Golden Circle Private Tour with Hvammsvik Hot Springs
by VAREN Iceland · Lagoons & spas · Golden Circle
from €1,253.44 per vehicle
Next departure: Sun 25 Oct
1 / 29
Duration
11 hours
Difficulty
Easy
Season
All year
Starts in
Reykjavík
Pickup
Hotel pickup included
Guide
Guided in English
Departs
08:00, 09:00
Minimum age
10
Cancellation
Free until 24 hours before
About this experience
Iceland's Golden Circle is one of the great road trips of the world: tectonic rifts, erupting geysers, thundering waterfalls and a volcanic crater that looks like it belongs in a painting. This day ends somewhere most visitors never reach: Hvammsvík Hot Springs, eight natural pools on the edge of a quiet fjord.
This is a fully private tour. Your group of up to 8 guests gets a dedicated driver-guide and a vehicle that belongs entirely to you for the day. No fixed pace, no waiting for other passengers, no compromises. If you want to stay longer at Gullfoss because the light is perfect, you stay. If you want to watch Strokkur erupt one more time, you watch. The day is yours.
You'll start at Kerið, where red volcanic slopes wrap around a still blue lake. At Gullfoss, the deep roar of glacial water fills your chest while mist brushes your skin. In the geothermal fields of Haukadalur, you'll smell the sulfur in the steam and hear Strokkur building tension seconds before it explodes skyward. On the way to Þingvellir, we stop to say hello to Icelandic horses, and then you walk between the North American and Eurasian plates in the rift valley.
Then we cross the hills to Hvalfjörður and finish at Hvammsvík. Eight pools of different temperatures sit right on the shoreline, some of them rising and falling with the Atlantic tide. It is the kind of soak that makes a long day feel easy.
Throughout the day your driver-guide is right there, sharing stories, small legends and practical tips, with deep knowledge of Iceland's history, culture and landscape at every stop. They answer questions, give context and make sure your group gets the most out of every moment, so you don't just see the Golden Circle, you feel why people fall in love with this place.
Full details of each stop are in the itinerary. Pick-up and drop-off anywhere in the Capital Area, including the cruise terminals, is included. Hvammsvík tickets are not included and can be added when you book. The order of stops may be adjusted on the day due to weather or road conditions.
Choose a Private Sedan for 1-3 guests or a Private Van for up to 8 guests. One price per vehicle, not per person.
Description from the operator, VAREN Iceland. Prices and availability in the booking panel are live.
Where you go
- Pick-up in the Capital Area
- Kerið Volcanic Crater – Breathtaking Colors
- Gullfoss Waterfall – Feel The Mist And The Might
- Strokkur Geyser – The Thrill Of The Eruption
- Icelandic Horses – A Friendly Hello Along The Way
- Thingvellir National Park – A Walk Between Continents
- Öxarárfoss Waterfall – The Hidden Gem Of The Rift
- Hvammsvík Hot Springs – A Soak On The Edge Of The Fjord
- Drop-off in the Capital Area
Included
- Private Golden Circle tour with Hvammsvík, just for your group
- Friendly English-speaking local driver-guide
- Private Sedan or Private Van for the whole day
- Pick-up and drop-off at your accommodation or cruise terminal
- 2 hours at Hvammsvík Hot Springs while your driver-guide waits
- Help with your luggage and gear
- Bottled water
- USB charging on board
- Kerið Crater entrance fee
- Child seats, free of charge (add them when you book)
- All parking fees and local taxes
Not included
- Gratuities
- Hvammsvík entry tickets, unless added when you book
- Meals and snacks
Good to know
- Warm, waterproof clothes, comfortable shoes and your swimsuit. Towels can be rented at Hvammsvík.
- You will receive your booking confirmation right after you book.
- Please count everyone in your group, including children and infants, as everyone needs their own seat.
- We pick up and drop off at any accommodation in the Capital Area and at the cruise terminals in Reykjavík and Hafnarfjörður. Staying somewhere else? Send us a message before you book and we will gladly help.
- Arriving by cruise ship? We plan the start time and the route around your ship's schedule, so you are back at the port well before all-aboard time.
- Entry tickets are not included in the tour price, and you can add them when you book: Natural, Classic or Comfort. Tickets are priced per person.
- If you already have tickets, simply skip the add-on and let us know your entry time so we can plan the day around it.
- Would you like more time at Hvammsvík? Just let us know when you book, and we will do our best to arrange it at an additional charge.
- This tour involves easy walks on uneven natural paths, so it is not suitable for guests with serious mobility limitations. The tour is not wheelchair accessible.
- This tour is for guests aged 10 and over, as Hvammsvík welcomes guests from 10 years of age. Guests under 18 must be with an adult.
Cancellation for this tour
Free cancellation until 24 hours before departure; no refund after that. If the operator cancels for weather or safety, you get a full refund or a new date.
Sold out on your date?
Seats come back — a cancellation, or the operator adding a vehicle. Tell us the date and we will check once a day and email you if one opens. One email, then we delete the address; nothing else is ever sent to it.
Who this is not for
- Children under 10 cannot join this one.
- Not a good fit if you want a relaxed day: 11 hours is a long time on the road, most of it spent getting there and back.
