Haifoss
Haifoss is a waterfall in Golden Circle & Nearby, Iceland — about 141 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
Háifoss og Granni 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
The waterfall Háifoss is situated near the volcano Hekla in southern Iceland
As a photography stop, Haifoss is a waterfall in Golden Circle & Nearby, roughly 141 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.
Haifoss is one waypoint of many — you can load all 43 waterfall locations before you leave signal.
Notes on this location
Compiled from published sources rather than a visit. Sources are listed below.
A 122 m drop on the Fossá, a tributary of the Þjórsá, near Hekla — the fourth highest waterfall in Iceland. A second fall, Granni, sits directly alongside it.
- Height
- 122 m — fourth highest in Iceland, after Morsárfoss, Glymur and Hengifoss
- River
- Fossá, a tributary of the Þjórsá
- Neighbour
- Granni falls immediately alongside it
- Near
- The volcano Hekla, southern Iceland
- On foot
- A parking area above the falls; alternatively a 5–6 hour walk along the Fossá from Þjóðveldisbærinn Stöng
Two falls side by side in one gorge is the composition here, and it only resolves from the rim — which is why the viewpoint is above rather than below. At 122 m the drop is far taller than it is wide, so this is one of the few Icelandic falls that genuinely wants a vertical frame.
SourcesHáifoss — Wikipedia
Light & aurora at this spot
Calculated from this location’s coordinates (64.208, -19.687). Iceland stays on UTC year-round, so these are local times.
- Summer
- June: sun up 02:46–23:52 (21.1 h). Evening golden hour 21:56–23:52, light coming from the NNW.
- Winter
- December: only 4.2 h of daylight (11:08–15:19), but the sun never climbs above 2.5° — 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
Haifoss is a waterfall in Golden Circle & Nearby, Iceland, approximately 141 km from Reykjavik. Exact GPS coordinates are included in the downloadable Waterfall map.
The recommended season for Haifoss 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 — Haifoss can be visited year-round, though winter conditions may require a 4x4 or storm-tolerant plans.