Iceland – the golden circle
Considering how I tend to avoid the most crowded places unless really unique or manageable with a proper planning, it may be a surprise to see an entire post dedicated to the day tour everybody is doing while visiting Iceland. I honestly didn’t have high expectations at the beginning of the day, but the thing is, if done right there’s a lot to enjoy including hidden gems along the way and I got a spectacular sunny day that made the whole experience even better.
The only thing that didn’t hit for me was Geysir; on site I usually don’t compare a natural place with similar others I may have seen previously considering that the setting or the surroundings may be different and make it unique anyway, that I may have different reasons or expectations for each place or that even my mood may play a role every time. Unfortunately for Geysir, Yellowstone is my favorite park for many reasons and I really couldn’t avoid comparing their features and leave a little disappointed…shame on me anyway.
Here’s my suggested plan for a complete day around the golden circle starting from Reykjavik as most would do:
– Early wake up to avoid “traffic” in the city and reach Thingvellir National Park before the visitor centre opens and the crowds start wandering around. At 7am it is possible to enjoy the park at its best with almost no one around, just compare my picture below with the ones on the brochure or commonly found online to get an idea of the difference. A couple of hours should be enough for a pleasant morning walk in the park.
– The increasing number of people will make it obvious when it is time to leave the park. Since more and more people will be heading to all the major spots on the golden circle, the central part of the day should be dedicated to exploring the less known locations along the way and… instead of dangerously stopping by the road to take a picture of the numerous Icelandic horses roaming the region… actually to do real thing and go horse riding in the countryside. Another must do is the hike to Bruarfoss waterfall, my favourite fall of the entire trip because of its location, the shape and the colors; it takes at least a couple of hours to do the round trip, but it is absolutely worth it.
– Later in the afternoon it is time to drive to Geysir and then on to Gullfoss. It will be still a little crowded but manageable (I was able to park the car close to the entrance as soon as I arrived) and in the afternoon the light is perfect to take pictures of the waterfall, rainbows included.
– The end of the day really depends on the final destination and the route to reach it. I planned a stop in Selfoss for an early dinner before heading to Heimaey island so I did not add anything else since I still had a long way ahead.
