Golden Circle Tickets and Tours

The Golden Circle is not a single attraction. It is a loop route through southwest Iceland that every operator builds a day tour around, because the three headline stops sit close enough together to see properly between breakfast and dinner. That is why it is the first thing almost every first-time visitor books, and why there are more Golden Circle departures from Reykjavik than any other tour in the country.

You do not need a ticket for the sights themselves. What you are booking is the coach seat, the guide and the driving, which is the hard part in Icelandic weather. If you want the honest verdict on whether it lives up to the hype, read Is the Golden Circle tour worth it? If you have already decided and just need to pick a departure, read which Golden Circle tour to book.

Thingvellir National Park. A rift valley where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates are pulling apart, and the site of the Rock of Law where the first Viking parliament met. It was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its cultural value in 2004.

The Geysir geothermal area. The original Geysir gave the world the word, but the reliable performer today is Strokkur next door, which spouts steaming water around 30 metres into the air roughly every eight minutes. Have the camera ready before it goes.

Gullfoss. The "Golden Falls" on the glacial river Hvita, dropping into a 32 metre deep crevice. Stand on the lower path in summer and you will feel the spray.

Several tours add Kerid crater, a red volcanic crater with a startlingly blue lake in it. Worth checking the small print: on the Full-Day Tour with Kerid Crater, departures at 12:00 and later do not stop there.

If you only have one free day and want the Blue Lagoon too, the combined tour is the efficient answer and the highest-rated tour on this site. If you would rather split them, book the £68 full-day tour and see Blue Lagoon tickets separately.

Golden Circle departures sell out in peak season, and the earliest slots go first because they get you to Geysir before the mid-morning coaches arrive. Booking is instant, the ticket lands on your phone, and most options are cancellable free of charge up to 24 hours before, so reserving early costs you nothing in flexibility.

Deciding between this and the south coast? Read Golden Circle vs South Coast before you pick.