The entire country of Iceland is packed with incredible sites, from steaming hot springs to massive glaciers and dramatic black sand beaches. Thankfully, though, some of its most famous attractions are concentrated together outside of the capital city of Reykjavik along a 190 mile route, known as the Golden Circle.
There are three main stops along the Golden Circle—Thingvellir National Park, Geysir Geothermal Area, and the Gullfoss Waterfall. However, there are TONS of other incredible places to explore along the way, from the bluest waterfall in Iceland to a farm where you can feed lots of adorable Icelandic horses. Here’s everything you need to know to plan your perfect Golden Circle itinerary for your Iceland getaway.
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What is the Golden Circle?
As mentioned above, the Golden Circle is a route of three of the most popular attractions in Iceland that are located not too far from the capital city of Reykjavik:
- Thingvellir National Park, which is recognized for being the birthplace of the first parliament on the planet and for its unique geology as the meeting point of the Eurasian and European tectonic plates
- Geysir Geothermal Area, an area with dozens of geothermal features, like hot springs, fumaroles, and geysers, including the beloved Stokkur, which shoots steaming hot water up to 20 meters in the air several times per hour
- Gullfoss Waterfall, a two-tiered waterfall that’s considered one of the most powerful waterfalls in Europe, with up to 2,000 cubic meters of water flowing over its brink every second.
Where is the Golden Circle located?
The Golden Circle is conveniently located fairly close to Reykjavik, with the farthest attraction, Gullfoss, located 117 km (or less than two hours) away to the east.
Because of the sites’ proximity to Reykjavik and the fact that they’re accessible to most travelers, the Golden Circle usually is included as a day trip on the itinerary of every first-timer to Iceland.
How long is the Golden Circle?
If you were to drive back and forth between the Golden Circle stops and Reyjavik, it would be about a 135 km roundtrip (or a little under four hour) trek. That doesn’t include any time to stop and actually explore any of these sites.
That being said, most people who are driving themselves around will likely want to make other stops along the route to hit some of Iceland’s other gems. There is LOTS of stuff to see and do along the way (eat bread cooked by geothermal heat! soak in a beautiful hot spring! eat at a tomato-themed restaurant!), so the Golden Circle is kind of a choose-your-own-adventure. You could mainly concentrate on the big attractions along the route and make it back into Reykjavik to have dinner OR you could easily spread exploring the Golden Circle across two days (or more!) of your Iceland itinerary.
I’d personally recommend allocating at least one full day of your time in Iceland to exploring the Golden Circle. Between the drive time and spending just one hour at each of the three main attractions, that’s already seven hours, And then accounting for time to stop and eat and any other attractions you might want to see along the way? The Golden Circle easily becomes an all-day activity.
How can you visit the Golden Circle?
One of the best things about Iceland is how easy it is to visit, even if you’re a newbie to international travel. Almost everyone speaks perfect English, credit cards are accepted everywhere, and it’s SUPER easy to get around.
To visit the Golden Circle, you have two different options.
Go on a tour
If you don’t want to fart around with having a rental car in Iceland, you can always go on a tour from Reykjavik. Here are a few options:
Small group tour with Golden Circle, Kerid Crater, and the Blue Lagoon
If you want to cram in seeing as MUCH as possible, this tour is an awesome option, including stops at Iceland’s most famous hot spring, the Blue Lagoon; the jaw-dropping Kerid Crater; and, of course, all of the highlights of the Golden Circle. Plus, since the tour is limited to just 19 travelers, you won’t be on one of those annoying GIGANTIC buses.
Golden Circle, Kerid Crater, and Secret Lagoon Tour
If you want to try something a bit different than the Blue Lagoon, this tour stops at a hot spring along the Golden Circle, the Secret Lagoon, which is known as the oldest public swimming pool in Iceland. Of course, you’ll also stop at the Golden Circle sites, plus the Kerid Crater.
Classic Golden Circle tour
If you’re not big into hot springs or plan on going on your own time, this tour hits just the main sites of the Golden Circle, plus the Kerid Crater, making it a great option if you’re looking for a tour that’s not quite as jam-packed.
