The Golden Circle just might be Iceland’s most famous tourist route. Breathtaking landscapes make you feel as if you have traveled to another world rather than just across the ocean. Without stopping, the route is about a 3.5 hour drive from Reykjavik and all the way around the loop, but we were able to stop and see all the major spots in a comfortable 5 hours. We went in winter, when the Northern Lights are vibrant and the snow turns the lava rock landscape into a whimsical wonderland. I had enlisted my boyfriend to venture on this excursion through Iceland with me (his first time ever on a plane!) and we had just 72 hours to see what we could of this amazing country. The Golden Circle was our first adventure on our first day in Iceland, and I couldn’t wait to see all the beauty that this little island of all the Earth’s elements had to offer. You can check out our Golden Circle route here.
Thingvellir National Park
Þingvellir (Thingvellir) National Park: You can’t miss this amazing park when traveling the the Golden Circle. Its beautiful landscape engulfs you as you enter, the mountainous lush landscape dotted with black lava rocks from centuries of eruptions. The most famous of these rock formations actually gave this national park its title of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Logberg, translating to “Law Rock,” is the site where the oldest existing parliament in the world first assembled in 930 AD. Þingvellir actually means “Parliament Plains” in Icelandic. The spot was chosen because of the way voices could echo off of the long expanse of rock and fissures for all of the Alþing National Assembly to hear. *Also check out: The story of Thingvellir’s Drowning Lake, and take photos of the adorable church set down in the valley from the first parking lot where the Information Center is. You have to pay $5.00 for a day pass, but it can be used at any of the five parking lots throughout the park!
Traveler Tip:
Learn about the eerie and devastating story of Thingvellir’s Drowning Lake. Also take photos of the adorable church set down in the valley from the first parking lot where the Information Center is. You have to pay $5.00 for a day pass, but it can be used at any of the five parking lots throughout the park!
Icelandic Horses
Icelandic Horses: This wasn’t so much a destination as a constant desire to stop at every horse farm dotted around the Golden Circle and pet the uber-friendly native Icelandic Horses. We limited the stop to just one, and I met my spirit animal in this auburn and white horse who I named Caramel! She loved kisses and nibbled playfully at my coat, but she was also super curious about the papers in my purse, so just be careful what you keep in these horse’s reach! They are incredibly curious creatures. Make sure you get that horse selfie with the #IcelandHorses when posting to Insta!
Geysir
Geysir: Sulfuric smoke rises up from the ground in patches across the Haukadalur Valley. One of the two major geysers in the region has sat dormant unexpectedly since 1916. Known as the Great Geysir, this is where the English word geyser derives from. “Geysir” in Icelandic actually means gusher, and while in this geothermal region, there is one large geyser called Strokkur, meaning the Churn, which blasts up into the sky at intervals of every 5-10 minutes. We saw it blast upwards three times in the 15 minutes we were there!
Gullfoss Waterfall
Gullfoss Waterfall: Beautiful icy crystals of snow decorated the impressive Gullfoss Waterfall when we arrived. The wide cascade reminded me of Niagara Falls the way it disappeared into a plume of fog as the water crashes into the Hvita river below. During the summer there are walking paths down which you can get up close and personal with the cascading spray. There are also two observation decks, one upper and one lower from which to snap incredible pics! The picture above is a shot from the upper observation deck.
Food Tip:
The little Gulfoss cafe was a great, inexpensive spot to grab lunch. Icelandic meals are definitely not cheap, so try and plan ahead where you want to eat along your journey through Iceland.
Kerid Crater Lake
Kerid Crater: Almost at the end of the Golden Circle, this one attraction was quite possibly the coolest of them all. Kerid is the crater of an inactive volcano which has sat dormant for centuries, and has since filled with water to create a lake. You can actually walk all around and down into the crater lake, a surreal concept when you realize that you are actually standing inside a dormant volcano! The beautiful red rocks formed from centuries of lava creates a stunning contrast with the alluring blue lake water.
Other Places to Stop:
Silfra Fissure: If you have your Diving Certification (which sadly I don’t), you can actually scuba in this fissure between two tectonic plates! These two plates, the North American and the Eurasian, are the reason for all of Iceland’s volcanic activity and constantly shifting landscape. Bucket list moment: being in two places at once!Laugarvatn Fontana: If the Blue Lagoon is a bit too crowded depending on the time of year you go, check out this alternative geothermal spa and wellness center around the Golden Circle.
Bruarfoss Waterfall: I was so excited to see the luminous waterfall with water so blue it literally glows against the dark black lava rocks. But, this waterfall proved difficult to find, so hopefully you have better luck than we did! It is supposedly located down a dirt path off the main road, Laugarvatnsvegur, right after the intersection of route 355 on the left side of the road. (The link brings you to a blog I LOVE about this one girl who moved to Iceland and she gives amazing directions to Bruarfoss).
Fridheimar Farm: This little farm along the circle is famous for its fresh tomatoes. You can walk around the greenhouse and stop by their restaurant for lunch and experience their world famous tomato soup.
