Hvítserkur Waterfall

Basic Information

Hidden waterfall in west Iceland
GPS: 64.45811, -21.17861
4WD car required.
Tricky to find.
Easy hike.
You can stand on top of the waterfall.

Iceland is one of the most beautiful places on Earth and there is no doubt about it; one of the cleanest and safest too. From those majestic colorful mountains, massive lava fields, snow-capped mountains and glaciers with flipping icebergs, lagoons, crystal clear ice caves to the black sand beaches, colonies of puffins and exploring the marine life of Iceland, there are infinite destinations in Iceland and every place will shut you stun with its natural beauty. Iceland is a place of fire and ice and the reason being its mysterious yet stunning natural beauty that attracts the seasoned travelers, solo explorers, adventure seekers and of course the environmentalists from across the globe.

When in Iceland you just cannot restrict yourself from being up and close to the nature and nothing can be better than visiting a waterfall. There are infinite small and huge waterfalls in Iceland, some are located way too far while there are few that are accessible easily. But there are some of the waterfalls that are hidden gems and one such waterfall is Hvítserkur. Yes, this one might not be on your “bucket-list” yet, but you won’t either regret visiting here. So, let’s just get to known more about this amazing waterfall.

West-Iceland’s Hidden Waterfall: Hvítserkur

If you think that you must have heard this name before then, there are chances that you might have heard about one of the most famous monolith “Hvítserkur” located on Vatnsnes peninsula, North-Iceland, which also shares the same name as this waterfall. But Hvítserkur waterfall is located in West-Iceland and is lesser visited by travelers.

Hvítserkur waterfall, in Icelandic term translates to “long white shirt”, is indeed one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Iceland that looks like a majestic bridal veil rather than a shirt, and what’s the best thing? You can even stand right there on the top of the waterfall. Yes, that’s true and this surely makes it more exciting and adventurous too. The waterfall is located in Hvítserksgljúfur gully and from there it will take around 20 minutes down the gully to reach the waterfall. The hike down the hill is easy though and won’t take much efforts. You will need to wade through the grass, and need to jump across the tussocks, but this Hvítserkur is worth the wait and you will totally fall in love with this serene and calm cascade waterfall.

Admire the beautiful surroundings, stand right next to the waterfall, feel the calmness in the roaring water, and spend some quality time at the waterfall. Hvítserkur is wide and thus, you have the chance of even stand on its riverbed that just elevates your overall experience and certainly give you tons of experience and memories to cherish afterwards. Fitjaá river is calm and not so powerful, thus, it is safe to stand just beneath the waterfall or right there at the top. But since, the surrounding area is slippery you got to be very careful with your steps.

Travel in 4x4 When Visiting Hvítserkur

The only thing that you need to note is that you should have a 4×4 vehicle to travel up to the area, where the waterfall is located. The route up to the waterfall is extremely course and bumpy, so it wouldn’t be a good idea to travel on any other vehicle than a 4×4. You will easily notice the roads marked with “illfær vegur” that translates to “difficult roads” for driving and is for particularly 4×4. To reach Hvítserkur Waterfall, you can easily rent a car in Reykjavík or at the airport, and from there you can travel till here. The distance is approximately 87 km, which is via Þingvellir and Uxahryggir. But if you are travelling via Hvalfjarðargöng tunnel, the distance will be around 108 km. It will take you approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes to 2 hours approximately to reach Hvítserkur.