About This Experience

Fjaðrárgljúfur (say "fyath-rar-glyoo-fur" and you're close enough) is a 100-metre-deep, 2-kilometre-long canyon near the village of Kirkjubæjarklaustur on the south coast. The Fjaðrá river carved it over roughly 9,000 years, cutting through layers of palagonite and hyaloclastite rock and leaving behind sinuous walls coated in the thickest, greenest moss we saw anywhere in Iceland.

The canyon became internationally famous after featuring in Justin Bieber's "I'll Show You" music video in 2015. The resulting surge in visitors actually led to temporary closures for environmental protection. It's recovered well, and the walking path along the rim is now properly maintained with boardwalks and viewing platforms.

We'll be honest — we nearly skipped it, assuming anything that viral would be underwhelming in person. It wasn't. The depth and the curves of the canyon walls create constantly changing perspectives as you walk the rim, and peering straight down to the river 100 metres below gave us both genuine vertigo.

What to Expect

The car park is just off Route 1, about 6 kilometres down a paved side road. From there, a gravel and boardwalk path follows the canyon rim for about 2 kilometres to a viewpoint at the far end. The walk is mostly flat with gentle inclines, and the viewing platforms are well-positioned at the most dramatic points.

The best views are about halfway along, where the canyon curves and narrows, and you can see both walls converging with the river threading between them far below. At the far end, a final platform overlooks a waterfall where the river enters the canyon.

The whole walk takes about 60-90 minutes at a relaxed pace with photo stops. There's also a path down to the riverbed at the canyon entrance, though it can be muddy and slippery.

Practical Tips

• The canyon is signposted off Route 1, about 6 km down a paved side road near Kirkjubæjarklaustur
• The rim walk is about 2 km each way — allow 60-90 minutes round trip
• Stay on the marked paths and boardwalks; the canyon edges are unguarded in places
• The moss is extremely fragile — stepping off the path causes damage that takes decades to heal
• Morning visits are quieter; tour buses tend to arrive midday
• The canyon is closed periodically for environmental recovery — check online before detouring
• Free parking and no entry fee
• There are no facilities at the canyon — use the services in Kirkjubæjarklaustur (fuel, supermarket, toilets)
• The canyon is most photogenic in overcast light, which saturates the green moss
• Combine with a fuel and food stop in Kirkjubæjarklaustur if driving the south coast