Seljalandsfoss rainbow: when and where to stand
Short answer: 6 Nov 2026: Best rainbow from Behind the curtain of water, 10:05–13:20 (strongest around 10:10), if the sun is out.
Seljalandsfoss falls 60 m off a west-facing cliff and you can walk all the way round behind it. From the front you see the rainbow with the sun behind you in the west; from behind the curtain you look out west into the spray.
Fri 6 November 2026 · sunrise 09:17, sunset 16:52
Behind the falls: rainbow 10:05–13:20
Best rainbow from Behind the curtain of water, 10:05–13:20 (strongest around 10:10), if the sun is out.
| In front, on the path from the car park looking east at the falls | A big, bright arc | 13:40–16:10 Best 16:00, high, arching over the falls |
|---|---|---|
| Behind the curtain of water looking west through the falling water | A big, bright arc | 10:05–13:20 Best 10:10, high, arching over the falls |
Hour by hour
| Time | In front | Behind the falls |
|---|---|---|
| 09:00 | ||
| 09:30 | ||
| 10:00 | ||
| 10:30 | ||
| 11:00 | ||
| 11:30 | ||
| 12:00 | ||
| 12:30 | ||
| 13:00 | ||
| 13:30 | ||
| 14:00 | ||
| 14:30 | ||
| 15:00 | ||
| 15:30 | ||
| 16:00 | ||
| 16:30 | ||
| 17:00 |
Plan it
The path behind the falls is closed in winter when it ices up. Bring waterproofs: you will be in the spray. A rainbow needs direct sun on the spray: on an overcast day there is none.
Through the year
| 15th of | In front | Behind the falls |
|---|---|---|
| January | 14:05–15:15 | 11:55–13:45 |
| February | 14:10–17:20 | 10:00–13:50 |
| March | 14:10–18:50 | 08:20–13:40 |
| April | 14:25–20:20 | 06:35–13:15 |
| May | 14:45–21:40 | 05:05–12:45 |
| June | 15:15–22:35 | 04:15–12:30 |
| July | 15:10–22:15 | 04:40–12:45 |
| August | 14:40–21:00 | 06:00–13:10 |
| September | 14:05–19:15 | 07:20–13:20 |
| October | 13:45–17:30 | 08:50–13:25 |
| November | 13:40–15:35 | 10:40–13:20 |
| December | — | 13:00–13:30 |
Seljalandsfoss rainbows by month
Questions
What time is the rainbow at Seljalandsfoss?
6 Nov 2026: Best rainbow from Behind the curtain of water, 10:05–13:20 (strongest around 10:10), if the sun is out. The time moves through the year; pick your date above.
Which side of Seljalandsfoss has the rainbow in the morning and which in the afternoon?
In front, on the path from the car park: afternoons. Behind the curtain of water: mornings.
Why is there no rainbow at midday?
When the sun is higher than about 42°, the whole rainbow circle sits below the horizon. You can then only see it low down, in spray below you, if at all. In summer that rules out the middle of the day at most falls closer to the tropics.
How do you calculate the rainbow times?
A rainbow is a circle of about 42° around the point exactly opposite the sun. You only see the part of that circle that falls on sunlit spray, so it needs the sun behind you and lower than about 42° above the horizon. For every 5 minutes of the day we place that circle in the sky and check how much of it lands on the spray seen from each viewpoint.
Calculated from the sun's position at each viewpoint. The spray extent is an estimate for normal flow; wind pushes the mist around and can move the rainbow by a few degrees. Times are local (Atlantic/Reykjavik).