Selfoss (waterfall) Travel Guide

Selfoss is a beautiful waterfall in north Iceland, often visited on Diamond Circle tours.

It is not to be confused with the town of the same name in Iceland’s south.

Explore North Iceland on one of these Akureyri tours or trips in the Myvatn area. Selfoss is also usually included in tours of the Diamond Circle, as it's just next to the larger Dettifoss waterfall.

Selfoss Waterfall

Selfoss is much wider than it is tall; its height is eleven metres (36 feet) while its width is around 100 metres (330 feet).

It is fed by the Jökulsá á Fjöllum, a glacier river with its routes in Vatnajökull glacier. Though the waterflow decreases in winter, Selfoss is very powerful throughout the year.

Those who get too close will get wet, and visitors are warned to be careful of the slippery rocks around it.

Surroundings of Selfoss Waterfall

Selfoss waterfall is sadly often overlooked in favour of its neighbour, Dettifoss. Just slightly downstream, Dettifoss is the most powerful waterfall in Europe, and four times as tall as Selfoss.

Downstream from Dettifoss is Hafragilsfoss, another beautiful falls.

All three of these rivers are located in the Jökulsárgljúfur canyon, an area so beautiful it was once its own national park. Since, it has been enveloped into the greater Vatnajökull National Park.