Bruarfoss Waterfall Hike: An Easy (& Beautiful!) Golden Circle Stop

Thinking about doing the Bruarfoss Waterfall hike along the Golden Circle?

Iceland’s Golden Circle is packed with breathtaking experiences. In addition to snorkeling between tectonic plates, one of our favorite activities during our visit was the Bruarfoss Waterfall hike. Known as “Iceland’s bluest waterfall,” its striking blue color makes it a true hidden gem.

There are two ways to reach Bruarfoss. The first is a short walk from a nearby paid parking lot, while the second – a more scenic option and the one we’ll detail here – is a 4.4-mile, mostly flat hike along the Bruara River, passing multiple waterfalls along the way.

Bruarfoss Waterfall and the Bruara River are fed by meltwater from the Langjokull Glacier, giving the water its striking blue color. The Bruarfoss Waterfall hike is an easy out-and-back trail that takes less than a couple of hours, making it a great addition to a Golden Circle itinerary.

About Bruarfoss

Located along Iceland’s Golden Circle, the Bruara River is fed by glacial meltwater from the Langjokull Glacier. This gives the river and its multiple waterfalls – Hlauptungufoss, Midfoss, and Bruarfoss – a stunning sky blue color.

Bruarfoss is the largest and most popular of the waterfalls here. There is a footbridge right in front of Bruarfoss, allowing visitors to take in beautiful views of the falls.

When can you do the Bruarfoss Waterfall hike?

You can do the Bruarfoss Waterfall hike year-round, but conditions vary depending on the weather. In the winter, the hike can be more dangerous with snow and/or ice.

For the most pleasant experience – and best opportunities to view the river’s vibrant blue colors, late spring or summer is the best time to visit. That said, take note that even in the warmer months, the trail can be pretty muddy if there’s been a lot of rain.

For all outdoor adventures in Iceland, we recommend checking resources like Safetravel Iceland for current weather conditions and important safety alerts.

In terms of time of day to visit, just make sure you do the hike during daylight. In the fall and winter months, you’ll have limited daylight, so be sure to check sunrise and sunset times.

Conversely, you’ll have a lot of flexibility if you’re visiting Iceland in late spring or summer. We visited Iceland in July, when there were nearly 20 hours of daylight.

Getting There

The trailhead for the Bruarfoss Waterfall hike is about a 90 minute drive from Reykjavik, and a 45 minute drive from Selfoss.

If you’re planning other activities along the Golden Circle, the Selfoss area is a great base. We spent a few nights at the SeaSide Cottages in Eyrarbakki, and found it to be a wonderful mix of small village Iceland with the amenities of Selfoss only a short 10 minute drive away.

Wherever you arrive from, parking for the Bruarfoss trail is located right off Route 37. You can enter “Bruara Trail” into Google Maps (or click here to access the map).

Parking is free, and although the lot isn’t very big, we had no issues finding parking. This is likely because there is another parking lot adjacent to Bruarfoss Waterfall, for those not desiring to do the hike to see the waterfall.

The trail parking lot is gravel. We think it’d be fine to navigate without a 4×4 vehicle, but we generally recommend renting a 4×4 vehicle in Iceland, to maximize where you can safely drive.

Note: There are no restrooms at the trailhead or along the trail. If nature calls, be respectful of the environment and pack out all waste.

Tip: Short on time? Head straight to Bruarfoss (enter ‘Bruarfoss Parking’ into Google Maps). For a small fee and a short walk to the waterfall, you can take in the beautiful views and maximize your time along the Golden Circle.

What to Wear

Hiking shoes or boots, or trail runners can work for this hike, depending on the weather. Most of the hike is on a dirt trail, which can get muddy if there’s been rain, and slick if temperatures are near or below freezing. Having a shoe with a good tread is ideal for this reasons.

We did this hike in our waterproof hiking shoes, since that’s what we brought for our weeklong trip to Iceland.

In terms of clothing, you’ll want to dress based on the weather. We recommend comfortable hiking clothes that match the weather. When we did this hike in late July, it was a very nice day and we ended up hiking in short sleeves!

