Small-Group Golden Circle Full-Day Tour from Reykjavik
Description
This small-group Golden Circle day trip includes all the highlights of the popular Golden Circle route (Thingvellir, Geysir, and Gullfoss). The tour includes pickup and drop-off from authorized pickup points located in Reykjavik. If you are looking for a Golden Circle tour in a small group setting with that something extra then this is the tour for you!
Tour Options
Itinerary
Your Golden Circle Complete tour starts with a Reykjavik pick-up. From the Capital, you will head to visit all three of the classic Golden Circle attractions, Thingvellir, Gullfoss and Geysir in addition to other interesting neighbouring stops along the way.
The first highlight of the tour is the bright red Kerid crater lake. It's a 3000-year-old spot 55 meters deep and most recognized for its beauty – aquamarine-colored water surrounded by red rocks and greenery. This color scheme is what makes the lake look like a giant eye from above. For this reason, it's called "The Eye of the World."
Next up is Gullfoss, Iceland’s best known waterfall. The stunning waterfall falls gracefully down two steps creating a stunning setting for that picture perfect moment.
Next, we'll stop at Thingvellir National Park a UNESCO World Heritage site. Drink in the heavy mixture of geological and historical wonders at this popular site as you stroll between the rift valley that the tectonic plates of N-American and Eurasian have created.
Netxt, you will visit the phenomenal hot spring area of Geysir. Here you will get to experience Strokkur geyser in action, spouting boiling water up to about 60-100 feet.
Your tour will complete back in Reykjavik with a drop off at your original departure point.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Please note that we only serve the pick-up locations specified in our pick-up list below. Due to traffic restrictions, we are not allowed to pick up from hotels in the city center nor from private Air BnBs. If your pick-up location is not on our pick-up list then we kindly ask you to find the closest pick-up point to your accommodation from our list: 22 Hill Hótel – Brautarholt 22-24. Arctic Comfort Hótel – Síðumúli 19. BSÍ Bus Terminal – Vatnsmýrarvegi 10. Bus Hostel Reykjavík – Skógarhlíð 10. Bus pick up/drop off nr.1 – City Hall, Vonarstræti Bus pick up/drop off nr.4 – Miðbakki Bus pick up/drop off nr.6 – Safnahúsið (The Culture House) Bus pick up/drop off nr.8 – Hallgrímskirkja Church Bus pick up/drop off nr.9 – Snorrabraut Bus pick up/drop off nr.12 – Höfðatorg Bus pick up/drop off nr.15 – Vesturbugt Cabin Hótel – Borgartún 32. Eyja Guldsmen Hotel – Brautarholt 10. Grand Hótel Reykjavík – Sigtún 38. Grayline – Main bus terminal - Klettagarðar 4. Hilton Reykjavík Nordica – Suðurlandsbraut 2. Hótel Ísland – Ármúla 9. Hotel Ørkin – Brautarholti 29. Icelandair Hotel Reykjavík Natura – við Hlíðarfót, Nauthólsvegur 52. Klettur Hótel – Mjölnisholt 12-14. N1 Gas Station – Ártúnshöfði Reykjavík City Hostel – Sundlaugavegur 34. Reykjavík Lights Hotel – Suðurlandsbraut 12. Skarfabakki – Cruise Ship, Reykjavik Harbor, 105 Reykjavik
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Small group experience limited to 19 participants per guide
- Minimum age: 5 years old.
- Remember to bring: Warm and waterproof outdoor clothing, packed lunch, head-wear, gloves and sturdy shoes.
- Rated: Easy - Family tour.
- Waterproof clothing & hiking shoes can be rented directly from the operator (own expense) please contact the local operator before travelling
- Please note that the order of the itinerary can vary; we might swap the order of the attractions due to weather conditions and other related factors.
