Golden Circle (Þingvellir, Geysir, Gullfoss)

Gullni hringurinn – Þingvellir, Geysir, Gullfoss

A rift valley, an erupting geyser and a two-step waterfall in one day

Hours

Open-air sites, always accessible (visitor centres and parking have hours)

Tickets

Sites are free; parking fees apply at Þingvellir and elsewhere. Compare tour operators to book

Address

Main stop: Geysir geothermal area, Bláskógabyggð

First stop, Þingvellir: you walk through Almannagjá, the crack where the North American and Eurasian plates pull apart, on the spot where Vikings held their parliament from 930. Then the Geysir field, steaming and smelling of sulphur, where everyone stands with phones raised until Strokkur's pool bulges blue and blasts skyward, every few minutes. Last is Gullfoss, a river dropping in two steps into a canyon; walk the lower path and the spray comes down like rain.