The golden circle tour starts as we set out from Reykjavik to Þingvellir National Park, home of Iceland’s ancient Viking parliament and listed as a UNESCO’s World Heritage site. There we take a walk to experience firsthand the geological wonder of the mid-Atlantic ridge.

From Þingvellir, our golden circle tour continues as we head east over Lyngdalsheiði following a mountain-road with great views of the rugged lava fields. Passing Laugarvatn lake, we arrive to Haukadalur, home of the great Geyser and the reliable Strokkur geyser that erupts with 3 to 7 minutes intervals, spouting boiling water to a height of 25 to 35 meters.

We then head up to the magnificent Gullfoss waterfall cascading down in the white colored Hvítá river originating in the Langjökull glacier. On our way back to Reykjavík we drive through the agricultural headland of south Iceland and through small settlements of the countryside. We finish this golden circle tour with a stop at Kerið, a colorful explosive volcanic crater, and a drive to the black sandy beaches of the south coast.

Note: Þingvellir is sometimes written Thingvellir or Pingvellir.