Háifoss is one of Iceland’s highest waterfalls, set amidst stunning natural scenery. The water from the Fossá River plunges 122 meters into the Þjórsárdalur valley. An interesting feature of this place is that the river splits into two streams just before the waterfall, forming the nearby Granni waterfall. Thus, with one effort to get here, you can see two waterfalls at once.
You can admire Háifoss from the edge of the canyon, where you can drive almost right up to the edge. Alternatively, you can take about an hour-long walk down into the valley to see Háifoss from an angle that only a few people get to experience each year.
Due to its location slightly off the Golden Circle and its less accessible terrain, you won’t be jostling with thousands of tourists here. In winter, if you make it here, you will almost certainly be entirely alone. Even though the waterfall itself is a major draw, if you’re heading to the Landmannalaugar area via the usual route, you shouldn’t miss the detour to Háifoss, even if it wasn’t initially on your itinerary.
From road no. 26, turn onto route 332 at this location (GPS: 64.153642, -19.672586). After about 500 meters, turn right and continue along route 332. Although this route is not marked for 4×4 vehicles, it is challenging to impossible to navigate with smaller cars.
In winter, this road is impassable for cars. If you want to visit during this season, you’ll need to take a nearly two-hour walk through the snow from the turnoff on road no. 26. But it’s worth it.
