Selfoss sits in South Iceland, 35 miles (57 km) from Reykjavik and a 45-minute drive. It suits travelers who want a base on the Golden Circle Route with a river, a food hall and a small town to walk around in.
Winter is the part to plan for. January highs stay near 36°F (2°C) and rain or snow falls on about 15 days of the month, so the town is at its easiest in late spring and early summer.
At a glance
- Location: South Iceland, 35 miles (57 km) from Reykjavik
- Drive from Reykjavik: 45 minutes
- On the route: part of the Golden Circle Route
- Food: The Old Dairy food hall with 8 restaurants
- Weather: June highs of 59°F (15°C), January highs of 36°F (2°C)
- Where to sleep: hotels, guesthouses, summerhouses, apartments and camping grounds
Where is Selfoss and what is it like?
Selfoss is in South Iceland, 35 miles (57 km) from the capital. It is a 45-minute drive from Reykjavik and part of the Golden Circle Route, which makes it an easy stop or base from the city.
The town sits on the banks of the Ölfusá River, and Ingólfsfjall mountain in Ölfus rises to 1,808 feet (551 m) nearby.
The Ölfusá is the most voluminous river in Iceland, with an average flow of 423 m³/sec. A suspension bridge first built in 1891 crosses it, so the river is part of the town’s story as well as its view.
What is there to do in Selfoss?
The Old Dairy and Skyrland
The Old Dairy is a food hall with 8 restaurants, a tap room with Icelandic craft beer and a wine and cocktail bar.
Skyrland is an interactive exhibition on skyr, and it is part of the same building. That makes the Old Dairy an easy stop for anyone curious about Icelandic food, and one visit covers a meal and the exhibition.
If you travel as a group with different tastes, the 8 restaurants under one roof let everyone choose their own plate. Check the opening hours of the restaurant you want on the day.
Ölfusárbrú and Selfoss Church
Ölfusárbrú is a suspension bridge over the Ölfusá River, first built in 1891.
Selfoss Church was built from 1952 to 1956 and consecrated on Palm Sunday, 25 March 1956.
Selfoss Town Tours offers history and food tours around the town with an experienced local guide. Take one early in your stay and you will know where to eat and what to see for the rest of it.
The Bobby Fischer Center
The Bobby Fischer Center houses memorabilia of the 11th World Chess Champion Bobby Fischer and of the Selfoss Chess Club.
Chess players will find the most here, but the story of a world champion tied to a small Icelandic town works for anyone curious.
Pair it with the Old Dairy for a half day in town. Confirm opening times locally before you go.
Pottery, dye-pots and forest walks
Hornið Creative Studio offers pottery workshops and paint-your-own pottery in downtown Selfoss. Hespuhúsið is an open plant dyeing studio where guests can visit and look into the dye-pots.
Hellisskógur forest has roads, walking paths and benches for visitors. It is a simple outing for a dry hour, and Selfoss Swimming Pool in the center of town is the other easy way to fill an afternoon.
If you want food, history and a bridge, stay in town. With children, the pottery studio, the pool and the forest paths are the easy choices. Travelers looking for big landscapes will find them better on the wider Golden Circle Route, with Selfoss as the base.
Where to stay in Selfoss
Selfoss itself has the most variety. Arctic Nature Hotel is a modern apartment hotel in the heart of town with 30 studio apartments. Hotel Selfoss stands on the banks of the Ölfusá River in the town center and has 139 rooms. Both suit travelers who want to walk to dinner.
For more space, BSG apartments offers a 90 sqm villa with 3 bedrooms for up to six people and a 23 sqm studio for two. Heima Holiday Homes has 8 single suites for up to four, all studios in individual houses. Gesthús Selfossi has 22 rooms in wooden bungalows for 1 to 3 adults, plus two-bedroom summerhouses for 2 to 6 adults.
Outside town, Blue Hotel Fagrilundur is a new 40-room hotel in Reykholt in Biskupstungur. The wider area also has camping grounds, guesthouses, farm holidays and hostels. At Hotel Selfoss, children 0 to 6 stay free in a room with their parents, and children 7 to 12 pay 50% for an extra bed.
When should you go to Selfoss?
Late spring and early June are the most comfortable stretch in the weather data. May highs reach 52°F (11°C), and June highs reach 59°F (15°C) with lows near 43°F (6°C). June also has 11 rainy days, fewer than any winter month.
Winter is colder and wetter. January highs are 36°F (2°C), lows are 25°F (-4°C), and about 15 days see at least a millimeter of precipitation. Travelers who dislike cold rain should skip January through March.
Pack layers and a waterproof jacket in any month. The month-by-month detail is on the best-time page.
What to know before visiting Selfoss
For entry, the U.S. State Department says no visa is needed for up to 90 days for tourism or business.
- Passport: it must have 3 months’ validity beyond your date of departure from the Iceland/Schengen Area, and 6 months is recommended.
- Emergency passport: Iceland does not accept the 12-page U.S. emergency passport for visa-free entry unless it has 3 months beyond your planned date of departure.
- Vaccinations: none are required.
- Safety: Iceland is at Level 1, Exercise normal precautions, and is generally a safe destination for travelers.
- Buses: bus travel within Árborg is free for all age groups, and Strætó city buses use the Klapp ticketing system.
Booking Selfoss for November: what to know
For a November visit, book restaurants and the spa ahead. At Hotel Selfoss, table reservations at the Riverside Restaurant are necessary, and booking the Riverside Spa is required.
Blue Hotel Fagrilundur recommends booking a table at Mika’s restaurant and at Friðheimar well in advance.
Sources
- ncei.noaa.gov (https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/wmo-climate-normals), checked 2026-10-30
- south.is (https://www.south.is/en/food-accommodation/food/culinary-experience/selfoss-town-tours), checked 2026-10-30
- travel.state.gov (https://travel.state.gov/en/international-travel/travel-advisories/iceland.html), checked 2026-10-31
- ambwashingtondc.esteri.it (https://ambwashingtondc.esteri.it/en/chi-siamo/gli-uffici/), checked 2026-10-25
- arborg.is (https://www.arborg.is/vidburdadagatal/sumar-a-selfossi-2026), checked 2026-10-30
- visiticeland.com (https://www.visiticeland.com/things-to-do/arctic-nature-hotel/), checked 2026-10-30
- visiticeland.com (https://www.visiticeland.com/things-to-do/blue-hotel-fagrilundur/), checked 2026-10-30
- hotelselfoss.is (https://www.hotelselfoss.is/general-terms), checked 2026-10-30