10 Best Golden Circle Tours in Reykjavik

Here are some of my favourite excursions to see the Golden Circle, which is definitely one of the best things to do and see in Reykjavik at any time of the year.

Private tours, full day tours and even combination tours, the Golden Circle has a lot to see and that's why I want to show you some of the options you have to get to know this popular place in Iceland.

This is the most basic tour you can get to this place. In this case, you will see the most typical places that comprise the Golden Circle and that you can only see in the southwest of the island.

It is a basic tour but with everything you need if you have little time to visit Reykjavík and Iceland in general and you want to do it in record time. During this tour you will visit Iceland's Thingvellir National Park, Strokkur and the great geyser Geysir, as well as Kerid Krater.

Interesting details

• Price: from 59 euros per person.
• Duration: approximately eight and a half hours for the entire trip.
• Means of transport: by fully equipped bus.

This eight-hour experience is perfect for people travelling in small groups. One of the differences between this tour and other similar tours is that it has the advantage of being private. Only you and your group will be able to participate in this activity.

During the tour you will have the chance to see the sites that comprise the Golden Circle and you can do it in the comfort of a minivan with your group of family or friends. The places to see are Thingvellir, Gullfoss waterfall, Geysir and Faxi waterfall.

Interesting details

• Price: from 73 euros per person.
• Duration: approximately eight hours for the whole tour.
• Means of transport: minibus equipped with all necessary amenities.

This premium tour just for your travel group is different from others because you will get to see not only the most beautiful places of the Golden Circle, but also learn a lot about the history and culture of Iceland, while having a personalised travel experience.

Besides the typical places to visit in the Golden Circle, you will be able to see an authentic Icelandic horse farm where you will also see a beautiful show of their skills and abilities. Some of these horses are responsible for giving the best horseback riding tours in Iceland from Reykjavík. Of course you will also see the Gullfoss waterfall.

Details of interest

• Price: this experience is priced at approximately 74 euros per person.
• Duration: the tour can take around 8 hours, although it is a flexible tour in terms of time.
• Means of transport: the entire transfer will be by minibus with all facilities on board.

This afternoon experience is one of the best you can have if you go on an excursion to the Golden Circle. For approximately eight and a half hours you will have the chance to see the natural wonders of southwest Iceland in a different light, giving you the chance to take even more amazing pictures.

This is a classic version of the typical Golden Circle tour, with the difference that you will do it in the afternoon, making this plan ideal if you want to have the morning available for other activities or simply to take the time to do some of the best tours in Reykjavík. The places you will visit are Thingvellir, Gullfoss, Strokkur and Kerid Crater.

Interesting details

• Price: from 50 euros per person.
• Duration: approximately eight and a half hours to complete this tour.
• Means of transport: the whole tour is done in a fully equipped bus.

This combination is one of my favourites because it mixes the best of an evening tour of the Golden Circle with an evening Northern Lights expedition, two of the most important attractions to include on your winter to-do list in Reykjavik, or at least close to the city.

In at least 10 hours you'll see the hidden wonders of typical Golden Circle sites such as Thingvellir, Gullfoss waterfall and Kerid Crater, just before you go with your expert guide to see the northern lights dancing in the sky. This is one of my favourite ways to see the Northern Lights from Reykjavík.

Details of interest

• Price: from 179 euros per person.
• Duration: about 10 hours for the whole tour.
• Means of transport: this expedition will take place entirely on board a bus equipped with all comforts.

On this family-friendly experience you can take a comfortable ride to the Golden Circle and also enter the Fridheimar greenhouse, a beautiful area where tomatoes are grown in the geothermal heat typical of Iceland.

After learning a bit about tomato growing, next you'll see Thingvellir National Park, the geothermal area of Geysir, and the Gullfoss waterfall, all of which are must-sees if you're visiting Iceland.

Interesting details

• Price: approximately 60 euros per person.
• Duration: you can complete this tour in approximately eight hours.
• Means of transport: the whole tour is done by tourist bus. But from your place of accommodation to the bus station you will have to travel on your own, either using public transport or a rental car.

Eleven hours will be enough time to see all that the Golden Circle has to show you. Not only that, but it will also give you time to have your own relaxing thermal bath in Iceland's most important natural spa, the Blue Lagoon. If you don't want to miss out on this place, I also invite you to check out the best Blue Lagoon tours from Reykjavik.

Right after visiting amazing places like Kerid Crater, Thingvellir National Park and Gullfoss waterfall, you can take at least two hours to relax in the Blue Lagoon and enjoy its silica masks.

Interesting details

• Price: from 113 euros per person.
• Duration: approximately 11 hours for the whole trip.
• Means of transport: the whole trip is done by bus, properly equipped with all comforts.

Continuing with the geothermal activities that can be done in Iceland in conjunction with the visit to the Golden Circle, this is another one of the activities that I recommend you to do and one of my favourites. It is an excursion of about ten hours.

During the whole tour you will have the opportunity to visit the most special places of the Golden Circle, and then you can go to the Secret Lagoon to enjoy an hour and a half of relaxing thermal spa. This experience differs from others in that the tour starts at the lagoon and then continues to the other sites of interest.

Details of interest

• Price: from 86 euros.
• Duration: this tour can last approximately 10 hours.
• Means of transport: the whole transfer is done by bus with all comforts.

This is one of the best excursions to get to know the Golden Circle and take the opportunity to do another interesting activity. In this specific case, you will be able to visit places such as Thingvellir, Gullfoss and Geysir, in addition to visiting the Langjökull Glacier.

Just at this last point of the excursion you will have the opportunity to drive a snowmobile on the most pleasant paths of the glacier. Of course, before you get on the snowmobiles, you will be trained and shown the necessary safety precautions.

Interesting details

• Price: this excursion can cost approximately 210 euros per person.
• Duration: you will be able to do the whole tour in approximately 10 hours.
• Means of transport: the means of transport you will use to travel to this area will be a bus with all the basic amenities you will need along the way. The pick-up point in Reykjavík will be reached on your own using public transport or a rental car.

On this combined experience you will visit the Golden Circle on board a super jeep, for a completely extreme adventure that I like to classify as one of the best snowmobile tours in Reykjavik. After this adventure, you will have the opportunity to ride a snowmobile around the Langjökull glacier.

The sights you will visit on the Golden Circle tour include Thingvellir National Park, the Geysir area and the Gullfoss waterfall. After this rewarding tour, you will head straight to the Langjökull area.

Interesting details

• Price: from 274 euros per person.
• Duration: between 9 and 10 hours.
• Means of transport: by properly equipped bus you will reach the starting area of the trip in a super jeep. After that you will get into the jeep and drive through the most interesting places of the Golden Circle. Later you will experience a snowmobile adventure.

Depending on the tour you choose, you may see different places, but generally the natural attractions that will always be on your list of places to visit during these tours will be Thingvellir National Park, Gullfoss Waterfall and the Geysir area, where Strokkur is also located.

During most of these experiences you will frequently see the Kerid crater, and in some cases you will have the opportunity to visit the Blue Lagoon or the Secret Lagoon, places where you can take special thermal baths, either to close the day's activity or to start the day's sightseeing.

• Wear comfortable clothes and trekking shoes so that you can walk on ice and snow without difficulty.
• If you're going with children, be sure to check the minimum age for each of the experiences, as some experiences require children to be at least 4 years old, while others require children over 2 years old.
• Even if you go in the winter season, don't forget to pack your swimming costume, as some of these Golden Circle experiences also include a visit to the hot springs.