Reviews(188)
I was in Reykyavik for a conference and had extra day , therefore, I booked a golden circle full day tour with Arctic Adventure. The day tour was led by a guide named Indra. He was very professional and friendly- "In Iceland, there is never a bad weather because it changes every 15 minutes.". I really enjoyed this trip, which has inspired me to return back to Iceland and do multi days trip in near future.
Our guide Maria was very knowledgeable and offered enough viewing time at each site. We had a great time!
We booked a tour as opposed to self drive because we wanted the guide knowledge. Our guide Andreas was great, very knowledgable and helpful….sadly his microphone wasn’t great at all and we could barely hear him. We enjoyed the tour and the sights were wonderful. The weather wasn’t the best. Definitely make sure you’re well prepared with waterproofs and good boots or you’ll be a bit miserable if it’s wet and windy like it was for us. Also the queues for food at some of the more busy rest stops makes the timings tight as you don’t really have very long at each stop. It’s also very expensive. If you can take stuff with you to keep you going you’ll have a lot more time.
I had an absolutely amazing experience on the Golden Circle Tour! Everything was perfectly organized—the timing was spot on, the drive was smooth, and every stop was breathtaking. Our guide, Björguin, was fantastic: friendly, funny, and genuinely caring. He filled the journey with fascinating stories and facts about Iceland, so the drive itself became part of the adventure. Time flew by because every moment was enjoyable and full of new experiences. The places we visited were simply stunning. This was definitely one of the highlights of my trip to Iceland. Highly recommended!
Hi there, thanks for the kind review. Glad the Golden Circle was such a great day from start to finish, and that the guide made the drives part of the adventure. Looking forward to having you back. Arctic Adventures Team
Edgar was very good. He explained everything into details and he was very flexible with the tour - he stopped also at other destinations which were not on tour.
Hi there, thank you for taking the time. A guide who knows the route well enough to adapt around the group is one of the things that separates a fine Golden Circle day from a great one. Glad yours was the latter. Arctic Adventures Team
Edgar was a great tour guide. All the destinations were fantastic. We always had enough time everywhere.
Hi there, thank you for the kind words. A Golden Circle day done right comes down to good pacing at each stop, so guests don't feel rushed through any of it. Glad that's how the day worked out for you. Arctic Adventures Team
Booking directly with Arctic Adventures would have saved the tour from starting off on the wrong foot. The original schedule had us being at Bus Stop 1 at 08:30 in the morning for a 09:00 pickup. The night before, we received an email from Viator ( the third party vendor ) moving up the show time to 08:00. So by the time the bus did show up on time at 09:00, there were quite a few pissed off passengers who waited needlessly for an extra 30 minutes. But, Slavi the driver, saved the day. He was very personable, with a good sense of humour and lots of knowledge. The sights were as advertised and well worth seeing, especially on a beautiful weather day.
Hi there, appreciate you laying this out so honestly. We're sorry for the technical issue that caused the timing miscommunication, that's something we're aware of and working on. Glad the guide turned the day around for everyone, and that the sights held up on a beautiful weather day. Safe travels onwards! Arctic Adventures Team
Came to Iceland with 8 friends for our 50th birthdays! This tour was amazing! We saw everything we wanted to see and more! Edgar our tour guide was wonderful! Definitely recommend!
Hi there, this is so kind, thank you. We are happy that our tours were a great choice for you, and that the friends trip turned out to be so memorable. Thanks to your whole group for the lovely reviews. Cheers to many more. Arctic Adventures Team
Wonderful trip, amazing destinations, including the Kerið crater which is not always included in the Golden Circle tours: incredible colors and extraterrestrial landscapes. We even saw a partridge ^^ The guide was very skilled at sharing anecdotes about the places and providing clear instructions. Thanks to Guna for the experience!
Nice and well organized tour. Picked up at the bus stop on time. Tour guide, Bruno , has been great. He provided great deal of details and background information about the sites.
Hi there, thank you so much for taking the time to write this. Glad the Golden Circle day ran smoothly, and that the guide brought all the context and history to the sights. Hope you're back in Iceland again! Arctic Adventures Team
