Private Golden Circle Tour

Tectonic plates at Thingvellir, Geysir hot spring, and Gullfoss waterfall with Langjökull in the background form together the most densely packed trail of landmark sights in all of Iceland. We take the scenic route through the mountain passes to Thingvellir National Park to enjoy the amazing scenery that clearly displays the volcanic nature of Iceland. Thingvellir is one of the few places in the world where visitors can overlook the tectonic plates drifting apart, leaving in between them the depressed block of land filled with fissures and plains.

The name Thingvellir refers to the legislative general assembly that was held at the site for a two-week period each summer, with Icelanders from all parts of the country gathering in the area to discuss important issues, settle disputes, trade goods, or just to have fun. This is the very foundation of the Icelandic national culture, and it was for that reason that Thingvellir was accepted on the World Heritage List for its cultural values in 2004.

After Thingvellir, it is time for our next landmark destination, Geysir. The hot spring was already an attraction in the 17th century as it was the first one known to the western world, and the phenomenon bears its name worldwide; but in Icelandic, Geysir means the one that erupts. The original Geysir has been quiet for the past years with only a few show-offs, but just beside it is the very active Strokkur that erupts every 5–10 minutes.

Gullfoss, or the Golden Waterfall in the river Hvítá (White River), is the last landmark on our list of must-sees but not the least, as this giant waterfall of glacial meltwater is just magnificent as it plunges down into the 32-meter-deep crevice. The hammering noise and wet mist only add to the experience, standing so close to the edge of the brownish glacial water from the highlands of Iceland, carving out and shaping the land below. Gullfoss has deep roots in both the folklore as the last milestone before reaching the highlands of Iceland and then in modern history as the first milestone of successful conservation of the natural shape and form of a waterfall rather than a simple input of water-mass for a hydro power plant.

If weather allows, we take yet another scenic route back home to Reykjavik under the midnight sun in summer, or scout the best possible route to catch the Northern Lights in winter. Like all our full-day tours, this tour takes in a wide selection of gourmet restaurants which make it their mission to use the freshest and best local produce, so we are sure to find some to fit our schedule and taste every time.