The Hvítá is a glacial river, fed by the Langjökull glacier in Hvítárvatn in the Iceland highlands. The river travels 40 km from its source before cascading into a beautiful two-step gorge at the Gullfoss waterfall. The two steps are 11m and 22m high. The waterfall is 32m deep and brown, thanks to the mud it carries.
In the 20th Century, a farmer who held the Hvítá water rights contracted Gullfoss to an English firm with a plan to build a hydroelectric power station. The farmer's daughter became so angry that she threatened to throw herself into the falls if her father didn't withdraw the contract. She protested this alone until a young lawyer – who later became Iceland's first president – joined her. Together they managed to save the waterfalls. In 1978, the farmer's daughter was commemorated by a monument at her much-beloved Gulfoss.
Take the golden circle tour from Reykjavik. The Gulfoss waterfalls are included in that 8-hour tour.
Sunday: Open 24 hrs.
Monday: Open 24 hrs.
Tuesday: Open 24 hrs.
Wednesday: Open 24 hrs.
Thursday: Open 24 hrs.
Friday: Open 24 hrs.
Saturday: Open 24 hrs.
Waiting Time
Entrance Fee
Time you can spend
Weather
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