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Parking at Seljalandsfoss: Cost and How to Pay (2026)
Parking at Seljalandsfoss
What it costs, how to pay, and what happens if you drive off without paying
The short answer
Parking at Seljalandsfoss costs 900 ISK for a normal car (roughly 6.50 USD), valid the whole day from midnight to midnight. Toilets are included. There is no barrier, no gate, and nothing to put in your windscreen. A camera reads your licence plate on the way in.
Car, up to 9 passengers: 900 ISK
Minibus, 10 to 19 passengers: 1,800 ISK
Bus, 20 passengers and more: 3,500 ISK
Motorcycle: 400 ISK
Prices from Checkit, the company that operates the car park. Verified July 2026. USD figures use a working rate of 140 ISK per USD.
How to pay, step by step
1. Note your licence plate. In a rental car you will not have it memorised. Photograph the plate before you walk away from the car. Payment is by plate number, not by ticket.
2. Pay on site or online. Use the payment kiosk at the car park, or pay from your phone at checkit.is by selecting Seljalandsfoss and entering the plate. Card payment, no cash needed.
3. That is it. Nothing to display. You can pay when you arrive or before you leave, the fee is per day.
Mobile signal at the car park is usually fine, but it is not guaranteed in bad weather. If your phone will not load the page, use the kiosk.
If you drive off without paying
You will not find a ticket on the windscreen, and nobody will chase you at the exit. The camera already has your plate. The parking fee is then billed to the registered owner of the car, with a 100 ISK bank transfer charge added.
The part that catches visitors: in a rental car, the bill goes to the rental company, not to you. Most rental companies pay it, then charge your card for the parking plus their own administration fee. A 900 ISK parking fee can turn into several thousand ISK weeks after you fly home. Pay it on the day.
If you think you were charged in error, Checkit answers by email at checkit@checkit.is, weekdays 9:00 to 16:00.
What the car park is actually like
Where: off Route 249, just north of the Ring Road (Route 1), about 120 km from Reykjavík, roughly a 2 hour drive without stops.
Size: large and flat, and it takes campervans and buses. Even in summer you will usually find a space, though at midday in July you may circle once.
Open: 24 hours, all year. The fee applies at any hour.
Toilets: on site, included in the parking fee.
Food: a small cafe with sandwiches, cake, and coffee. Hours vary by season, so do not plan a meal around it.
Walk to the falls: short and flat from the car park. The path behind the waterfall is a separate matter, see below.
Limited mobility, wheelchairs, and what the site actually asks of you
Accessibility is not only about wheelchairs. A bad knee, a bad back, recent surgery, balance issues, or simply being an older traveller who needs to move slowly and sit down can all change whether Seljalandsfoss feels easy or exhausting. This section is for anyone whose body does not bounce back from uneven ground, spray, or long walks the way it used to.
The honest summary
The main waterfall view is close to a flat, paved car park and can be reached by a short, mostly level path. That part is genuinely manageable for many people with limited mobility, especially if the weather is dry and you arrive when the lot is quiet. The walk behind the waterfall, and the path on to Gljúfrabúi, are a different story: wet rock, steps, gravel, and in places water you have to step through.
The car park: large, flat and paved, with spaces close to the path entrance. Designated disability spaces are the norm at major Icelandic sites, but signage here is not always obvious, and in peak summer the closest spots fill quickly. Arriving before 10:00 or after 18:00 makes a real difference.
The main viewing area: a short, mostly level walk on a made path from the car park. Many wheelchair users manage the front view with assistance in dry weather. After heavy rain the surface near the falls turns wet and muddy, and the spray keeps the front of the path damp even on sunny days.
The walk behind the falls: not advisable for anyone with knee, hip, back, or balance issues. It is uneven wet rock with steps, constant spray, and in winter it is icy or closed outright. You can see the waterfall well without doing this part.
Gljúfrabúi: the path north is rough gravel and the entrance to the cleft involves stepping through water. Treat it as not suitable for limited mobility.
