The Golden Circle in Iceland

The Golden Circle is not an official road or a park. It is the name for a round trip from Reykjavík to three sights in the south-west of Iceland that sit close enough together to see in one day. Thingvellir is where Iceland’s parliament was founded and where two tectonic plates pull apart. At the Geysir geothermal area the hot spring Strokkur erupts every few minutes. Gullfoss is a two-step waterfall dropping into a deep canyon.

It became the standard first trip out of Reykjavík for a simple reason: the three stops show three different sides of the country, history, geothermal heat and glacial rivers, all within two hours of the capital. That is also why it is the busiest route in Iceland, and why timing matters more here than almost anywhere else.

Þingvellir, usually written Thingvellir in English, is where the Icelandic parliament, the Althing, first met in 930. Chieftains gathered here every summer for more than eight centuries to settle disputes and pass laws. It became a national park in 1930 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004.

The park lies in the rift valley between the North American and Eurasian plates, which drift apart by about two centimetres a year. The main path runs down through Almannagjá, a gorge opened by that movement, past the Law Rock where the lawspeaker recited the law, with a short walk on to the Öxarárfoss waterfall. The lake beside it, Thingvallavatn, is the largest natural lake in Iceland.

Silfra, a fissure in the park filled with glacier water at 2–4 °C, is one of the few places in the world where you can snorkel between two tectonic plates. It is booked through a licensed dive operator and fits into a Golden Circle day.

How long to spend: one to two hours covers the gorge, the Law Rock and Öxarárfoss.

The hot spring area in the Haukadalur valley gave its name to every geyser in the world. The Great Geysir itself has been mostly quiet for a century (the history is on our About Iceland page), but its neighbour Strokkur erupts every few minutes, usually 15–20 metres high and sometimes much higher. Wait by the ropes long enough and you will see two or three.

Stand upwind if you want to stay dry, and keep to the paths: the water in the pools is close to boiling. Around Strokkur are smaller hot springs, steaming vents and the clear blue pool Blesi. Entry is free, and the visitor centre across the road has food.

How long to spend: 45 minutes to an hour.

The Golden Circle is open all year, and the main roads are kept clear through the winter. What changes is the daylight: around the shortest day in December there are only four to five hours of it, so the day starts in the dark and the sun stays low the whole time.

Paths at Gullfoss and Geysir get icy, so wear boots with good grip or bring ice cleats, and dress in layers under a wind- and waterproof shell. Our tours run in a 4×4 SUV or a minivan, chosen for the group and the conditions.

Between September and April, on a clear night, the northern lights can show up on the drive back, far from the city lights. They are never guaranteed; our northern lights guide covers when and where to look.

Big coach tours are the simplest way to see the Golden Circle, but most leave Reykjavík at the same time and reach each stop together, which is when the paths are most crowded. Driving yourself gives you freedom, though in winter the roads, the wind and the short days need some experience.

A private tour sits between the two: your own guide and vehicle, pick-up where you are staying, and the order and pace set around you. Starting the loop at a different end, or arriving before or after the coaches, makes a real difference at Geysir and Gullfoss. It also leaves room for a lunch stop, a hot spring or Silfra without watching the clock.

With one day, the Golden Circle is the shorter trip and the better introduction: history, geothermal activity and a big waterfall within two hours of Reykjavík. The South Coast is a longer day that goes further, to Seljalandsfoss, Skógafoss and the black sand beach at Reynisfjara. With two days, do both.