The Glymur Waterfall Hike was one of my favorite hikes while in Iceland. The hike is short enough of a time that you can still see more during the same day, especially if you are going during their long summer daylight hours. Glymur can also be hiked as a day trip from the city of Reykjavik. Here you will find all about the Glymur hike, from what to bring, how to get there, the hike itself and more!

Stats

Distance: 4.6 miles (7.5 km)

Time: 2-4 hours round trip

What to Bring

Water– hydration bladders are great to have and easy to pack

Hiking shoes/Sturdy Gym Shoes– I am wearing my favorite Ahnu hiking shoes

Waterproof Dry Bag- these bags were great in storing electronic valuables while it was raining and especially while crossing the river (just in case we fell!).

Towels- we used these to dry off with after walking across the river. They also have endless uses during travel. Or we also usually have Turkish towels on us, but the kitchen towels are smaller to pack in your day pack.

Snacks/Sandwich– we packed peanut butter sandwiches, granola bars, fruit, and jerky sticks

Hiking Poles– these are great pack-able ones for traveling

DayPack- I used my The North Face Borealis for this trip but I am also a fan of the Osprey day packs

Rain Jacket– you never know what the weather will do in Norway

Rain Cover– these pack small and have saved our bags multiple times, always in my daypack when I am hiking

Camera/Cell Phone

Light Layers- On this hike I wore an exercise tank, and my REI 3/4 zip under my rain jacket. But I also love my Columbia Tamiami to both stay warmer in the early mornings but also light enough to layer. I love leggings for hikes, my favorites are the high-waisted ones from Fabletics (get a huge discount with this link).

For my complete Iceland Packing Guide check here.

How to Get There

We used our Go Campers camper van to get to the parking lot of the Glymur hike (you can read about our Iceland campervan here). We explored western Iceland the day before, you can read about our stop on that day here. To reach the parking lot you will need to take Road 47 off of Ring Road 1. After about 4 miles you will see the brown tourism signs pointing to Glymur. Travel down the gravel road until you reach the official parking lot. Watch out for the sheep!

We stay at Bjarteyjarsandur campground to get to the hike early in the morning, it is only a 13 minute drive to the Glymur Pakring Lot from here. This campground also was a good location for us as we drove the Snæfellsnes Peninsula the day before. We came straight from this cute little hot spring to the campsite late at night.

If coming from Reykjavik it is about an hour drive.

Booking.com

I will also suggested getting a car in the summer months to be able to explore on your own. But if that is not in your plan you can book a guide to be able hike Glymur with or without provided transportation here.

The Hike

The Start

The first part of this hike is relatively flat, we walked through the terrain. We went in June and the lupines were in full bloom, making a great contrast against the green fjords in the back.

Eventually the path will come to signage this is where the trail splits. You have the option to take the South or North side. We took the South side as it has better views of Glymur along the hike and it is the more popular route. To take the South route you will need to take the lower path down to continue on the hike to Glymur. Here is where you will go through the Thvottahellir Lava Cave, or also know as the Wishing Cave.

***more on the North and South side routes below.

After the cave the path will continue along the rivers edge until you reach where you will need to cross the river.

The River Crossing

In spring and summer locals set up the log to help hikers cross the river, which is why this hike is difficult in the winter months. Take your time to get situated and secure your belongs before trying to cross.

We used our waterproof dry bags to protect my DSLR camera in our backpacks. Took our shoes and socks off, tying our shoes onto our backpack. Then pulled up our pants and leggings. I used my travel collapsible trekking pole to help me balance through the water.

It is slick on top of those rocks so do take your time, once at the log there is a wire to hold on to to help with your balance. Between that and my hiking pole it wasn’t too bad. The water does rush pretty fast, so stay stay sure footed and belongings attached.

The water was pretty cold at the beginning of June, but not unbearable. We always have flour sack towels on us from traveling for various needs. The are cheap and easy to replace if ruined. We were glad to have these on us to dry off our feet and wipe the sand off before we put our hiking shoes back on.

