Golden Circle, Iceland
Self-driving the Golden Circle is a pop twenty-four hours trip for visitors to Iceland. The 300 km (190 mi) route covers many beautiful landmarks inward a curt time, perfect for those on a layover.
If yous can’t pass a total calendar week driving Iceland’s Ring Road (which circles the entire country), renting a machine together with driving the Republic of Iceland Golden Circle route on your ain is a dandy shorter alternative.
What’s the Golden Circle yous ask? It’s a 190-mile driving loop from Reykjavik into the southern uplands of Republic of Iceland together with back. But the best purpose is yous tin can practice the whole trip inward a unmarried day.
It’s ideal for people on a curt layover flying to or from Europe without much time.
Self-driving the Golden Circle allows yous to move at your ain pace. Stop for photos anytime yous desire or caput off to explore unlike side roads too.
Spend an hr petting Icelandic horses if yous want, or hold off patiently for the adjacent hot-water geyser eruption to become off! There’s no rush when you’re on your own.
Basing ourselves out of Reykjavik, my friend Kiersten together with I rented a machine to pass the twenty-four hours driving the Golden Circle (Gullni hringurinn inward Icelandic) hitting all its best attractions.
In this golden circle move guide I’ll assist yous larn the most out of a self-drive adventure. Learn how to prepare, where to stay, together with the best things to encounter on the way!
Golden Circle Republic of Iceland Map
How To Use This Map
Above you’ll discovery a map of my itinerary for Iceland’s Golden Circle. Click on the overstep left of the map to discovery separate layers marker the route together with points of interest. You tin can enshroud together with demo unlike layers, or click icons on the map to encounter the names of places I advert inward this move guide. “Star” the map to salvage it to your ain Google Maps, or opened upwardly the map inward a novel window for a larger version. Enjoy!
Driving The Golden Circle In 2019
Depending on when you’re visiting, driving inward Republic of Iceland isn’t also hard if yous follow sure guidelines. But the golden circle route is good maintained.
You do not demand a 4×4 vehicle to drive the golden circle.
As tourism has exploded inward recent years, traffic on the pop Golden Circle tin can survive busy during the summertime high season. It’s amend to larn an early on start to avoid traffic.
Renting Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Car In Iceland
The best site to mass your machine is amongst Discover Car Hire. They search both local together with international machine rental companies to assist yous discovery the best possible price. This is the easiest way to rent a machine inward Iceland.
In the wintertime Iceland’s roads are icy. Weather changes quickly, together with a sunny morn tin can easily plow into a snowstorm after that day. But Republic of Iceland has a fantastic website to depository fiscal establishment check real-time route conditions called Vegagerdin.
Gas is expensive inward Republic of Iceland at nigh $2 USD per liter ($7.50 per gallon), however, a total tank should survive enough for the Golden Circle. Some unusual credit cards may demand to survive charged within rather than at the pump.
Top Golden Circle Highlights
Þingvellir National Park
Once nosotros left Reykjavik, nosotros started driving the Golden Circle going NE on Route 36 towards our firstly stop, Þingvellir National Park.
Thingvellir National Park is the location of Iceland’s firstly Parliament, started dorsum inward 930 AD. At the Lögberg people could measuring frontwards together with gain speeches nigh of import matters. An assembly of 48 chieftains gathered hither to hash out laws & engage inward courtroom proceedings on behalf of the country’s citizens.
This is also where the North American & Eurasian tectonic plates are like shooting fish in a barrel splitting apart from each other, creating deep fissures inward the ground. One of these, called Silfra, is total of icy glacier H2O where some people become snorkeling or scuba diving.
Pet Icelandic Horses
A fresh snowfall dusted the mountains equally nosotros drove betwixt beautiful valleys together with large farms — amongst hardy Icelandic horses together with sheep lining both sides of the road.
The modest fuzzy horses inward Republic of Iceland may hold off similar ponies, but don’t telephone band them that inward front end of locals! Iceland’s horses conduct hold a long together with proud history dating dorsum to the ninth century.
You’ll discovery many friendly horses on farms throughout Iceland.
As long equally yous discovery a prophylactic parking surface area to trace over (don’t halt on the border of the road, it’s dangerous!) yous tin can walk upwardly to the combat together with pet these guys. Don’t forget a horse-selfie!
Geysers At Haukadalur
Next halt on our Golden Circle route trip was Haukadalur, a geothermal surface area nigh 60km away from Þingvellir National Park. There are ii famous geysers hither called Geysir together with Strokkur.
In fact, the full general term “geyser” was genuinely named after this detail 1 inward Iceland. It reminded me of this inspiring quote:
The basis churns upwardly boiling hot H2O that smells similar rotten eggs, amongst steam ascent from vents inward the basis adjacent to mud pools, fumaroles, together with mineral deposits.
The master Geysir no longer erupts after an earthquake closed it down, but a 2nd 1 called Strokkur constantly explodes amongst scalding H2O shooting 100 feet into the air every 10 minutes or so.
Haukadalur has a restaurant/gift store where yous tin can warm upwardly amongst hot soup.
Gullfoss Waterfall
The mighty Hvítá river abruptly disappears into a ravine at a spectacular waterfall called Gullfoss, the adjacent major highlight on Iceland’s Golden Circle.
Gullfoss agency “gold waterfall” inward Icelandic, together with when the Sun hits it simply right, it for sure fits the description!
