Golden Circle & Secret Lagoon Full Day Tour

We pick you up at your hotel, guesthouse, or at one of the bus stops downtown Reykjavík in the morning (click here to see the list of bus stops). The pickup is always between 8:00 and 8:30, but you have to be ready at 8 o’clock. After the pick up we head out of town and the guide introduces him/herself.

THINGVELLIR

The last stop of the day is the national park Þingvellir, which is full of history and natural beauty. It has a special place in the hearts of all Icelanders, all the way back to the Viking time when they founded here the first parliament in the world.

With more popular sites like these, you will love to visit Golden Circle & Snorkeling in Silfra Minibus Tour | Free Underwater Photos

We will have enough time to walk around and explore this wonderful place. We will have the opportunity to walk in the rift valley, where the tectonic plates are pulling apart. This is the closest you can get to being on two continents at the same time since under the national park the Eurasian plate and the American plate are separated by 2 cm every year.

Þingvellir was designated as a World Heritage of UNESCO in 2004.

In the area, there are restrooms and coffee shops for visitors.

With the increase in demand and popularity, you can also look at our Dive and Snorkle tours.

GULLFOSS

The wonderful Gullfoss is in our opinion one of the most beautiful waterfalls on earth. It is one of the biggest waterfalls in Iceland and there is a beautiful story about the waterfall which your guide will tell you.

When Canadians and Americans go there they call it “the mini-version of Niagara falls”, we don’t know if we agree on that though, if you ask us it’s even prettier. The waterfall is located close to the second biggest glacier in Iceland, Langjökull, and you will see the fresh glacier water falling down 32 meters total into the canyon.

Gullfoss is beautiful from all angles, from above it looks perfect with the Icelandic nature around. In the summertime, it is possible to walk all the way down to Gullfoss and feel its power and spray water in the air.

GEYSIR

Geysir is the most famous hot spring in the world, no doubt. It’s so famous that people from other countries talk about “Geyser” when talking about erupting hot springs. Geysir is located only 8 minutes’ drive from Gullfoss and is our third big attraction of the day.

Geysir is the father of all the hot springs in the area, and first erupted hundreds of years ago. The “golden age” for Geysir was at the beginning of last century when it erupted up to 80 meters every half an hour. Geysir fell asleep late last century but woke up again after the earthquakes in the Haukadalur area in the year 2000. It was erupting for 4 months, with a little help from the locals who put soap in it to make it erupt. They stopped doing that due to environmental reasons, of course. Geysir has been sleeping since the fall of the year 2000.

The only active erupting hot spring in the area is “the son of Geysir”, called Strokkur. Strokkur erupts every 3 to 8 minutes and goes as high as 35 meters. Strokkur is a spectacular hot spring, seeing this active hot spring erupt just a few kilometers from the glacier is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

This is our lunch stop. There are restaurants in the Geysir area where you can have burgers, salads, traditional Icelandic meat soup (our favorite), and much more. If you want to bring your own lunch with you, we let our customers eat on the bus, especially if the weather is bad.

We will have time to check out the hot springs (no bathing allowed!) and also time to have lunch.

FAXI

Before we head up the Secret Lagoon, we stop at one of the hidden diamonds in the area, Faxi waterfall.

Faxi is a small waterfall, sometimes called the little brother of Gullfoss. There are a few spots where you can enjoy the waterfall, from above or close to it. After checking out the waterfall we give you a little taste of Icelandic snacks: real Icelandic flatbread with smoked lamb on top and one of the oldest drinks in Iceland which is called “Malt”.

SECRET LAGOON

The last stop of the day is the Secret Lagoon known in Iceland as the “Old pool” since it is the oldest geothermal pool on the island, founded in 1891.

It is nothing more relaxing after a day out in Icelandic nature then ending the day in a geothermal pool. In Iceland, we do have more than 100 geothermal pools all over the country and it is a big part of the icelandic culture to go there to relax. The Secret Lagoon is different from the pools in Reykjavik for example, the area is all covered in mossy lava fields and many hot springs all around. There is a little hot spring there which erupts every 4-6 minutes.

If you feel to hot it is nice to stand up and walk around the area on the walking paths around the pool.

The water is about 38°-40°celcius.

Before you enter the pool the staff will tell you the rules and what should be kept in mind when visit the pool.

Remember to bring towels and swimsuits with you, but they can be rented by extra cost at the lagoon.

We stop in the pool for about 90 minutes.

Included:

• Icelandic snacks
• Icelandic music
• Certified driver/guide
• Free WiFi on board
• Admission to Secret Lagoon
• …and a lot of fun

What to bring:

• First of all, you have to bring the good mood
• Swimsuits and towels (if you forget them, you can rent them at the lagoon for 700 isk each)
• There is not much hiking in this tour, but it is always wise to wear good shoes
• Warm clothes, the weather in Iceland can change really quickly

FAQ:

WHAT IS THE CANCELLATION POLICY?

• Full refund if canceled due to weather. The cancellation fee can be withheld if canceled with short notice.

– 1-day notice: 100% charge

WHAT IS THE PICKUP TIME?

• Pickup starts at 8:00 for all our tours so be ready then. Usually, we come between 8:00 and 8:30.

WHEN WILL WE BE BACK IN REYKJAVÍK?

• Your South Coast tour is approx. 10 hours, so we will be back in Reykjavík between 18:00 and 18:30.

DO YOU PICKUP FROM MY HOTEL?

• We pick up from most hotels and guesthouses in Reykjavík. If you are staying downtown, within the area restricted to busses, we will ask you to go to the closest bus stop (see list of bus stops here). If your accommodation is not on the pickup list, please drop us a line.

DO YOU PICK ME UP FROM THE AIRPORT?

• No, we don’t do it in our regular pickup. If you want a private transfer from the airport to your hotel, drop us a line and we will send you a quote.

DO YOU HAVE AN AGE LIMIT FOR YOUR TOURS?

• Yes, the age limit is 2 years old. If you are traveling with a child, please let us know so we can arrange a booster or child seat.

I’M A VEGAN

• Unfortunately, we do not offer any special snacks for vegetarians or vegans. At Geysir and Reynisfjara there are quite a few options for all needs.

IS LUNCH INCLUDED?

• No, our lunch breaks in the Golden Circle tours are at the Geysir area – there are a couple of very nice restaurants there. On the South Coast tour, the lunch break is in Reynisfjara.