Langifoss Waterfall – matkaopas

Langifoss waterfall (the name means "the long waterfall") is a two-tiered waterfall in the Deildargil ravine, about 4 km south-west of Húsafell, a farm and holiday centre in Borgarfjörður, West Iceland.

The stream that carved Deildargil, Giljatungukvísl, comes down from the hills south of the Hvítá valley and joins the glacial river Hvítá just upstream of Barnafoss and Hraunfossar.

Langifoss waterfall is small, quiet and little visited compared with its famous neighbours, and most people who see it do so on the way to the Húsafell Canyon Baths, a few hundred metres away in the same ravine.

Key Takeaways About Langifoss

• Two-tiered waterfall in the Deildargil ravine, about 4 km south-west of Húsafell in Borgarfjörður, West Iceland
• Seen almost only on Húsafell Canyon Baths tours; the access track is not a numbered public road and the operator drives guests up it
• About 140 km (around 2 hours 15 minutes) from Reykjavík via Routes 1, 50 and 518; Hraunfossar and Barnafoss are just over 2 km away
• Short footpath to a viewing platform; no facilities at the falls, and access is included in the Canyon Baths tour ticket
• Best in summer; winter visits depend on the Canyon Baths weather route

Why visit Langifoss

Langifoss drops in two clear steps, which is where its appeal lies: an upper fall and, below it, a second drop into the narrow floor of Deildargil. The ravine is steep-sided, with birch scrub on the slopes above and views out toward Húsafell and the Langjökull glacier.

About 11 km to the south rises Ok, the shield volcano whose small glacier, Okjökull, lost so much ice that it was declared no longer a glacier in 2014.

A memorial plaque placed on the mountain in 2019 marked it as the first Icelandic glacier lost to a warming climate. Visiting Langifoss waterfall is a chance to stand in that landscape without the crowds that gather at Hraunfossar, just over 2 km away.

Langifoss waterfall is not visible from the track that passes it, so you need to walk the short footpath to the viewing platform to see the whole fall.

From the platform you look across the ravine at both tiers at once, with Deildargil narrowing below you. No published source gives the height of the falls, so no figure is given here.

How to get to Langifoss

Langifoss waterfall is about 140 km from Reykjavík, around 2 hours 15 minutes of driving. Take the Ring Road (Route 1) north towards Borgarnes, turn onto Route 50 (Borgarfjarðarbraut) towards Reykholt, then Route 518 (Hálsasveitarvegur) to Húsafell. All of these roads are paved.

Húsafell, with its hotel, campsite, shop and swimming pool, is the nearest service centre, roughly 4 km north-east of the falls. Barnafoss and Hraunfossar, on the Hvítá below, are just over 2 km away in a straight line.

From Húsafell a narrow, unpaved track climbs the hillside above Hvítá and passes right by Langifoss waterfall. The track is not a numbered public road: the Húsafell Canyon Baths operator drives guests up it from the Húsafell Activity Center, and changes the route in bad weather.

The simplest way to see Langifoss is therefore to join a Canyon Baths tour, which includes the ride up, a guided walk of close to an hour that passes the waterfall, and a soak in the two geothermal pools.

By the track there is a small parking area, a short footpath and a viewing platform at the falls. It is also possible to catch a partial glimpse of Langifoss from Route 518 below, but the full two-tiered view is only from the platform.

Best time to visit

Summer (June to September) gives the easiest access, with long daylight and green birch slopes. In winter the track above Húsafell can be snowed in or icy and the Canyon Baths tours switch to a weather-dependent route; when the trip runs, Langifoss waterfall is often framed by ice and snow.

Safety and practical tips

• The viewing platform is the only safe place to see the whole fall; the ravine edges are steep and the moss and basalt are slippery when wet.
• Weather in upper Borgarfjörður changes fast, and the track sits higher and more exposed than Húsafell. Bring a windproof layer and sturdy shoes even on a warm day.
• There are no toilets or shelter at the waterfall itself. The nearest facilities are at Húsafell.
• Do not drive up the track in a rental car; it is not a numbered public road and the parking area at the top is small.
• The Canyon Baths tour, which is the usual way in, runs small groups (maximum 16 people) and should be booked ahead in summer.