The Golden Circle & Kerid Volcanic Crater | Small Group Day Tour

What your day looks like

The trip to the Golden Circle is the most popular day tour in Iceland. Geysers, the Golden waterfall and Thingvellir are a classic, and there is a reason for it. Taking just a short drive from Reykjavík allows you to see some of the most spectacular landscapes and natural wonders in Iceland. Thingvellir National Park is the national shrine of all Icelanders. It lies within the belt of volcanic activity and fissures which pass across Iceland, a part of the mid-Atlantic ridge, the junction of the American and Eurasian tectonic plates. It is a nice feeling to stand with your right foot in Europe and your left one in America. Its great significance within the Icelandic culture has enabled this divine territory to attain a UNESCO World Heritage status in 2004. Geysir – the biggest geysers of Haukadalur Geothermal Area are Strokkur and Geysir itself, which gives the others their name. This geothermal area, spreading over a surface of 3 km, is filled with so-called boiling mud pits that, when active, expel hot water high into the air, followed by a steady puff of evaporating steam, only to repeat this occurrence every couple of minutes. Strokkur erupts every 5 to 10 minutes, throwing a column of water into the air to a height of 20 to 30 meters. If you’ve ever opened a Lonely Planet Guidebook about Iceland or scrolled through travel blogs, chances are you’d have unknowingly come across dozens of images of this natural marvel.    Gullfoss is one of Iceland’s most popular and venerated natural landscapes. The waterfalls' ever-so-impressive influential flow rate is given by the glacier river – Hvítá a rich in Salmon River, flowing for 40 kilometres from Langjökull glacier in the highlands of Iceland before disappearing deep within the waterfalls canyon 32-meter drop. During summer, when glacial water from Langjökull melts at a higher volume due to the rise of the earth’s temperature, the average flow of the waterfall’s water reaches an impressive 140 cubic meters per second!  The Golden Circle is open all year round. Each season paints the surrounding landscapes with different colours and brings along its charm and conquests. There is no right or wrong answer. It really is up to you and your preferences. The landscape dramatically changes from one season to another, which makes the experience even more unique and worthy for returning visitors. Summer brings out the warm, fairy-tale-like colours of the grounds and sky, whereas winter allows its guests to experience a truly Nordic seasonal environment.  The Classic Golden Circle Tour covers the three mentioned stops. We want to add something unique to your experience, and that’s why we will also visit the big Volcanic Crater Kerid. The crater is 270 m wide and more than 55 m deep. There is a lake at the bottom of the crater, which gives it a little bit of magic. The lake’s high mineral composition gives its waters a fairy-tale-like turquoise colour that creates a true visual spectacle paired with the brightly painted volcanic rock and vegetation. Due to the relatively mild slope on one of the crater’s walls, if desired, one can easily descend its side to get an even closer look at the lake or walk all around its border.   On the way back to Reykjavík, you will pass by farming and geothermal areas surrounding the town of Hveragerði - famous for numerous greenhouses and horse farms.   It is a private experience, and the maximum number of passengers per bus is 19, which we believe creates a more personal and enjoyable experience for our guests. If you want to relax in hot water at Blue Lagoon, we recommend our 11-hour Golden Circle and Blue Lagoon tour.