Golden Circle. Private Day Tour
Overview
The Golden Circle tour is a must-see for anyone visiting Iceland for the first time.
The Golden Circle is the most popular day tour from Reykjavik. This tour combines historical and geological sites and is recommended for an initial introduction to the country. During the trip, we visit Thingvellir National Park, the geothermally active Haukadalur Valley with the Geysir and Strokkur geysers, and one of Iceland’s symbols – the Gullfoss waterfall. Other attractions along the way include Fridheimar tomato greenhouse and Kerid Crater. The tour can be tailored according to your wishes. Please let us know if you would like to visit other places or add activities to your trip.
Highlights:
- A perfect introduction for first-time visitors
- Explore Iceland on a privately guided tour
- Visit some of Iceland’s most popular destinations in one day
To know before booking:
- Most travelers can participate
- Infant seats are available
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the tour starts
- If the operator cancels the tour due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
Pickup details
We will pick you up from your accommodation in Reykjavik or the cruise ship terminal. Pickup and drop-off outside the capital are possible for an additional fee.
Tour Pricing
Tour availability and price for a group of up to five people, as indicated in the booking form below. If your group has six or more people, please contact us to request a quote for a custom tour.
Included | Exclude
- Pickup and drop off in Reykjavik
- Driver/guide service during the trip
- Private transportation for your group
- Food and drinks
- Pickup or drop-off outside of Reykjavik is possible at a surcharge
Tour Plan
Our tour starts from Reykjavik, where we head to Thingvellir National Park. Thingvellir served as a legislative base for centuries, from the first Viking settlers until the late 18th century. We will walk along the Almannagja fissure in the park, where the American and Eurasian tectonic plates diverge.
We then head to Haukadalur, the Valley of Geysers, where Strokkur, the largest active geyser in the country, spews a mixture of hot water and steam to a height of 20–30 meters (65–100 ft) every 5–10 minutes, while other hot springs in the area are calm but colorful.
One of the main attractions of the route is the Gullfoss waterfall, consisting of two cascades 11 and 22 meters (36 and 72 ft) high, cascading into a long canyon. From Gullfoss, we drive to Fridheimar, a tomato greenhouse and an excellent example of Icelandic farming. Here, we can enjoy unique dishes in the restaurant inside the greenhouse.
Another stop we will make along the way is the Kerid Crater. The steep slopes of the crater, about 55 meters (180 ft) deep, resemble an ancient theater, and the crater floor is filled with water, forming a small lake. On the way to Reykjavik, we will drive through the Hellisheidi mountain pass and take you back to Reykjavik to your hotel or guesthouse.
Please note: the route is subject to change depending on weather and road conditions.
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Trip Advisor Rating
EXCELLENT Based on 168 reviews Posted on Tripadvisor caroline6965Verified A truly amazing day out with Sergei! We had an incredible day out on our South Coast private tour with Sergei. The driving conditions over the mountains were quite bad with snow on the road, but Sergei was a very safe driver and reassuring. He made sure we were comfortable and happy throughout our tour. He also reserved a table at a restaurant for us to stop for lunch. Sergei was very knowledgable and we learnt so much about the history and geography of Iceland from him. He showed us all the best places to stop for photos and also took incredible photos of us on our phones. The waterfalls, glacier and black beach were truly spectacular and beautiful and we will always remember this amazing day out. If you are thinking of booking a private tour in Iceland, I would thoroughly recommend you book with Sergei.Posted on Tripadvisor John SVerified My Wife Was Right! My Wife Was Right! I didn’t want to do this, but glad we did, it was awesome. We got the fairly basic package (one mask, one drink, towel) and paid for an additional mask. So invigorating—the bath, saunas, everything. A bathrobe would have been nice, but was unneeded. Many recommend sandals, but you don’t need them. What we should have done was gone straight from the airport—many did that and it’s the way to get refreshed and clean after an overnight flight from the States and kill time until you can check in your hotel. That is what we will do next time!Posted on Tripadvisor AndreaVerified superb day and guide This tour was fantastic in every way. Sergei is knowledgeable, professional, and