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Kirkjubaejarklaustur
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Fjadrargljufur Canyon
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Fjadrargljufur Canyon

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Fjadrargljufur Canyon
4.5
About
The spectacular moss-covered canyon was carved out of palagonite rock by a glacial river over thousands of years, and is located in south Iceland just off the Ring Road between Vik and Skatafell. It's a popular spot amongst pop culture fans, having been featured in several TV shows and music videos, including the cult favorite 'Game of Thrones'—partly why the canyon has been intermittently closed to tourists over the years. Outdoor adventurers can hike in the canyon, though it is not recommended if water levels are high or during winter. The best views are from an observatory platform by Mogafoss Waterfall at the head of the canyon. – Tripadvisor
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  • Jessica K
    80 contributions
    Fjadrargljufur Canyon Hike in March
    This canyon blew our minds! We walked all the way to the top and the view just kept getting better and better! Well worth the hike uphill. it’s hard to describe what it was like looking down into this canyon. All I can say is GO! This was one of the ultimate highlights on a trip that was full of highlights. It was a bit of a challenge for some of our group. So I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone who has mobility challenges.
    Visited March 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written March 21, 2023
  • gringottsgoblin
    366 contributions
    Not that impressed
    I had read the reviews and decided to take the detour and was not that impressed. It’s a nice little canyon for sure but there are better if you are prepared to hike a bit. It’s also pretty busy. The walk up is well marked and in good weather would be fine. However given the crowds and weather the path which should have been snowy was now icy slushy narrow and steep and actually a bit dangerous, especially coming down. I did persist, however, and did the walk but in balance it was a miss for me. If you are going there is decent road in and a reasonable sized car park
    Visited April 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written April 10, 2023
  • orrdin
    New York883 contributions
    Lovely but we’ve seen nicer
    This is a heavily trafficked canyon with an expensive park I g and while we enjoyed the hike we felt that the Skogafoss hike was significantly prettier so if you’ve seen that you can possibly skip this stop. The hike is about 45 mins each way and is all uphill till the turn. There is another parking lot that gets you closer to the falls but then you miss the whole canyon.
    Visited July 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written July 6, 2023
  • DanielYoon727
    Boston, Massachusetts54 contributions
    All Abilities Hike
    We saw toddlers all the way to elderly on this hike. It does get steep but the path is safe the whole way. This is a nice short hike with a great view. Multiple viewing points to take photos. Downside for us was that the 2 out of the 3 bathrooms were out of order (7/14) so the line was so long.
    Visited July 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written July 14, 2023
  • Ron S
    New York City, New York5,444 contributions
    Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon
    There are two paths to the viewing platform. One is a from-the-bottom-up trail which requires climbing a path about 1 km long to the altitude of some 150 meters. The other one is significantly shorter and practically flat. They both have the same end point but if you go the long route you will have a few memorable views of the canyon along the way.
    Visited July 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written July 19, 2023
  • R K
    60 contributions
    Great astonishing view
    The site is free, the parking is not. Make sure you have internet, for you pay by app. The walk is not far, but it is quite steep with a lot of steps. We did not go further than the first viewing point, but if you are fit, there is another further uphill.
    Visited July 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written August 3, 2023
  • Tom J
    London, United Kingdom1,577 contributions
    A Wonderful Canyon - No Access to Water Level Walking
    We visited at the beginning of August and it was a relatively low level of water - sadly there was no way to walk the canyon at water level of which I was hoping to for that "surrounded" water level photography feeling. The walk uphill can feel steep at times but is completely worth it once you get to the viewing points. Sadly they have had to close off some of the previous viewing points as the foot traffic at the canyon has increased significantly since some canadian popstar (JB) decided to film a music video there as people were damaging the moss :( That being said, there is plenty of viewing available and get there early enough and it feels like you have the canyon to yourself. The parking costs 1000 ISK for 24hours which is fine, unfortunately all of the toilets are out of use due to "drought" - that made me laugh... Be cautious if you fly a drone in the canyon - those walls are high and its easy to lose signal...
    Visited August 2023
    Written August 14, 2023
  • EmeraldDiva
    3,613 contributions
    Exercise and views!
    It's about a 3km round trip from the lower car park to the top and back, or you could park at the top if mobility challenged. However, going from the bottom is a great chance to stretch the legs and get the heart pumping. There are lovely views all the way up, The track goes along the upper level so you look down on the rock formations and steep walls of the canyon. it's not a difficult climb and the view from the platform at the top is spectacular. This is well worth a visit.
    Visited August 2023
    Traveled solo
    Written September 20, 2023
  • Scott L
    Brantford, Canada9 contributions
    Go hike this canyon!
    Arguably the highlight of our 6 day trip to Iceland. Park at the bottom and do the 30 min moderate/easy hike to the end of the trail at the waterfall. The look outs and views off the trail are breath taking. BE PREPARED. We wore rain pants and rain coats to block the wind and drizzle. We saw many day trippers (some in shorts and $1 rain ponchos) who were not enjoying themselves! As with many of these stops, you pay to park by scanning an app in the lot then paying online. We had a lot of difficulty with this.
    Visited September 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written September 30, 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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4.5
888 reviews
Excellent
682
Very good
179
Average
24
Poor
2
Terrible
1
Georgina
London, UK217 contributions
Beautiful canyon
Feb 2020 • Solo
Not far off the main route. The road to the main car park was a little steep in places but the 4WD I had coped easily. The paths to the bottom of the canyon were closed but the path uphill and along the top was open. Beautiful views from the lookout points and well worth the stop.
Written February 22, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Azgators
Phoenix, AZ258 contributions
Beautiful even in the rain
May 2021
The pics don't even do this justice. We arrived in the pouring rain and I still thought it was gorge-ous, sorry, couldn't resist. It is an easy uphill hike to begin with but once on top you get rewarded. Be careful because there is nothing keeping you away from the edges, you are free to fall off any cliff you want. Walk to the end and be rewarded with a couple waterfalls. The parking lot is not far off the ring road. They were building new bathrooms but they weren't ready yet when we were there. There was also a nice park ranger there to answer any questions we had.
Written July 4, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
orrdin
New York883 contributions
Lovely but we’ve seen nicer
Jul 2023 • Couples
This is a heavily trafficked canyon with an expensive park I g and while we enjoyed the hike we felt that the Skogafoss hike was significantly prettier so if you’ve seen that you can possibly skip this stop. The hike is about 45 mins each way and is all uphill till the turn. There is another parking lot that gets you closer to the falls but then you miss the whole canyon.
Written July 6, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Scott L
Brantford, Canada9 contributions
Go hike this canyon!
Sep 2023 • Couples
Arguably the highlight of our 6 day trip to Iceland. Park at the bottom and do the 30 min moderate/easy hike to the end of the trail at the waterfall. The look outs and views off the trail are breath taking. BE PREPARED. We wore rain pants and rain coats to block the wind and drizzle. We saw many day trippers (some in shorts and $1 rain ponchos) who were not enjoying themselves! As with many of these stops, you pay to park by scanning an app in the lot then paying online. We had a lot of difficulty with this.
Written September 30, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JulietGR
England, UK49 contributions
A beautiful walk - if a little busy!
Sep 2022
You can imagine dragons flying through this spectacular canyon. The steep sides and waterfalls are beautiful. The walk is well marked and, since featured in Justin Bieber's music video, it has become very popular.
There is parking, though this could become very crowded in the summer, and rather basic toilet facilities.
Written October 24, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tom J
London, UK1,577 contributions
A Wonderful Canyon - No Access to Water Level Walking
Aug 2023
We visited at the beginning of August and it was a relatively low level of water - sadly there was no way to walk the canyon at water level of which I was hoping to for that "surrounded" water level photography feeling.