Drive yourself
Unfortunately, there’s no public transit that you can take to explore the Golden Circle, so your only other option besides joining a tour is to drive yourself around the Golden Circle in a rental car. And the good news with this option is that Iceland was totally made for road trips!
If you’re driving yourself, you probably also want to consider whether you want to head back to Reykjavik after driving the Golden Circle. My husband, Justin, and I have visited Iceland twice—once while we were short on time and basing ourselves in the city and another time where we had two full weeks to drive around Iceland in a campervan.
If you have the time, I’d recommend exploring Iceland beyond just around Reykjavik. Some of our favorite places in Iceland are a bit off-the-beaten tourist track, like the Hauganes Hot Tubs in the northern fjords, or Hengifoss, along the east coast.
Accordingly, it may make sense to end your Golden Circle itinerary somewhere other than Reykjavik, like in the small towns of Selfoss or Hvolsvöllur, if you plan on heading east along the Ring Road to stops along the southern coastline, like Vik or the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon.
The Main Stops Along the Golden Circle
If you just want to get straight to what stops you should make, you can jump right to our suggested Golden Circle itinerary.
Otherwise, we’re first going to dive into the three main sites along the Golden Circle, because, if you’re short on time, this is probably all you’ll have to squeeze in.
And, f you do have a bit more time to play around with, I’d highly recommend adding in some of these other Golden Circle stops to experience some of the things that make Iceland so special.
Thingvellir National Park
- Amenities: Bathrooms, visitor center, cafeteria, gift shop, campground (we stayed here twice during our road trip around Iceland—it was one of our favorites!)
- Opening hours: The park itself is open 24/7. The hours for the visitors center varies seasonally (April – October, from 09:00 to 18:00 and, November to March, 09:00 – 17:00)
- Parking fees: There are TONS of parking lots in Thingvellir, which charge a parking fee starting at 1000 ISK for a small car. If you’re snorkeling in Silfra, you’ll want to park in Lot P5 or, for other hiking trails, your best bet is Lot P2.
Thingvellir (spelled “Þingvellir” in Icelandic) is the country’s oldest national park.
As mentioned above, Thingvellir was the site of the world’s first parliament that was started by the Vikings in 930 AD and was held here until 1798, when it was moved to Reykjavik. I kind of love the idea of a group of Vikings, meeting outside in the gloomy rain or the snow, to decide the fate of the country.
This parliament served as the foundation of the country of Iceland, with a common cultural identity shared amongst the people of this island. Because of its historical significance, Thingvellir was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004.
Thingvellir is also geologically unique in that it’s located along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. This is recognized as the longest mountain range in the world and the convergence of the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates. While the Mid-Atlantic Ridge stretches for 10,000 miles, almost all of it is underwater—Iceland is actually one of the only countries in the world where you can observe this geological feature on land.
These two plates are constantly pulling apart from each other, at a rate of two centimeters per year. Over millions of years, this has created cliffs, gorges, and fissures all over the national park, creating a unique and dramatic landscape.
Things to do in Thingvellir National Park
You could probably spend a whole day exploring the trails and viewpoints in Thingvellir, but here are the best things to do here:
Snorkeling in Silfra
Honestly, out of everything along the Golden Circle, my favorite activity is snorkeling in Silfra. Honestly, it was one of our favorite activities in all of Iceland!
Silfra is a fissure that was formed by two tectonic plates pulling apart that’s now filled with meltwater from the nearby Langjökull Glacier. This water has been filtering through the volcanic bedrock for the last century before reaching Silfra, so it’s recognized as some of the most clear and pure water in the world.
Accordingly, the visibility while snorkeling here is unreal, allowing you to see into the depths of Silfra’s fissure, which is up to 207 feet deep, and admire the water’s brilliant shades of blue.
The water here is just above freezing year round, so, in order to snorkel here, you need to go with an authorized tour operator, who is equipped with the appropriate gear, like drysuits and thick neoprene gloves and hoods.
If you’re driving yourself around the Golden Circle, I’d recommend going with this tour, which was the exact one that we went with—our guide was really nice and took TONS of photos of us, both while we were in and out of the water, that were included in the package. Plus, he gave us hot chocolate afterwards, which is always a win!
