Booking choice: The South Coast Sagas tour, from $163 per person. Check dates Tour details
Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss are both about 60 m high and both on Route 1, so every South Coast tour stops at them. What you do there depends on time and kit. Behind Seljalandsfoss you get soaked. Next door, Gljufrabui sits inside a narrow gorge. Skogafoss has a staircase to a viewing platform at the top, and a short drive away is Kvernufoss, which no tour here visits.
Here is what each one involves and which tours give you the time to do it.
The quick answer
You can walk behind Seljalandsfoss when the path is free of ice, outside the icy winter months; expect to get wet. Gljufrabui is just north and you enter its gorge over stones and shallow water. Skogafoss has a staircase of several hundred steps to the top. South Coast Sagas, the Wild tour and the private jeep stop at Gljufrabui; the glacier hike and black beach day doesn't list Skogafoss at all.
Can you walk behind Seljalandsfoss?
Yes, when the path is open. It loops behind the curtain of water at the foot of the cliff; you will get wet, and the path closes when it ices up in winter.
Seljalandsfoss is described as the only known waterfall of its kind with a footpath behind it (south.is). The loop is short, on wet rock and steps. In winter the spray freezes on the cliff and the path, and when it thaws ice falls off in large chunks; the paths may be closed, and closures are to be respected.
How wet? Depends on the wind and your kit. "We had a cheap poncho with a hood and didn't get wet", wrote one guest in October 2026. Another the same month: "the waterfall you can walk behind (Seljalandsfoss), where I got completely soaked and loved it".
Seljalandsfoss, Gljufrabui and Skogafoss on one small-group day, with time for the walk behind.
Check dates for the South Coast Sagas tourWhere is Gljufrabui, and how do you get in?
Just north of Seljalandsfoss, hidden in a narrow canyon. You step into the gorge over stones and shallow water, or look down from a rock outside.
Gljufrabui is partly masked by its canyon, reached from Hamragardar farm along the road from Seljalandsfoss (south.is). Guide to Iceland's local writer says you can wade through the gorge, which is easy, or climb the rock in front of the waterfall, and recommends rubber boots and a raincoat (Guide to Iceland).
Inside, the fall drops into a mossy chamber open to the sky. It is small, loud and wet, and the opposite of the crowds next door. One glacier tour guest discovered the trail by chance: "there are 3 other waterfalls to the left of this one, follow the trail next to the mount[ain]".
How long do tours stop at each waterfall?
20 to 45 minutes at Seljalandsfoss and 30 to 60 at Skogafoss. Only three tours add a separate Gljufrabui stop.
From the listings (stops the listing doesn't time are marked):
| Tour | Seljalandsfoss | Gljufrabui | Skogafoss |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Coast Sagas | 20 min | 20 min | 40 min |
| Wild South Coast | 30 min | 30 min | 30 min |
| Private jeep | 30 min | 30 min | 1 hour |
| Small-group minibus | 45 min | Not listed | 40 min |
| Gray Line | 35 min | Not listed | 45 min |
| Reykjavik Excursions | 30 min | Not listed | 30 min |
| BusTravel | 20 min | Not listed | 30 min |
| Glacier hike and black beach | 30 min | Not listed | Not listed |
On the tours without a Gljufrabui stop, a 45-minute stop at Seljalandsfoss is enough to walk behind it and peek into the gorge if you move quickly.
How many steps are at Skogafoss, and is the climb worth it?
Several hundred: Wikipedia counts 527. The platform at the top looks down over the edge of the falls and across the flat coast to the sea.
Skogafoss is about 60 m high and 25 m wide, a protected natural monument where fulmars nest in the cliffs, with an observation deck at the top edge and steps beside the falls (Environment Agency). The staircase is steep and busy at midday. The Fimmvorduhals trail to Thorsmork starts at the top.
On a 30-minute stop, choose: stairs or the spray at the bottom. On sunny days the rainbow shows from the base. A Troll tour guest in May 2026 did both: "Fun walking under the falls, climbing hundreds of steps to the top of another waterfall".