The broad & fast-moving river turns a corner together with falls 100 feet into a fissure inward the earth, producing thick mist & frequent rainbows. The dramatic scenery at Gullfoss makes it 1 of Iceland’s most pop attractions.
After descending a long staircase from the parking lot, a concrete pathway allows visitors to walk along the border together with hold off downwardly into the roaring cascade of water.
Gullfoss waterfall is located off the main road, thence yous conduct hold to backtrack a scrap to hold the normal Golden Circle route dorsum to Reykjavik.
Kerið Crater Lake
Our terminal large halt on the Golden Circle was Kerid Crater Lake. We pulled into the parking lot equally the Sun was outset to assault this ruby-red volcanic crater covered inward dark-green vegetation.
Once a typical cone-shaped volcano, the overstep has since collapsed into an empty magma chamber. The bottom is filled amongst a deep bluish shade of H2O that sets off the ruby-red & dark-green colors on the crater itself.
Hiking downwardly to the bottom of the crater alone takes v minutes. Not equally good known equally the other Golden Circle attractions, Kerid Crater is definitely worth a quick halt if yous conduct hold the time.
Nesjavallaleið Geothermal Plant
If yous create upwardly one's take away heed to drive the Golden Circle inward a counterclockwise direction, starting at Kerio Crater Lake together with ending inward Þingvellir National Park, thence there’s a beautiful backroad yous tin can accept to 1 of Iceland’s geothermal ability plants.
There is zilch exceptional out in that location except the drive itself. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 lonely route driving through pretty Icelandic landscapes. You tin can accept this route correct dorsum to Reykjavik, together with it’s a lot less busy than the normal way back.
This route volition add together an extra 45 minutes to your trip, together with the route tin can survive covered inward snowfall inward the winter, equally it was inward Oct when nosotros did the drive. It was pretty scary, together with non recommended when covered amongst snow!
There’s also a real cool luxury hotel out in that location called ION Adventure. It looks similar a spaceship!
Hiking Kerlingarfjöll Mountains
Located deep within Iceland’s primal highlands, this unusual alien landscape is non purpose of the typical Golden Circle route. That’s because it’s pretty far out of the way…
To attain Kerlingarfjoll, yous demand a 4X4 vehicle together with the confidence to drive for 2-3 hours on Iceland’s F-Roads, crude oil jeep trails that become into the highlands. These roads are alone opened upwardly during the summer.
It’s non possible to gibe it into a twenty-four hours trip amongst the Golden Circle, you’d demand to pass a nighttime out in that location too. Either past times camping ground or renting a mount cabin. But it’s quite an adventure!
➜ Read My Full Kerlingarfjoll Hiking Guide Here
Where To Stay On The Golden Circle
Most people base of operations themselves out of Reykjavik to drive the Golden Circle, equally it’s a dandy twenty-four hours trip that tin can conduct hold yous dorsum inward the metropolis past times even out to sense some of Iceland’s famous nightlife.
But if yous excogitation to hold to the Ring Road, the town of Selfoss is a goodness house to pass the night. Here are some dandy options for where to remain nearby.
Golden Circle Republic of Iceland Travel Tips
- While technically driving the golden circle is alone three hours round-trip, the reality is a 6-8 hr twenty-four hours depending on how long yous pass at each stop.
- If yous desire to sense some of Iceland’s stunning landscapes but don’t conduct hold a lot of fourth dimension (for example, a one-day layover), the Golden Circle is a wonderful option.
- The surface area or thence Gullfoss Waterfall gets pretty windy, thence a waterproof jacket (and perhaps fifty-fifty pants) is recommended if yous excogitation to larn close.
- The conditions inward Republic of Iceland tin can survive unpredictable. We were visiting inward October, together with it started snowing at the outset of our drive! Always pack warm layers no thing what flavor you’re visiting.
Travel Video: Iceland’s Golden Circle & Ring Road
(Click to lookout My Adventures In Iceland on YouTube)
Packing Guide
Check out my travel gear guide to assist yous start packing for your trip. Pick upwardly a move backpack, photographic telly camera gear, together with other useful move accessories.
Book Your Flight
Find inexpensive flights on Skyscanner. This is my favorite search engine to discovery deals on airlines. Also brand sure to read how I discovery the cheapest flights.
Rent Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Car
Discover Car Hire is a dandy site for comparison machine prices to discovery the best deal. They search both local & international rental companies. Also read my tips for driving inward Iceland.
Book Accommodation
Booking.com is my favorite hotel search engine. Or rent apartments from locals on Airbnb. Read to a greater extent than nigh how I mass inexpensive hotels online.
Protect Your Trip
Don’t forget move insurance! I’m a large fan of World Nomads for short-term trips. Protect yourself from possible injury & theft abroad. Read to a greater extent than nigh why yous should ever bear move insurance.
Recommended Guidebook: Lonely Planet Iceland
Suggested Reading: The Little Book Of Hidden People
Enjoy This Post? Pin It!
READ MORE FROM ICELAND
Best Republic of Iceland Photography Locations
How To Find Iceland’s Famous Plane Crash
Iceland’s Amazing Jokulsarlon Lagoon
Photographing Northern Lights In Iceland
Are yous planning a trip to Iceland? Did yous know nigh the Golden Circle? Drop me a message inward the comments below!
Sumber lksmadrasah.blogspot.com
