Things to do in Golden Circle
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Golden Circle
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Main season: midnight sun, all roads open, waterfalls at full flow. Busiest and priciest.
Shoulder: fewer visitors, lower prices, the aurora returning in September.
Winter: short days, half-frozen waterfalls, the Northern Lights. Check conditions daily.
Best things to do in Golden Circle
Þingvellir National Park
Rift valley between two tectonic plates and the site of the world's oldest parliament.
Geysir
The original geyser field; Strokkur erupts every five to ten minutes.
Gullfoss
The great two-tiered waterfall, one of the most powerful in Europe in flood.
Kerið
Volcanic crater lake with the blue-green water, the buses' skipped stop. Small fee.
Secret Lagoon
Iceland's oldest swimming pool, a natural hot lagoon at 38 to 40 degrees.
Brúarfoss
The bluest waterfall in Iceland, a twenty-minute walk from the road, no buses.
Laugarvatn Fontana
Lakeside geothermal baths and the famous rye bread baked in the hot sand.
Best restaurants in Golden Circle
Friðheimar
Tomato farm restaurant in the greenhouses, the famous tomato soup buffet. Book ahead.
Efstidalur II
Farm restaurant: the beef, the skyr dessert, the ice cream from the farm's cows.
Lindin Bistro
Lakeside bistro, the quiet lunch of the loop, terrace over the lake.
Ylja
New restaurant at the Laugarás Lagoon, modern Icelandic cooking. Book ahead.
Tryggvaskáli
Historic restaurant in Selfoss, Icelandic classics in the old house by the river.
Outdoor things to do in Golden Circle
Silfra fissure snorkelling
Snorkel between two continents in 100 m visibility water. Book weeks ahead.
Reykjadalur hot river
Hike up the geothermal valley to bathe in the hot river, free and wild.
Faxi
Wide quiet waterfall with a salmon ladder, the picnic stop the buses drive past.
Best hotels in Golden Circle
Hotel Geysir
Hotel at the geyser field, the position pick for the early start.
Hotel Gullfoss
Near the waterfall, the practical pick.
Hótel Laugarvatn
Lakeside hotel, the quiet pick.
Héradsskólinn
Converted schoolhouse, the characterful budget pick.
Frost and Fire
Boutique hotel on the hot river, the stylish pick.
Hotel Selfoss
Town hotel, the practical pick.
Farmhotel Efstidalur
Working farm stay, the experience pick.
ION Adventure Hotel
Design icon in the lava fields, the splurge.
Is Golden Circle expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | ISK 18,000 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | ISK 35,000 a person |
| Splurge | ISK 70,000 a person |
| No limits | ISK 140,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Secret Lagoon: a few days ahead
- Silfra fissure snorkelling: weeks ahead
- Friðheimar: a few days ahead
- Efstidalur II: a few days ahead
- Ylja: a few days ahead
- Tryggvaskáli: a few days ahead
- Hotel Geysir: weeks ahead
- Hotel Gullfoss: weeks ahead
- Silfra snorkelling: weeks ahead; slots are limited.
- Friðheimar lunch: days ahead; it books out.
- Countryside hotels for July, August and aurora season: weeks to months ahead.
- Laugarás Lagoon and Ylja: days ahead.
Is Golden Circle safe?
- Iceland is very safe; the nature is not. Keep to paths at Geysir, do not climb barriers at Gullfoss, check the weather every morning, never drive into a river. Emergency: 112.
Golden Circle travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- The Geysir area at midday in July: go before 10 am or after 4 pm.
- The Blue Lagoon detour: not on the loop, expensive; the Secret Lagoon or Fontana are better and closer.
- Overpriced woollens at the Geysir shops: the Reykjavík shops are cheaper.
Getting around Golden Circle: public transport and more
- Rent the car. The loop is 300 km of good paved road; the buses miss the best stops. A 4x4 is unnecessary for the main loop.
- Drive on the right; the weather changes fast. Check road.is and vedur.is every morning.
- The sights are free except Kerið and the lagoons; parking fees at Þingvellir and Geysir are the costs.
- In winter the daylight is short and roads can close; the loop is a summer trip at heart.
Who Golden Circle suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Good |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | Good |
Make Golden Circle your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
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