The Golden circle is an Iceland wonder that every person should have the pleasure of witnessing. From stunning waterfalls to breathtaking geysers, you are guaranteed to be amazed at every magical wonder along this tour.
We booked our Golden Circle tour through Gray Line when we arrived in Iceland. This was done by visiting their shop within ReykjavÃk town centre but can also be booked through their website (link below). We opted for the Golden Circle Classic Tour which involved an eight hour coach tour including stops at many different, fascinating views.
At the start of the tour we were a bit apprehensive about being on a coach for eight hours but as soon as we entered the coach, all those worries disappeared. The second that our tour guide for the day began interacting with us, it was clear that the day was going to fly by. Our guide was extremely friendly and informative about all of Iceland's history that before we knew it, we were stopping at our first destination: Þingvellir National Park. Our coach made two stops within this park which gave us the chance to see the spectacular sunrise from different angles. We were also greeted with lots of knowledge about the park's history as well as the history of the independence of Iceland which was extremely interesting to listen to. Our guide also pointed out the Eurasion and North American tectonic plates and explained the story behind their separation. The whole experience in the park was extremely interesting and informative and the park was home to some beautiful scenery which made the experience even more breathtaking. Once our brains were full of new, fascinating knowledge and our cameras were full of new, beautiful pictures, we were back on the coach for stop number 2.
Our next destination was a lunch stop at the stunning Gulfoss waterfall. This was a slightly longer stop than the others which gave us time to enjoy some delicious Icelandic soup in the Gulfoss café, before taking a short walk to witness Gulfoss waterfall in all its glory. This waterfall is truly breathtaking and for me, the beautiful white snow surrounding Gulfoss as the calming water made its way down the waterfall, made the stunning scenery even more magical. The scenes that I witnessed were incredibly relaxing and put me in a sense of calmness as I made my way back to the coach to visit our next stop, the geyser field.
Geyser Geothermal Field is home to lots of hot springs, bubbling mud pots and incredible geysirs. As you enter this field, you must be extremely careful where you step foot as you are surrounded by lots of small hot springs which are incredibly exciting to witness. The atmosphere is vibrant as people squeal with excitement whilst tons of tiny geysirs erupt all around you. You think that you have hit the peak of your day's thrills when you suddenly come across a large area surrounded by people with their cameras ready to catch the largest geyser of them all: Stokkur. Stokkur, also known as the "mighty geyser" erupts every couple of minutes with each blow being slightly bigger than the last. Every time Stokkur releases her biggest eruption, she is met with a crowd filled with amazement before being greeted by a loud applause. Words cannot describe how incredible Stokkur is to witness. After witnessing an array of large explosions, I was left in awe of such a wonderful geyser. You really do have to witness these geysers first hand to appreciate their beauty.
As everybody excitedly made their way back to the coach, all exchanging stories about the wonder that we had just witnessed, our guide explained the history of the geysers as we made our way to our next stop: Faxi waterfall. Faxi waterfall is a lot smaller than Gulfoss but by no means, less wonderful. Here, our guide pointed out the "ladder" that had been handmade to help the salmon make their way upstream to the top of Faxi. The whole story was extremely interesting and lead to lots of questions about the importance of good salmon to Icelanders! Once the excitement and fascination of the salmon of Faxi was over, we headed back to the coach where we began our journey to our final stop, Skálholt cathedral.
Skálholt is a historical area within Iceland and is home to a beautiful, small cathedral which we had the pleasure of visiting during the tour. Our tour guide was wonderful and even offered to sing for us so that we could fully appreciate the acoustics that the church delivers. The experience was lovely and our guide's voice was incredible and gave us the opportunity to appreciate the beauty of Iceland and the people who live there. Below the church floor is a small museum full of interesting facts and history which was a fantastic and informative end to an incredible and knowledgeable day.
Overall, the experience is unlike any other and I strongly encourage every person to visit all the wonders of the Golden Circle during their stay in Iceland. The link to the Golden Circle Classic tour, along with a variety of other Golden Circle tours, can be found through Gray Line's website here. Please let me know of your personal experiences in the comments below.