Kvernufoss, Iceland: Finding the Hidden Waterfall
Iceland is definitely a waterfall chaser’s dream. There are numerous waterfalls that you can see from the main highway 1 while driving around Iceland. Many waterfalls are easily accessible, with the most popular being just steps away from the Ring Road and parking.
With Iceland’s rise in popularity as a tourist destination, many of the more popular waterfalls like Skogafoss and Seljanlandfoss can get quite crowded. It doesn’t take much to get off the tourist trail in Iceland. My favourite hidden gem in Iceland is the Kvernufoss waterfall. It’s a fantastic photography location to add to your Iceland itinerary. Read my five-day itinerary for Iceland for more great locations.
Kvernufoss is skipped by many despite being incredibly close to the massively popular (and rightfully so!) Skogafoss. You can’t see Kvernufoss from the parking lot and there is a short walk to reach it so there’s a good chance when you visit you will encounter few other tourists.
This hidden Iceland sight is a beautiful 40-meter tall waterfall that you can walk behind. Iceland doesn’t have many waterfalls that you can walk behind so it makes Kvernufoss very special. If you’re lucky, you will get to experience Kvernufoss without other people around.
How to Find Kvernufoss Waterfall
There are no signs to Kvernufoss waterfall so if you want to visit this hidden waterfall, you’re going to need a little bit of insider knowledge. It’s very easy to visit after seeing Skogafoss.
After visiting nearby Skogafoss, drive to Skogar Museum. It’s a very short drive. Park behind the museum. Go past the warehouses/farm buildings and there should be a path. This path will take you to a fence that has a ladder built-in.
The trail will take you directly to Kvernufoss and takes about 20 minutes to hike each way.
Hike to Kvernufoss
The hike to Kvernufoss is about 1.6 km. The actual hike isn’t very exciting but the pay off of the first view of the waterfall and then being able to get close to Kvernufoss makes this hike worth it. It is on private property so be respectful of this. The closest public washroom to Kvernufoss is located at nearby Skogafoss.
Even though it’s a very short hike, there are some parts that can be a bit slippery. There are portions of the trail that are narrow and rocky with a couple of uphill sections. If you choose to walk behind the waterfall, be warned that it is extremely misty.
If you decide to visit Kvernufoss in winter, be mindful of ice and careful to watch out for where the true edge of the river is. Even in the summer, be careful of the river as it is glacial water and very cold.
First Viewing Point of Kvernufoss
After a short hike next to the river, you will come to a small hill where you can get the first view of the gorge and waterfall. This is a great vantage point to see the entire valley and appreciate how large Kvernufoss is.
Second Viewing Point and behind the Waterfall
After walking next to the river, there are loose stones to walk through and the path becomes a bit slippery because of all the mist creating mud. Walk around the bottom of the second large hill to get a view of Kvernufoss before walking behind it.
From behind Kvernufoss you get a fantastic view of the gorge and valley leading out to the ocean. It’s crazy how loud the waterfall is and just how much water there is. It’s impossible to walk behind here without getting a bit drenched from all the mist. This is definitely someplace you want to have a waterproof jacket and a lens cloth to clean all of the water droplets off of your camera lens or smartphone.
Final Viewing Point
After exploring the waterfall, walk back the way you came and go up the hill there for a final view of the waterfall. Although it looked like some people walked to the other side of Kvernufoss before returning to the main path, it looked incredibly slippery.
Iceland’s Best Hidden Waterfall
Kvernufoss ended up being my favourite waterfall of my time on the south coast of Iceland. It was incredibly peaceful as there are no hoards of tourists getting off tour buses here. In fact, I only encountered four other people on this short hike. It’s also an amazing experience getting to stand behind Kvernufoss and witness the power of water up close.
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This is such a great guide! Iceland is at the top of my bucket list, bookmarked this for future reference I love finding the hidden gems!
Thanks! Iceland is back on my bucket list as there are still so many things I would like to explore there.
Wow this looks beautiful! I visited Iceland a few years ago and tried to see as many waterfalls as I could but I’ve never heard of this one before! Thank you for the recommendation and I think I need to visit this waterfall next time I visit!
