The Golden Circle - A best of Iceland in one day

The Golden Circle is Iceland's most popular sightseeing tour - and for good reason! In one day you‘ll get to see a magnificent waterfall, the world's oldest parliament and a hot spring area where the famous Geysir resides.

Iceland24: Iceland: Golden Circle Tour

The name Golden Circle might be a tourist-industry tag, but it’s also apt, as this broad circuit east from Reykjavík covers many of Iceland’s best-known features and touches on the root of much of its history. The key area is Þingvellir, whose dramatic and geologically unstable rift valley marks where the Icelandic state sprang into being in Viking times. 

South from here is the religious centre of Skálholt, where Iceland’s last Catholic bishop was assassinated in 1550; while travelling northeast takes you past the spa town of Laugarvatn to Geysir, the original hot blowhole that has lent its name to similar vents worldwide, before sealed roads end on the edge of Iceland’s barren interior at Gullfoss’ thundering twin cataracts.

Þingvellir National Park

Þingvellir (Thingvellir) is the National Park where the Althing, an open-air assembly representing the whole of Iceland, was established in 930 and continued to meet until 1798. Over two weeks a year, the assembly set laws - seen as a covenant between free men - and settled disputes. The Althing has deep historical and symbolic associations for the people of Iceland. 

The property includes the Þingvellir National Park and the remains of the Althing itself: fragments of around 50 booths built from turf and stone. Remains from the 10th century are thought to be buried underground. The site also includes remains of agricultural use from the 18th and 19th centuries. The park shows evidence of the way the landscape was husbanded over 1,000 years.

Diving is permitted in two submerged rifts in the Park, Silfra and Davíðsgjá. Silfra is one of the best spots for diving in Iceland and many people find the rift unique on an international scale

Camping in Þingvellir

Camping is only permitted in two areas in the National Park. At Leirar, which is within a 5 minutes walking distance from the Information Center, and in Vatnskot, by lake Þingvallavatn. At Leirar there are four camping grounds: Fagrabrekka, Syðri-Leirar, Hvannabrekka and Nyrðri-Leirar. The Vatnskot camp ground is situated at an abandoned farm site by the lake.

Geysir

Geysir, sometimes known as The Great Geysir, is a geyser in southwestern Iceland. It was the first geyser described in a printed source and the first known to modern Europeans.

The English word geyser (a spouting hot spring) derives from Geysir. The name Geysir itself is derived from the Icelandic verb geysa, "to gush", the verb from Old Norse. Geysir lies in the Haukadalur valley on the slopes of Laugarfjall hill, which is also the home to Strokkur geyser about 50 metres south.

Eruptions at Geysir can hurl boiling water up to 70 metres in the air. However, eruptions may be infrequent, and have in the past stopped altogether for years at a time.

Gullfoss waterfall

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.

Water flows over Gullfoss at an average rate of 109 cubic metres per second. The heaviest floods have recorded a flow of 2000 cubic metres per second. During the summer the flow is 130 cubic metres per second, which would take only 3 seconds to fill this building. People were eager to exploit the power potential of Gullfoss and many plans for hydroelectric developments on the river Hvítá have been proposed.

Everyone that visits Iceland cannot miss the Golden Circle tour. But the ultimate question is whether you should visit the Golden Circle with a tour company, or self drive the Golden Circle in one day yourself? I highly recommend doing the latter.

What kind of rental car do I need in Iceland?

Depending on the time of year you go, and what your travel plans are, you should be fine just getting a small sedan.

If you are heading there in winter (November – March) you may want to consider picking up a 4×4. This is because some roads can be closed and the roads very icy/snowy. Just check the Iceland road conditions on this official website before you head out.

How to get there

There are several different ways to start the Golden Circle, including of course the option to drive clockwise or anti-clockwise. Here's a map for reference.

Generally it is better to drive clockwise and to begin by taking Route #1 (east) in the direction Vík, but just to the edge of Reykjavík, then turning north (left) onto the 431 and 435. 

Johanna & Petrea, Iceland24

July 2015

Þingvellir National Park - Guide to National Park Thingvellir

Þingvellir (Thingvellir) National Park has a rich history, stretching all the way back to 930. That was when the open-air assembly known as the Althing was established. The annual meeting of the assembly would run for 2 weeks, with laws made and disputes settled. The Althing ended in 1798, but its history still resonates with Icelanders today.

The remains of the Althing can still be found in the park. Around 50 booths made from turf and stone are among the remains. It is also believed that a number of artifacts from the 10th century may be buried underground. There is also evidence of agricultural work that took place in the 18th and 19th centuries. It is quite easy to see how the land was worked over the past 1,000 years.

This is a place that is of international importance, as proven by a massive amount of research that has been conducted in the area over the past few decades. Lake Þingvallavatn is one of the main attractions of this must see geological marvel.

Thingvellir Church

The church at Þingvellir is called Þingvallakirkja, and is open to visitors on a daily basis from 9am to 5pm, from the middle of May through to early September. There are other periods when it can be visited, the full details of which can be found by contacting the Information Center.

Reservations tel. (+354) 482 2660 Email: thingvellir@thingvellir.is

Camping

There are two areas of the park that welcomes campers from June 1st to September 1st.

A short 5 minute hike from the Information center is where you Leirar, while the other campground is in Vatnskot, by Lake Þingvallavatn. There are 4 campgrounds to be found in Leirar: Fagrabrekka, Syðri-Leirar, Hvannabrekka and Nyrðri-Leirar.

An old abandonded farm on the shores of the lake is home to the Vatnskot camp ground. Those looking to camp or fish in this area need to obtain permits from the Information Center before doing so. Children 13 and under can stay overnight for free. If your group is made up of 10 or more adults, you can get a 15% discount when paying the full cost of permits when reserving.

Hiking Trails

There are hiking trails to be found all over the National Park. Many of these fan out from the Althing and pass through the abandoned farms of Hrauntún, Skógarkot and Vatnskot. The remains of the latter can still be seen.

While the majority of the trails are reserved for walkers, the old bridle paths of Langistígur, Skógarkotsvegur and Nýja-Hrauntúnsgata are open to those looking to explore on horseback.

How to get to Thingvellir National Park

Thingvellir National Park is about 45 km northeast of Reykjavik, and there are a number of different roads that lead to the park.

Traveling From Reykjavik: From Reykjavik, head north on the No.1 road. Once you pass through the town of Mosfellsbær, you will then take the next exit to the right at the roundabout that leads to No. 36 to Thingvellir. This is the main road that runs into Thingvellir, and it remains open and ploughed through the majority of winter.

Information Center

The Þingvellir National Park Information Center is close to the camping grounds in Leirar. It remains open from 9 am to 5 pm, May 1st through September 30th.

The history and general information of the National Park can be found here, as can maps that clearly show all of the marked trails. Road conditions are routinely posted, as is information about other areas of interest in the National Park.

There is an excellent bookstore in the center. You will also find a cafeteria that is open daily from April 1st to October 31st, and on weekends during the winter months.

Jóhanna Rós & Kolla
© 2015 Iceland24