Justin and I have spent over a month exploring Iceland and snorkeling in Silfra is still one of the most unique and memorable experiences that we’ve ever had in the country. I mean, it’s one of the only places in the world where you can snorkel between two tectonic plates!
As you might imagine, there’s a bit to know before going into this once-in-a-lifetime experience, but, luckily, we wrote a whole guide with everything you need to know about snorkeling in Silfra.
Walking through the Almannagjá Gorge
Another unique geological feature found in the park is the Almannagjá Gorge, a rift that also formed from the tectonic plates pulling apart, with dramatic walls that tower up to 130 feet tall.
The best way to explore this feature is along the Almannagjá Gorge Trail, an easy 2.6 mile hike that takes you through the rift and along the beautiful Öxará River. You also have the option to make a small detour to the Öxarárfoss, a beautiful waterfall flowing over a cliffside of columnar basalt.
Go on a ranger-guided walk
From June through August, Thingvellir offers two free ranger-guided walks per day:
- 10:00 AM: Starting from Thingvellier Church
- 2 PM: Starting from Thingvellir National Park Visitor Center
The tours cover a portion of the Almannagjá Gorge Trail, as a way to highlight the unique geology, flora, and fauna of the park, as well as other areas of the park, like its historic church, to cover the history of Thingvellir and the role it played in the formation of Iceland.
There’s no need to book ahead to participate in these tours—just show up! We visited Thingvellir in September and are so bummed we missed this activity!
Geysir Geothermal Area
- Amenities: bathrooms, multiple restaurants, gift shops, campsite, Hotel Geysir
- Hours: The site is open 24/7. Its visitor center, with the restaurants and gift shops, is typically open from 10 AM to 7 PM in the summertime and 9 AM to 5 PM in the winter months.
- Parking fees: Parking fees start at 1000 ISK for small vehicles.
As mentioned above, Iceland sits on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates are slowly pulling apart. This tectonic divergence creates a thin crust of magma near the earth’s surface, which quickly heats up the groundwater and results in lots of cool geothermal features, like bubbling hot pots, fumaroles, and geysers.
Geysir Geothermal Area, also known as the Haukadalur Valley, is one of the highest concentrations of geothermal features in Iceland.
The site was so named after a large geyser called Geysir that’s located here. It’s actually what all other geysers are now named after. Fun fact–the word “geysir” means “to gush or erupt” in Icelandic!
For hundreds of years, Geysir regularly erupted, shooting water up to 170 meters (580 feet) into the sky. But, over the course of the 20th century, it slowly went dormant and now, only erupts after the country experiences an earthquake. While Geysir may no longer be geysering, there’s still lots of other cool, very active features that you can stroll around and observe at this site.
Things to do in Geysir Geothermal Area
Watch Stokkur erupt
While Geysir may no longer be active, there’s another geyser, named Stokkur, that VERY much is and is the star of the show here. It actually erupts every 5 to 10 minutes, shooting hot water up to 40 meters in the air!
To reach Stokkur, there’s a short wooden boardwalk that winds through a field of hot pots, bubbling with mud, and fumaroles that eventually leads to an observation area, where you can wait and watch the geyser erupt. We’ve visited Stokkur during both of our trips to Iceland and always hang around to watch it explode at least a few times!
Hike to the observation point
Besides Stokkur, there’s a handful of paths that lead to other geothermal features sprinkled around the site, like Geysir and Blesi, a beautiful hot spring with clear blue water.
One of these pathways leads up a hillside to an observation point, where you can take in the views of the steamy Haukadalur Valley below. Here’s a trail map.
Gullfoss Waterfall
- Amenities: bathrooms, cafeteria, gift shop
- Hours: The waterfall is open 24/7. The visitor center is typically open from 09:30 to 19:00.
- Parking fees: None!
Gullfoss translates to the “Golden Falls” and is actually the reason the Golden Circle is so named. We didn’t get so lucky with the weather during our visit, but, if you’re blessed with a sunny day here, the waterfall is said to have a golden hue (and, usually, a rainbow or two!).
Gullfoss is a dramatic two-tiered waterfall that was carved by the Hvítá River, cascading a total of 32 meters into a mossy canyon below. Gullfoss is recognized as one of the most powerful waterfalls in Europe, with a flow rate that would fill up to a million Olympic swimming pools per day!
