Day 7 Highlights:
10 min drive to Litlanesfoss and Hengifoss Falls
2 hr 30 min drive to Dettifoss Falls
1 hr drive to Namafjall Geothermal Area
7 min drive to Grjotagja Cave
Dinner at the Vogafjos Cowshed Cafe
30 min drive to My’vatn
Night 7: Fosshotel My’vatn
Back to the full 10 day Iceland Itinerary
Litlanesfoss and Hengifoss:
A short drive around the lake from Hotel Hallormsstadur is a parking lot for Litlanesfoss and Hengifoss. It’s roughly a 1km hike to Litlanesfoss and another 1km to Hengifoss. The hike has quite a bit of elevation gain, but the trail is in great shape and the views are completely worth it. We also did some rock scrambling to get up close to Hengifoss which was absolutely beautiful!
Dettifoss:
From Litlanesfoss and Hengifoss, it’s about 2 hr 30 min drive to Dettifoss. From the main road, you can either take a right on dirt road 864 or 862. We opted for the first right on 864 as you can hike right up to the mouth of the falls. If you take the second right on 862, you can view Dettifoss from above. The dirt road 864 was pretty bumpy and ~30 mins to the falls. It’s a little out of the way, as you’ll have to back track to the main road, but Dettifoss was pretty impressive!
We hiked down from the main parking lot and there’s a nice trail that leads you to the massive waterfall. For photographers, the sun is a little harsh in the afternoon, but it was well worth the stop!
Namafjall Geothermal Area:
Backtracking to the main ring road, and continuing East, you’ll pass the Namafjall Geothermal Area. Since it’s right off the main road, it’s fairly crowded, but the colorful soil made it feel like you are on a different planet.
Grjotagja Cave:
A short drive down the road you’ll find one of the Game of Thrones filming spots, Grjotagja Cave. There’s a small parking lot and going into the cave, you’ll find a hot spring. Apparently, you used to be able to use the hot spring, but recent geothermal activity has made the water too hot and there are signs saying it’s illegal to use. However, we did see a few people breaking the rules and getting into the water.
My’vatn:
After visiting the cave, we had one of the best meals of our trip at the Vogafjos Cowshed Cafe! It was a true farm-to-table experience near the lake. Their incredible bread is buried each night and cooked with geothermal heat.
After dinner we continued around the lake, a short drive, to Fosshotel My’vatn. This was another very nice hotel and also reasonably priced!