The Golden Circle is the gold-standard tour in Iceland. Your Day Tours has been organizing trips to this beloved tourist route since 2015. Trust us. We know all the best spots!
We’ll spend the entire day traveling through the famous Golden Circle attractions, and we’ll even make some extra stops to show you the hidden gems!
You’ll see two of the greatest Icelandic geysers, Geysir and Strokkur, admire the beauty of Gullfoss Waterfall, and visit the historic Thingvellir National Park. You’ll also discover what’s special about Hveragerði town and learn why Kerid Crater is called the “Eye of the World.”
Don’t miss this opportunity to have the best day in Iceland! We’ll travel in a comfortable bus with free WiFi while listening to Icelandic music and enjoying some sweet treats.
We’ll pick you up in the morning at one of the bus stops in downtown Reykjavík. (Click here to see a list of bus stops). The pick-up is always between 8:00 and 8:30, but please be ready at 8 o'clock because you might be the first one that we gather. After we’re all on board, we’ll turn on some good music and start our exciting trip!
What if we told you that Iceland can grow bananas? Don’t believe us? Then we’ll have to stop at the geothermal town of Hveragerði, and you’ll see for yourself!
This intriguing town, located about 40 minutes south of Reykjavík, is famous for its high geothermal activity. The locals learned how to utilize this natural energy source and started cultivating greenhouses, which are now the main feature of the town.
The natural Earth’s warmth and a cheap source of sustainable energy year-round create perfect conditions to grow various fruits and vegetables, even tropical ones.
Before heading further, we’ll grab a coffee and something to eat at a local cafe. There, you can also use the restroom free of charge.
Another spectacular attraction on this tour is Kerid (Kerið) crater lake. It's also called "The Eye of the World" because of its distinct appearance. Red-colored rocks surround the 3000-year-old lake filled with aquamarine water, and the whole area around it is enclosed by green vegetation. This is the view you’ll be met with above the lake.
The crater was formed after a big volcano collapsed over 6,500 years ago. It left an 886-foot (270-meter) diameter and 180-foot (55-meter) deep caldera that later filled with groundwater. We will take a quick 20-minute hike around the crater. Just remember to wear sturdy shoes.
It’s hard to decide whether Kerid is more beautiful in summer or winter, but it is definitely a year-round wonder!
The wonderful Gullfoss is, in our opinion, one of the most beautiful waterfalls on earth! In fact, it is one of the biggest falls in Iceland, and it carries a beautiful story that our guide will share with you.
Some people like to call it "the mini-version of Niagara Falls." If you ask us, it's even prettier. The waterfall is located close to the second-biggest glacier in Iceland, Langjökull, and is fed by the river Hvita. The fresh glacier water falls down in two cascades that together measure 105 feet (32 meters).
In the summertime, it is possible to get really close to Gullfoss and feel its power and spray of water in the air. In winter, the path is a bit too slippery to get this close, but the views from the platform above... even more impressive!
This stop will take 45 minutes, with enough time to walk around and explore.
Do you know where the word geyser comes from? It actually originates from the Icelandic Geysir, one of the oldest such phenomena in the world.
Geysir is located only an 8-minute drive from Gullfoss and is our third big attraction of the day. Geysir's "golden age" was at the beginning of the last century when it erupted up to 400 ft (122 m) every half an hour. Although now it’s sleeping, nobody knows when the eruptions might start again.
Meanwhile, another geyser in the area is very active, and we will see it shooting water in the sky every 4-10 minutes! We are talking about the famous Strokkur. This erupting hot spring can go as high as 130 ft (40 meters) and never fails to amaze everyone who visits it.
We will stay a bit longer in the area to have lunch and look at the various hot springs (no bathing allowed!).
The restaurant offers burgers, salads, traditional Icelandic meat soup (our favorite), and much more. If you want to bring your own lunch with you, you can also eat on the bus, especially if the weather is bad.
The last stop of the day is the national park Þingvellir, full of history and natural beauty. It has a special place in the hearts of all Icelanders, all the way back to Viking times when they founded the first parliament in the world there.
We will have enough time to explore this wonderful place. You’ll be able to walk in the rift valley, where the tectonic plates are pulling apart. This is the closest you can get to being on two continents at the same time! The Eurasian plate and the American plate are separated by 0,78 in (2 cm) every year.
We usually spend around 45-60 minutes in the park. There are restrooms and coffee shops in the area.
- 1 day notice: 100% charge
Your Golden Circle tour is approx. 8 hours, so we will be back in the city between 16:00 and 16:30.
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