Seating: we have not been able to confirm permanent benches or seating along the path from an official source. If you need to rest frequently, plan for a short walk to the main view and back, and do not count on places to sit. Calling ahead is the honest way to check current conditions.
Toilets: on site and included in the fee. We have not confirmed the internal dimensions of the accessible cubicle from an official source, so if that matters for your trip, call ahead.
If you use a P-card or disability badge
Under Icelandic rules, a P-card (the parking card for people with reduced mobility) lets you use P-marked spaces and park in a chargeable P-marked space without paying. The card belongs to the person, not to the car, and it must sit face up inside the windscreen where it can be read from outside. A disability badge issued in another EEA country is recognised in Iceland on the same terms.
The trap at camera lots: Seljalandsfoss has no attendant. A camera reads your plate, and a card in the windscreen is invisible to it. If you simply park and leave, the system will bill the registered owner, which in a rental car means the rental company plus its administration fee. Email checkit@checkit.is with your licence plate and your permit details, ideally on the day, and ask them to mark the visit manually. Answers come on weekdays, 9:00 to 16:00, so send it and keep the email.
Practical tips for bad knees, bad backs, or slower walking:
- Arrive early or late so you are not rushed by crowds or trying to find a close parking space under pressure.
- Wear shoes with real grip, not smooth soles. The spray keeps rock and boardwalks slippery even when the weather looks fine.
- Walking poles can turn the short path to the main view from tiring into manageable.
- You do not need to do the walk behind the falls to experience Seljalandsfoss. The front view is still powerful, and the photo is still excellent.
- If today is a bad day for your body, the south coast has easier stops. Skógafoss is also close to its car park, though the path up the hill is steep. Reynisfjara has a flat viewing area but dangerous waves. Choose based on what your body can handle today.
P-card rules from island.is. Site conditions are our own observation, not an official accessibility audit.
One resident thing worth knowing
The walk behind Seljalandsfoss soaks you. Not a light mist, properly soaks you, and the path is slick rock and wet steps. In winter it is often closed or plain icy, and in summer people still slip in trainers. Waterproof jacket on, hood up, phone in a pocket that closes, and shoes with grip.
Also worth the extra five minutes: walk a few hundred metres north along the path to Gljúfrabúi, the waterfall hidden inside a rock cleft. Same car park, same fee, far fewer people.
Questions visitors often ask
How much is parking at Seljalandsfoss?
900 ISK for a car, all day. 1,800 ISK for a minibus, 3,500 ISK for a bus, 400 ISK for a motorcycle.
Do I need a parking app?
No. Seljalandsfoss uses Checkit, not Parka or EasyPark. You pay at the kiosk or on the Checkit website with your plate number. Other south coast sites do use apps, so it is worth having Parka installed anyway.
What happens if I do not pay?
No windscreen ticket. The fee is sent to the registered owner with a 100 ISK transfer charge, and in a rental car that means the rental company bills you later with an added administration fee.
Is the toilet free?
It is included in the parking fee, so there is no separate charge once you have paid.
Does the ticket cover Skógafoss too?
No. Every site bills separately, and Skógafoss is a different operator. Budget for parking at each stop on the south coast.
Can I visit Seljalandsfoss with a bad knee or bad back?
The main view is a short, mostly level walk from a flat car park, so many people with joint or back issues manage it in dry weather. The walk behind the falls is uneven wet rock with steps and spray, so skip it if your knee, hip, or back is not having a good day. Walking poles and grippy shoes help.
You might also need
South Coast Guide
Pacing, safety, and the stops that are worth the drive
Parking in Iceland
Apps, rules, camera lots, and how fines actually work
Can I Drive Today?
A plain verdict on road and weather conditions for your route
Accessibility in Iceland
Limited mobility travel, P-cards, and what is realistic outside Reykjavík
What to Pack
Waterproofs and footwear that survive a walk behind a waterfall