A full hour at Skogafoss, enough for the stairs and the rainbow, on a private day for up to five.
Explore the private South Coast day Tour detailsIs Kvernufoss worth the detour?
Yes, if you drive: a 40-metre fall you can walk behind, a short walk up a gorge from the Skogar Museum. No tour on this site stops there.
Kvernufoss sits on a side river in Skogar, about 40 m high, and you can walk behind it when it is free of snow (Wikipedia). Park at the Skogar Museum: 750 ISK per car per day, toilets included in opening hours, no fee for the waterfall itself (Parka). The path runs to the right of the museum buildings into a grassy gorge (Guide to Iceland).
Tours don't have the time for it. If it matters to you, drive, or ask the private guide in advance. More on self-drive in self-drive or tour.
What should you wear at the waterfalls?
Waterproof jacket and trousers, and shoes you don't mind soaking. Behind Seljalandsfoss and inside Gljufrabui, spray reaches everything.
- Waterproofs: a hooded jacket, plus waterproof trousers or a poncho.
- Shoes: grippy and waterproof. A Reykjavik Excursions guest: "Tip: wear shoes that can get wet."
- Camera: a dry cloth for the lens, a phone pouch or pocket.
- Spare socks: for the bus afterwards.
Good guides plan around it. A BusTravel guest: "she even recommended in doing the falls that we are going to get wet do last because she doesnt want us to get wet all day". Several tours here visit Seljalandsfoss last, on the way home.
Wet-weather tip built in: the Sagas tour does the soaking waterfalls with time to dry off on the bus.
Check dates for the South Coast Sagas tourDo you pay to see the waterfalls?
There is no entry fee; you pay for parking. 900 ISK per car at Seljalandsfoss and 1,000 ISK at Skogafoss in 2026, included on every tour.
Skogafoss parking is 1,000 ISK for a standard car, plus an 89 ISK fee, paid through Parka within 24 hours (Parka). Seljalandsfoss uses the Check-it number-plate system: pay at the machine on site, online or through your bank (Check-it); the fee is 900 ISK per car for the day. Kvernufoss is 750 ISK at the museum.
On a tour, all of that is paid. The full fee list is in the 2026 parking fees post.
Which tour shows you the most waterfalls?
South Coast Sagas, the Wild tour and the private jeep: all three add Gljufrabui to Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss. The glacier hike and black beach day lists no Skogafoss.
South Coast Sagas ($163, minibus of 19, kids from 4) adds Gljufrabui and a stop in Vik, with an hour on Reynisfjara. The Wild tour (from $149, ages 10 and up) adds Gljufrabui and an optional glacier hike. The private jeep ($750 per group) gives Skogafoss a full hour.
Avoid the glacier hike and black beach day if Skogafoss is the point: its published itinerary lists Seljalandsfoss, Reynisfjara and the glacier only. One guest mentions Skogafoss, so it may be added when time allows, but it isn't promised.
Three waterfalls, Vik and an hour on Reynisfjara in a minibus of 19 at most. Children from 4.
Explore the South Coast Sagas tour Tour detailsFrequently asked questions
Is the path behind Seljalandsfoss open in winter?
Usually not while it is icy. Spray freezes on the path and ice falls from the cliff when it thaws. Check safetravel.is; the view from the front is still worth the stop.
How long does it take to walk behind Seljalandsfoss?
Not long: it is a short loop at the foot of the cliff. It is wet and slippery, so go slowly and budget extra time for photos.
Can you swim at Skogafoss?
No. The pool at the base is shallow, cold and churned by the falls. Stay on the gravel.
Is Gljufrabui on the standard South Coast tours?
Not as a listed stop. South Coast Sagas, the Wild tour and the private jeep stop there. On others you can try to fit it into the Seljalandsfoss stop.
Ready to book
Choose your tour
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Prices are from-prices in USD and move with the season.
South Coast Sagas Small Group
A small group that adds Gljufrabui and Vik
Wild South Coast, Hike Optional
Adds Gljufrabui; the glacier hike is your choice
Private South Coast Day Tour
Your own guide and jeep for up to five people
