Gullfoss - Iceland

When you visit Iceland for the first time, the Golden Circle is almost a rite of passage. This 300‑kilometre loop is packed with some of the country’s most iconic sights, and one of the undeniable highlights is the mighty Gullfoss waterfall ( http://gullfoss.is/ ).

As with most famous attractions in Iceland, it’s busy—very busy. The large car park was buzzing with buses, rental cars, and excited visitors spilling out toward the viewing paths.
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A big tourist shop and restaurant sit at the entrance, ready to welcome the crowds, but we didn’t linger. Instead, we made our way straight toward the waterfall. A well‑maintained path and stairway guide visitors down toward the viewing platforms, each step bringing the thunder of Gullfoss a little closer.

Ice and snow still clung to the rocks at the foot of Gullfoss, a massive waterfall fed by the glacial waters of the Hvítá river. Here, the river drops dramatically in two stages, plunging a total of 32 metres into a rugged canyon. Even from a distance, you can feel the power of the falls—its roar echoing through the cold air.

The day was bitterly cold, and the wind had strengthened since early morning, cutting straight through our layers. We didn’t linger long at the upper viewpoint. Instead, we followed the path that begins at the lower platform, the one that brings you as close to the waterfall as safely possible. In icy conditions this trail is closed, and looking at the slick patches along the way, it was easy to understand why.
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After soaking in the views—and the icy spray—we made our way back toward the visitor centre. Before heading off again, we ducked into the tourist shop for a quick browse and a moment of warmth.

In the shop, there was a large selection of Icelandic products ranging from food to clothes. We liked the colourful wellies from designer Ilse Jacobsen, the Urta Icelandica  black lavasalt  ( https://www.urta.is/​) had us intrigued.

If you visit Gullfoss early in the morning or late in the evening, you can enjoy the quietness, but as we visited it around lunchtime, it was very busy.