Hjalparfoss
Hjalparfoss is a waterfall in Golden Circle & Nearby, Iceland — about 123 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
Hjálparfoss 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
Hjalparfoss is a beautiful, two stepped waterfall near the confluence of Rivers Thjorsa and Fossa in the Thjorsa Valley.
As a photography stop, Hjalparfoss is a waterfall in Golden Circle & Nearby, roughly 123 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 Hjalparfoss 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 twin fall where the Fossá meets the Þjórsá, in the lava fields north of Hekla, with basalt columns around the basin. Reached by a gravel road off Route 32 through the Vikrar lava fields.
- Drops
- Two
- Rivers
- Near the junction of the Fossá and the Þjórsá
- Setting
- Basalt columns surround the basin; lava fields north of the Hekla stratovolcano
- Access
- A gravel road off Route 32 through the Vikrar lava fields, about 30 km east of Flúðir
- Nearby
- Þjófafoss about 5 km south; Háifoss and Tangafoss further east
Two drops converging into one basin is a composition that only resolves from the right side — the falls read as separate or as one depending on where you stand, which makes this a location to walk around rather than shoot from the first vantage. Gravel access off Route 32 is the practical note; it is a lava-field road, not a layby.
SourcesHjálparfoss — Wikipedia
Light & aurora at this spot
Calculated from this location’s coordinates (64.116, -19.851). Iceland stays on UTC year-round, so these are local times.
- Summer
- June: sun up 02:49–23:50 (21 h). Evening golden hour 21:55–23:50, light coming from the NNW.
- Winter
- December: only 4.2 h of daylight (11:08–15:22), 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
Hjalparfoss is a waterfall in Golden Circle & Nearby, Iceland, approximately 123 km from Reykjavik. Exact GPS coordinates are included in the downloadable Waterfall map.
The recommended season for Hjalparfoss 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 — Hjalparfoss can be visited year-round, though winter conditions may require a 4x4 or storm-tolerant plans.