Autumn is my favorite season. Iceland is my favorite country. Waterfalls are my favorite reason to hike. This day had perfection written all over it!
Our first weekend living in Iceland I decided that we needed to check off one of the things we had to unfortunately skip when we were here last year. I’m SO glad we made the time to hike to Glymur – it was definitely worth the trip!
Glymur is a short drive from Reykjavik and about a hour hike back to see the falls. Known as Iceland’s highest waterfall at 198 meters, Glymur is a stunning sight to see.
My favorite part about this day was that every.single.part of the trip was beautiful! The drive through Hvalfjordur is one of the most beautiful fjords in Iceland. It’s name literally translates to “whale fjord” as it is the site of the local whaling station. However, some years ago an underground tunnel was built which connects land and cuts off the fjord. Great for traveling long distances north, sad to miss out on this picturesque place! If it’s a relatively clear day and you decide to take the long route, I can promise you it will be worth the views!
If you are planning to venture the hike to Glymur, I would allot about 2.5 hours starting from the parking lot. We did the hike in 45 minutes, and spent a lot of time at the top staring in awe and taking a lot of pictures. This is definitely something you can take your time doing, or stop on the way to something else.
The beginning of the hike is pretty easy, lots of nice easy FLAT trails, and of course beautiful nature!
Make sure to look behind you as you hike – the beautiful Hvalfjordur! (P.s. why do pictures never do it justice?!)
About half way into the hike you get to this huge cave which is normally nerve-racking for me because I am claustrophobic, but was thankfully very spacious.
Next up: river crossing!
The next part of the hike is a little bit more challenging. So challenging in fact that I forgot to take pictures of it. Let’s just say proper hiking shoes and caution is needed! Parts of the trail get really steep, and you have to hang on to cables and chains to not slip or fall. Don’t worry, this part is short and the views at the top will be worth it!
Like this:
I always like to walk to the edge of things…so I walk to the edge and celebrate how beautiful it is!
Glymur, I like you!
14 Comments
Aubrey
October 1, 2015 at 3:40 pmBeautiful! I’ve been so jealous and traveling back to Colorado as often as I can to try and get views like these!
Jeannie
October 6, 2015 at 4:13 pmThanks! I´d travel anywhere to get nature like this 😉
Lauren
April 15, 2016 at 4:29 pmDo you have the name or recommendation of a guide for the hike?
Jeannie
April 19, 2016 at 2:07 pmHi Lauren! If you are comfortable hiking you can do this alone without a guide. The trail is well marked and quite popular so there will be others along the trail. However, if you feel better having someone guide you, Extreme Iceland does guided tours to the waterfall. https://www.extremeiceland.is/en/activity-tours-iceland/hiking-tours/glymur-waterfall
Enjoy!
Alexandria
September 15, 2016 at 4:48 amJeannie,
Do you know if this hike still accessible in late October? or only in the Summer months?
Thanks!
Jeannie
September 16, 2016 at 9:00 amHey Alexandria! Yes this hike is available in late October. At that time there is a slight chance snow will be on the ground, but it will be light. Good luck!
Michaela manning
October 12, 2016 at 5:11 pmThe dog at the end!!! Iceland, Waterfalls and dogs… That’s my perfection 😉
Jeannie
November 7, 2016 at 2:10 pmHaha, I know that dog was such a trooper but he couldn’t walk for a week afterwards!
Gina
October 17, 2016 at 7:10 pmHi Jeannie, I love your website! I’m visiting Iceland November 20-24 and your site has been so helpful in my planning. I would like to do this Glymur waterfall hike but I’m not sure how to get there from Reykjavik. The scenic route looks great, but we won’t have a GPS. Could you tell me how to get to the Glymur waterfal and how long the drive is?
Jeannie
November 7, 2016 at 2:26 pmHey Gina! So glad I can help with your trip planning 🙂 I just added a map to the Glymur blog post. The “long way” through the Fjord is actually the only way to get to the waterfall hike! It’s still only an hour drive from Reykjavik. Have a great time!
Melissa
January 16, 2017 at 2:48 amHow’s this hike in January/February?
Jeannie
January 20, 2017 at 3:25 pmI’ve never done it in Jan/Feb Melissa sorry! Might be a little difficult with all the snow.
Kelsy
January 22, 2017 at 9:31 pmIs this hike recommended during mid-April (17th-20th)??
Jeannie
February 6, 2017 at 11:37 amApril should be a great time to hike Glymur!