Þórufoss

Golden Circle

Þórufoss drops about 18 meters on the Laxá í Kjós river, a salmon river in the hills west of Þingvellir — close enough to the Golden Circle to work as a quick detour, but off the radar enough that the small gravel pullout is rarely crowded. The falls are wide rather than tall, and in summer a fringe of green vegetation lines both banks. In cold winters the cascade can freeze entirely, which makes for a different kind of visit. The waterfall appeared in Game of Thrones: Season 4 used it as a location, and it also stood in for the home of the Children of the Forest in later episodes. That connection brings some visitors deliberately, but the site still sees far less traffic than anything on the main Golden Circle circuit. To reach it, leave Route 1 at Mosfellsbær onto Route 36, then turn onto Route 48 and continue about 5.6 km to a small roadside sign. The walk from the parking area to the viewpoint is five minutes across flat ground. There are no facilities on site. The road is paved to Route 36 and well-maintained gravel on Route 48; no 4x4 required.

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