Þingvellir, Geysir and Gullfoss — the classic first day. 338 experiences here from vetted operators — plan days focused on Golden Circle or find what runs on your date.
Our first pick here: Grand Golden Circle Tour — 4.7 from 158 reviews of this tour.
On most of these: pickup included.
BusTravel Iceland
39% below the €144 typical for sightseeing day tours
First-timers with one day near Reykjavík who want the three…
8 h 30 · from Reykjavík
Experience Þingvellir, Geysir, Gullfoss and Kerið Volcano in one tour
EastWest
pickup included
9 h · from Reykjavík
Discover the wonders of Iceland's Golden Circle on this unforgettable tour. Experience the beauty of Thingvellir National Park, the erupting Geysir, and the impressive Gullfoss waterfall, along with visits to Fridheimar, Efstidalur, and the Kerið volcano
Freedive Iceland
26% below the €246 typical for snorkelling & diving tours
Confident swimmers who want the fissure properly, not the…
3 h · from Þingvellir
No certificate needed. We provide changing room for our clients. Freedive in best visibility with best freedive wetsuit equipment. Safety is our priority. All equipment needed is included. We only use best freedive wetsuit available for our conditions
BusTravel Iceland
43% below the €205 typical for lagoon & spa visits
pickup at extra cost · works in rain
10 h · from Reykjavík
Geysir and Hot-springs on this award winning tour, voted one of Northern Europe´s Top 20 by Viator
Freedive Iceland
59% below the €246 typical for snorkelling & diving tours
Anyone who can swim and wants the clearest water in Iceland…
3 h · from Reykjavík
No certificate needed. Snorkel in best visibility with best snorkel wetsuit equipment. Safety is our priority. All equipment needed is included. We only use best snorkel wetsuit available for our conditions.
SPS Travel
German-speaking cruise passengers who want the Golden…
8 h · from Reykjavík
This shore excursion with a German-speaking tour guide in a small group with a maximum of 19 participants takes you from Reykjavík on the so-called Golden Circle
Our guides to Golden Circle
Iceland Premium Tours
A family or group of four to six who would rather split one…
8 h · from Reykjavík
Visit the Golden Circle and explore its wonderful sights in a private tour. From Thingvellir, to Geysir and Gullfoss, you will experience Iceland's wonderful nature.
Iceland Premium Tours
pickup included · works in rain
8 h · from Reykjavík
Live and experience the best of Iceland with this private luxury jeep tour during which you will bathe in the geothermal waters of the Secret Lagoon, try Icelandic cuisine and chase Northern Lights.
Gravel Travel
Groups with a specific list that no packaged tour matches
12 h · from Reykjavík
Custom made tour
Arctic Yeti Ehf
Groups who want the Golden Circle guided in Spanish,…
8 h · from Reykjavík
The Golden Circle is without a doubt the most popular combination of sites to visit in Iceland, including Geysir, Gullfoss and Þingvellir.
EastWest
32% below the €205 typical for lagoon & spa visits
pickup included · works in rain
9 h · from Reykjavík
Descubra las maravillas del Círculo Dorado de Islandia en este recorrido inolvidable. Experimente la belleza del Parque Nacional Thingvellir, el Geysir en erupción y la impresionante cascada Gullfoss, junto con visitas a Fridheimar, Efstidalur y el volcán
Your Friend in Reykjavik
about the usual price for sightseeing day tours
pickup included
9 h · from Reykjavík
Golden Circle Tour with Friðheimar & Kerið Crater – Nature, History & Small Group Charm
Nothing on this page matches all of those filters. Clear one or two, or try a day either side of your date.
Ready-made days that include Golden Circle — several tours, one checkout
A loop of about 300 kilometres east of Reykjavík that joins three places: Þingvellir, where the Atlantic and North American plates pull apart and Iceland's parliament first sat in 930; the Geysir geothermal field, where Strokkur throws water 15 to 20 metres every five to ten minutes; and Gullfoss, the two-tier waterfall on the Hvítá. It is a route rather than a place — there is no Golden Circle town and no ticket — and it is the standard first day out of Reykjavík because all three sit within a morning's drive of the city on paved, year-round road.
Run clockwise from Reykjavík it goes Þingvellir first, about 45 minutes out, then past Laugarvatn to Geysir and Strokkur, then Gullfoss at the far point, and home down Route 35 past Kerið crater and Selfoss. Almost every tour takes that direction, which is also why Geysir fills at midday: the coaches all arrive within the same hour. The usual additions on the way back are Kerið, the Friðheimar tomato greenhouse at Reykholt, and the Secret Lagoon at Flúðir — none of them a detour of more than a few minutes.
Yes, with a caveat. Gullfoss half-frozen and Strokkur erupting into cold air are better in winter than summer, and the crowds are smaller. The caveat is daylight: in December and January you have about five hours, so tours run compressed and the Þingvellir walk is short. Paths at Gullfoss get icy; wear grippy boots. Snow can close the road for a day. A small-group tour (/experience/624451/) copes better than a coach.
Six to nine hours from Reykjavík, depending on stops. Þingvellir, Geysir and Gullfoss are the three fixed points, with about an hour at each and roughly 300 kilometres of driving in total. Longer tours add Kerið crater, Friðheimar tomato farm (/experience/150545/) or a lagoon. An afternoon tour (/experience/146056/, /experience/18570/) does the core three in six hours if your morning is spoken for.
Yes, and in summer with a car it is easy: the road is paved, signed and busy. Leave Reykjavík by 08:30 to beat the coaches at Geysir. A tour is better in winter, when the roads ice over and the light is short, and if you want a guide to explain Þingvellir, which is a rift valley and a parliament site and looks like a field without context. Kerið charges a small entry fee (/experience/825419/).
A small-group one. The core three sights are the same on every tour; the difference is fifteen people versus fifty and how long you wait at toilets. BusTravel's Grand Golden Circle (/experience/141931/) is the value pick with Kerið added; Arctic Adventures' small-group tour (/experience/624451/) is the comfortable one. Add a lagoon (/experience/17050/) if you want a soak. Skip the horse and snowmobile combos unless you want that activity more than the sights.
Geysir itself rarely erupts any more. The one you will watch is Strokkur, a few metres away, which goes off every five to ten minutes to 15 to 20 metres. Stand upwind; the spray is hot and smells of sulphur. Give it twenty minutes and you will see two or three. The rest of the area is boiling pools behind ropes. Stay on the paths; people are burned every year by stepping off.
Hotels
From the cheapest to the top end of what is in Golden Circle, from our hotel partners. Rooms are booked on our hotels site.
from 15.059 kr.Lowest price
Guesthouse · Selfoss
Golden Circle · a night for two, indicative
from 30.732 kr.Mid-range
Hotel · Hella
Golden Circle · a night for two, indicative
from 45.764 kr.Top end
Other · Selfoss
Golden Circle · a night for two, indicative
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