From the parking area to Dettifoss is a 1 km walk (one way). (Lake Myvatn), Getting to Aldeyjarfoss with a 2wd rental car, Watching UEFA Championship League Final on Sat 28th May, from egilsstadur to skagafjordur in 2 days, Advice on possible flight delays next week. Though again, that was in 2011, and with the increasing number of winter tourism, hopefully the government is keeping the roads to the more popular attractions plowed. During our visit in 2019, more buildings were being added at the parking lot. However, traversing those in the winter can be difficult, even with a four-wheel-drive vehicle. When you get close to Dettifoss you’ll have to descent down a side road from 864, but … I have definitely read that the western route is nicer albeit tougher. I am convinced that the view from the east side is much better photographically. Members who are knowledgeable about this destination and volunteer their time to answer travelers' questions. It stops being paved towards North at the cutoff that goes to the parking lot. Once at the parking lot, there is a visitor center, a gift shop, and bathrooms. Dettifoss with flight from Reykjavik - Dettifoss, Myvatn and Godafoss To get to the eastern side you’ll have to find the road 864, which is a very, very long gravel road. It is possible to go the same way back. My main interest on this trip is taking the best possible view for pictures. I seem to have gotten the wrong impression from various reading. Other roads leading to the waterfall remain closed. We recommend you drive route 862. or the newly paved and smooth #862 just a bit west. It is regularly visited on Diamond Circle tours and should not be missed by any visiting the region. I recommend checking out this extremely useful article on driving in Iceland during the winter. Substantial amounts of meltwater have led to the temporary closure of road 862 toward Dettifoss waterfall in Northeast Iceland, according to the Facebook page of Vatnajökull National Park: “Water is flowing over Road 862, leading to Dettifoss, and in Sanddalur valley, a stream, normally not present, runs under the snow. Visitors generally approach Dettifoss on the west side of the River Jökulsá where the road through Hólssandur is better. We had 862 for our route to dettifoss but met some other travelers doing the Ring Road in the opposite opposite direction and suggested the 864 route and we are SO glad we took that road! There are two routes that connect the Ring Road to Dettifoss. Though not as great as Dettifoss, its history is deeper; it was there in 1000 AD that Iceland’s lawspeaker symbolised the country’s shift from believing in the Old Norse Gods to believing in Christianity by throwing idols into the waterfall. Travel through Mödrudalsöræfi desert plateau on your way to Dettifoss for a short walk around the rim of the waterfall (The road to Dettifoss is closed in bad weather.) Our plan is to try and circumnavigate the island in 6 days, sharing the driving and stopping of at some major attractions on route. In summer, operators usually have 100% success rates in terms of sightings. Photography wise, will it be better for me to take the 862 western road or the eastern 864 road for the Dettifoss and the Sellfoss falls? The road is semi-paved and usually open from June to the end of September. If you'd rather not drive, guided packages such as this 10-Day Summer Adventure often include a visit. Dimmuborgir and Mývatn were both used as a set in the Game of Thrones franchise, for many scenes North of the Wall. Asbyrgi Canyon in Jokulsargljufur. This beautiful expanse is renowned for its wealth of flora and fauna, particularly its birdlife; dozens of species can be found here, particularly ducks. This provides you with the ability to virtually drive in Iceland. Route 862 from Ásbyrgi: to reach Dettifoss from the north of Iceland, it's a 45 minute drive on Route 862. 1 to Dettirfoss is finefor motorhomes. 8-Day Iceland Ring Road Tour: Reykjavik, Akureyri, Golden Circle & South Coast, 7 Day Guided Ring Road Tour - Explore the Circle of Iceland, 8 Day Minibus Winter Tour | Around Iceland Small Group. Other day excursions from Mývatn can include a loop of the Tjornes peninsula continuing onwards to Melrakkaslétta and back - in fact, this and the drive to Dettifoss on the east side can be combined in one outing. Sure, the main road to Dettifoss is paved, but it is 24km from the Ring Road to the parking lot, and that is a lot of road to plow in the winter, with fewer visitors to justify it. A nice hiking trail, 34km, goes along the canyon from Dettifoss to Asbyrgi. The Icelandic Road and Coastal Authority has re-opened the road leading from the ring-road, (highway 1) to Dettifoss waterfall. Dettifoss is a waterfall found in North Iceland, said to be the most powerful in Europe. How true is this statement then? 862 is paved and good all the way to the parking lot of Dettifoss. Camping is possible in Vesturdalur. Another town of significance in the area is Húsavík, a coastal town that claims the title of the best whale watching town in all of Europe. It is 100 metres (330 feet) wide and plummets 45 metres (150 feet) down into Jökulsárgljúfur canyon. Road 862 from Rt. Book your complete trip with the best companies only. You … Also within this canyon, fed by the river of Jökulsá á Fjöllum, are