Reykjavik Golden Circle afternoon tours leave at midday and bring you back in the evening, so you keep the morning for sleep, the city or a late arrival. They run six to seven hours, and whether you see the Kerið crater depends on which one you book.
Noon pickup, evening return: six hours in a minibus of 19 at most, with the crater fee in the fare. Stops run 20 to 40 minutes, so the day is shorter and the morning stays yours.
From $114 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Departures at 08:00, 10:00 and 12:30 from the BSÍ terminal, up to 100 on board, with an app audio guide in many languages; bring headphones. Foldable wheelchairs travel with a helper. No crater stop.
From $83 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Largest review record on the route: a coach from Bus Stop 12 with morning and afternoon starts, a Hveragerði break and 80 minutes at the geysers with lunch. Morning starts add the crater; from 12:00 the day skips it. From age 2.
From $89 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
A 12:00 pickup, a minibus of 19 at most and the crater fee in the fare, back in the evening. Every tour here refunds in full up to 24 hours ahead.
Check availabilityThe same loop, started later. The afternoon minibus collects you at 12:00 and drops you in the evening, six hours later. The coach from BSÍ sells a 12:30 start alongside its 08:00 and 10:00 ones. The Bus Stop 12 coach sells morning and afternoon starts, and its noon-and-later starts run about seven hours.
The sights are the same as in the morning: Þingvellir, Geysir and Gullfoss. What you give up is time at them, and on one coach the crater.
Land on an early flight, sleep in, or walk the city first. A noon start lets you fit the loop into a day that is already half used.
Its fare includes the crater fee, and it gives the crater 20 minutes on the way home. That is the one afternoon day that is sure to include it.
Afternoon fares run $83 to $114: a big coach of up to 100 at the low end, a minibus of 19 at most at the top, with the crater fee in its fare.
In summer the day is long: at the June solstice Reykjavík has about 21 hours of daylight, so a noon start reaches every stop in the light.
This is the only comparison that matters here. You are trading minutes, and one stop, for a free morning.
| Afternoon start | Morning start | |
|---|---|---|
| Start | 12:00 or 12:30 | 8:00 to 10:00 |
| Length | 6 to 7 hours | 6.5 to 12.5 hours |
| Minutes at each stop | 20 to 40 on the minibus | 20 to 90 |
| The crater | On the minibus; skipped by the Bus Stop 12 coach | On most minibuses and on the Bus Stop 12 coach |
| Winter | Much of it after dark | The best of the daylight |
| Fares | $83 to $114 | $81 to $135 for the sights |
One traveller on the afternoon minibus found 20 to 40 minutes at each stop too little once late passengers had eaten into it, and advised the full day for a more relaxed view. If the stops matter more than the morning, see the Golden Circle classic tour Reykjavik options.
On the afternoon minibus you get pickup, a guide, Wi-Fi and the crater fee. On the coach from BSÍ you get the audio guide app and the same three sights as its morning starts. On the Bus Stop 12 coach you get the three sights and a break at Hveragerði.
You do not get the crater on the Bus Stop 12 coach from 12:00, and you do not get lunch on any of them. The longer afternoon days run into the dinner hour, so eat before you go or carry food.
| What to expect | |
|---|---|
| Fares | $83 to $114 per person |
| Start | 12:00 or 12:30 |
| Back in Reykjavík | In the evening |
| Youngest | 6 on the afternoon minibus; 2 on the Bus Stop 12 coach |
| Cancellation | Free up to 24 hours ahead |
In winter, a noon start means driving home in the dark: at the December solstice the day has about four hours of light. Read the Golden Circle in winter guide before you book one between November and February, and check the seasons for the rest of the year.
The coach from BSÍ at 12:30, with a live guide and an audio guide app in many languages. Pick your date before you pay.
Check availabilityNext: Plan the stops in the Golden Circle in one day, or read the Golden Circle in winter. Every fare sits side by side on Reykjavik Golden Circle Tours.