Today I want to share my review of the best Golden Circle tour in Iceland with you. This classic day tour will take you from Reykjavik to the Gullfoss waterfall, Strokkur geyser, Pinghvellir National Park, and a few other stops. It’s a great way to see the highlights.

Best Golden Circle Tour in Iceland

Best Golden Circle Tour in Iceland

Iceland is wild. There are few other places on Earth with as many active volcanoes, bubbling hot springs, spouting geysers, and glistening glaciers.

The famous natural monuments of the Golden Circle in Iceland feature each of these phenomena.

When I planned my trip to Reykjavik, I knew I couldn’t miss out on the country’s stunning scenery and geothermal attractions. As such, I wanted to go on the best Golden Circle tour in Iceland.

Bridge in Pinghvellir National Park on a Golden Circle tour in Iceland

I’m not usually a bus tour person, but given I didn’t want to rent a car in Iceland, I decided to chance it.

I piled onto the coach on Saturday morning with 50 others and set off through rocky green landscapes in the bright Icelandic sunshine.

Steam vents near the Strokkur geyser on a tour of the Golden Circle in Iceland

As we drove, the pristine mountain scenery reminded me of Mongolia’s Terelj National Park.

Both countries have wide-open stretches of natural beauty, endless blue skies, and a quality of remoteness that’s rare in an increasingly on-the-beaten-path world. They’re some of the best summer travel destinations.

Gullfoss waterfall on a Golden Circle tour in Iceland

Golden Circle Tour: Greenhouse

The first stop on the best Golden Circle tour in Iceland was at a greenhouse. Our guide told us how enterprising Icelandic farmers use geothermal energy to heat large hothouses. Inside they grow everything from bananas to bougainvillea.

Flowers growing in a greenhouse on the Golden Circle in Iceland

This particular greenhouse was small and didn’t have much to see apart from some banana trees and a few flowers. In fact, the gift shop and adjacent restaurant were larger than the growing area itself.

Still, it was interesting to see tropical plants thriving in such a cool climate.

Viking in a gift shop on the Golden Circle in Iceland

Golden Circle Tour: Gullfoss Waterfall

Back on the bus, we headed north to a church in the middle of an archaeological site.

After a quick stop there, the best Golden Circle tour in Iceland continued with a stop at one of the country’s most famous aquatic features. No, it wasn’t the Blue Lagoon. It was a waterfall.

Gullfoss waterfall, Iceland

The Gullfoss waterfall is a stunning natural cascade. Falling down in two stages, clear aquamarine water rushes through a canyon, spraying water on visitors as it takes its course down the Hvita river.

Gullfoss waterfall on a Golden Circle tour in Iceland

Golden Circle Tour: Strokkur Geyser

From the Gullfoss waterfall, our tour of the Golden Circle in Iceland continued with a trip to one of the most famous geysers in the country.

The Strokkur geyser erupts every 8 to 9 minutes on average, wowing onlookers and soaking those unlucky enough to be downwind of the towering column of water.

Around the Strokkur geyser are thermal pools, boiling hot springs, and beautiful rocky hills covered in purple and yellow flowers.

The scene reminded me of some of the geothermal areas I saw in New Zealand.

Purple flowers near the Strokkur geyser, Iceland

Speaking of which, our tour guide told us that there are only a handful of places in the world where active geysers exist: Iceland, New Zealand, Yellowstone National Park in the US, eastern Russia, and Chile.

Landscape near the Strokkur geyser on the Golden Circle in Iceland

Golden Circle Tour: Pinghvellir National Park

The final stop on the best Golden Circle tour in Iceland was Pinghvellir National Park. The area was not only naturally beautiful with its layers of streams and the country’s largest natural lake, but also an important place in Iceland’s history.

For centuries Pinghvellir National Park was the site of annual tribal meetings and law courts. More recently, it was the location of the Icelandic declaration of independence in 1944.

River in Pinghvellir National Park in Iceland

The national park is also famous for being the meeting place of the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. As such, the rocks were fissured and twisted, and deep chasms had formed from countless years of shifting.

Landscape at Pinghvellir National Park on the Golden Circle in Iceland

At the end of the Golden Circle tour, we arrived back in Reykjavik via more beautiful scenery and wild terrain. I was happy to have survived the bus tour, and glad to have seen the natural highlights near the capital.

Mountain near Pinghvellir National Park on the Golden Circle in Iceland

Best Golden Circle Tour in Iceland

But going on the best Golden Circle tour in Iceland wasn’t the only thing on my itinerary.

No, the capital city of Reykjavik deserved exploring as well, and I was glad I had another day to see the urban highlights after exploring the natural ones. To be continued…

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Best Golden Circle Tour in Iceland

6 Comments on Lady’s Guide to the Best Golden Circle Tour in Iceland

  1. Can you tell me which tour you went on? Would you suggest it to others? I’m going to Iceland in 2 weeks and we don’t want to rent a car either but we want to get around and see everything. Thanks!

    • Hi Ashley! We went with Reykjavik Excursions. It was a pretty big group, and I would have liked something a bit smaller. They’re having a mid-summer sale on the tour right now, though, so it may be worth it if it’s a lot less expensive than other companies.

  2. What gorgeous scenery. And I had no idea that only those places had geysers. I’ve been to the ones in the north of Chile, and they’re pretty amazing.

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