Brúarfoss Waterfall, Iceland: Top Tips for Visiting
Are you planning on visiting Bruarfoss waterfall? This is the bluest waterfall in Iceland and here are all our top tips for visiting!
If you’ve ever heard of the Golden Circle in Iceland, then you probably know about the 3 most popular spots. But, did you know that there’s also another beautiful waterfall tucked away between Thingvellir National Park and Geysir Hot Springs?
We visited this waterfall on our last Iceland road trip and absolutely loved it. It really does live up to its reputation as one of Iceland’s most beautiful waterfalls – I thought the colour was photoshopped before I saw it in real life!
So, if you plan on exploring the Golden Circle and want to see some of its hidden gems, here’s everything you need to know about this place.
*This post may contain affiliate links that earn us a small commission at no extra cost to you. For more information, read our disclaimer.
How to Get to Brúarfoss
Bruarfoss is located on the Golden Circle in southern Iceland. It’s around 50 minutes from Thingvellir and 20 minutes from Geysir Hot Springs.
The easiest way to see Bruarfoss is to hire your own car and drive. Almost all of the Golden Circle tours will skip this spot, which is a good thing because it keeps it less crowded.
To get there, head down the main Golden Circle route, then turn off a dirt path for the final 5-10 minutes. This path is quite bumpy and you’ll definitely need to take it slow or else risk the grit chipping your hire car. However, it’s still fairly easy to reach.
This section is a recent addition to the Golden Circle. Reaching Bruarfoss used to involve a 2-hour hike. However, the new car park at the end of this road has made the waterfall much more accessible.
Are there any facilities at Brúarfoss?
No, there aren’t any facilities here. The car park is empty aside from the pay machine and you won’t find any toilets or cafes here. This is a much more remote spot than other areas of the Golden Circle.
If you are driving a full loop around the Golden Circle on the same day you are visiting Bruarfoss, then you can find facilities like toilets and a cafe at the visitor centre at Geysir. This is roughly 20 minutes by car from Bruarfoss.
Since there are no facilities, it’s so important to leave no trace to help keep places beautiful.
🍃 Please take everything with you. It’s so important to leave no trace as it keeps these magnificent landscapes looking beautiful and helps to protect wildlife and nature. Leave nothing on the trails, take nothing with you, and stick to the designated trail paths.
How much does parking cost?
Parking for Bruarfoss costs 750 ISK per car, which works out to around £4.20 or $5.50. This is an all-day ticket, which is slightly annoying since you don’t really need longer than an hour here. However, you have to pay for it, so there’s not really much you can do.
We noticed a similar issue during our south coast road trip, where many waterfall parking areas require you to pay for a full-day ticket, even though you don’t actually need to stay that long.
This is even more surprising along the Golden Circle since the major attractions like Gullfoss and Geysir are both free to park at and have huge visitor centres.
How long is the walk to Bruarfoss?
The walk to the waterfall takes around 5 minutes. It’s not a long hike like the Waterfall Way or even a medium waterfall hike like Kvernufoss. The new car park has quite literally removed all need to hike as it’s right next to the falls.
The ground isn’t tricky to navigate either. You’ll find a relatively flat gravel path, so overall, Bruarfoss is fairly accessible for all.
How long do you need at Brúarfoss?
We spent around 30 minutes here. This included getting a lot of photography of the area for this guide, so you really don’t need a lot of time.
When you arrive, you’ll see the waterfall to your left and a bridge crossing the water. You can cross this bridge to see the falls from both sides and there’s also a small path on the near side of the waterfall which allows you to get a little closer to the bottom.
If you cross over to the other side of the waterfall, you can also see the hiking path which used to be the only way to reach the falls. If you love exploring, you can definitely go for a walk here too.
However, besides the waterfall itself, there isn’t really a lot else to do there. So, you likely won’t need much longer than 30 minutes.
What’s the best time to visit Bruarfoss?
One of the best things about all of the Golden Circle is that you can visit them all year round and the same can be said for Bruarfoss. You can visit this waterfall in both winter and summer. The photos on this blog were from when we visited Iceland in March.
In the winter months, you’ll find snowy scenery, which actually enhances the blue of the waterfall even more. Whereas, in summer, it’s surrounded by greenery and plants.
Both times of year are very pretty and offer something slightly different. But, if we were being brutally honest, we actually prefer how it looks in the winter! The white of the snow just makes the blue of the waterfall look fantastic.
However, if you’re visiting the Golden Circle in the winter months, you’ll need to be extra careful driving down the dirt road to make sure you stay on the path and don’t skid.
👉Check out our full guide to the best time to visit Iceland for all our tips.
Is Visiting Brúarfoss Waterfall Worth it?
Bruarfoss is completely worth visiting. It’s one of the most beautiful waterfalls in southern Iceland and truly is stunning to look at.
The shade of blue is beautiful and I’ve never seen a waterfall like it. It almost reminded us of the milky blue shade of the Blue Lagoon. Plus, the fact that it’s much quieter than the other stops on the Golden Circle really adds to its appeal.
If you’re looking for a unique and beautiful waterfall to visit in Iceland, we highly recommend this spot. We hope this article has helped you plan your trip to Bruarfoss!
👉 Planning on spending longer on the Golden Circle? These are our favourite places to stay!
Pin for Later!
