Is it worth it?

Dettifoss is worth the detour on a northern trip

Short answer

Worth it

Worth it if you are near Mývatn: it is the most powerful waterfall in Europe by volume, grey with glacial silt and loud. It is out of the way, so it only makes sense as part of a northern day.

The short version

  • Worth it. Worth it if you are near Mývatn: it is the most powerful waterfall in Europe by volume, grey with glacial silt and loud. It is out of the way, so it only makes sense as part of a northern day.
  • We hold 11 day tours here from 7 operators, median €292 a person, cheapest €183.
  • Cheaper alternative: Drive yourself from Mývatn in summer — about forty-five minutes on the east-side road.

Worth it if

  • You are at Mývatn or on the Diamond Circle.
  • You like raw, noisy water more than pretty falls.

Not worth it if

  • You are in winter without a guide. The access roads close or ice over.
  • You are short on time and have seen Gullfoss.

What you are actually paying for

The waterfall is free. A tour is transport from Akureyri or Mývatn, usually combined with other northern stops.

Across our own contracted catalogue, sightseeing day tours day tours run to a median of €292 a person, with the cheapest we hold at €183, from 7 operators. Private and per-vehicle products are excluded, because mixing them into a per-person figure makes it meaningless.

The cheaper thing to do instead

Drive yourself from Mývatn in summer — about forty-five minutes on the east-side road.

If you decide it is worth it

What we actually hold, with live prices and departures. Nothing here is a placeholder listing — if it is on this page, it can be booked.

The Traveling Viking

The Diamond Circle

from €293 per person5.0· 19 Google reviews of the operator

106% above the €142 typical

Moderate · pickup included

8 h · from Reykjavík

  • Wi-fi on board
  • Family friendly
  • Free cancellation until departure

The Diamond circle

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Questions people ask

Is Dettifoss worth it?

Worth it if you are near Mývatn: it is the most powerful waterfall in Europe by volume, grey with glacial silt and loud. It is out of the way, so it only makes sense as part of a northern day.

East or west side of Dettifoss?

The west side (road 862) is paved and busier; the east side is gravel, quieter and closer to the edge. Tours usually use the west.

Why take our word for it

  • One checkout, any number of operators

  • Rankings are not for sale

  • 206 operators vetted, and not all of them accepted

  • If it falls short, we fix it

Other things people ask about

All 42 verdicts →

Last updated · prices and departures checked 24 Oct 2026

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