Golden Circle Express - Private Tour from Reykjavik

Golden Circle Express - Private Tour from Reykjavik

This Golden Circle Express tour is ideal for those who are on a business trip, layover or for some other reason have limited time but still want to cover some of the highlights of Iceland. Even though it is an express version, we would include the main sights of the famous Golden Circle route such as Thingvellir National Park, Geysir Geothermal Area and the second biggest waterfall in Iceland – Gullfoss.

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Thingvellir National Park, Thingvellir Iceland

Thingvellir National Park is known with both historical and geological meaning.

The Mid Atlantic Ridge comes over Iceland, dividing a country into two parts belonging to American and Eurasian tectonic plates, and Thingvellir is a part of fissure zone on the tectonic plate boundary. The valley at Thingvellir contains the largest lake in Iceland, Thingvallavatn.

Thingvellir is also Iceland’s cradle of Democracy and the birthplace of Althingi parliament. The direct translation of Thingvellir is Parliament-fields. Althingi is the oldest extant parliament in the world, established around 930 and continued as a general parliament assembly until 1798. Althingi performed its duties at Logberg in Thingvellir, meaning the Law-rock, which is where most of the speeches were held. Iceland declared it‘s official independence from Denmark in 1944 at Thingvellir on the 17th of June, making this date Icelandic national day.

Duration: 40 minutes

Stop At: Strokkur, Haukadalsvegur, Geysir Iceland

Geysir is a famous hot spring in the geothermal area of Haukadalur Valley, found in south-west Iceland. Though Geysir itself is rarely active these days, Haukadalur Valley boasts a plethora of hot springs and geysers, including the powerful Strokkur, Smiður, and Litli-Strokkur.

Strokkur is, arguably, the country’s most famous hot spring, shooting vast jets of boiling water from 20 meters (65 feet) up to 40 meters (130 feet) high. Don’t worry about missing this incredible spectacle of nature, as Strokkur erupts every five to ten minutes; just make sure to have your camera ready.

Geysir is much larger, but years can go by between eruptions here; it is currently in an inactive phase. When it does erupt, the water can shoot up in the air as high as 70 meters (230 feet).

At the southern part of the valley, Thykkuhverir, you’ll find various bubbling mud pots. These spooky brown cauldrons are fumaroles that boil up through the loose ground; after a dry spell, these mud pools are likely to transform into a hardened fumarole.

Duration: 40 minutes

Stop At: Gullfoss, White River, Blaskogabyggd 801 Iceland

Gullfoss (translated to ‘Golden Falls’) is one of Iceland’s most iconic and beloved waterfalls, found in the Hvita river canyon in south-west Iceland. The water in Hvita river travels from the glacier Langjokull, before cascading 32 meters (105 feet) down Gullfoss’ two stages in a dramatic display of nature’s raw power.

The waterfall consists of two stages. The first, shorter cascade is 11 meters (36 feet), while the second drop is 21 meters (69 feet). The canyon walls on both sides of the waterfall reach heights of up to 70 meters (230 feet), descending into the great Gullfossgjufur canyon. Geologists believe that this canyon was formed by glacial outbursts at the end of the last ice age.

In the summer, approximately 140 cubic meters (459 cubic feet) of water surges down the waterfall every second, while in winter that number drops to around 109 cubic meters (358 cubic feet). With such energy, visitors should not be surprised to find themselves drenched by the waterfall’s mighty spray.

Duration: 40 minutes