Gullfoss actually consists of two falls – the smaller cascade is 11 meters tall, and then the dramatic drop that people flock to see is 21 meters high.

The Hvítá river flows southward, and about a kilometer above the falls it turns sharply to the west and flows down into a wide curved three-step "staircase". There is a big difference between the falls in winter and summer. In the summer months, the glacier melt means that around 140 cubic meters of water tumbles over the rocks every second in an almighty cascade. While in winter, as there is less glacier melt and the river water remains frozen in places, it drops to around 109 cubic meters every second.

During the first half of the 20th century and some years into the late 20th century, there was much speculation about using Gullfoss to generate electricity. During this period, the waterfall was rented indirectly by its owners, Tómas Tómasson and Halldór Halldórsson, to foreign investors. However, the investors' attempts were unsuccessful, partly due to a lack of money. The waterfall was later sold to the state of Iceland and is now protected.

Gullfoss is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Iceland. Together with Þingvellir and the geysers of Haukadalur, Gullfoss forms part of the Golden Circle, a popular day excursion for tourists in Iceland.

Gullfoss appears in the penultimate episode of the thirty-fourth season of the American reality competition The Amazing Race.

According to the Internet