A Guide to Bruarfoss Waterfall Hike in Iceland
Bruarfoss (or Brúarfoss) is a beautiful waterfall and natural attraction on Iceland's Golden Circle. Our hiking guide includes everything you need to know about the in-and-out Bruarfoss Waterfall trail. From where to find the trailhead, what to pack, or trail description, to whether this short hike is worth it.
Have you ever wondered how unfair it is that one country can have so many amazing waterfalls?
To the point that some less-known cascades and falls that would make it to the list of top attractions in other countries have to fight for your attention?
Unsurprisingly, we're talking about Iceland, a country that is so famous for its magnificent waterfalls.
One of those places that, in our opinion, would deserve more visitors is Bruarfoss, alias the Bridge Waterfall.
Located on the iconic Golden Circle, Bruarfoss must compete with many well-known attractions, such as Gullfoss, Geysir Geothermal Area, or Thingvellir National Park.
The fact that travelers must walk 3.5 kilometers one-way does not help with its popularity either.
Also nicknamed Iceland's Bluest Waterfall, Bruarfoss won't amaze you by its height or the sheer volume of water running through the canyon, but by its out-of-this-world blue color.
Truth be told, we might have here a bit underplayed the raw force of the river, as it seemed still pretty powerful to our eyes.
Combine it with the black volcanic rock keeping the river in its banks, and you won't get many more striking places than this.
You also get a perfect stop on your Iceland itinerary and an amazing photo stop.
Are you planning your Golden Circle itinerary and wonder whether Bruarfoss Waterfall is worth visiting?
Don't worry. We've created this helpful guide that includes everything you need to know about the Bruarfoss hike before you go.
Is Bruarfoss Trail Open?
Even though we could read that the trail to Bruarfoss was closed at some point, it is no longer correct.
The original path was indeed closed due to disrespectful tourists. The parking lot used to be right next to the falls, and the trail was on private land.
As the traffic got heavier, the local owners were forced to close off the access to tourists.
Fortunately, a new trail to Bruarfoss Waterfall has been opened recently.
The only disadvantage is that in order to reach the waterfall, we had to walk seven kilometers in total.
Well, we saw it as an opportunity to escape the crowds as fewer people visit the falls since this improvement.
Trail Description
Brúará River feeds Bruarfoss Waterfall, while the melting Langjökull Glacier causes the milky blue color of the river.
How did the waterfall get its name?
Centuries ago, a natural stone bridge was above the river, acting as a bridge, therefore the name, Bridge Waterfall.
Even though the stone arch already collapsed (a legend says it was at the beginning of the 17th century), the name survived.
The in-and-out trail to Bruarfoss Waterfall is 3.5 kilometers one way, so you need to retrace your steps to get back to the parking lot due to the nature of the track.
It took us less than two hours to reach the last waterfall and return to our car, including many photos stops.
However, we wanted to stretch our legs after the tiring flight as we had landed in Keflavik on the previous night, so we walked pretty fast.
On the other hand, the trail is relatively easy and mostly flat, and we think it should take you two to three hours maximum anyways.
TRAILHEAD
Bruarfoss Trailhead is on Road 37 (Laugarvatnsvegur), about 90 kilometers east of Reykjavik.
How to Get There
The parking lot from where the hike starts is easily accessible.
You should set your GPS destination to Bruarfoss Waterfall Official Parking in Google Maps.
Unfortunately, there is no way to reach the trailhead by public transport, so you need to either drive there or take a tour.
Car
The best way to reach Bruarfoss Waterfall Parking is by car or campervan.
Renting a car in Iceland is easy and one of the best things to do if you want to get the most out of your trip.
Bruarfoss is only 91 kilometers from Reykjavik, and it takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes to get there.
However, the waterfall is on the Golden Circle.
Therefore, you will most likely visit Thingvellir National Park (only 40 minutes away) or Geysir Geothermal Area (15 minutes) first, depending on which direction you're coming from.
The parking lot lies on Laugarvatnsvegur Road 37, and you will see it on your left-hand side when arriving from Reykjavik.
The Bruarfoss parking lot is free, quite large, but there are no other facilities.
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Tour
Most of the tours that visit the Golden Circle do not include Bruarfoss Waterfall as it is not that popular, and it requires at least two hours of walking.
Nevertheless, this well-rated Golden Circle and Waterfalls Tour is different, and Bruarfoss Waterfall is on their itinerary.
Bruarfoss Waterfall Hike
When we left our car in an almost empty parking lot, it was still early in the afternoon, and we were a bit behind our schedule, so we set off straight away.
No time for stretching this time.
Trail
At the trailhead, we climbed over the stile to get to the actual trail and emerged on a wide gravel path.
Despite the changes, the trail to Bruarfoss still leads across private land, so keep it in mind and behave respectfully.
