Goðafoss
Goðafoss is a waterfall in North Iceland, Iceland — about 422 km from Reykjavik and reached by a straightforward drive from the nearest highway turnoff. Shoot it during the summer window, when light, road status, and crowd levels line up for photography, then use the GPS coordinates, parking notes, and nearby waypoints below to fold this stop into a longer photography route.
Access restriction
Goðafoss 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
Goðafoss is a waterfall in northern Iceland. It is located along the country's main ring road at the junction with the Sprengisandur highland road.
As a photography stop, Goðafoss is a waterfall in North Iceland, roughly 422 km from Reykjavik, reached by a straightforward drive from the nearest highway turnoff. Plan the shoot during the summer window, when light, road status, and crowd levels line up for photography. 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.
Goðafoss is one waypoint of many — you can load the Iceland waterfalls GPS map before you leave signal.
Notes on this location
Compiled from published sources rather than a visit. Sources are listed below.
A broad, curved drop on the Skjálfandafljót — only 12 m high but 30 m wide, which makes it a horizontal subject rather than a vertical one. It sits on the ring road and has been protected since 2020.
- Size
- 12 m high across a 30 m width
- River
- Skjálfandafljót
- Access
- On the main ring road, about 45 minutes from Akureyri
- On foot
- A loop of roughly 1.8 miles encircles the falls
- Status
- Granted protected status in 2020
Wider than it is tall by more than two to one, so the frame that works here is landscape rather than portrait — the opposite of most Icelandic falls. A loop path around the whole thing means both banks are available without moving the car, which is unusual and worth the time it costs.
SourcesGoðafoss — Wikipedia
Light & aurora at this spot
Calculated from this location’s coordinates (65.683, -17.550). Iceland stays on UTC year-round, so these are local times.
- Summer
- 23.1 h of daylight in June and the sun barely sets, dipping only 1° below the horizon — effectively continuous golden light through the small hours.
- Winter
- December: only 3.2 h of daylight (11:29–14:41), but the sun never climbs above 1° — the entire day is golden hour. Sunrise bears SSE, sunset SSW.
- Aurora
- Aurora-grade darkness Sep–Mar, peaking at 13 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
Goðafoss is a waterfall in North Iceland, Iceland, approximately 422 km from Reykjavik. Exact GPS coordinates are included in the downloadable Waterfall map.
The recommended season for Goðafoss is Summer. 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 access. A standard rental car works in most seasons; check road status in winter before committing. The downloadable GPS map puts the waypoint on your phone; your own app routes you to it from wherever you are.
Goðafoss is best visited during Summer. Outside that window, expect limited access, weather closures, or significantly different photographic conditions.