Waterfall · North Iceland

Dettifoss

The most powerful waterfall in Europe by volume. The east and west access roads have very different surfaces and seasons.

prices and departures checked 13 Sept 2026

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The short version

  • 28 tours in our catalogue stop at Dettifoss — 16 of them day tours from a single base, 12 as part of a longer package.
  • A seat on a day tour here typically costs €279, from €179 at the cheapest. Private tours are priced per vehicle and sit outside that figure.
  • 7 different operators run here, so a cancellation rarely means the day is lost.
  • Departures in our next 360 days fall in September, October, November, December, January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August.
  • Seasonal here: Midnight sun (May–July), Lupine in bloom (June–July).

The facts

Type
Waterfall
Region
North Iceland
Tours that stop here
2816 day tours · 12 multi-day
Day tour, cheapest
€179
Day tour, typical
€279median of 13 per-person fares
Operators
7
From Reykjavík
320 km (200 mi)straight line — the road is longer
Coordinates
65.8147, -16.3846

Daylight through the year

Iceland's daylight swings further than almost anywhere people holiday, and it decides what a tour can actually show you. Times are for the 15th of each month at this spot.

MonthSunriseSunsetDaylight
January10:5815:304 h 32 min
March07:2919:0111 h 32 min
June01:2600:4523 h 19 min
September06:2219:3913 h 17 min
December11:2614:353 h 9 min

What is seasonal here

None of these have fixed dates, so each one says what its real dates depend on.

Midnight sun

May–July

True midnight sun only above the Arctic Circle — Grímsey. The mainland gets civil twilight all night, which looks much the same.

Lupine in bloom

June–July

Introduced, controversial and impossible to miss when it flowers. Peaks a fortnight later in the north than the south.

What people do here

Getting here without a car

The 16 tours we sell that stop at Dettifoss leave from Akureyri, Húsavík and Reykjavík. Akureyri, where most of them start, is about 5 h 35 min from Reykjavík by road.

13 of the 16 collect you from your accommodation or a designated stop, so the tour is the transport — there is nothing else to arrange and no timetable to read.

A seat on a day tour here starts at €179 and typically runs €279, per person, private charters excluded because those are priced per vehicle and would flatter the figure. There is no scheduled bus we can sell you to Dettifoss, so a guided day is the practical way in without a car.

The days themselves run from about 5 h 30 min to 10 h door to door, so check the length as carefully as the price — the cheapest seat is often the longest coach day. 5 different operators run here, which matters more without a car than with one: if the weather cancels your day, there is usually another departure rather than a lost trip.

Being driven is the easy answer here: enough operators run it that a cancellation rarely loses you the day, and you get to look out of the window instead of at the road.

Cheapest way in without a car: a guided day tour from Akureyri, from €179 per person.

We have done the sums on this properly: why we tell people to skip the rental car in winter.

Tours that stop at Dettifoss

Taken from each operator's own itinerary, not from marketing copy — these are tours whose agenda names Dettifoss as a stop.

The Diamond Circle8 hours

The Traveling Viking

The Diamond Circle

5.0· 18 Google reviews of the operator

Leaves from Reykjavík

  • Hotel pickup
  • Wi-fi on board
  • Family friendly

The Diamond circle

from

€286 per person

105% above the €140 typical

or book on its own →
Diamond Circle Cruise Ship Express Tour8 hours

BusTravel Iceland

Diamond Circle Cruise Ship Express Tour

4.70· 2,918 Google reviews of the operator

Leaves from Akureyri

  • Wi-fi on board
  • Free cancellation 24 h
  • Meet on location

Visit Waterfalls, Volcano Craters, Lava Formations & Hot Springs in this tour from Akureyri

from

€179 per person

15% above the €156 typical

or book on its own →
Private Lake Mývatn Wonders Tour: Pickup from Akureyri6 hours

Nordur Travel Services ehf

Private Lake Mývatn Wonders Tour: Pickup from Akureyri

4.80· 134 Google reviews of the operator

Leaves from Akureyri

  • Hotel pickup
  • Family friendly
  • Free cancellation 365 days ahead

Discover North Iceland’s natural wonders on a private tour from Akureyri, featuring powerful waterfalls, bubbling geothermal fields, and the volcanic landscapes of Lake Mývatn.