The walk uphill can feel steep at times but is completely worth it once you get to the viewing points. Sadly they have had to close off some of the previous viewing points as the foot traffic at the canyon has increased significantly since some canadian popstar (JB) decided to film a music video there as people were damaging the moss :(

That being said, there is plenty of viewing available and get there early enough and it feels like you have the canyon to yourself. The parking costs 1000 ISK for 24hours which is fine, unfortunately all of the toilets are out of use due to "drought" - that made me laugh...

Be cautious if you fly a drone in the canyon - those walls are high and its easy to lose signal...
Written August 14, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Owen Thesaints
Kent653 contributions
The upper trail was an easy stroll. The lower trail was closed
Jun 2022 • Couples
On a wet day in the middle of June we made our way to Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon for a hike. As we drove down the unpaved road we found car parking at the side rather than the car park further on. There were construction vehicles around and it soon became clear that the road was being upgraded. We walked for about 15 minutes, mostly downhill to arrive at the usual parking area. After making use of the toilets, we walked along the rim of the canyon. The path was roped off on both sides to prevent visitors encroaching on the delicate vegetation. There were three viewpoints which were short side routes from the main path, the first two of which gave good sight lines up and down the canyon, and the third over the waterfall from a metal viewing platform. It was an easy walk, mostly on rubber matting, with some cinder and a few steps along the way. Unfortunately the weather continued to be very dismal for most of the time we were there. We were so glad that we were totally weatherproofed with our choice of outerwear and footwear. We returned by the same route as we went in, stopping to have our coffee and tea at the picnic tables beside the toilets. We walked down to the bridge to have a look down the canyon from the lower level. The path beside the river was closed off due to the depth and flow of the river which walkers have to cross when they are able to walk the lower trail. It took us about 20 minutes to return to the car up the unpaved road. It was disappointing how fast some of the cars were going along the part of the road which was accessible, as gravel was being thrown up with considerable force from their wheels.
Written June 15, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jbienst
Clarksville, MD146 contributions
Beautiful but cold and windy
Sep 2021 • Family
Beautiful but cold and WINDY in late September. This is a lovely short hike but make sure you are ready for the weather. It was fairly crowded and parking was tight when we went. Can’t imagine how busy it must be in the summer.
Written September 29, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Suzanne P
Philadelphia, PA29 contributions
FAntastic views but a hard hike for some
Jul 2021
The hike is a walk up a mountain to see the canyon below. The F road is bumpy and tight, and there’s insufficient parking for the number of people. The views from the top are incredible, but do not believe that it is a little walk up a hill. It’s a strenuous hike and very steep at times. There are three lookout points, so you can reduce your hike by going to a lower lookout. Getting to the top is quite an effort, especially for anyone with a walking disability, breathing issue, or poor physical condition. Also, frustratingly, at the top, some people were walking to the lookout from a parking spot above the trail, probably off of Lakivedur.
Written July 20, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bryony77
Reading, UK114 contributions
Stunning views from a short, steep-ish walk
Aug 2022 • Family
The canyon is located just to the west of Kirkjubaejarklaustur off road 1; it is signposted but the sign is small so watch out for it!

From road 1 the canyon car park is about 2km on a tarmac road; the car park takes about a dozen cars and has toilets.

The walk up to the canyon viewpoints doesn’t take very long and is on a clearly marked path. The views of both the canyon and surrounding area are fantastic, even in a wet and cloudy day when we visited.
Written August 31, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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