The Golden Circle: navigating Iceland's most touristed route
Boiling hot geysers, a spectacular waterfall, the magical national park of Þingvellir... all within a days drive - there's a reason that the Golden Circle is the most touristed route in Iceland. Here are some tips to soak up the beauty without being knocked about by crowds.
I should start with the basics. The 'Golden Circle' is marketed in a variety of ways - but it always includes Geysir, Gullfoss and Þingvellir (which you might see written phonetically like Thingvellir). If you're looking at tours, many include the Blue Lagoon and Kerið too. I'm going to tell you avoid tours like the plague. No, really, trust me.
The map above shows the route that Nicholas and I did. We started at Hverageði, then made our way around the circle ending in Reykjavik. The driving portion took 3.5 hours, and the entire round trip took 9 hours, including soaking in the hot river at Hverageði. Allow a day for the round trip.
If you travel in summer, allow a night.
The hot river at Hverageði just before midnight
If, like most people, you plan to visit Iceland in summer, there's no better way to make the most of 24 hour sunlight than to stop by the top tourist spots in the middle of the night. Iceland's scenery is the stuff legends are made of, but it's hard to be mystified by bubbling volcanic pots and dwarfed by powerful waterfalls when you're looking over someone else's shoulder.
I'm not exaggerating either - at any given daylight hour, you're bound to see multiple tourist buses. Sometimes you'll see more than six or seven at a time.
Don't bother adjusting your sleep cycle. Just pick up a car and spend the night driving.
Kerið - the crater lake
Make the journey from Hverageði to Kerið, where you can walk the perimeter of this beautiful crater lake. Err on the side of caution here - sometimes it can be closed off after hours.
The smoking pools near Geysir
Geysir is literally THE geyser that made geysers geysers. It's not actually active anymore, but that's totally ok because Strokkur - Geysir's next-door-neighbour - goes off every few minutes. Some eruptions are more spectacular than others, so it's worth hanging around for a good one.
Some pools are completely inactive (but still hot, so don't touch!) and are almost illuminated with an intense bright blue light. They're actually pretty spectacular. Don't throw coins in them, though - a) the signs say not to, b) that's a waste of perfectly good coins, and Iceland is pricey.
Your next stop will probably be Gullfoss. Once upon a time, Iceland were going to utilise its power for energy, but they didn't, and now you can go admire it. It's been described as 'Iceland's Niagara Falls', and for good reason. It's a beautiful waterfall, with two wide falls, and its falls are shrouded in folktales.
Not far from Gullfoss is the UNESCO-listed Þingvellir, situated in the centre of its national park. Þingvellir was listed as a UNESCO site in 2004, for its historical and geological significance. Historically, Þingvellir is the location of the first parliament of Iceland (also where they drowned witches). Geologically, Þingvellir is where the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates are drifting apart. If you're up for something truly unforgettable, try scuba diving or snorkelling between the plates of the Silfra canyon.
The view from Þingvellir
Öxarárfoss, in Þingvellir National Park
As we were driving back to Reykjavik - just before 9am - we passed Mossfellskirkja, which is one of my favourite churches we've seen in Iceland. It just looks completely space age and out of place with the surrounding mountains. I suggest you stop and marvel at this bizarre piece of architecture. Even this early in the morning, tour buses filled with people were passing us the other way (headed toward Þingvellir), and we were feeling really glad to be finishing up for the night and have the whole circle completely to ourselves.
Ok, we saw one mink scurrying around near Geysir, but I don't think he counts.
The Golden Circle was a pretty fantastic evening trip, but wouldn't have had the same magic to it if I'd been surrounded by tour buses full of people! If you're headed to Iceland and it's on your to-do list (it probably should be), start planning a night-time road trip.
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