coming up out of the river gorge. Then the path bends and there it is, a wide horseshoe of white water, perfectly symmetrical, as if someone designed it.

Goðafoss (Godafoss), the Waterfall of the Gods, is on the Skjálfandafljót river in North Iceland, right beside the Ring Road between Akureyri and Lake Mývatn. The falls are only about 12 metres high, but they are about 30 metres wide, and what they lack in height they make up for in shape. It's one of the easiest major waterfalls in Iceland to visit, and one of the most photographed.

Tours that visit Goðafoss

(Cruise Ships) Lake Mývatn and Goðafoss

6 hours and 30 minutes · From Akureyri

5(61)

From 25.300 ISK

Lake Myvatn and Godafoss Waterfall Day Tour from Akureyri

8 hours · From Akureyri

From 23.000 ISK

Half-Day Combo Tour to Goðafoss, Laufas and The Christmas House

4 hours · From Akureyri

4.6(309)

From 20.000 ISK

Goðafoss and the Forest Lagoon

4 hours · From Akureyri

4.9(295)

From 26.400 ISK

Godafoss Waterfall & Earth Lagoon (Myvatn Nature Baths) Tour with Admission

6 hours · From Akureyri

4.4(84)

From 28.990 ISK

Goðafoss Waterfall & Fjord Viewpoint from Akureyri

3 hours · From Akureyri

4.7(26)

From 13.990 ISK

The story behind Goðafoss

The name comes from the year 1000, when Iceland's parliament adopted Christianity. The lawspeaker who made the decision, Þorgeir Ljósvetningagoði, is said to have come home and thrown his statues of the old Norse gods into the falls. Whether it happened exactly like that, nobody can prove. It's a good story, and it's the one every Icelandic child learns.

What to see at Goðafoss

There are paths and parking on both sides of the river. The east side, by the service centre and shop on Route 1, is where most people stop and gives you the classic front-on view. Cross the bridge to the west side for a quieter walk and a closer look at the lip of the falls. If you have time, walk down to the river below on the east side. From there the falls fill your whole view, and most visitors never bother.

Entry and parking are free. Plan 30 to 45 minutes, or an hour if you walk both banks.

Pro tip: in winter, look at the falls from the bridge side before walking to the edge. Spray freezes on everything, including the paths, and the viewing areas can be sheet ice. Bring microspikes or at least boots with good grip, and stay behind the ropes. The rock edge is often undercut and slippery, and the river below is glacial and fast.

How to get to Goðafoss from Akureyri

Goðafoss is about 40 minutes east of Akureyri on Route 1, through the Vaðlaheiðargöng tunnel (a toll road), and about 35 minutes west of Lake Mývatn. From Reykjavík it's roughly five and a half hours' drive, so it isn't a day trip from the capital. Most people see it on the way between Akureyri and Mývatn, which is why nearly every Mývatn tour stops here.

Best time to visit Goðafoss

Summer brings the most water and the easiest paths, and on a bright evening the low sun lights up the spray. Winter is quieter and the falls framed in ice and snow look completely different, though the days are short and the road can be icy. The service area makes it a natural coffee stop in any season.

Tours that include Goðafoss are below, from half-day trips out of Akureyri to full-day Mývatn tours, combos with the Forest Lagoon or the geothermal lagoon at Mývatn, and cruise ship excursions from Akureyri port.