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The Golden Circle is the most iconic and popular of all the day tours in Iceland. The attractions included in this route are unmissable to all visitors. The Golden Circle is a route comprising 3 main natural wonders; Thingvellir National park, Geysir Geothermal Area, and Gullfoss waterfall, striking and unique stops that demonstrate how tectonic activity and glacial erosion has shaped the landscape of the region.
On our small group tour of the Golden Circle, we add stops at Friðheimar Farm with its Icelandic horse show at the stables, tour the greenhouse, tomato tasting, as well as visitng Kerið Volcanic Crater (entrance fee included in your ticket). All stops on the tour are easily accessible to all.
The tour is in a minibus which provides a more comfortable and personal experience. Join us and enjoy all that this magnificent route has to offer.
Your tour begins with our fast and efficient pickup service. We provide direct pickup from a long list of designated locations dotted around the capital region. We aim to finish pickup promptly in order to devote the rest of our time together getting to know the sites and wonders of the Golden Circle.
Estimated to be around 6500 years old, the Kerið volcanic crater is an impressive sight to behold. The remarkably intact caldera measures 170 meters in diameter and is 55m deep. At the base of the crater is an aquamarine blue lake.
Visitors to Kerið can study this natural phenomenon from the rim or else descend towards water level via a wooden staircase. Either way, one can´t help but be impressed by the grand scale of Kerið.
In recent years a small entrance fee has been introduced in order to maintain and protect the site. This entrance fee is included in your tour price.
Friðheimar farm is known for both its greenhouse and horse stables.
Firstly you will visit the farm´s famous stables and meet the unique Icelandic horse. Known for their small stature, strength, and good spirits, your hosts will demonstrate the five unique gaits for which this horse breed is renowned.
Iceland is famous for its hot springs and geothermal energy and a visit to Friðheimar farm highlights how Icelanders have put this green energy to use in horticulture. Powerful sun lamps in the greenhouse help a variety of tomatoes grow which otherwise would not prosper in the harsh conditions for which Iceland is also famous.
You will have a guided tour of the greenhouse where this process is outlined in an engaging and informative way. Afterward, you will sample the fruits of these labors before you enjoy a leisurely lunch at your reserved table. Please note that lunch is not covered in your tour price.
Gullfoss translates to English as the Golden Falls and is one of the most powerful and impressive waterfalls in Iceland. The falls are part of Hvítá, a glacier river fed by meltwater from the enormous Langjökull glacier to the north. In winter when meltwater is low or non-existent, 80 cubic meters flow down per second. In summer, this increases to a massive 140 cubic meters per second.
Spray from the waterfall can hit you several hundred meters before you see it, a small price to pay to witness the power of nature.
Geyser is perhaps the only English word that directly derives from Icelandic and its usage can be traced back to our next attraction, the Geysir geothermal area.
Located in Haukadalur valley, Geysir itself no longer erupts without human assistance but its younger brother Strokkur can be relied upon to put on a show. Strokkur erupts every 5 to 10 minutes. Strokkur bubbles for several minutes, amping up the anticipation of visitors before erupting in boiling water and steam up to 20 meters in the area.
Beyond Strokkur, visitors can take several walking paths and view the boiling waters of the hot springs and steam vents the park is also famous for.
Our final stop of the day is to Thingvellir National park, a UNESCO world heritage site. This designation is well earned as it is a site of both geological and historical importance.
Thingvellir sits in the rift valley that marks the boundary between the North-American and Eurasian tectonic plates. The effect of continental drift is clearly visible here with the plates drifting apart by up to 2cm every year, resulting in a dramatic and unique landscape. A canyon called Almannagjá sits between the plates, allowing visitors to stroll leisurely back and forth between the two continents.
The Thingvellir was also the first site of the Icelandic Althingi or parliament, the oldest continuous parliament in the world. It was here that the descendants of the first settlers formed a general assembly that met yearly to settle disputes. Chieftains would travel for many days or weeks to represent their regions of tribes. The assembly took place here from 930ad until 1798 at which point the Althingi was relocated to Reykjavík.
After walking through the park, we return to Reykjavík where guests are dropped off at designated hotels and bus stops.