Epic Travel → Europe → Iceland → Southern Iceland → Fjaðrárgljúfur

♦ Intrepid Top Pick!

Location: Skógar/Vík area, Southern Iceland

Time Required: 2 hours

Red Tape/Notes: If you want to walk up canyon through the watercourse, the water will be cold, so plan appropriately (neoprene booties with water shoes are a great option, if you have them)

What’s Nearby?:  Rútshellir, Seljavallalaug, Skógafoss, Kvernufoss, Sólheimasandur Plane Crash, Dyrhólaey, Reynisfjara

We loved this place, particularly the way we did it. Virtually everyone out here (and there aren’t droves of people who come out – you probably won’t have it to yourself but it’s no Reynisfjara) will hike the trail along the top and view the canyon from the top down. This is nice, but that’s not the way to really see it. The way to do it is to strap on some water shoes (and neoprene booties if it’s cold), and prepare yourself to be thigh deep in freezing cold water. Trails run on either side of the canyon, but the winding nature of the river means that you’ll have to cross back and forth across it multiple time as you go further in the canyon. You’ll eventually come to a waterfall that’s large enough that you’d have to do some pretty significant swimming/climbing to get past it (and I’m not even sure it’s possible, if the rocks are slick), at which point you’ll probably be forced to turn around. We want to come back in summer and do this from the top down – perhaps rappel in and then slide down the waterfall. The canyon is absolutely stunning, with some of the coolest rock formations I’ve ever seen. Highly recommended.

Epic Travel → Europe → Iceland → Southern Iceland → Fjaðrárgljúfur