Back on the Trail

Once dry and shoes on follow the path. The path will start to incline as this trail ends up being mostly along the ridge of the ravine. This river is the run off of the Glymur waterfall so you will be pretty much following this until you approach the falls.

The trail was pretty foggy while we hiked, it blocked being able to see the waterfall from a distance. But we were able to see it more on our way back as the rain stopped. Take the time to go out to the edge to see the views ahead and the fjords from behind.

The Ascent

As the trail become steeper there were many parts where they have provided wire and rope along the way. It was raining on our way to see the falls, so some areas did get slick, once again I was glad to have my travel hiking poles to help keep me stable on the slick areas.

Along the way there are many areas you can hike out to take in the beauty, the view gets better and better as you get farther up. Along this trail you will see, the waterfall, crystal blue river, fjords, snow capped mountains (depending on the time of year) and even the ocean, the views from the trek is why this hike is worth it.

The Glymur Falls

From here you can see the falls, it is one of Iceland’s tallest waterfalls at 198m (650 ft). It used to be number #1 but dropped to Iceland’s 2nd tallest waterfall when Morsárfoss was discovered in 2007, which has a drop of 228m (748 ft).

Take you time enjoying the falls, take some pictures. When ever you are ready you can head back two different ways. We decided to take the route we came in on back, I am glad we did this as this seems to be the prettier route, and by then the sky cleared up and we were able to get a clearer view of the landscape around us.

Some people will take the north side trail back for a different view that what they saw on the way to Glymur. I will explain that route below***

***North or South Side Trail

Above I mentioned coming in to the hike you will have two options a south and a north side route.

South: this side is the more popular route as it is more scenic.

North: You can go along this route on your way in or out but many advise at least take the south side route in as the views are better to see the actually falls. Some do suggest take this route out to make a loop. But you will need to cross the river at the top of the falls (either route there is a river crossing). We did not take this route as there is no assistance crossing the river such as the south rouse has a log and wire. Also there is the fact that it is always hard to judge the power of a rushing stream, we didn’t observe anyone crossing as the moment, and we felt a little weary of attempting it on our own.

I was perfectly happy taking the south route both ways, as the view was different coming in as going out. You will be looking for the falls on your way in, and the way out had a beautiful mountain and fjord view.

When To Go

I will always suggest visiting Iceland in the summer months to take advantage of the slightly warmer weather and long daylight hours, more bang for oyur buck. Unless of course you are going to see the Northern Lights.

This trail also becomes very icy and dangerous in the winter months. It is not completely un-hike-able in the winter but many locals don’t recommend this due to safety in winter and fall seasons. They locals remove the log in the winter months, make if difficult for beginner hikes to cross, but advanced hikers still many be able to do this trail. The rocks were slick while it was raining when we went, which would make me weary to try this winter in the snow or ice.

To Do Around the Area

The hike doesn’t take all day, so you can add on other activtes to your day as long as you get an early start. And especially in the summer with the long daylight hours.

We decided to get up early to complete this hike. And from there we were heading towards the South Coast and the Golden Circle. So we went ahead to visit Thingvellir National Park and Thorufoss waterfall so we could have more time for stops on the Golden Circle with this stop already done.

Another one of my favorite hikes, not too far from here would be the Bruarfoss Waterfall, which is very close to many stops along the Golden Circle. If up for another hike, Bruarfoss is about an 1 hour and 30 minute drive away.

We came from the Snæfellsnes Peninsula the day before, after this hike you could easily start your drive in that direction.

If ready for a hot spring soak the Reykjadalur Hot Spring Thermal River is about an hour and 30 minute drive as well. The Landbrotalaug Hot Pot is about the same distance the other way. And of course the Blue Lagoon as only a 1.5 hours away as well. Lots of hot spring options in Iceland!

You can easily do this as a day trip or combine with a night back in Reykjavik.