The trail is not marked, but we could clearly see the path, so we simply followed it.
It's one of those trails that don't exactly need signage every twenty meters, and we believe it's impossible to get lost here.
The trail was flat and easy, so we kept our walking pace brisk.
One of the things to know about Iceland is that it does not have many forests, but after a couple of minutes, we reached one if we can call it this way.
Then we walked on a muddy path lined with small birch trees and were quite relieved that it did not rain.
Hlauptungufoss and Midfoss
Nevertheless, the trail was still quite muddy, and we were glad that we wore sturdy hiking boots and not our runners.
After a while, we emerged on a true-left bank of the Bruara River.
From this point, the trail got more interesting.
Before we reached the main point of interest, we stopped at two other stunning cascades with amazingly blue colors, Hlauptungufoss and Midfoss.
Bruarfoss Waterfall
Walking along the river was intriguing, and we even did not notice that we walked slightly uphill.
After about thirty minutes, we arrived at the final destination, the Bruarfoss Waterfall.
The blue water rushing down the river was so breathtaking that we couldn't believe that there was no one around with whom we could share our excitement.
You can take some nice photos from the bridge or the small area next to it, so take advantage of that.
Packing Tips
For the long exposure photos, bring with you a sturdy tripod, circular polarizer filter, and ND filter.
If you're not a photo enthusiast, take your time to enjoy the views.
We would have stayed longer, but annoying flies attacking our faces were a good reason to try to be quick and efficient.
As the weather in Iceland is constantly changing, and this place gets very windy and struggles with rain, a good rain jacket is a must.
Once we had taken enough photos, we returned via the same trail to the parking lot.
It is true that the walk back is not exactly exciting, and it is the only downside of visiting Bruarfoss.
Is Bruarfoss Waterfall Worth Visiting?
In our opinion, the trip to Bruarfoss Waterfall is well-worth it, but only if you do not travel on a tight schedule, love hiking, or don't like crowds.
If you have only a week or ten days for the Ring Road, you might probably want to skip this activity as it's more time-consuming to reach this place than some others.
Iceland is rich in beautiful and powerful waterfalls.
And places such as Skogafoss or Seljalandsfoss on Iceland's South Coast will always have the upper hand due to their accessibility.
By the way, you will find the complete list of our favorite ones here - 23 Best Waterfalls in Iceland.
Travel Insurance
We never leave home without travel insurance that was designed to cover our expenses if something goes wrong during the trip.
Travel insurance protects against theft, flight delays, injury, illness, cancellations, and much more.
World Nomads provides travel insurance for travelers to cover their trip essentials, including sports and adventure activities.
SafetyWing is affordable travel insurance for backpackers, long-term travelers, and digital nomads.
Travel smarter and safer!
Where to Stay on the Golden Circle
Bruarfoss Waterfall is located just off the Golden Circle, and the accommodation in the area is quite plentiful.
You can spend a night before or after the hike either in Reykjavik, Geysir, near Gullfoss, or even Selfoss.
Here's the list of the best hotels where you can stay when traveling the Golden Circle and visiting Bruarfoss Waterfall.
Gullfoss | Hotel Gullfoss - If you're looking for a remote location only five kilometers from the waterfall, great views, superb services, clean and modern rooms, Hotel Gulfoss is one of the best options in the area.
Geysir | Hotel Geysir - A newly opened hotel will amaze you with modern design, immaculate rooms, friendly staff, excellent breakfast, and a nice restaurant. A great value for money.
Reykjavik | Hotel Klettur - If you are looking for accommodation in the capital city of Iceland that is decent, but that will not break the bank, centrally located Hotel Klettur is a fantastic choice.
Selfoss | Selfoss Hostel - Selfoss is a small town that offers plenty of activities but not many hotels. Selfoss Hotel is one of the few ones. It is a budget-friendly accommodation that provides travelers with clean rooms, facilities, and a shared kitchen.
Campgrounds | If you are traveling in a campervan or motorhome, there is quite a large selection of campsites near the Golden Circle. We stayed in Camping Selfoss for 3500 ISK per night for two, the use of kitchen and hot shower was included. Don't forget that camping is not allowed at Bruarfoss.
Travel Resources
Here you can find links to all the travel resources we use and which you might find helpful when planning your next holiday.
Accommodation: When looking for accommodation, we usually search hotels via Booking.com or Hostelworld.
Tours: Although we love to travel independently, some places are better to visit with a guided tour.
We prefer GetYourGuide for its easy-to-use interface and solid reputation. Another great alternative is Viator.
Rental Cars: When going on a road trip, we always use Rentalcars.com, a reliable site for booking a rental car in advance.
Flight Tickets: When looking for flight tickets, you can search Skyscanner to find the best price.
Travel Insurance: World Nomads and SafetyWing cover against risks of travel.
