How to Visit Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon in Iceland
Planning on visiting Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon? Here’s everything you need to know to see this beautiful spot.
Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon used to be a bit of an Icelandic hidden gem. Now, it’s one of the country’s most visited canyons, which is understandable because it’s just so beautiful here. We visited on our last road trip and were blown away by the scale of it.
You do have to hike to reach the canyon, but it’s not a difficult hike by any means. This makes it accessible for most people all year round.
So, if you’re planning on including this beautiful place on your Iceland itinerary, here’s everything you need to know.
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Where is Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon?
Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon is located along the south coast, in the south-eastern part of Iceland. It’s about 3.5 hours from Reykjavik and 1 hour 40 minutes from Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon.
It’s located just off the ring road, so the journey there is mostly easy, with a small, gravel road for the final 5 minutes before you reach the car park.
How to get to Fjadrargljufur Canyon
The easiest way to get there is by car. There aren’t many guided tours that include trips to Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon unless you were to book a private driver and those can be expensive in Iceland. If you want to visit this spot, the easiest way is to hire a car yourself and drive there.
However, as I mentioned, the drive is mostly easy. The route along the Ring Road from Reykjavik to Vik is one of the most popular routes to drive in Iceland.
You’ll pass many of the most famous waterfalls like Skogafoss and Seljalandsfoss, and the pretty village of Vik, which is a good place to base yourself to explore the south coast.
From Vik, the drive is less than an hour and if you’re planning on visiting Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon, this is a great way to break up the drive with a little stop along the way.
The canyon is located very close to the town of Kirkjubæjarklaustur. It’s only around 2 miles off the ring road ,and I’ve linked the exact location here.
🚗 We only ever use this car hire company as they have a great range of cars and always have the best prices.
The Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon hike
Once you reach the canyon car park, you’ll need to hike to the viewpoint. The canyon is around 100 metres deep and 2 kilometres long and the hike will only take around 20 minutes (perhaps less if you’re in very good shape).
The path is easy to navigate and well-maintained.
The hike starts off with a steady incline and remains that way for the first 10 minutes. It’s not too steep, but a gradual hill with around 110 metres of elevation in total.
You’ll soon come across small sections where the path veers off to the left giving you views over the canyon below.
Throughout the walk, there are also signs telling you to stay on the path. The canyon was once roped off due to people damaging the delicate ecosystem around the walkway. This is also why there are ropes and a maintained path for people to stick to.
So, please don’t climb over the ropes and stick to the path during your visit.
Once you reach the viewpoint
After around 20 minutes, you’ll reach the viewpoint over the most dramatic part of the canyon.
There is a metal platform here with two different sections suspended above the canyon. Here, you’ll be able to see beautiful views stretching back to the start.
The mossy green walls and the water of the Fjaðrá River below are just so beautiful, and it really is one of the most beautiful places in Iceland.
You can also see the impressive Mórafoss waterfall here. When we visited Iceland in April, it was partially frozen. However, it’s still incredibly pretty and adds to the overall atmosphere at Fjaðrárgljúfur.
Once you’ve taken in the views over the canyon, turn around and walk back to the car park.
Practical tips for visiting Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon
We found the canyon pretty easy to visit and, despite definitely not being a hidden gem in Iceland anymore, it wasn’t nearly as busy as some of the other places we stopped at during our 5 days in Iceland.
Here are a few tips and things you’ll need to know before your visit:
Parking
There are two car parks for visiting Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon – the lower car park and the upper car park.
The lower car park is very accessible, and it was easy to find a space when we arrived. This is the main car park that people use when visiting and is linked on maps.
The upper car pack is slightly further inwards. This is very small with a limited number of spaces and is mainly used by people who have limited mobility or are very short on time.
The hike from here is completely flat and will get you to the viewpoint very quickly. I’ve linked the location of this car park here.
There’s no entrance fee for the canyon, but both car parks are chargeable. You’ll need to pay 1000 ISK (around £5.65) per car. We had a van when we visited, as we were a party of 6 and our parking was slightly more at 1300 (about £7.30).
There is also a small toilet block in the car park, although this was closed when we visited in April.
The best time to visit
You can visit Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon all year round, although you’ll get a different experience depending on the time of year you visit.
Summer is the most popular time to visit, so you’ll find more crowds between June and August. However, you’ll also find the surroundings at their greenest and most vibrant, and there’ll definitely be no ice on the trail.
Autumn is also a great time to visit, with fewer crowds and the beautiful oranges of autumn, which add to the scenery.
In the winter and spring months, there is likely to be snow or ice here. While this can look incredibly beautiful, it does make the hike a little trickier due to icy conditions. I’d recommend bringing crampons if it’s slippery.
Overall, you can visit Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon any time of year, and it just depends on your preferences. I personally loved it in spring, despite the cold, and autumn also looks gorgeous with the colours.
👉Check out our full guide to the best time to visit Iceland for all our tips.
What do you need to pack?
Since the hike isn’t a difficult or long one, you don’t need to be completely kitted out like you would for other hikes in Iceland.
However, I still recommend bringing a waterproof and windproof jacket, sturdy shoes with good grip, and a bottle of water to stay hydrated.
I also recommend bringing your camera. This place is fantastic for photography.
👉 Check out our resources page for all of our packing lists.
How much time do you need to visit Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon?
We spent about an hour here in total. This included the hike there, the hike back, and lots of photos both along the trail and at the final viewpoint.
You may need longer than this if you’re a particularly slow hiker, or you want to take a LOT of photographs. However, an hour is a good amount of time to allocate.
Is visiting Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon worth it?
Yes! We loved our time at Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon and can totally understand why it’s so popular. It’s so easily accessible, and the scenery is insane, especially for the amount of effort.
If you’re after an easy-to-access hike in Iceland and are travelling along the south coast, I highly recommend stopping here; you won’t be disappointed.
👉 Exploring the South Coast? Here are our favourite places to stay in southern Iceland!
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