Golden Circle

What is the Golden Circle?

Iceland’s Golden Circle is easily one of the country’s most iconic and beloved sightseeing routes. Sometimes referred to as the ‘the Golden Triangle’, the route consists of three beautiful locations: the magnificent Gullfoss Waterfall, Geysir Geothermal Field, and Thingvellir National Park. These sites are renowned across the world and are all as spectacular as they are unique. None of them is further than a two hour's drive from Reykjavík, and thus all three can be visited within a day.

Thingvellir National Park is one of Iceland’s most significant geological sites. It is where the first Iceland parliament was founded in the year 930 AD and the Althing parliament remains the oldest operating parliament in the world. The site is also home to breathtaking geology including views of where the Eurasian and the North American tectonic plates meet as well as the where those plates have been drifting apart. You can also go diving in the crystal clear waters of Silfra lake, a fissure which has the purest natural freshwater on the planet with visibility that can extend to more than 100 meters (300 feet) underwater, making it the most unique diving and snorkelling site in the world!

The next stop on the Golden Circle route is the Geysir Geothermal field. This breathtaking area is renowned for its geothermal hot springs which famously bubble and spray out of the earth and into the air every few minutes. Most of the springs are aligned along a 100-meter-wide (328 feet) strip of land running in the same direction as the tectonic plate lines, from south to southwest. You can explore the hot springs, see the steam rising from the ground, and smell the sulfur in the air at this phenomenal natural wonder!

Last but not least is the legendary Gullfoss waterfall. This loud yet majestic waterfall is easily one of Iceland’s most beautiful as it name directly translates to ‘Golden Falls’ or ‘Waterfall of Gold’.  It’s waters stem from the glacial river, Hvítá before cascading stunningly down two huge steps descending into a deep gorge. The immense power of Gullfoss waterfall is a must-see on your Iceland holiday.

How to drive the Golden Circle

If you are ready to take the wheel of your own adventure with an Iceland Fly Drive holiday, we can’t recommend driving the Golden Circle route enough. One of the perks of driving the Golden Circle yourself is that you choose when to leave and how long you'll stay.

If you want to have a lay-in, you can do the circle in the afternoon, or even in the evening. During summertime the nights don't get dark, so you could even go during night-time and visit the attractions under the midnight sun. The drive itself is just under 3 hours with the shortest route, so you could do the whole circle in as little as 5 hours with stops - or obviously, you could also spend days doing it.

If you would like us to prepare you a Golden Circle route map for your Iceland Fly Drive holiday, simply email us at info@icelandholidays.com and we will happily send you one as part of your booking!

Golden Circle Tours

With our Golden Circle tours, you will be collected directly outside of your Reykjavik hotel and escorted around the route stopping for plenty of time to explore and admire each stunning location. We have a fantastic selection of Golden Circle tours to choose from with some combined with other Iceland excursions like Northern Lights spotting, a dip in the Secret Lagoon or adrenaline filled Golden Circle Superjeep tours! Find all of our Iceland Golden Circle tours on our website here.

If you are interested in booking your own Golden Circle Iceland Holidays, head over to our website now or contact us at info@icelandholidays.com for more information.