Iceland · Waterfall hike

Dettifoss + Selfoss: Hike to Both

Dettifoss delivers the raw power. Selfoss gives you a completely different waterfall. If you are already here, we would not stop at just one.

Firsthand guide · Last reviewed August 2026 · How we review our guides

Powerful Dettifoss waterfall in North Iceland

Beyond the Overlook trail snapshot

Effort3/10

Route~1.5 mi loop

Time~1 hour

PayoffTwo waterfalls

SprayRaincoat useful

Worth it?Yes · both

Dettifoss is the dramatic one

You can get close enough to feel the scale and spray. It is loud, forceful and completely different from many of Iceland's more delicate waterfalls. We would bring a raincoat if walking down toward it.

Do not skip Selfoss

The two waterfalls feel very different, which is why we liked doing the full walk rather than treating Dettifoss as a quick viewpoint. The extra distance is modest and makes the stop feel like an experience rather than a photo.

Our recommendation: If you have made the trip to Dettifoss, walk to Selfoss too.

Lake Mývatn Ring Road All hikes

See both waterfalls

Dettifoss is the headline, but Selfoss is close enough that we would not make this a one-waterfall stop. The short walk between them gives you a second perspective on the Jökulsá á Fjöllum river and a very different waterfall shape, which makes the detour feel worthwhile.

There are access roads and viewpoints on different sides of Dettifoss, and road conditions can vary seasonally. Decide which approach fits your driving route before blindly following navigation. Around the falls, expect spray, wind and wet rock; a waterproof layer and shoes with grip are useful even on a short visit.

Our take: The raw scale is the point here. This is less polished and picturesque than some Iceland waterfalls and much more about power.

Dettifoss or Selfoss?

We would treat them as one experience rather than choose. Dettifoss is the more visceral waterfall: enormous, loud and powerful enough that the spray becomes part of the visit. Selfoss has a different shape and gives you another payoff for a relatively small amount of additional walking.

What we would bring

A rain jacket even when the sky looks reasonable. Getting close to Dettifoss means dealing with waterfall spray, and Icelandic weather can add more water quickly.

Is the extra walk to Selfoss worth it?

For us, yes. Once you have made the drive here, stopping after only Dettifoss saves relatively little while giving up a substantially different waterfall.