You’re not going to find any of Iceland’s cool waterfalls or famous glaciers inside the city of Reykjavik, so you’re going to have to do a little adventuring if you wanna explore anything aside from the Blue Lagoon. The Golden Circle, not to be confused with Ring Road, is a loop of road out of Reykjavik that is just under 200 miles (or 300 kilometers) long. It is jam packed with pitstops that are sure to take your breath away every time you set your eyes on a snow capped mountain off in the distance or a steaming geyser bursting into the air.
How to get around
The loop can easily be explored by renting a car, but it is also possible to see most things via a tour guided company, depending what you’d like to see. Handling everything on your own gives you a lot more flexibility as to how much time you spend and what you can do at each location, but handing the reigns over to a tour company will allow you the opportunity to relax as a passenger princess and often comes with good recommendations and guide information. The choice is yours.
Where to stay
You really only have two options. The first is to stay in Reykjavik and drive back and forth between the city and the locations around the Golden Circle. Otherwise you can find a smaller lodge somewhere around the area and stay a couple nights out in the middle of the wilderness (but in the comfort of a heated room). Lodges can be small, family-owned businesses or larger corporate entities around some of the more popular sights. Reservations are mostly necessary in advance, and there may or may not be a restaurant in-house. However, the views out your window will likely be pretty spectacular.
What to eat
At the most touristy locations like Gulfoss, there will be restaurants or shops with plenty of options. Less trafficked spots will probably not have any services. Plan ahead as to whether you will need to pack out a lunch depending on your daily activities. Note that there are gas stations all over the island that will also typically have something you can eat as well.
The weather
It should be noted that the weather anywhere in Iceland is wildly unpredictable and often harsh. Be sure to check the forecast before your adventure and pack accordingly. Winters can be very cold and windy, while summer can be very mild and enjoyable.
Searching for the Northern Lights is an extremely common activity around the island, yet in addition to perfect conditions, it still requires some bit of luck. You can check the aurora forecast, but unless the sky is perfectly clear, you still might miss them.
Winter and summer offer two very different Icelandic experiences. The country experiences extremely long, dark winter days and short, dim summer nights. The infamous lights can only be seen when the sky is dark, with the best times between the autumn and spring equinox, peaking around the winter solstice. Summer brings some other opportunities to the area though, the weather is supposed to actually be quite nice and the days are much longer.
What to do
There are three main attractions along the Golden Circle route:
- Gullfoss – an absolutely massive waterfall, you can hear how powerful it is before you even set your eyes on it!
- Thingvellir National Park – this famous national park marks a place where two tectonic plates meet (the North American and Eurasian), and you can actually swim between them (although I would not recommend that as a winter activity)
- Geyser geothermal area – “geysir,” the term we use to describe hot water shooting out of the Earth, is actually an Icelandic word
With a rental car or by many local tour companies, it is possible to visit all three in one day, although there would be time constraints as far as daylight is concerned depending on the time of year (winter days are very short). Give yourself a couple of hours at each spot. For all the hard work and money you have to spend to get there, you might as well spend some time to enjoy it!!
If you’re looking to extend your Golden Circle adventure, here are a few other places you can pull the car over to stretch your legs and snap some photos:
- Tomato greenhouse and horse farm
- Kerid Crater (short hike to viewpoint)
- Secret Lagoon (it is absolutely not a secret anymore but it used to be, admission fee required)
Another popular area people will explore during their visit to Iceland would be the beaches, glaciers and lava fields of the southern coast area. I do have a hot take here… which is that if I was limited on time and had to choose between the Golden Circle and visiting the Southern Coast, I would probably choose the coast. They are both absolutely worthy of a visit though!
Most importantly, ponder on the fact that this entire place is basically the result of volcanic activity. Absolutely wild.
Have you been to the Golden Circle in Iceland yet? What other spots did I miss?
Happy traveling! 😀
(this post was last edited and updated on February 10, 2024)
Laura the explora: the blog 
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