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The Golden Circle area reaches from Selvogur west of Þorlákshöfn to the east of the town of Hella, along the seaside, and into the highlands. The area is as vast as it is diverse; there is a wide variety of attractions but the main three are Þingvellir National Park, Gullfoss, and Geysir.

The Golden Circle is accessible all year round, the roads are open and well-maintained in both summer and winter.

If you decide to drive and not go with a tour company, make sure you follow some basic safety procedures such as making sure the car has winter tires, if traveling in winter, you have checked the road conditions for the area you are going to and weather forecast.

The three main Golden Circle Stops:

Þingvellir
Þingvellir (Icelandic "Þing": parliament, "vellir": plains) is a place in the southwest of Iceland near the peninsula of Reykjanes and the Hengill volcanic area.
Geysir
One of the greatest natural attractions of Iceland and part of the famous "Golden Circle Tour", The Great Geysir, or Stori-Geysir, has been dormant since 1916 when it suddenly ceased to spout.
Gullfoss
Gullfoss is actually two separate waterfalls, the upper one has a drop of 11 metres and the lower one 21 metres. The rock of the river bed was formed during an interglacial period.

The area is rich in culture and history and offers a wide variety of activities such as horseback riding, jeep safaris, glacier tours, sailing, salmon and trout fishing, golfing, hiking, and various other interesting activities. 

Here you can find printable maps for the area: The Golden Circle Area & Banner Map

With the three main attractions, there are many other major attractions along the Golden Circle that you might consider stopping and exploring: 

Other places on the Golden Circle:

Kerið Crater
Kerið is a 55 m deep volcanic crater, about 3000 years old. It is a part of a group of volcanic hills called Tjarnarhólar and is now filled with water, creating a lake whose steep circular slopes rese…
Skálholt Church
Situated in the lower part of the Biskupstungur valley between the rivers Hvítá and Brúará, Skálholt is one of Iceland's places of special historical interest. For seven centuries it was the scene of …
BORG
There is a growing community in Borg in Grímsnes, where there is a wide range of services for locals and tourists, including schools, kindergartens, social homes, shops, accommodation, and camping sit…
LAUGARÁS
The development of the small village Laugarás started when geothermal activity was discovered in the area. There are numerous horticultural farms in the region and various services; camp site, hotel, …
REYKHOLT
The development of the small village Reykholt started in the first half of the 20th century, when geothermal activity was discovered in the area. There are numerous horticultural farms in the region a…
FLÚÐIR
Flúðir is a rapidly growing community in the center of the Hrunamannahreppur district, about 25 minutes off the main Ring Road. The area is considered to be very fertile and beautiful. Litla-Laxá, a c…
SÓLHEIMAR ECO-VILLAGE
Sólheimar is considered the oldest Eco-Village in the world. Sólheimar was established as a children's home in 1930. Still, today, Sólheimar focuses on offering people with special needs varied and cr…
LAUGARVATN
Laugarvatn is a shallow lake, about 2 km2 in size, and is located in the inlands of Árnessýsla, midway between Þingvellir, Gullfoss and Geysir, 100 km from Reykjavík. Under its floor there are hot spr…
Brúarhlöð
Brúarhlöð is a narrow gorge in the Hvitá River about three kilometers south of the Golden Waterfalls (Gullfoss). The river has formed the rocks into beautiful pillars and formations through the centur…

Here are the places you can stay on the Golden Circle:

