The Golden Circle, Iceland

In southern Iceland there is a 155 mile (250 km) loop called the Golden Circle that is one of the country’s most popular destinations. The circle includes Thingvellir National Park, Gullfoss Waterfall, and Strokkur Geyser. Gullfoss in Icelandic means golden, thus the route was named after the waterfall.

The first stop in the circle is Thingvellir National Park. For many centuries Iceland’s parliament met here, and there are ruins of the shelters used for governing purposes in the park. These structures were built starting in 930 and were used until 1798 when parliament moved to Reykjavik. This UNESCO World Heritage Site became a national park in 1928 to preserve the ruins. It was the first of the three national parks in Iceland.

As you walk down this boardwalk in the park, you will actually be walking between two continental plates; the Eurasian tectonic plate and the North American tectonic plate; amazing! It’s the only place in the world where you can have this experience.

As subterranean movements occur and the plates pull apart, they form ravines and rifts, basically reshaping the earth’s landscape. The photo above shows one of the ravines.

We were told to be sure to use the toilets in the park, because of the magnificent view. 🤭.

Gullfoss Waterfall is the second stop and is a magnificent and impressive sight to witness. It was most likely created thousands of years ago by run-off from one of Iceland’s largest glaciers; Langjokull. It has a total height of 105 feet (32m) as it tumbles down what looks like a staircase. On sunny days it looks golden, unfortunately it was a cloudy day when we were there, so we missed out on this phenomenon.

The final stop in the cirlce is Strokkur Geyser. It supposedly erupts every seven minutes; however, I waited for fifteen and saw only this.

We met a friendly man from Seattle (my home town!) while there, and he shared this clip with me.

Its usual height is 50 – 65 feet (15 – 20 meters) but can reach 130 feet (40m) on occasion. It first started erupting in the mid 1700s after an earthquake loosened whatever was blocking the exit point. It didn’t erupt very often though until 1963 when the conduit was cleared; it’s been erupting regularly since that time.

The scenery throughout the circle is stunning and you’ll see something beautiful at every turn.

It takes about three hours to drive to each of the three highlights along the circle, depending on how long you stop at each location. There are plenty of restaurants and other facilities along the route as well. Tours are available or you can rent a car and go at your own pace.

What do you think of Iceland’s Golden Circle? I would love to hear your comments, so feel free to leave a message.

Wishing you grand adventures,

Tricia