🧭 Every country, and the places worth the trip NEW 26,489 places written across 243 countries šŸŽ® Guess the country As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases
Meridiela.
Lesa Ć” Ć­slenskuThis page is also written in Ć­slenska.→

Thorufoss

A columnar-rock fall half an hour from Reykjavik, better known abroad as a television location than at home.

Saved in this browser only - no account, nothing sent anywhere. See your map

WhereCapital Region
Nearest cityReykjavik about 30 km; Thingvellir about 25 km
Best seasonMay to September
Time to allowAn hour
Getting thereOff road 48 in Kjos, north of Thingvallavatn; a short walk from the roadside
EntryFree

Thorufoss drops around eighteen metres on the Laxa i Kjos, cutting a notch through basalt with column structure visible in the walls beside it. It is close enough to Reykjavik for an evening drive and stays quiet, partly because it is not on any of the standard loops. It was used as a filming location in Game of Thrones, which brought a burst of visitors and a small car park; the traffic has settled since. The river below is a well known salmon water, privately leased, so fishing here is not casual. Flow varies sharply with rain and snowmelt, and the fall is a different thing in June than in August.

What you actually see

  • An eighteen metre drop - through a basalt notch on the Laxa i Kjos.
  • Column structure in the walls - visible in the rock beside the fall.
  • A filming location - used in Game of Thrones, which built the car park.
  • A leased salmon river - fishing here is private and expensive.

When to go

May to September; strongest with snowmelt in early summer. An hour.

Honest expectations

Flow can be thin in late summer and the fall looks much smaller then. The viewing area is unfenced above a drop. There are no facilities. The last stretch of road is gravel.

Nearby

Thingvellir is south-east; Reykjavik is half an hour away.

What to pack for Thorufoss

Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.

All packing kits →

Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.

← More nature & outdoors in Iceland

One postcard a week.

A short Friday email: one place worth knowing about, the story behind it, and what is in season right now. No noise - leave whenever you like.