from

€1,600 per person

or book on its own →
Diamond Circle Day Tour from Akureyri or Lake Myvatn9 hours

Imagine Iceland Travel

Diamond Circle Day Tour from Akureyri or Lake Myvatn

4.70· 58 Google reviews of the operator

Leaves from Akureyri

  • Hotel pickup
  • Book the night before

Discover the Natural Wonders of Diamond Circle, Lake Myvatn, the amazing Dettifoss Waterfall in Vatnajokull National Park, Jokulsargljufur Canyon, Hljodaklettar Echo Cliffs, Asbyrgi Canyon, Tjornes Cliffs, Husavik & GeoSea optional add on

from

€279 per person

or book on its own →
4x4 Diamond Circle Day Tour from Akureyri or Lake Myvatn 9 hours

Imagine Iceland Travel

4x4 Diamond Circle Day Tour from Akureyri or Lake Myvatn

4.70· 58 Google reviews of the operator

Leaves from Akureyri

  • Hotel pickup
  • Book the night before

Discover the Natural Wonders of Diamond Circle, Lake Myvatn, the amazing Dettifoss Waterfall in Vatnajokull National Park, Jokulsargljufur Canyon, Hljodaklettar Echo Cliffs, Asbyrgi Canyon, Tjornes Cliffs, Husavik & GeoSea optional add on

from

€322 per person

about the usual price

or book on its own →
Lake Myvatn & Dettifoss8 hours

The Traveling Viking

Lake Myvatn & Dettifoss

5.0· 18 Google reviews of the operator

Leaves from Akureyri

  • Hotel pickup
  • Family friendly
  • Free cancellation until departure

A tour for all seasons to the most powerful waterfall in Europe. Feel the ground shake beneath your feet, and the mist in your face as you stand near this fall. The tour also takes you to the magnificent Lake Myvatn area.

from

€236 per person

69% above the €140 typical

or book on its own →

Showing 12 of 28. Browse everything or build a day around it.

Who runs them

7 operators, all of whom we hold a contract with. We do not list every company in Iceland, on purpose.

Arctic Adventures · Arctic Yeti Ehf · BusTravel Iceland · Imagine Iceland Travel · Nordur Travel Services ehf · Star Travel · The Traveling Viking

Dettifoss: questions people ask

How many tours go to Dettifoss?

We list 28 — 16 day tours and 12 multi-day packages, from 7 operators. That is what we currently have contracts for, not everything that exists in Iceland.

How much does it cost to visit Dettifoss?

The place itself is usually free to enter; what you pay for is getting there. A day tour seat runs from €179, with a typical price of €279. Some sites charge separately for parking or admission — check the individual tour.

When can you visit Dettifoss?

Looking at the next 360 days of live availability, departures fall in September, October, November, December, January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August. That is a rolling window rather than the full year, so a month missing here is not necessarily a month with nothing running.

How much daylight is there at Dettifoss?

January: 4 h 32 min · March: 11 h 32 min · June: 23 h 19 min · September: 13 h 17 min · December: 3 h 9 min. Iceland stays on UTC all year, so there is no clock change to allow for.

Do you need a tour, or can you drive to Dettifoss yourself?

Both work. Driving gives you the stops you want and the time you want them; a tour removes the winter road decisions and lets everyone look out of the window. We sell the tours and say so — if self-driving suits you better, it suits you better.

Can you get to Dettifoss without a car?

Yes — 16 guided day tours in our catalogue stop here. 13 of the tours pick you up from your accommodation, so no onward transport is needed.

How far is Dettifoss from Reykjavík?

The tours that go here mostly start in Akureyri, about 5 h 35 min from Reykjavík on roads that stay open all year. That is driving time in normal conditions and not an estimate of your day — a tour that reaches Dettifoss and comes back is a good deal longer than twice that.

What is the cheapest way to get to Dettifoss?

A guided day tour from Akureyri, from €179 per person, with €279 the more typical fare. Private tours cost more because they are priced per vehicle rather than per seat.

Put it in a day

Dettifoss is rarely a whole day on its own. The planner knows how long each tour takes and how far apart the start points are, so it can build the rest of the day around it.

Plan a day around Dettifoss