An Afternoon “Hike” to Iceland’s Kvernufoss Waterfall

Having visited Iceland over five times at this point, it’s safe to say that I’ve seen my fair share of waterfalls in the country. Some are headline-hitters that almost everyone visits on their first trip, while others are a bit more off-the-beaten path. Kvernufoss is somewhere in the middle, and it was a waterfall that I skipped for all of my first six visits to Iceland. 

On visit number seven, though, I finally decided to visit. To say that I’m glad about doing this would be an understatement. I’m not going to call Kvernufoss a hidden gem by any means (it isn’t), but I do think that many tourists overlook it in favor of its more famous neighbors. 

If you’re already visiting Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss, I think that Kvernufoss is worth the detour. It’s not far from either of them, and it’s also easy to reach if you’re staying in Vík. Today, I’m going to talk about my afternoon hike here and give you the information you need to plan your own visit. 

I Put “Hike” in Inverted Commas for a Reason

Although the walk to Kvernufoss *could* be considered a hike, it isn’t really, in my opinion. Pretty much anyone with reasonable fitness levels can do it, and the walk from the car park to the waterfall took my girlfriend and I around 25 minutes. Well, it was a bit longer because I was stopping to take photos every few seconds—but otherwise, it would’ve been about that. 

When I visited in the summer of 2026, a lot of the trail had rubber anti-slip paths. This is something that I’ve noticed increasing in Iceland since my first visit in 2018, which I guess makes sense since it’s now a hugely popular place to visit. I have to say, though, that I’ve still found these slippery elsewhere in wet weather… but they do nonetheless make a difference. 

Some stretches of the trail were gravel paths, but at the same time, it was not a difficult hike for us at all. While you do need a base level of fitness, you don’t need to be an athlete by any means to visit Kvernufoss. 

Getting to Kverufoss Is Quite Easy if You’re Already in the Region

We were already traveling around the South Coast as part of a 10-day camping trip around Iceland, and we had just spent some time at Seljalandsfoss before coming here. We didn’t go to Skógafoss because we had already been there, but if you’re a first-time visitor, I do recommend also visiting (and doing at least part of the hike up the stairs there). I wrote a guide to visiting Skógafoss if you’re interested. 

Once you arrive at the parking lot for Kvernufoss, you’ll need to pay for parking. You can do this on the Parka app, which is available for iOS and Android and also one of the most important apps to download when you visit Iceland. I strongly recommend getting the Parka app to pay for parking in general in Iceland; Check-it is also worth having for this reason. 

If you’re driving from Seljalandsfoss, the journey will take you around 30 minutes. From Vík, the drive will take around the same time. 

And Yes, Kvernufoss Is Definitely Worth Visiting

In hindsight, the main reason I didn’t visit Kvernufoss is that I always thought of it as one of those “yeah, I guess I’ll go one day” places in Iceland. That’s great for me, since I visit the country regularly and knew that I would have the chance to do so. But if you’re not going to visit so often, I think it’s worth adding to your itinerary. 

The trail to Kvernufoss isn’t particularly long, and you pretty much just need to follow the path until you see the waterfall. You won’t see it in the beginning, but it will appear as you get closer to the end of the trail. 

As I mentioned earlier, much of the trail now has a rubber path. Some of it is gravel. When I went in the summer, it was easy to reach in hiking shoes and without special equipment. If you plan to go in the winter, bringing some crampons can be a good idea if the gravel parts get icy. 

You Can Go Behind the Waterfall, but You Should Only Do So in the Summer

Most photos you’ll see of Kvernufoss are from behind the waterfall. If you’re into photography, you’re in for a treat here. And you’ll be even more in for a treat if you read my guide on not destroying your camera in Iceland. 

Unlike Seljalandsfoss, You Probably Won’t Get Wet

I love rainy weather, and I was over the moon when we were at Seljalandsfoss and it started to rain. I was even happier when I was absolutely soaked after going behind the waterfall. 😄

While you’ll probably get soaked if you go behind Seljalandsfoss, this is not the case at Kvernufoss. You should still wear a waterproof jacket, but the waterfall is much less powerful than Seljalandsfoss. We only really got wet because it was raining for part of the trail before we arrived. 

To be honest, the shape is the main reason to visit Kvernufoss. For sheer power, there are other waterfalls elsewhere in Iceland. Still, not everything has to be all-in. 

We Spent Longer at Kvernufoss Than Most People Will

You don’t need to spend a huge amount of time at Kvernufoss if you don’t want to. With the walk there and back to your car, along with actually being at the waterfall, you’ll probably be fine with around one-and-a-half hours. 

The main reasons we stayed longer were because we wanted to really take in the waterfall and also because we like photography. I spent a decent chunk of time just pointing my camera everywhere, and in total, we were there for around two hours (including the walk to and from Kvernufoss). 

Compared to Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss, the Crowds Weren’t *That* Bad

I’m going to have a bit of a hot take here, but I think the crowds on the South Coast are exaggerated. I say this as someone who’s visited this part of the country during the peak season twice. If you literally get off the Ring Road, it’s so easy to find places almost entirely for yourself. 

That said, the main attractions can get quite crowded. Seljalandsfoss was busy when we were there, though again, the crowds were manageable once the tour buses left. Still, unless you’re there at midnight, you won’t have the place to yourself. Even then, you may share it with others. 

In comparison, the crowds at Kvernufoss were very small. We went at around 17:00, which admittedly could be a reason why. It could also just be that many tour buses don’t stop there.

While there were a few other groups at the waterfall when we arrived, we had the place entirely to ourselves after waiting for around 20 minutes. Even behind the waterfall, it was easy to take photos—regardless of whether others were there or not. 

You Won’t Need Special Equipment Most of the Time, but You Should Dress Wisely

I don’t know if I’m technically classed as an influencer or not. I dislike the word, so I’m just going to say no. But anyway, you will not catch me doing an influencer-style shoot at a place like Kvernufoss in normal clothes because I personally just think it’s goofy. Plus, I would freeze, so no. That’s why I spent all the money on nice hiking stuff instead. 🙂

Anyway… If you have standard outdoor clothing—which means some hiking shoes, a waterproof jacket, decent hiking pants, and some layers—you’ll be fine. I’d also recommend packing a beanie and gloves for Iceland in general, regardless of when you visit. I didn’t need these at Kvernufoss, but for some parts of the trip, it was very cold—even in June. 

Like I mentioned, crampons might be useful for the trail if you visit in the winter. But you don’t need anything extra besides that. 

Kvernufoss Is a Nice Quick Stop While You’re Driving on the Ring Road

Even though I had skipped Kvernufoss on multiple occasions before when visiting Iceland, I was happy that we finally went. The waterfall itself is beautiful, and if you’re in Iceland during the summer, you definitely should go for a walk behind it too. If you’re there in the winter, you absolutely should not do that. 

The hike is easy for most people, and finding the waterfall is easy. Kvernufoss is also close to some of the country’s main sights, making it a simple detour that’s well worth your time.