I did a lot of research before our trip to Iceland. If you’ve read any of my other posts on the trip, you may have heard me say that before. That’s because I did a lot of research. A lot. My main resource for this research (and for any travel planning, really) was Pinterest. I also did a fair number of Google searches, read a couple of guidebooks, and played around with Google maps. And I watched several YouTube videos.
I don’t really consider myself a YouTube enthusiast. I tend to get bored quickly, and would rather read than watch. However, I often find YouTube a great resource for travel planning because you can get a pretty good sense of what it is actually like to visit a place. It’s easy to frame and edit photos to make something look pretty different from the actual experience, but videos are more honest (most of the time.) Anyway, I was watching a YouTube series about a road trip through Iceland by Kara and Nate (who are definitely some of the most popular travel vloggers out there), and one of the places they stopped was a little, out of the way place called Gjáin. In all my research, I hadn’t heard of this place, but their video immediately put in on my Iceland bucket list.
While not exactly a secret, Gjáin is definitely a hidden gem. We visited in the peak of summer, yet we were the only ones there for pretty much the whole two hours we spent exploring. This gorgeous area boasts several beautiful waterfalls, interesting geological features and rock formations, a pretty stream, and lush, green foliage. I kept telling Ben that it felt like we were in Rivendell (although maybe that’s just because we’d been listening to The Fellowship during the drive). The only explanation I have that more people don’t visit Gjáin is that it is located off an F-road, meaning you need 4WD to reach the parking lot, but more on that in a minute.
We visited Gjáin on our third full day in Iceland, after visiting the Golden Circle the day before. From our Airbnb in Flúðir, we drove for just under an hour to reach the parking lot. Most of the drive was very easy, and we made a quick stop at Þjaðveldisbærinn Viking house (also called the Commonwealth Farm), a recreated Viking house and museum just a minute off the road. The museum was closed when we visited, but we got to see the exterior and take some pictures. Then we turned onto a less-easy road to get to Gjáin.
We drove along a dirt road that was not horrible, but also not super friendly to our tiny rental car. After driving about half way between the main road and the Gjáin parking lot, we saw an unwelcome sign. From that point on, the road turned into an F-road, meaning we weren’t supposed to drive further without 4WD. We pondered this dilemma for a few minutes, but the Gjáin parking lot was less than two more miles from where we were, and we decided to risk it. (Note that this is not only not recommended, it is actually not allowed by the rental car companies, so please, don’t do what we did!) We were visiting Iceland in the middle of summer, and just drove very, very slowly and carefully. We learned after the fact that you can actually park at Stöng, the remains of a Viking longhouse along the same road, and hike from there to Gjáin in only like twenty minutes. That would have been the better way to go, but you live and you learn.
We safely reached the parking lot, and I was instantly flabbergasted by just how beautiful this place is! (“Flabbergasted,” what a fun word!) From the parking lot (which is really more of a dirt loop where you can park), there is a short descent along some stairs into the valley. Once there, there are several beautiful waterfalls and various little trails to explore.
The waterfalls in Gjáin aren’t huge, but they cascade down one on top of another on top of another, which is very picturesque. I kept running from place to place saying “Wow, this is so pretty!” We spent a total of about two hours exploring this area, but it would be easy to spend more or less time depending on how much you like waterfalls and how adventurous you feel. There is not one clear trail in the valley, but instead, a crisscrossed web of several small trails. I think we saw them all, but it’s hard to say for sure.
Besides the cool waterfalls, Gjáin also boasts some cool rock formations. One of the waterfalls is surrounded by basalt columns, like the ones you’ve probably seen photos of elsewhere in Iceland. Plus, there are some small caves.
The best word I think I can use to describe Gjáin is idyllic. It may not have as dramatic of scenery as other parts of the island, but it was still extremely beautiful. It felt like walking into a fantasy novel, and was at once both awe-inspiring and peaceful. It ended up being among my favorite stops in all of Iceland.
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