Iceland Travel GuideLOCAL TRAVEL AGENCY IN ICELAND
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Talk to a local
Iceland Travel GuideLOCAL TRAVEL AGENCY IN ICELAND
My trip
Talk to a local
Brúarhlöð is a narrow gorge on the Hvítá river about 3 km south of Gullfoss on the Golden Circle route, where the river has carved the rock into smooth pillars and shapes over centuries. It is free to visit, open all year, and worth a short stop on the way to or from Gullfoss. Most Golden Circle tours drive past it, so it is usually quiet.
At Brúarhlöð, the Hvítá river narrows and drops into a tight gorge, and centuries of fast-moving water have sculpted the pale rock walls into rounded pillars and hollows. A road bridge, built in 1959 after two earlier bridges were washed away, crosses the river right at the narrowest point, giving a good view down into the gorge.
Hvítá means “white river”. It is a glacial river that starts at Langjökull, drops over Gullfoss a few kilometres upstream, and arrives here pale and milky with fine sediment. Over many centuries it has cut its way through solid rock and left a winding gorge, with pillars and stacks standing in and beside the water. Two of them are known as Karl and Kerling, the old man and the old woman.
The cliffs are made of breccia, also called hyaloclastite: broken fragments of volcanic rock, formed when eruptions met ice and water, and later cemented together. It is softer than the lava around it, which is why the river has been able to shape it so freely.
From the parking area it is only a minute or two on foot to the edge of the gorge. Trodden paths lead to viewpoints above the pillars, and the best view is from the higher ground looking down the canyon. Golden Circle group tours rarely stop here, so you may well have it to yourself.
The canyon is also a well-known put-in and run for river rafting trips on the Hvítá, so it is common to see rafts passing through on a summer day. For most visitors it is a brief stop rather than a destination in itself, a few minutes off the main Golden Circle route between Geysir and Gullfoss.
There is no public bus to Brúarhlöð. The paths are uneven and unfenced, so they are not suitable for pushchairs or wheelchairs.
There are no railings on the rim. Keep back from the edge and hold on to children, especially when the rock is wet or icy.
None at the site: no toilets, shop or café. The nearest facilities are at Gullfoss or around Geysir.
Brúarhlöð is a short stop rather than an overnight destination; the villages around Geysir and Reykholt have the nearest accommodation.
If you are already driving between Geysir and Gullfoss, yes, it takes only a few minutes and costs nothing.
On the Hvítá river in South Iceland, where Road 30 crosses it about 3 km south of Gullfoss. It is about 1 hour 40 minutes by car from Reykjavík.
The Hvítá river has cut through breccia, a soft rock made of broken volcanic fragments, over many centuries, leaving a narrow gorge with rock pillars.
Yes, it is a well-known section for whitewater rafting trips on the Hvítá river.
Yes. A short gravel track by the bridge leads to a parking area, and the canyon rim is a minute or two away on foot.
Most group tours do not. It is easy to add on a self-drive day, or you can ask for it on a private tour.
Tours and trips that include Brúarhlöð, booked directly with a local travel agency in Iceland.
