The Golden Circle

The route

The classic route runs from Reykjavík through Mosfellsbær and over Mosfellsheiði to Þingvellir (about 45 km). From there you drive over Lyngdalsheiði to Laugarvatn and on to Geysir in Haukadalur (about 60 km). Gullfoss is about 10 km further. On the way back many go via Skálholt, Kerið and Hveragerði, or via Flúðir. The whole circle is about 230–300 km depending on the route.

Þingvellir

Þingvellir is where the Althing was founded in 930, and where the boundary between the North American and Eurasian plates can be seen with the naked eye. A path leads down through Almannagjá to the Law Rock and the Öxarárfoss waterfall. In the Silfra fissure you can dive and snorkel in crystal-clear water. Þingvellir is a national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Read more on our page about the Althing and Þingvellir.

Geysir and Strokkur

The geothermal area in Haukadalur is one of the best-known in the world. Geysir itself rarely erupts, but Strokkur erupts every 5–10 minutes and its column of water can reach 20–40 metres. Visitors are asked to stay behind the ropes, as the water in the hot springs is boiling hot.

Gullfoss

Gullfoss is one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Iceland. The Hvítá river plunges in two steps, 11 and 21 metres, into a canyon about 70 metres deep. On sunny days a rainbow often forms in the spray. In winter the falls can be half-frozen and spectacular. A memorial to Sigríður of Brattholt stands by the falls.

Other stops

• Friðheimar in Reykholt – a greenhouse where tomato soup is served among the tomato plants.
• Laugarvatn Fontana – a spa where rye bread is baked in a hot spring.
• Faxi – a beautiful waterfall on the Tungufljót river.
• Brúarfoss – a blue waterfall reached by a footpath.
• Sólheimar in Grímsnes – a sustainable community founded in 1930.
• Efstidalur – a farm with an ice cream parlour where you can watch the cows through a window.
• Secret Lagoon at Flúðir – Gamla laugin, the oldest swimming pool in Iceland.