two more impressive waterfalls, Selfoss (not to be mistaken with the southern town of the same name) and Hafragilsfoss. Does this new road reach up to Dettifoss or continue to Asbyrgi? With over ten thousand people, it is the largest town outside of the Greater Reykjavík Area. Dettifoss is fed by the powerful glacier river Jökulsá á Fjöllum which flows from the largest glacier in Europe, Vatnajökull. The main parking lot for Dettifoss in on the west side and an asphalt road. The road to Dettifoss is not kept open at all times during the fall, winter or spring. The primary reason is funding, according to Gunnar. I have definitely read that the western route is nicer albeit tougher. It is an excellent place to stop and rest for those visiting the North or encircling Iceland. This canyon is shaped like a giant horseshoe and filled with verdant greenery. Höfði / Hofdi is it a long walk? DashCam video from Iceland. Dettifoss is easily accessible from both the east side and the west side of the Jökulsárgljúfur canyon. Photography wise, will it be better for me to take the 862 western road or the eastern 864 road for the Dettifoss and the Sellfoss falls? This 10-Day Winter Self-Drive is just one of many road trips that will take you there; of course, you can rent a car and plan your own journey if you wish. The better view of Dettifoss, however, is from the east side. Driving to Dettifoss: You can drive either route 862 or 864 to get to Dettifoss. Dettifoss, meanwhile, was used in the opening scene of the 2012 film Prometheus, where the black rocks and dramatic scenery allowed it to represent an alien landscape. Dimmuborgir (Dark Castles) via public transport. It is also renowned for its spectacular geology, with its pseudocraters, basalt pillars, and the lava field of Dimmuborgir which is said to be the home of Iceland’s thirteen ‘Santas’, who are traditionally vindictive trolls more than they are jolly gift-givers. http://icelandreview.com/icelandreview/daily_news/New_Road_Improves_Access_to_Dettifoss_Waterfall_0_380115.news.aspx. However, there are plans to improve the road on the east side. If you have two days in Mývatn, it would not be the best use of your time to spend two days at Dettifoss (unless you have a particular interest in that waterfall). The most significant settlement near Dettifoss is the town of Akureyri, or ‘the Capital of the North’. And the short hiking path reveals great views on to the canyon. more. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. Whichever side you go to I'm sure you will find it breathtaking. Akureyri tours will take you to explore Dettifoss waterfall and its surrounding area. The Dettifoss waterfall is the most powerful waterfall in Europe, 500 cubic meters of water per second plunge over the edge. The west side of Dettifoss and Selfoss are well equipped to handle large numbers of visitors. We continue on to our adventure on Iceland's ring road. However, traversing those in the winter can be difficult, even with a four-wheel-drive vehicle. This is on the western side. East bank - Road 864 (Hólsfjallavegur) - 30km on that road and the parking is on the left - Also accessible from Husavik; West Bank - Road 862 (Dettifossvegur) - 25km on that road and parking on the right with 3 more km. Read more: 10 beautiful (and less visited) Icelandic waterfalls. Can somebody tell me where the road starts ? Dettifoss is 45 m high and 100m wide. Dettifoss is served on its west side by Route 862, a tarmac road built in 2011. This waterfall is absolutely worth the long gravel road to get there. Road 864 gets you to Dettifoss from the east side. I suppose is starts from the south ? There are two routes that connect the Ring Road to Dettifoss. Road 864 goes from road 85 past Dettifoss on the east side towards road 1. Hehe, and use ,,waterproof" cameras on the west side ! This road is closed in winter and opens in May again. Even though I've driven it in a bus I wouldn't recommend it … According to the IRCA ploughing schedule the road is only ploughed twice each week, so long as the cost of ploughing does not become excessive. you can actually TOUCH and stand on the very top of the Dettifoss and appreciate the power of the rushing water, plus do a great hike through black sand and rocks along the waterfall. Known as the “Black Falls,” this striking beauty is located in Skaftafell National … The thunderous falls has an average waterflow of 193 metres cubed per second (6,186 cubic feet). A paved road to Dettifoss was recently built. In fact, we can do both : we have enough time, as we stay 2 days at lake Myvatn. This is the photograph made from the east side -, http://www.parrikar.com/blog/2010/12/15/dettifoss/. Dettifoss is located north of the Ring Road that encircles Iceland, bypassing only the Westfjords and Snæfellsnes Peninsula in the west. Please take care of whichever route you chose. You can reach the waterfall during the winter, but you’ll need a vehicle with 4-wheel drive. So if you have a rental car - or even a bicycle - it is now perfectly easy to get there yourself. I seem to have gotten the wrong impression from various reading. The road leading to it from the western bank of Dettifoss specifies that it is for 4×4’s only and Dana was pretty sure that Asbyrgi was another location from Game of Thrones. However, it is