Choose wisely. Connect locally.Add your business The Golden Circle is a loop of roughly three hundred kilometres that runs from Reykjavik into the southern uplands of Iceland and back.
Most people race through it in a single day on a tour bus. If you drive yourself and give it more time, you can add a volcanic crater lake, a historic bishopric, a string of blue waterfalls, geothermal bathing pools and greenhouse lunches.
Few short drives anywhere pack in this much geology and history. At Thingvellir you walk along the exposed edge of the North American plate in a rift valley on the crest of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
The route also tells Iceland's story. Thingvellir was the site of the Althing, the national assembly, from 930 until 1798, and it remains a place of deep national meaning; it was declared a national park in 1930 and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004. Skalholt was a centre of church and learning for centuries.
Most drivers start the loop here, coming in from Reykjavik on Route 36. The park lies in a rift valley with Thingvallavatn, Iceland's largest natural lake, to the south.
From the Hakid visitor centre at the top of the escarpment, a viewing platform looks across the whole valley before a path drops into Almannagja, a long gorge between a towering rock wall and a lower ridge.
The Almannagja gorge marks the edge of the North American plate in Thingvellir National Park. Photo: Diego Delso, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
A short walk north from the main path brings you to Oxararfoss, where the Oxara river spills over the rift wall into the valley. It is not the tallest waterfall in Iceland, but the setting, with the fall dropping between dark cliffs of the fault, is striking.
Oxararfoss waterfall pours over the wall of the Almannagja fault into the Thingvellir valley. Photo: Diego Delso, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Across the river, the small white Thingvallakirkja and the old farmhouse beside it sit on the plain where the assembly once camped. The ground here is scattered with the turf-and-stone remains of booths used by chieftains during the annual gathering.
At the lake's northern shore, Silfra is a water-filled crack between the plates, fed by groundwater that has filtered through porous lava for decades after melting from the Langjokull glacier.
Silfra is a water-filled fissure fed by filtered glacial groundwater at the edge of Thingvallavatn. Photo: Diego Delso, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
From Thingvellir, the road crosses heath and passes the lake town of Laugarvatn before reaching the Haukadalur valley. Gullfoss lies about ten kilometres further up the road.
The great Geysir, the spring that gave the English word geyser its name, is mostly dormant today. Its neighbour Strokkur, about fifty metres away, is the star: it erupts every few minutes, usually to fifteen or twenty metres and sometimes higher.
Strokkur in the Haukadalur geothermal area erupts every few minutes, usually to fifteen to twenty metres. Photo: Andreas Tille, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
At Gullfoss, the Hvita river turns sharply, flows down a wide three-step staircase and then plunges in two stages into a narrow canyon about thirty-two metres deep.
On the way south from Geysir, a short side road leads to Faxi, also called Vatnsleysufoss, a broad waterfall on the Tungufljot river with a salmon ladder alongside. It is quieter than the headline stops and pleasant for a fifteen-minute break; a small parking fee may apply.
Faxi, also called Vatnsleysufoss, is a broad waterfall on the Tungufljot river. Photo: Acediscovery, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Bruarfoss is famous for the startling blue of the Bruara river as it pours into a split in the rock. Reach it from the designated parking area and follow the signed path along the river; do not park along the summer-house roads, where access is restricted.
Bruarfoss is known for the vivid blue water of the Bruara river. Photo: Milan Nykodym from Kutna Hora, Czech Republic, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
On the road back toward Selfoss, Skalholt was one of Iceland's two episcopal sees from 1056 until 1785 and the site of the country's first school. The present church, built in the twentieth century, has fine modern stained glass, and an underground passage leads to a small exhibition about the old bishopric.
Skalholt was one of Iceland's two bishoprics from 1056 until 1785. Photo: Diego Delso, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
In the Grimsnes area, Kerid is a volcanic crater about fifty-five metres deep and two hundred and seventy metres across, its red and black scoria walls dropping to a shallow aquamarine lake.
Kerid is a volcanic crater about fifty-five metres deep with a shallow aquamarine lake at its base. Photo: Diego Delso, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
The small lake town of Laugarvatn has geothermal springs under the lake, and its lakeside spa offers warm pools, steam rooms and a chance to dip in the lake itself; staff often demonstrate rye bread baked in the hot ground.
On Route 1 about forty-five kilometres east of Reykjavik, Hveragerdi is a greenhouse town heated by volcanic springs, with steaming vents even in the town park.
The warm stream in Reykjadalur valley above Hveragerdi is a popular place to bathe after a hike. Photo: Guillaume Baviere from Uppsala, Sweden, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
The Golden Circle runs through some of Iceland's richest farmland, and the food reflects it.
Geothermal greenhouses produce tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers year-round. The best-known stop is Fridheimar in Reykholt, a working tomato greenhouse where you eat tomato soup and fresh bread among the vines; reservations are strongly recommended.
Popular dishes to try in Golden Circle
Reykjavik is the easiest base for a single-day loop, with the widest choice of accommodation, restaurants and tours. It suits first-time visitors and anyone without a car who will join a coach tour.
To slow down, spend a night inside the loop. Laugarvatn suits travellers who want lakeside quiet and early access to Thingvellir and Geysir. The Fludir and Reykholt area has guesthouses, cabins and farm stays close to the hot spring pools and greenhouses, and is good for families.
Where to stay in Golden Circle
June to August brings long days, with near round-the-clock light around the solstice, green landscapes and the mildest weather, though it is rarely hot.
September and October offer autumn colour, fewer visitors and the return of dark skies for the northern lights.
International flights land at Keflavik Airport, about fifty minutes from Reykjavik by road. The classic loop runs from Reykjavik on Route 1 and Route 36 to Thingvellir, east via Route 365 past Laugarvatn, then on Route 37 and Route 35 to Geysir and Gullfoss.
A rental car gives you the most freedom; all main roads are paved, and an ordinary car is fine in summer.
Leave Reykjavik early and reach Thingvellir before the coaches. Walk Almannagja to the Law Rock and Oxararfoss, or snorkel Silfra if you have booked.
Have lunch among the vines at the tomato greenhouse in Reykholt, then visit Faxi and walk the trail to Bruarfoss. Stop at Skalholt on the way south and reach Kerid in the late afternoon light.
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