Something else that’s special about Gullfuss before visiting was how it serves as a symbol of environmental protection.
In the early 20th century, there were plans to turn Gullfoss into a hydroelectric dam. However, a local woman, Sigríður Tómasdóttir, was devoted to protecting the falls, going so far as to even threaten to throw herself in them to prevent the dam from being built.
Although it took decades, the waterfall was eventually designated as an Icelandic Nature Reserve in 1979. Sigríður is recognized as one of the first environmentalists in Iceland and visiting the waterfall remains free, due to her efforts.
Things to do at Gullfoss Waterfalls
Visit the viewpoints
There are two viewpoints in Gullfoss—a viewpoint from a distance that provides a view over both of the tiers and a viewpoint that’s closer and situated between the first and second tier.
To reach both of these viewpoints, you’ll take a short and paved trail from the parking lot. Just be prepared to get a bit wet at the closer viewpoint—you are standing by one of the most powerful waterfalls in Europe, after all!
Explore the Langjökull Glacier
Okay, so this one isn’t at Gullfoss itself, but while you’re here, you can explore the nearby Langjökull Glacier, which is the one that feeds Silfra AND the second largest glacier in Iceland.
There are several tours that leave from the Gullfoss parking lot to head to Langjökull, like this ice cave and glacier tour with a special monster truck designed to drive on the ice or this snowmobiling tour right on the glacier.
Other Stops to Add on to Your Golden Circle Itinerary
If you plan on just driving from Reykjavik to the main Golden Circle sites and back to the city, it’ll probably take you between six to seven hours.
However, if you have more time to dedicate to exploring the Golden Circle, there are SO many cool sites along the way or that just require a short detour that could easily fill up a couple days of your Iceland itinerary.
1. Laugarvatn Fontana
- Hours: The geothermal baths are open from 10 AM to 9 PM in the summer and 11 AM to 9 PM in the winter.
Laugarvatn Fontana is a hot spring located along the shore of a lake, named “Laugarvatn”. The property has a spa, with a hot spring, sauna, and other wellness facilities, but its primary claim to fame is something a bit more unique–geothermal rye-bread baking!
Rye bread is a traditional Icelandic food, thanks to the fact that rye is well-adapted to grow in Iceland’s cool and wet climate and the fact that rye bread is one of the only breads that can be baked underground, using geothermal heat. Rye bread has been baked this way in Iceland for over 300 years!
Laugarvatn Fontana hosts multiple daily tours, which you can book here, where they demonstrate how they bake rye bread using geothermal heat.
Essentially, rye bread dough is put in a lidded metal pot. They dig a hole in the sand near the hot spring until they reach a layer of boiling water, where the metal pot is placed and covered up with sand. After 24 hours, the metal pot is dug up, with a delicious loaf of sweet rye bread waiting for you. On the tour, you get to help dig a hole to bake rye bread, unearth one of the newly baked loves, and of course, get to share some warm, thick slices.
The sandy beach where the bread is baked also has small pools of steaming hot water where you’re welcome to boil your own food, like eggs. Just make sure to clean up after yourself and not leave a bunch of eggshell scraps everywhere (which was unfortunately the case when we visited!).
2. Brúarfoss
- Hours: Open 24/7
There are lots of waterfalls in Iceland, but Brúarfoss is recognized as the bluest waterfall in Iceland. Brúarfoss is fed by meltwater from the aforementioned Langjökull Glacier, which carries glacial silt and minerals that reflect sunlight to create the spectacular milky blue color our eyes perceive.
You used to have to hike a 4.4 mile trail (roundtrip) to access Brúarfoss, but, in recent years, they’ve built a parking lot so that the waterfall is just a short walk away. The road leading to the parking lot can be a bit rough, although any standard passenger car should be able to make it just fine.
Parking fees for the lot start at 750 ISK for a small vehicle.
3. Brú Horsefarm
- Hours: The horse candy kiosk(!!!) is open 24/7.
One of my favorite Golden Circle stops is Brú Horsefarm.
As you’re driving around Iceland, you’ll notice that seemingly all of the land is sprawling green fields, dotted with sheep and horses. These Icelandic horses are small in size and look absolutely majestic—but, oftentimes, there are no places for you to pull over and admire these beautiful creatures and the surrounding scenery.