Hotel Grímsborgir - Your luxury retreat in the Golden Circle
Hotel Grimsborgir is a four-star hotel located 70 km east of Reykjavik in the heart of the Golden Circle, nestled on the bank of river Sogid surrounded by stunning landscape. Some of the highlights of…
Hotel Skálholt
Hótel Skálholt is a house of culture that offers accommodation, a restaurant and a variety of events such as concerts, stand up, book presentations and more. The rooms are spacious and cosy and the ar…
Efsti-Dalur II
In Efstidalur you will get a unique and different experience. Right in the middle of the Golden Circle, you get a glance of the farm life in Iceland. This family farm has opened up for tourists and of…
Hotel Geysir
The trademark of Iceland, the great Geysir, gave the hotel its name and Geysir is situated right outside the front door of the hotel. Haukadalur is one of Iceland’s most famous historical sites, both …
Torfhús Retreat
The idea of Torfhús Retreat was to create an extraordinary environment for guests from around the world to enjoy the Icelandic countryside at its best. Our passion is to bring the rugged building trad…
Héraðsskólinn Historic Guesthouse
Staying a night should be more than just a place to stay. That’s why we at Héraðsskólinn Historic Guesthouse believe in more than just a room. With us you can walk in the footsteps of Icelandic histor…
Hotel Laugarvatn
Perfect location, right at the Golden Circle, a well equipped and spacious Hotel. Hotel Laugarvatn offers comfortable accommodation at a reasonable price. Our hotel has 30 rooms that sleep up to 80 p…
Vorsabær 2
Holiday houseCosy holiday house in the country side where up to 7 people can sleep. Vorsabær 2 is situated only 80 kilometers from Reykjavík. In the house there are 2 bedrooms, one of which has a doub…
South Central Apartments
South Central Apartments South Central Apartments offers personal home convenience while traveling in the south of Iceland. All Apartment units are fully equipped with easy 24-hour access and private …
Guesthouse Saga
At Syðra-Langholt we run a guesthouse, a camping site and a horse rental. The surrounding nature is beautiful and close to many "must-see" places, like Geysir, Gullfoss and Stöng.      
Sólheimar History Museum
Sólheima history museum was offically opened in the fall of 2022 in the oldest house of Sólheimar. It‘s been renovated to its original look and there you can read loads of information about the histor…
Eyvindartunga
Set in Laugarvatn in the South Iceland region, Eyvindartunga farm cottage is a lodge featuring a terrace and mountain views. Guests staying at this lodge have access to a fully equipped kitchen. The l…
Miðdalskot Cottages
At farm Miðdalskot we offer 5 apartments for rent. Our apartments are fully equipped with a kitchen, bathroom, and barbeque. Each apartment has two bedrooms each with two 90x200cm beds and a double sl…
Blue View Cabins
We are a family-run business located in the center of the Golden Circle, where we have many of Iceland’s most precious attractions around us, such as Geysir hot spring, Gullfoss waterfall, Þingvellir …

Other (1)

Hotel Gullfoss Brattholt 806 Selfoss 4868979

Here are all the activities that you can do while traveling the Golden Circle:

Friðheimar
Food Experience In Friðheimar we create a pleasant Food Experience for our guests where lunch is enjoyed among the tomato plants, as the restaurant is located inside the greenhouse. Enjoy the special …
Arctic Rafting
From Gullfoss waterfall, a glorious canyon descends down, creating the perfect scenario for a fun rafting experience. The Hvítá river originates from Langjökull glacier and has a perfectly balanced mi…
Laugarvatn Adventure
Laugarvatn Adventure offers exciting caving tours all year round with guaranteed departurs every day from June to August. We are based in Laugarvatn, a small village in the middle of the golden circle…
Laugarvatn Fontana
Laugarvatn Fontana is the place for relaxation and an authentic Icelandic experience. Soak in the warm geothermal pools and get energized in the natural steam rooms, with the hot spring bubbling right…
The Cave People
Can you imagine how it is to live in a cave? Well less than 100 years ago a normal Icelandic family did! The Caves have been renovated the way they looked when the last Cave People in Iceland lived th…
Riding Tours South Iceland
Riding Tours South Iceland is a family company. Our goal is to meet the needs of every customer as best we can with personal service. We are located in Syðra-Langholt 3 845 Hrunamannahreppur. We are a…
Flúðasveppir Farmers Bistro
 WE SERVE WHAT WE GROW   Flúðasveppir is the only mushroom farm in Iceland, located in Flúðir only 2km from the secret lagoon and in the middle of the Golden Circle. We also own one of the biggest hor…
Secret Local Adventures
Secret local adventures is a family-owned business and was founded in 2016 and we are located 5 km. (about 3 miles) from the small town Flúðir. The company is owned by the friends Guðmann (Manni) and …
Understand Iceland
Understand Iceland is a family owned and fully licenced travel agency. We specialize in educational tours to Iceland for people of all ages. We lead you away from the tourist throngs to unique destina…

When are you Travelling the Golden Circle?

January
Ave. temp 1°C / 33.8F
Daylight hours 5
February
Ave. temp 1°C / 33.8F
Daylight hours 9
March
Ave. temp 2°C / 35.6F
Daylight hours 12
April
Ave. temp 4°C / 39.2F
Daylight hours 15
May
Ave. temp 7°C / 44.6F
Daylight hours 19
June
Ave. temp 10°C / 50F
Daylight hours 19
July
Ave. temp 12°C / 53.6F
Daylight hours 20
August
Ave. temp 11°C / 51.8F
Daylight hours 17
September
Ave. temp 9°C / 48.2F
Daylight hours 13
October
Ave. temp 5°C / 41F
Daylight hours 10
November
Ave. temp 3°C / 37.4F
Daylight hours 7
December
Ave. temp 1°C / 33.8F
Daylight hours 5

Practical Information

Icelandic Water
Icelandic Krona and Creditcard use
Icelandic Weather
Road Conditions in Iceland
What to Pack for the Seasons
Things to know about COVID-19