Planning a trip To Iceland? Make sure to add driving Iceland’s Golden Circle to your itinerary. Whether you are visiting for a few days, or driving the entire Ring Road, The Golden Circle is a day-trip from Reykjavik filled with breathtaking views, history and geological marvels that you don’t want to miss.
Jake and I recently spent 11 days driving around Iceland’s Ring Road in a rented camper van. We decided to make the Golden Circle our first stop after Reykjavik before heading south.
What is the Golden Circle?
The Golden Circle is a common route connecting three beautiful attractions in Iceland: Þingvellir National Park, Haukadalur Geothermal Fields and Gullfoss waterfall. It is a trip that can be easily done in a day from Reykjavik, and there are many tour group options available if you aren’t renting a vehicle. The Golden Circle can get quite busy (by Iceland standards); however, these spots are a must see if you are heading to Iceland.
How Long Is The Journey?
- Reykjavik to Þingvellir National Park: 50km
- Þingvellir National Park to Haukadalur: 60km
- Haukadalur to Gullfoss: 10km
The attractions are actually in a straight line; however, most visitors will rent a vehicle and drive in a loop from Reykjavik, giving it the name “The Golden Circle”. After visiting all three attractions, instead of driving back to Reykjavik, we drove South to Flúðir to continue our journey around the Ring Road.
1. Þingvellir National Park
Þingvellir (pronounced “thing-vell-eer”) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates, and is home to Iceland’s first parliament. It is also one of the only places in the world where you can explore two tectonic plates on dry land. This picturesque area has beautiful views of the rugged mountains, moss-covered lava fields, crystal clear ponds and dramatic fissures formed from the plates slowly pulling away from each other.
There are quite a few walking trails in Þingvellir that allow you to explore the area. Along the way, you can do the following:
- Walk between the tetonic plates
- See the location of Iceland’s first parliament
- See Drekkingarhylur, the drowning pool. (history isn’t always pretty)
- Visit Oxarasfoss, a waterfall
- See Peningagjá, ice cold water filled rifts in the land where thousands of coins are tossed into the clear water for good luck
- Snorkel or dive in Silfra, a fissure between the tectonic plates filled with crystal-clear water
- Learn about how Iceland’s first government was formed and see its location
There are tours available, or you can walk yourself and read the signs at all of the significant locations (they are all in English). Iceland has so much history, and Þingvellir is a great place to learn about it at your own place. We spent approximately two hours exploring the area and we highly recommend giving it a visit. Parking was 700ISK (around $7CAD), and visiting the park was free.
2. Haukadalur Geothermal Field
Drive approximately one hour East and you will reach Haukadalur, a geothermal field filled with patches of boiling mud, hot springs and the famous geysers named Great Geysir and Strokkur. Today, Great Geysir is dormant; however, Strokkur is extremely active, spouting water to approximately 30 meters every 5 to 10 minutes! Entrance to the Geothermal field is free, and you get a spectacular show! remember to take you tripod to capture Strokkur’s performance.
Fun Facts
- Did you know that the Great Geysir is the geyser that gave all other geysers the name “Geyser”?
- Great Geysir also holds the record for the highest geyser eruption of all time (122m).
Pro tip: Stand on the North side of Strokkur so you can see the water bulge right before it erupts, or make the short hike up Laugarfjall hill where you will find a beautiful sundial and a great view of the eruption and village below.
3. Gullfoss
The third stop on the Golden Circle is Gullfoss, Iceland’s most famous waterfall, found in the Hvitá river canyon. A short walk from the parking lot will bring you to breathtaking views of this two tiered waterfall, with multiple viewpoints located above the canyon. There is also a staircase down to a lower level where you can get closer to the powerful waterfall. Water comes from the nearby glacier, Langjökull, and plunges down at a rate of 140 cubic meters per second!
Rooted in history, Gullfoss was made famous by a woman named Sigriður Tómasdóttir. She fought to prevent the construction of a hydroelectric dam across the Hvitá River by foreign investors, which would result in the submergence of Gullfoss. Her efforts preserved the waterfall, which is now a national park. A memorial for Sigriður, sculpted by artist Rikhardur Jonsson, sits by the waterfall.
Protip: wear waterproof clothes. It was extremely windy, and the force of the falls means you’re guaranteed to get wet!
Where to Stay
We drove around Iceland in our rented camper van from Go Campers. After completing the Golden Circle, we drove to the town of Flúðir where we rented a camp spot to sleep before exploring the town and then heading south!
Conclusion
We hope you found this guide to the Golden Circle helpful for planning your trip. Iceland is a beautiful country and there is so much to see. If you have any questions, please drop us a comment and we will be sure to get back to you!
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A Few Extra Resources
Here are links to other blog posts we have written from our trip to Iceland:
Happy Travels!