Brú Horsefarm is a family-run stable where you’re not only encouraged to pull over to admire their Icelandic horses, but also to feed them! They have a self-service kiosk, payable with a QR code, where you can buy little cups of “horse candy”, which are little, hard nuggets that the horses are gleeful to snack on.
During our last trip to Iceland, Justin and I got SUPER unlucky with the weather, with torrential downpour for the majority of our visit. Feeding the horses here definitely brightened our day and was one of the highlights of exploring the Golden Circle for us.
4. Hrunalaug Hot Spring
- Hours: May 1st – August 31st (9:00 – 23:00); Fall and spring season September 1st – October 31st and March 15th – April 30th (9:00 – 21:00) and November 1st – March 14th (10:00 – 20:00)
If you’re looking for a hot spring that looks straight of the shire, Hrunalaug Hot Spring should be at the top of your bucket list.
Hrunalaug is on a local farm with rolling green hills, with a few rock-lined pools that were dug out by the family in the 1890s. It looks EXACTLY what you’d picture when you think of a hot spring on an Icelandic farm, with small, steaming hot pools next to a mossy turf house and tons of adorably floofy sheep that dot the hillsides.
Hrunalaug costs 3000 ISK for a one and a half hour soaking session. Be forewarned that the water is usually more akin to a heated pool temperature than a hot tub and that, given its small size, there can sometimes be a wait to use the pools.
5. Secret Lagoon
- Hours: June – September (10:00 to 20:00) and October to May (10:00 to 19:00)
If you’re looking for something a bit more developed than a couple of small pools dug into a sheep field, the Secret Lagoon may be just the spot for you.
Yet another hot spring, the Secret Lagoon is considered to be the oldest swimming pool in Iceland, dating all the way back to 1890. Unlike some of the sleek commercial hot springs in Iceland, like the Sky Lagoon in Reykjavik, Secret Lagoon has retained some of its rustic charm, with grassy hills surrounding it and a historic changing room, perched on its shores. However, there are still some more modern amenities, as compared to Hrunalaug, like showers and lockers.
Admission to the Secret Lagoon costs 4500 ISK for adults.
Insider tip: Most developed Icelandic hot springs, including Secret Lagoon, have towels that you can rent, but I’d recommend bringing your own, like this one. Not only will this save you some rental fees, but you’ll also be able to use them at undeveloped hot springs too (which obviously will not have towels for rent!).
6. Friðheimar
- Hours: 11:30 AM- 4 PM
Friðheimar is almost certainly Iceland’s most famous restaurant—and for good reason! This charming eatery is situated in a picturesque greenhouse, with some 10,000 tomato plants dangling from the ceiling. In fact. Friðheimar produces almost half of the tomatoes in all of Iceland and up to two tons of tomatoes per DAY!
As you might imagine, these homegrown tomatoes are the star of the show here. They have a beloved all-you-can-eat tomato soup and freshly baked bread buffet and other classics, like fresh pasta and salad, plus some more unusual offerings, like cheesecake topped with tomato jam and even beer brewed with tomatoes.
Friðheimar is immensely popular and is only open for lunch. Accordingly, you need to make a reservation at least a couple of weeks in advance, especially if you’re visiting in the summertime.
If there are no openings available during your visit, you can always visit their winebar and bistro, which has a similar ambiance and vibe as the main restaurant, just with a more paired down menu (and, sadly, no all-you-can-eat soup buffet). Alternatively, if you feel really strongly about visiting the restaurant, you can join this Golden Circle tour, which hits all of the main sites, Friðheimar, and the stunning Sky Lagoon.
7. Kerið Crater
- Hours: Sunup to sundown
Kerið is a 3,000 year old volcanic caldera with a lake in its center, known for its shockingly turquoise waters. The lake’s vibrant hue looks even more stunning, contrasted against the red volcanic rock of the crater’s slopes and the green moss streaked up its walls.
There’s an easy 0.9 mile (roundtrip) trail that you can take from the parking lot up to the rim of the crater to get a jaw dropping view of the colorful lake below. Along the trail, you have an option to walk downhill to stroll along the lake’s craggy shoreline. In the wintertime, the water freezes over and it’s actually used as an ice skating rink (although there’s no ice skating rental, so you’ll need to bring your own!).