Kvernufoss is gorgeous. I also tried to see as many waterfalls as possible but there are still so many on my Iceland wish list.
This looks great. In my bucketlist
Thanks Rocio, it’s a great place to visit in Iceland!
Saving this for my trip to Iceland next year! Was it crowded at all?
I hope you have a fantastic time in Iceland! Kvernufoss wasn’t even a little bit crowded. I saw 4 people on the trail and I had the area around the waterfall to myself for 30 minutes.
I wish I had seen your post at the beginning of last year! I found the hidden one next to Seljalandsfoss but it was too rainy so we couldn’t go through the hole to see it. This one looks wonderful too! I really need to go back.
I also went to the hidden one next to Seljalandsfoss but just peeked in. I didn’t want to wade through the water as it was just too cold as it was winter. There has been so many posts I’ve seen since visiting Iceland that make me think I need to return. It’s just such a fantastic country to road trip and explore.
I just took a look at your site and it looks like we visited Iceland at about the same time!
Squee Brianna! I love the views from behind the Kvernufoss waterfall! I have only been to a couple of waterfalls where you can go behind them, but this one is gooorgeous! I bet it would also be amazing all frozen in the wintertime.
p.s. Don’t you find it strange that you can almost always find fantastic places to explore just a few steps away from the main sights. It always blows my mind that so many people are only really interested in ticking things off a list and seeing the *most* famous spots.
I loved the view from behind Kvernufoss! I didn’t want to leave but I was getting pretty drenched from all the mist. It’s not the biggest waterfall you can walk behind in Iceland, Seljalandsfoss definitely has it beat, but unlike Seljalandsfoss you can get this one to yourself.We were here for 30 minutes with no one else around.
I was shocked that I only encountered 4 people on this trail. It’s so beautiful and literally a 2 minute drive from the massively popular Skogafoss. I think a lot of people go with the safest options for visiting sights because they want to maximize their trip with only “the best” and have a fear of missing out on the must visit sights. It’s the only explanation I’ve got on it, that and tour buses!
Great post! Omg I would love to find this waterfall with your helpful tips. Such a beautiful waterfall and landscape! ?
Thank you! I love Iceland’s landscape. It’s such a great place to road trip!
So pretty!! We love waterfalls and Iceland has been at the top of our bucket list for awhile. We need to make it a reality. Thanks for the really good tips!! Pinning this for when we finally get to Iceland!
Iceland is definitely a must visit place for waterfall lovers 🙂 Hope you can make a visit, it’s beautiful!
Iceland has been on my bucket list for as long as I can remember! These gorgeous waterfalls make me want to book a trip for like…tomorrow. Haha. Thanks for the tips 🙂
It’s a great country to visit. Iceland is back on my bucket list as there are a lot of things I still want to see there!
I feel like finding hidden gems in Iceland might be an increasingly difficult task as it’s becoming more popular, but good to know some still exist for when I finally make it there. It looks beautiful.
Tourism is definitely on the rise in Iceland but I’ve found even in popular places there are always spots that most tourists will overlook or not budget the time to see.
What a gorgeous waterfall! This sounds like a delightful hike – I love that most people don’t know about it. Thanks for the guide!
It is really beautiful. The hike was really short but just long enough to discourage a lot of people from visiting I guess. Glad you like the guide!
Iceland has always been on my bucket list and this post makes me even more excited to visit one day! I especially love finding hidden gems like this waterfall so thanks for the tips. 🙂
It’s a great country to visit and explore. There are a lot of things just off the main tourist trail so lots of hidden gems to discover!
I really want to do a road trip around Iceland. This has just inspired me even more!
I want to do the entire Ring Road! I only visit the south coast part of Iceland as it was winter and didn’t want to push my luck with the bad weather they can get there. It’s such a great country to road trip though.
I love finding waterfalls, especially more hidden ones like this!! So cool that you can go behind the waterfall too!
Ya there aren’t many waterfalls you can go behind and Kvernufoss not having many others around made for a great experience there!
This is great! I’ve wanted to get to Iceland for so long and now I know where all the good waterfalls are at!
Thanks Kez! I hope you get a chance to visit Iceland, it’s one of my favourite places.