Gjáin
Gjáin is a waterfall in Golden Circle & Nearby, Iceland — about 138 km from Reykjavik and reached by a drive to the trailhead and a short walk in (footwear and weather check). Shoot it year-round, though winter wind, ice, and short daylight rework the shot list, then use the GPS coordinates, parking notes, and nearby waypoints below to fold this stop into a longer photography route.
Access restriction
Gjáin í Þjórsárdal is one of the protected areas where flying a drone requires a permit.
- a drone flight needs a permit from Náttúruverndarstofnun
- permits are issued only for commercial work — research, monitoring, construction, film, news and professional photography — and never for recreational or educational flying
- commercial permits may be granted year-round
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Overview
Like the Háifoss, the small valley Gjáin with its small waterfalls
As a photography stop, Gjáin is a waterfall in Golden Circle & Nearby, roughly 138 km from Reykjavik, reached by a drive to the trailhead and a short walk in (footwear and weather check). Plan the shoot year-round, though winter wind, ice, and short daylight rework the shot list. The downloadable Waterfall map pins exact GPS coordinates, parking, and nearby waypoints so you can fold it into a wider route instead of hunting for the pull-off on arrival.
Planning more than one stop? Open the waterfall photography map for Iceland to put Gjáin on the same offline layer as everything nearby.
Notes on this location
Compiled from published sources rather than a visit. Sources are listed below.
A small lush canyon in Þjórsárdalur where the Rauðá makes several water features, including Gjárfoss framed by rock formations — small falls, calm pools, mossy lava shapes and basalt in a compact area.
- The river
- The Rauðá, making several water features through the canyon
- Gjárfoss
- A small waterfall framed by striking rock formations
- The canyon
- Small waterfalls, calm pools, mossy lava shapes and basalt textures in a small area
- Roads
- Route 32 to Road 327, which is gravel and can be bumpy, especially after rain
- Parking
- Park by the historic farm area and walk in, or park above the canyon and walk down
- Season
- Most straightforward in the main summer season when the access roads are in better condition; in the shoulder seasons it is weather-dependent and a check-and-go stop rather than a guaranteed one. The source advises checking road.is first
A lot of small subjects in a compact space is the opposite of most of this catalog — no single wide shot does it, and the value is in working a small area slowly with a longer lens. The road is the constraint: gravel that degrades after rain, and a source that recommends checking road.is rather than assuming, which is the right posture for anything reached on a 300-series road.
SourcesGjáin — Fun Iceland
Light & aurora at this spot
Calculated from this location’s coordinates (64.149, -19.738). Iceland stays on UTC year-round, so these are local times.
- Summer
- June: sun up 02:48–23:51 (21 h). Evening golden hour 21:55–23:51, light coming from the NNW.
- Winter
- December: only 4.2 h of daylight (11:08–15:21), but the sun never climbs above 2.6° — the entire day is golden hour. Sunrise bears SSE, sunset SSW.
- Aurora
- Aurora-grade darkness Sep–Mar, peaking at 12.9 h a night in December. Not possible Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug — the sky never gets dark enough.
Bar height is daylight hours. Months marked • have enough astronomical darkness for aurora; the rest do not.
Questions & answers
Gjáin is a waterfall in Golden Circle & Nearby, Iceland, approximately 138 km from Reykjavik. Exact GPS coordinates are included in the downloadable Waterfall map.
The recommended season for Gjáin is All. For light, plan around blue hour and the first hour after sunrise; Iceland's long shoulder-season twilight extends usable conditions on either side.
Drive/Hike access. Bring weather-appropriate footwear and check conditions before setting out. The downloadable GPS map puts the waypoint on your phone; your own app routes you to it from wherever you are.
Yes — Gjáin can be visited year-round, though winter conditions may require a 4x4 or storm-tolerant plans.