Two days in Iceland: Golden Circle and South Coast
Two separate day tours cost about €230 in total; a private two-day trip costs from €2,895. Pick the day tours unless you need a private driver.
The short version
- Two shared day tours (Golden Circle €110, South Coast €117) cost about €227 per person and keep you in Reykjavík both nights.
- Private two-day trips cost from €2,895 (Skall Ventures) to €3,356 (Your Friend in Reykjavik), for the whole vehicle.
- The Skall Ventures ice cave version, from €3,481, includes one night in South Iceland and breakfast; the Golden Circle one does not include accommodation.
- Each South Coast day is about 10 hours; do not stack it after a Golden Circle day on arrival day.
For two days, book a Golden Circle day tour and a South Coast day tour and sleep in Reykjavík both nights. That costs about €227 each, and you see Þingvellir, Geysir, Gullfoss, Seljalandsfoss, Skógafoss and Reynisfjara. A private two-day trip covers the same ground for €2,895 and up, for the whole car. It pays off only for a group of four or more who want a driver and their own pace.
Option one: two day tours
The Golden Circle Superior small group tour (from €110, 8 hours) is a minibus run to Þingvellir, Geysir and Gullfoss. The South Coast tour from BusTravel Iceland (from €117, 10 hours) takes in the waterfalls, a glacier stop and the black sand beach. Together you pay about €227.
You sleep in the same hotel both nights, so you unpack once. The downside is that the South Coast day is long: about 10 hours, most of it on the road. See our Golden Circle or South Coast first day trip guide for which to put first.
Option two: a private two-day trip
The 2-Day Golden Circle & South Coast Private Tour (from €2,895, Skall Ventures) includes a driver-guide, private transport, and pick-up in Reykjavík, Hveragerði or Selfoss. Accommodation is not included, so add a hotel. Free cancellation until 24 hours before.
2 Days in Iceland: Golden Circle & the South Coast (from €3,356, Your Friend in Reykjavik) is customisable. Extra activities that lengthen the day cost more. Free cancellation until 5 days before departure.
Both prices are for the vehicle, not per head. Split between four, that is about €720 to €840 each, which is still more than three times the day-tour route, but you stop where you like.
Option three: add the ice cave
The Private 2-Day South Coast & Blue Ice Cave Tour (from €3,481) is a winter product. It includes one night in South Iceland, breakfast, a guided blue ice cave visit, Jökulsárlón and Diamond Beach. Minimum age is 6. It is the only one of the five that reaches the glacier lagoon, which sits about 4.5 hours east of Reykjavík.
If a lagoon matters more to you than a geyser, this is the version to look at. Ice caves run only in the cold months, so do not plan around them in summer.
Longer small-group option
The 4 Day Golden Circle, South Coast & Snæfellsnes small-group tour (from €946, BusTravel Iceland) includes three hotel nights with breakfast and a coach with Wi-Fi. If you have four days, this costs far less than the private trips and carries more distance. Minimum age is 7.
Practical points
- Do not book a Golden Circle day for the morning you land. Flights arrive tired and late.
- Reynisfjara has sneaker waves. Stay well back from the water.
- Winter days are short. On a December South Coast tour, parts of the drive are in the dark.
- If you want to see both on one day, our rental car vs guided tours guide shows when driving yourself is cheaper.
Our honest take
Book two shared day tours. They cost about €227, they let you sleep in your own bed, and they show you the six places most visitors come for. You will spend a lot of time in a minibus, and that is the real cost.
Book the private two-day only if you are four or more, or if one person cannot manage a crowded bus. At €2,895 it is poor value for a couple.
If you have an extra day, use it. A third day for the ice cave or a lagoon is a better use of money than upgrading the first two to private.