friendly. He explained everything that we were seeing both before and during visits to many beautiful natural wonders. He gave us both in-depth background and detailed answers to our questions. The day was scheduled in a way that allowed us to see a lot but not feel rushed. We would recommend him to everyone who is looking for a high quality guide and tour.Posted on Tripadvisor pamelarae2013Verified 10 Hours of the South Coast with Top Iceland Tours Top Iceland Tours provided a top-notch tour and personal attention for our group of three generations. Sergei kindly agreed to pick us up at our hotel, which we really appreciated. Thank you for sharing your knowledge of Iceland with us. It was important for me to have my granddaughters understand the history of Iceland, as well as taking in the incredible scenery of your country. You did so in a way that kept everyone entertained. I also thank you for being so careful to make sure I safely navigated my way around waterfalls. As many have said, you have a great eye for photography. Between you and my daughter we have some truly professional pictures to remember how exciting it was actually be in places we had only imagined. I hope to come back soon to see the rest of Iceland with Sergei and Top Iceland Tours. PamPosted on Tripadvisor Christine MVerified Fabulous Private Tour Spent a very enjoyable day doing this tour. Sergei was our guide and picked us up promptly from our hotel. Really enjoyed all the sights and had a nice lunch at the tomato greenhouse. We also stopped for an ice cream from a nearby farm. Sergie was very information, took lots of photos for us and helped over uneven ground. Definitely recommend this tour and Sergei. You definitely get value for money.Posted on Tripadvisor Sol RVerified Private two-day tour golden circle/south coast We went on a private two day tour along the golden circle and south coast with Sergei, it was amazing. Sergei is super professional, kind, patient and knowledgeable. He also takes really great pictures and knows all the best spots for them! He lent me some gloves from his wife super last-minute when I told him mine fit too big, and would also let me stop several times along the way to see icelandic horses! I would recommend him 100%, best price-quality guarantee! Sergei thank you for everything I wish you the very best in all your future endeavors!Posted on Tripadvisor Larissa NVerified In a word, it's incredible! We had a 5-day tour to Iceland, and all these days Serhey accompanied us on the trip. It was an incredible 5 days! We saw as much as we could. Sergey not only brought us to the locations, he told many stories and facts about these places, about Iceland in general, and also recommended the best locations for photos. He is very knowledgeable, with an encyclopedic knowledge of everything in Iceland - from the earliest history to the modern political system, from flora and fauna to geological and climatic nuances. Also, it is exciting to listen to him. He holds the audience well, and answers all questions. He is also an incredibly intelligent and calm person. He will always help, advise if any difficulties arise. It is impossible to imagine a better guide. Thank you, Sergey, for presenting Iceland for me and making me fall in love with it. Now I want to come here in the summer so that I can see other parts of the island, not only the south :)Posted on Tripadvisor M PVerified Highly recommend 100% worth the money! In fact, we loved this tour and Sergei (our tour guide and owner of Top Iceland Tours) so much that we booked another full day tour to the South of the Island as well! We travelled in complete luxury in a Mercedes Viano. Lots of space and comfort in between visits. Sergei has a warm and friendly manner, sharing a wealth of knowledge about Iceland, the sights we saw and the history of the country. Both tours were well thought out in terms of time (both travelling and time spent at each activity), daylight hours and making the most of the day. We would highly recommend Top Iceland Tours and thank you Sergei for making our trip so amazing.Posted on Tripadvisor Sightsee08135444363Verified Círculo dourado As vistas eram incríveis. Ver os geisers a explodirem foi fantástico. As cascatas eram impressionantes e estarem cercadas de neve ainda as tornou mais maravilhosas.Posted on Tripadvisor Viktoriia BVerified Great work for reasonable money The best tours in Iceland Thanks to Serhiy's conscientious and high-quality work, we had a perfect vacation in Iceland. Comfortable transport, maximum views, useful information and reasonable care. Respect for the client's time and money. A great desire to make other people fall in love with their country - Iceland. Every person from the group remained grateful to him. Rating: 10 out of 10. I recommend