Tourism Golden Circle

Let the landscape set the pace.

Southwest Iceland · The Golden Circle

Earth. Steam.
Water.

Three landscapes, each with its own rhythm.
Find your way into Þingvellir, Geysir and Gullfoss.

Explore the guides Find a tour
01 / EarthÞingvellir
Visitors follow the path between Almannagjá’s rocky walls on a rainy day
Almannagjá, Þingvellir — a rainy day · 2011. Photo: Silverkey (Mickaël Delcey), CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped.
02 / SteamStrokkur
Strokkur erupts against a blue sky in the Geysir geothermal area
Strokkur, Geysir geothermal area · 2014. Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped.
03 / WaterGullfoss
Winter snow borders the two falls and canyon at Gullfoss
Gullfoss in winter · 2012. Photo: Acediscovery, CC BY 4.0. Cropped.
01 / Earth

A landscape
that holds history.

At Þingvellir, the rift and the assembly landscape belong to the same view. Read the land, then give the human story its own attention.

Walk into the Þingvellir guide
Visitors follow the path between Almannagjá’s rocky walls on a rainy day
Almannagjá, Þingvellir — a rainy day · 2011. Photo: Silverkey (Mickaël Delcey), CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped.
02 / Steam
Strokkur erupts against a blue sky in the Geysir geothermal area
Strokkur, Geysir geothermal area · 2014. Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped.

Wait. Watch.
Begin again.

The Geysir geothermal area is a place to pay attention. Strokkur is the erupting geyser shown here; Geysir is a different spring within the area.

Stay with the marked visitor paths and let the landscape provide the spectacle.

Get to know the geothermal area

A pause by the water

Þingvallavatn,
held in a wide view.

The lake changes the scale of the journey.
Leave a little space to look.

A broad view across Þingvallavatn from road 36
Þingvallavatn, viewed from road 36 · 2015. Photo: Villy Fink Isaksen, CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped.
03 / Water

Follow the water
with your eyes.

Gullfoss turns the river into a sequence of falls, spray and canyon. Different viewpoints reveal different parts of it.

Read the Gullfoss guide
Winter snow borders the two falls and canyon at Gullfoss
Gullfoss in winter · 2012. Photo: Acediscovery, CC BY 4.0. Cropped.

Choose your kind of visit

A day out.
A slower stay.

The Golden Circle is a route through southwest Iceland, separate from a journey around the Ring Road. Choose the pace and arrangements that fit your visit.

Plan your visit Choose a base

A little context changes the view.

Begin with the land, the names and the stories of the places you choose. Our independent guides connect those ideas with clear questions for planning your visit.

Put the places together

Find a way to go.

Compare each provider’s route, meeting point and inclusions. Offers may include Reykjavík and the wider region.

Golden Circle trip idea

Compare ways to tour Golden Circle

Look at walking, vehicle, trolley, and evening formats, then choose the pace and coverage that suit this trip.

Stay with the landscape.

A base for the day you want

Compare the exact location, arrival arrangements and the places you want to reach.

Explore where to stay