One-day itinerary – Glymur

Hike to one of Iceland’s highest waterfalls in the Hvalfjörður valley

Main attraction

Glymur

Additional attractions

Þvottahellir · Abandoned whaling ships in Hvalfjörður · Sjávarfoss (Hvalfjörður) · Steðji – Staupasteinn · Sjávarhólar viewpoint

Alternatively (+4 hours, +150 km)

Hraunfossar · Barnafoss · Reykholt · Deildartunguhver

You take the main Icelandic Ring Road (Route 1) north and, before entering the undersea tunnel, turn onto Road 47, which you follow to the end of the fjord. There you join a local road leading to the parking area for the waterfall Glymur. From there you continue on foot – the first section up to the Staur rapids is easy and flat, and a highlight is passing through the cave Þvottahellir.

After that, it depends on whether a log has been placed across the river Botnsá. If it has, carefully cross to the other side and continue upstream along the river. Above the waterfall, people usually wade across the river to descend on the other side of the valley – but this is not necessary, and you can simply return the same way, since the views are different on the way back. Similarly, if the wooden log is not yet in place early in the summer, you do not need to cross the river and can follow the right bank of the Botnsá instead.

Once you return to the valley and have time and energy, nearby you can see the abandoned whaling ships. On the way back there is also the waterfall Sjávarfoss, and especially the interesting rock formation Steðji – Staupasteinn, which most visitors miss entirely. There is no official resting area here, except perhaps the parking area at the Sjávarhólar viewpoint on the way back.

If Glymur is not enough and you want to extend your day, you can continue to the waterfall Barnafoss and the lava waterfalls Hraunfossar, and on the way also visit the former cultural center of Iceland – Reykholt – and the geothermal area Deildartunguhver.