Read off the operator's own conditions. If none of it applies to you, this is a good one.
Why we list it
VAREN Iceland is one of 207 operators we work with — chosen for reliability, honest descriptions and how they treat guests when weather changes plans. We don't list everything; we list what we'd book ourselves. The six checks every operator passes →
What travellers say about VAREN Iceland
Read all 126 reviews on Google →Operator rating 4.5/5 from Google — these are reviews of the company, not this specific tour. Shown as Google returns them, unedited.
★★★★★ · a year ago
Lovely hour-long cruise round the Utrecht canal. Friendly guide with lots of information about the history and people of Utrecht. Prices were very reasonable, and longer trips available if you wanted.
★★ · a year ago
We Bootes a place to see the grachten in Utecht. Unfortunately there were no explanations or informations about the area or buildings at all. So Next time I would Book another ship
★★★★★ · 7 years ago
Five stars service - super nice and helpful staff We booked the boat for a bachelorette party. We had a few logistical challenges prior and on the day itself - and Varen in Utrecht staff were so helpful and kind to help us to find solutions. On th day itself, Max - our captain- went out of his way (quite literally, by picking up the bride by boat at a location that would be easily accessible by car). Moreover, as the bride wasn't able to get to the spot until 40 minutes later, Max at his own initiative even extended our time because the next reservation wasn't until half an hour later after our initial time was supposed to end. How incredibly kind is that? A million thanks to the lovely people of this company - would recommend them in a heartbeat.
★★★★★ · 7 years ago
Visitors of Utrecht often forget that its canals are just as attractive as those in Amsterdam and the best way to see them is by boat. Good angles for photography as well.
Reviews from Google · updated 23 Oct 2026
Read before you book
- Best Lagoon in Iceland (2026): 5 Picks ComparedWhich hot lagoon or hot spring tour to book in Iceland, ranked. Real prices, where each one starts, and who should skip it.
- Blue Lagoon vs Sky Lagoon vs Secret LagoonThree hot lagoons near Reykjavík, three very different days. We say which one fits an airport day, a city evening and a Golden Circle loop.
- Golden Circle add-ons: which lagoon to bolt onSecret Lagoon, Blue Lagoon or Fontana as the hot-water finish to a Golden Circle day. Which is on the route, which fits the budget, which to book separately.
Reviews from our travellers
Only people who booked this tour through us can write here. We publish every review in full — good or bad.
Reviews arrive the day after each trip — none yet for this one. After your tour we send one email asking how it was, and what you write goes here, unedited.
Lagoons & spas — questions people ask
Is the Blue Lagoon worth it or is it too touristy?
It is busy and it is worth it, once. The water is milky blue from silica, the setting in the Reykjanes lava is unlike anywhere else, and it sits twenty minutes from Keflavík Airport, so it fits an arrival or departure day. Book a time slot in advance; it sells out. If crowds bother you, go early morning or after 20:00. The Secret Lagoon or Fontana on the Golden Circle are calmer and cheaper alternatives.
Can I do the Blue Lagoon on the way to or from the airport?
Yes, and it is the best way to use it. Transfers like IceTransfer's Keflavík to Blue Lagoon to Reykjavík (/experience/1036423/) or the reverse (/experience/1036419/) stop at the lagoon for a few hours with your luggage stored. Allow at least three hours at the lagoon and check that your slot lines up with your flight. Note that the Reykjanes eruptions have closed the lagoon at short notice; check its status before travelling.
What is the difference between the Secret Lagoon and the Blue Lagoon?
The Secret Lagoon at Flúðir is a simple, warm geothermal pool with a bubbling hot spring beside it and basic changing rooms. It is on the Golden Circle, so it slots into a sightseeing day (/experience/17050/, /experience/624446/). The Blue Lagoon is a spa: silica masks, swim-up bar, saunas and a price to match. If you want a soak after a day of waterfalls, Secret Lagoon. If you want the spa day, Blue Lagoon.
Do I have to shower naked before a pool in Iceland?
Yes, at every public pool and most lagoons. Swimwear off, wash thoroughly with soap, swimwear on, then into the water. It is a hygiene rule because Icelandic pools use very little chlorine, and it is taken seriously. Changing rooms are single-sex with open showers; some larger lagoons have a few private cubicles. Nobody looks. It feels odd for thirty seconds and then it does not.
Hotels
Where to stay for this tour
From the cheapest to the top end of what is near Reykjavík, from our hotel partners. Rooms are booked on our hotels site.
from 16.181 kr.Lowest price
Guesthouse · Reykjavík
Old Town Reykjavík
under 1 km away · a night for two, indicative
from 40.115 kr.Mid-range
Hotel · Reykjavík
Black Pearl Reykjavik
under 1 km away · a night for two, indicative
from 60.840 kr.Top end
Hotel · Reykjavik
Hótel Holt
under 1 km away · a night for two, indicative
One checkout, any number of operators
Rankings are not for sale
206 operators vetted, and not all of them accepted
If it falls short, we fix it
Pairs well with
Add any of these to this tour and 3 % comes off both at checkout. One basket, one payment, however many operators they come from.
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