There’s no parking fee for Kerið, but it costs 600 ISK per person to enter the crater.
8. Ölverk Pizza and Brewery
- Hours: Sunday through Thursday (11:30-22:00); Friday and Saturday (11:30-23:00)
There’s only a handful of restaurants we went to during both of our trips to Iceland and Ölverk is one of them.
Ölverk serves up tasty wood-fired pizzas, cooked in a volcanic stone oven, that use unique ingredients, including Icelandic seaweed (try it—it’s SO GOOD!), brie, and dates. Plus, they’re a microbrewery that’s actually powered by geothermal energy—how cool is that?
It’s the perfect place to grab lunch or dinner as you’re driving around the Golden Circle.
9. Reykjadalur Hot Spring Thermal River
- Hours: 24/7
Imagine soaking in a steamy hot river, tucked between impossibly green hills dotted with Icelandic sheep.
Reykjadalur, which means “steam valley”, is just that—a natural thermal river that you can hike to in the Icelandic highlands.
To reach the hot springs, you’ll need to go on a moderately challenging, 5.7 mile hike up through the hills. Along the way, you’ll pass sweeping valleys, steaming geothermal features, and a glorious waterfall in a canyon below. Honestly, even if the hike didn’t end at a hot spring, it would still totally be worth doing, in my opinion.
That being said, the hike has some steep sections, so I’d recommend wearing proper hiking boots for this one (here’s the pair that Justin uses and here’s the boots that I have and LOVE). Additionally, if you’re hiking here in the wintertime, you’re going to want to have microspikes, as the trail tends to get quite icy.
Regardless of when you visit, the changing facilities at the river are pretty rustic—limited to a few wooden dividers that you can change behind along a wooden boardwalk. So I’d recommend wearing your bathing suit under your hiking clothes and don’t forget to bring along a towel!
Insider tip: While there are certain places around the world where soaking in hot springs nude is totally accepted, that is not the case in Iceland, even in natural hot springs, like Reykjadalur. So be sure to pack along a swimsuit!
For a small vehicle, it costs 1000 ISK to park at the lot for Reykjadalur for up to five hours.
Golden Circle itinerary
As mentioned above, there are limitless options of how to explore the Golden Circle—you could spend about half a day, just driving roundtrip from Reykjavik and hitting all of the main sites, or hit ALL of the sites above (and there’s even MORE sites that are worth stopping at) over the course of a few days.
Here, though, we’re going to provide Golden Circle itineraries to follow if you have one or two days to dedicate to driving this route.
Golden Circle itinerary for one day
- Reykjavik
- Thingvellir National Park (grab the first snorkeling tour in the morning that you can, at 8:30 AM)
- Laugarvatn Fontana (book an 11:45 AM rye bread tour)
- Brúarfoss
- Friðheimar (make a 2 PM reservation)
- Geysir
- Brú Horsefarm
- Gullfoss
- Kerið Crater
- Reykjavik
Golden Circle itinerary for two days
For this itinerary, you’ll be hitting these stops a bit out of order to make tour times work out, but it only adds about 15 or so minutes of extra drive time.
Day 1
- Thingvellir National Park (grab the first snorkeling tour in the morning that you can, at 8:30 AM)
- Laugarvatn Fontana (book an 11:45 AM rye bread tour)
- Geysir
- Snowmobiling on Langjokull Glacier Tour (meet in the Gullfoos parking lot and book the 2 PM tour)
- Gullfoss
- Stay the night at Hotel Gullfoss or, if you’re on a tighter budget, Litli Geysir Hotel
Day 2
- Brú Horsefarm
- Brúarfoss
- Secret Lagoon
- Friðheimar (make a reservation for 1:30 PM)
- Kerið Crater
- Reykjadalur Hot Springs
- Ölverk Pizza and Brewery for dinner
- Back to Reyjkavik
I hope you have a better idea of what you want your Golden Circle itinerary to look like—there’s so many cool gems on this corner of our planet! Do you have any questions about driving this route or planning this aspect of your Iceland trip? Let us know in the comments below.
