Glanni Waterfall
Glanni Waterfall is a waterfall in West Iceland, Iceland — about 105 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.
Overview
Reached by a hiking trail, this waterfall sits near an ancient lava field & has a viewing platform.
As a photography stop, Glanni Waterfall is a waterfall in West Iceland, roughly 105 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 all 43 waterfall locations to put Glanni Waterfall 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 wide river waterfall on the Norðurá near Bifröst, breaking into at least three side-by-side drops each with several tiers, beside the Grábrókarhraun lava field. Said to be a dwelling place of elves and trolls.
- River
- The Norðurá
- The falls
- A wide river-type fall, segmented into at least three side-by-side drops, each with multiple tiers
- Setting
- Beside the Grábrókarhraun lava field, near a golf course and the hamlet of Bifröst
- Folklore
- Said to be the dwelling place of elves and trolls
- Not in the source
- The page cited does not give the meaning of the name, and does not mention salmon
Three side-by-side drops each with their own tiers is a fall without a centre — the composition has to pick one segment rather than try to hold all three, which is the same problem as Hraunfossar at a smaller scale. Being beside a golf course and a hamlet also means this is a five-minute stop off Route 1 rather than an expedition.
SourcesGlanni waterfall — NAT
Light & aurora at this spot
Calculated from this location’s coordinates (64.754, -21.547). Iceland stays on UTC year-round, so these are local times.
- Summer
- 21.6 h of daylight in June and the sun barely sets, dipping only 1.9° below the horizon — effectively continuous golden light through the small hours.
- Winter
- December: only 3.9 h of daylight (11:26–15:17), but the sun never climbs above 2° — 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
Glanni Waterfall is a waterfall in West Iceland, Iceland, approximately 105 km from Reykjavik. Exact GPS coordinates are included in the downloadable Waterfall map.
The recommended season for Glanni Waterfall 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 — Glanni Waterfall can be visited year-round, though winter conditions may require a 4x4 or storm-tolerant plans.