interesting to keep on south, along the riverbank towards Selfoss and then go the more westerly route back to the parking area and close the circle. The Road to Dettifoss. Road 862 gives access to Dettifoss in all seasons more and less, while an older gravel road (Route 864) serves the east side and is usually passable in summer only. It is now paved from the Ring Road (before as you can see on other articles is was a gravel road) The road from Ásbyrgi to Dettifoss is also unpaved and pretty rough, which might slow you down a bit. Between Akureyri and Dettifoss is the Lake Mývatn area. Dettifoss is located in North Iceland, North of the Ring Road on the Diamond Circle route. Dettifoss is located north of the Ring Road that encircles Iceland, bypassing only the Westfjords and Snæfellsnes Peninsula in the west. The new road will eventually continue to Asbyrgi but it ends at Dettifoss for the time being (it is not clear when it will be continued). It's massive and impressive! Strange how we all see things differently but I prefer the west side. ... Road conditions can get pretty bad in Iceland during the winter months so you should always be well prepared. In this video, we will be visiting the best sites to see when in the northeastern part of Iceland. Get answers to your questions about Lake Myvatn, Hotels near Myvatn Nature Baths (Jardbodin vid Myvatn). We see Dettifoss, the most powerful waterfall in Europe, Selfoss, and Goðafoss. Asbyrgi is a canyon that is located about 40 kilometres further north from Dettifoss. Dettifoss & the smaller Selfoss, just upstream, are located about 25km's north of the Ring Road on either the brutally unpaved #864 (closed due to winter conditions about 1 km from The Ring, thankfully!) When you want to visit Selfoss and Dettifoss waterfalls from the Lake Myvatn area, you will have to make a choice which road you will take: the asphalt road 862 (west), or the gravel road 864 (east) Then you have to walk like 15 mins or so to reach the waterfall. Roughly 330 miles from Reykjavik, visitors are likely to spend at least a weekends road trip in the North Iceland region to maximize their time in this action-packed, remote side of the island. On this Iceland travel vlog, we explore waterfalls! Drive for 5 minutes and you will see a trail to the right with a sign for Ásbyrgi. After Dettifoss keep driving on route 862, and when it ends, take a right-hand turn on route 85. The road is pretty uneventful until you get to the road to Dettifoss waterfall, a comfortable asphalt road with a nice view to Herðubreið. ps: I have also shot Dettifoss form the west side, but have yet to put up the images. Related: What are the most popular tours in Lake Myvatn? Another waterfall sits on the Ring Road between Akureyri and Mývatn: Goðafoss. It has been used as a backdrop in many films, most recently in Prometheus by Ridley Scott. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. We’re at Goðafoss, one of Iceland’s prettiest waterfalls just east of Akureyri. It is so perfectly formed and dramatic that it was originally believed to have been created by the stomping of one of the hoofs of the eight-legged horse of the Old Norse God Odin. Falling 45 m with a width of 100 m, Dettifoss is reputed to be the most powerful waterfall in Europe. I read that there is a new road to Dettifoss, which is much better than the old road. If you’re driving to the waterfall during the summer (late May through early September), Road 864 off of Road 85 will bring you to straight to Dettifoss. When driving on the Ring Road in Iceland coming from the east you can thus either choose road 864 or road 862. We decided to take this shortcut on May 31st 2017 after leaving Dettifoss Guesthouse and entered 862 shortly after 10am. It runs about 20km on the west bank of the river, from the ring road to the south of the falls. Don't get too close to the upper edge of Dettifoss - the stones near the water are really slippery due to the mist. From Route 1 (the Ring Road), it is a paved road to a very large parking lot. The road, (no 862) had been closed over the weekend due to extremely slick conditions due to heavy snowmelt. The most common species are humpback and minke whales, white-beaked dolphins and harbour porpoises, although blue, fin, sei, beaked, pilot, beluga and killer whales are seen on rare occasions. North of Dettifoss, one can find the incredible canyon of Ásbyrgi. D-3 Hafragil lowland This canyon is in the northern part of the greater Vatnajökull National Park, the largest national park in the country, thus Dettifoss is well protected. Road 862 is completely paved from road number 1 to the large Dettifoss parking lot, it seems brand new, and it is usually opened from April till December. Dettifoss is the most powerful waterfall in Europe. My main interest on this trip is taking the best possible view for pictures. Stop at Námaskarð pass to learn about the boiling mud pools and geothermal activity of the Námaskard sulfur field The northern region has had an unusually warm winter, and the landscapes normally blanketed in February snows are already seeing the first signs of spring. Svartifoss Waterfall. Hello everyone, We are heading to Iceland this coming Sunday and have rented a campervan. Road to Dettifoss open? 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