Walking Behind Seljalandsfoss and Finding Gljúfrabúi, the Waterfall in a Canyon

Walking Behind Seljalandsfoss and Finding Gljúfrabúi, the Waterfall in a Canyon

Walk Behind The Main Falls

You want to walk behind Seljalandsfoss without getting soaked, and you want to find the hidden waterfall everyone misses. Here is exactly how to do both. Arrive at the parking lot on Þorvaldseyri farm. Pay for a full 24 hours. There is no hourly option. The fee is ISK 900 via card at the pay-and-display machine or the Parka app. Head straight for the path that curves left of the main cascade. That path, 1 to 2 metres wide of compacted gravel and rock, is the walk behind the falls. It opens from April through October, weather permitting. Ice on the cliff face or the path itself triggers closure, and that happens from roughly November through March. Do not attempt it in winter. The spray behind the 65 metre total drop hits hard. Moderate rain is the correct comparison. Waterproof jacket and trousers are the minimum. No poncho does this job.

The Gljúfrabúi Slot

Wade Into The Canyon

Three hundred metres north of Seljalandsfoss, past the trickle of a smaller fall, the trail brings you to a vertical slit in the cliff. That slit is the only entrance to the canyon waterfall. It is 1 to 2 metres wide, and the floor is a stream. Step in and wade. Depth varies from 10 to 30 cm depending on recent rainfall. The payoff is a 40 metre waterfall dropping into an open topped cavern. Midday light is the photographic jackpot. The sun angles directly into the cleft from overhead, illuminating the moss stained walls. Any other time, the interior is dark and the spray mists your lens. Wade in with your camera in a dry bag or inside a jacket with a hood cinched tight.

Skip The Queue, Not The Falls

Do not skip this waterfall because you saw a queue at the cleft. The slot admits one person at a time, and visitors linger, but the total wait is rarely longer than five minutes. The crowd behaviour here is different from Seljalandsfoss. Tour bus arrivals at Seljalandsfoss concentrate between 09:30 and 11:30, then again from 14:00 to 16:00. The hidden fall gets the same spillover, but the narrow entrance throttles it. If you want both sites quiet, arrive before 08:30. The parking lot fills steadily after 10:00 from June through August.

What You Actually Need to Wear

Waterproof jacket and trousers are not a suggestion. They are the floor. The spray behind Seljalandsfoss hits you from above, below, and both sides simultaneously. The path is slippery gravel on rock. Wear footwear with grip, not fashion. Trail runners with a water repellent membrane work if the temperature is above 10°C. In colder weather, rubber boots or waterproof hiking boots are smarter. The canyon slot demands wading, so boots that drain and dry fast are better than anything that holds water for the rest of the day. A dry bag for electronics is mandatory. A spare pair of socks in the car is a decision you will never regret.

Timing and the Parka App Trap

Sort Parking Before You Leave

The Parka app parking system catches tourists out because it requires a data connection and a card registration before you park. The lot at Seljalandsfoss has a pay and display machine that takes cards, but the machine can be slow or out of service. Download the Parka app before you leave Reykjavík. Register a payment method and note your licence plate. Pay at the machine as backup. Enforcement is active. A fine here is not a warning.

Time Your Visit For Light And Quiet

Best light for the main waterfall from the front is late afternoon, when westerly sun hits the curtain. Best light from behind the falls is midday to early afternoon, when the sun illuminates the water from inside the cavity. For the canyon waterfall, midday again. If you are shooting between late May and late July, sunset lines up behind Seljalandsfoss from the path. Northern lights are visible on site from October through March, with low light pollution to the south. That matters because Seljalandsfoss faces south. You do not need to drive further for a dark sky.

Peak crowd hours are 10:00 to 16:00. Peak months are June through August. The practical takeaway: arrive at 08:00. Walk behind Seljalandsfoss before the spray has been kicked up by a hundred people. Wade the hidden slot at 08:30. Be back at the car by 09:30. That window gives you both waterfalls alone. After 10:00, you share the path. The site remains worthwhile crowded, but the walk behind is narrow and the atmosphere changes.