What to pack

As with most of our Iceland adventure tips, what you bring for this hike will depend on the season and the weather conditions at the time of your trek. With that in mind, here’s what we suggest packing:

• Camera: The stunning blue color of the Bruara river and Bruarfoss Waterfall will have you wanting to snap away. We took our iPhones and our GoPro.
• Backpack: Packable backpacks are great for this hike. Something in the 15-20L range is plenty, and enough to hold water, snacks, and a couple layers.
• Weather-ready layers: Pack whatever layers you might need, based on the weather conditions the day of your hike. Depending on the season and weather, you might need a hat, gloves, insulated coat, rain coat, etc. We also always toss an extra pair of socks into our bags, just in case.
• Water & snacks: Water is a given – we always have water with us on hikes. Since the hike will take you about two hours depending on your walking pace, you also may want to pack some snacks.

Distance, Difficulty, & Duration

The Bruarfoss Waterfall hike is an out-and-back hike, approximately 2.2 miles each way (for a total of 4.4 miles, or 7 kilometers). Other than a few small uphill sections, the trail is fairly flat as it wanders close to the Bruara River.

For these reasons, we think this is an easy hike. It was one of the most relaxing hikes we did during our time in Iceland.

From the parking lot, the entire hike took us less than two hours. We kept a leisurely pace and stopped to enjoy each of the waterfalls, so it may take you less time if you walk a quick pace and limit your stops.

Bruarfoss Waterfall Hike: Our Experience

After a relaxing morning near our rental near Selfoss, we arrived at the trailhead parking lot in the late morning. We quickly threw our hiking essentials into our bags, laced up our shoes, and headed out toward the trail.

Hiking to the waterfalls

An easy climb over a stile led us to the hiking trail. The hike began as a very flat walk along a gravel path, but soon led us into a small forested area.

Note: there is also some stream crossing involved here, so just take caution and cross carefully. The water is not rushing at all in these areas.

After nearly 30 minutes of walking, we could hear the sound of rushing water. Sure enough, we arrived at the first waterfall, Hlauptungufoss.

We were amazed at just how blue the water looked in real life (you know, because sometimes those pictures you see online are a bit… edited). No editing here, this was is blue!

We followed the trail further along the river, continually mesmerized by the vibrant hues of the Bruara River. Some parts of the trail were a bit rocky, but it was very easy to navigate. If you’re wearing proper shoes with a good tread, you’ll be fine.

After about another 10 minutes of walking, we reached Midfoss, the second of the three waterfalls we’d see along the hike.

Arriving at Bruarfoss

The trail continued along the river, and after another 20 minutes of walking, we reached Bruarfoss.

Bruarfoss was the most substantial of the waterfalls we passed, and the crowds along the footbridge (which doubles as a viewing platform) showed it.

We should clarify: Compared to the more popular waterfalls in the area (such as Gulfoss, Seljalandsfoss, or Skogafoss), this waterfall was not crowded at all. However, of the three waterfalls you’ll pass along this hike, Bruarfoss is notably more crowded.

We took in the view from above, snapped some pictures, and then crossed the bridge to head down to the riverbank to get some closer views.

Heading back

After about 15 minutes enjoying Bruarfoss, we started our hike back toward the trailhead parking lot.

Zoey couldn’t resist the opportunity to drink fresh glacial meltwater and stopped to fill her bottle.

We made it back to the car in about 30 minutes – the same amount of time it took us to get to Bruarfoss. In total, the hike took us just over 90 minutes.

Once back at the car, we packed up and headed to Secret Lagoon, a geothermal pool along the Golden Circle. It was the perfect way to relax post-hike!

Wrapping Up: Bruarfoss Waterfall Hike

The Bruarfoss Waterfall hike was one of our favorite experiences along Iceland’s Golden Circle. With minimal elevation gain and an easy to follow trail, it’s a hike that’s accessible to most travelers. Whether you’re stopping for a quick visit or taking the scenic route, Bruarfoss is well worth the journey.

While the hike itself isn’t challenging, the brilliantly blue river and waterfalls make this a great activity to add to your Golden Circle itinerary.

Sure, there are seemingly countless waterfalls across Iceland, but we found many of the most popular waterfalls (such as Gulfoss, Seljalandsfoss, or Skogafoss) were incredibly crowded. If you want to enjoy some of Iceland’s natural beauty but desire a bit of a break from the crowds, consider adding Bruarfoss to your list!