Golden Circle with Kerid Volcanic Crater Day Tour from Reykjavik
Eight and a half hours on a coach from Bus Stop 12, with 90 minutes at the geysers. The crater comes on the morning starts only.
From $89 per person
Check AvailabilityThe Reykjavik Golden Circle in One Day: Stop Order, Timings and Detours
The Golden Circle is a loop you can do in a day from Reykjavík: the rift at Þingvellir (Thingvellir), the hot springs at Geysir and the falls at Gullfoss, with the Kerið (Kerid) crater and a waterfall or a greenhouse on many tours. Here is the order the tours run it in, how long each stop gets, and where the detours fit. It is the day a Golden Circle classic tour Reykjavik is built round.
The loop in its usual order
Most tours leave Reykjavík on road 36 and reach Þingvellir first, about 45 to 50 minutes out. From the park they drive about an hour to Geysir. Gullfoss is about ten minutes past Geysir. From the falls, a tour either heads back to the city or stops at the crater on the way.
| Stop | Minutes the tours give it | What you do | What it costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Þingvellir | 30 minutes to 1 hour | Walk the rift between the lava walls | Parking only |
| Geysir | 30 minutes to 1 hour 30 | Watch Strokkur erupt; lunch on several tours | Nothing |
| Gullfoss | 30 minutes to 1 hour | The two drops and the canyon | Nothing |
| Kerið | 20 minutes to 45 minutes | Walk the crater rim | 700 ISK |
| Brúarfoss | 30 minutes | A short walk to a waterfall | Parking, 750 ISK |
| Friðheimar | 1 hour to 90 minutes | Greenhouse lunch; a horse show on one tour | Food at your own cost |
The drive times come from the tours’ own itineraries. On the coach from BSÍ, the drive back from Gullfoss to Reykjavík takes about 2 hours 15 minutes. The Golden Circle map shows every stop and drive time on one page.
Why do some tours run it backwards?
To miss the crowd. Most coaches reach the park first, so a tour that starts at Geysir or the crater is out of step with them all day. The audio-guide coach from BSÍ starts at the geysers and ends in the park. The Bus Stop 12 coach also ends in the park, with the crater first on its morning start. The superjeep listing says openly that it may reverse the circle to escape the crowds, and the family-rated minibus may swap the order for weather.
For you the order matters less than the minutes. A reversed loop reaches the same stops, and you will not miss anything.
Þingvellir: how long is enough?
Tours give the park 30 minutes to 1 hour. With 30 to 45 minutes there is time for a walk down Almannagjá, the gorge between the lava walls; on one minibus the driver dropped the group at one end and collected it at the other. With an hour you see more of the park, from the Öxarárfoss waterfall to Lögberg, the Law Rock, where the assembly opened and closed. It met here from around 930 until 1798.
The Hakið visitor centre above the gorge opens at 09:00 all year. The Þingvellir National Park page covers the rift, the lake and the Silfra rules.
How long do you need at Geysir, and where is lunch?
Tours give Geysir 30 minutes to 1 hour 30. The long end is not all geysers: on several tours the Geysir stop is also the lunch stop. Geysir itself last erupted in 2016. Strokkur, beside it, goes off every few minutes, up to 30 metres high, so even a 30-minute stop sees several eruptions.
No shared tour includes lunch. You buy it at the stop, or bring your own. Stay on the marked paths; the water in the springs is boiling.
Gullfoss
Tours give the falls 30 minutes to 1 hour, and 40 minutes is the most common allowance. The river Hvítá drops 11 and 20 metres into a canyon about 2.5 km long and 70 metres deep. The spray carries on a windy day, so keep a waterproof layer to hand.
Kerið on the way home
The crater is the most common extra stop, and the one that decides your fare. It is about 6,500 years old and about 55 metres deep, with a lake in the bottom. Tours give it 20 minutes to 45 minutes, which is enough to walk the rim. Kerið publishes no opening hours; the crater’s own site says only that it is open when the sun is shining.
If your tour stops there, check whether the 700 ISK fee is in the fare. On the Bus Stop 12 coach, starts at 12:00 and later skip the crater entirely.
Brúarfoss, Faxi and Friðheimar: the extra stops
Three detours turn up on the longer days. Brúarfoss is a waterfall reached from road 37, with a pay car park; the Brúarfoss minibus gives it 30 minutes. Faxi is a waterfall that the private highlights day includes, with its parking paid. Friðheimar is a tomato greenhouse with a restaurant among the plants, open daily 11:30 to 16:00. The Friðheimar minibus gives it about 90 minutes with a horse show.
Each detour costs time elsewhere, which is why the longer days run eight or nine hours. The things to do on the Golden Circle page describes every stop.
Adding a lagoon to the day
A lagoon turns an eight-hour day into a ten- or eleven-hour one. The Secret Lagoon at Flúðir is visited during the loop. The Sky Lagoon and Blue Lagoon days add the bath at the end of the day; from the crater to the Blue Lagoon is about 1 hour 30 on one itinerary, and then about 50 minutes to the city.
The lagoon days give their bath 60 minutes to two hours, and the sights keep much the same minutes as a classic day. What goes is the evening. Pack a swimsuit, and check whether a towel is in the fare.
A morning timeline
| Time | Where you are |
|---|---|
| 8:00 to 9:00 | Pickup in Reykjavík, or the coach leaves Bus Stop 12 |
| About 9:45 | Þingvellir: the walk down the rift |
| About 11:30 | Geysir: Strokkur and lunch |
| About 13:00 | Gullfoss: the falls and the canyon |
| About 14:30 | Kerið, or a waterfall stop |
| 16:00 to 17:00 | Back in Reykjavík |
The times add up the drive times and stop lengths the listings print; they are a pattern, not a timetable. Your tour sends the exact pickup time when you book, and the order may be reversed.
What should you bring for the day?
Less than you think, but the right things. No shared tour includes lunch, so bring money for it or pack your own; several tours stop where you can buy food. Carry 700 ISK or a card if your fare does not name the crater fee. On the audio-guide coaches, bring your own headphones. On a lagoon day, pack a swimsuit, and a towel if the fare leaves it out.
Dress for the stops, not the vehicle. You will be outside at every one, often in wind and spray, so a waterproof layer and shoes with grip matter more than anything else you pack. Leave the suitcase at your hotel: the classic minibus cannot carry or store luggage.
Can you do the loop from a cruise ship?
Yes, and many people do. Several tours collect from the Skarfabakki cruise port: the Brúarfoss minibus, the other Blue Lagoon minibus, the Secret Lagoon minibus, the audio-guide coach on its cruise option and the private lagoon day. The coach from BSÍ collects there in summer.
When you book, give your ship’s name, docking time and re-boarding time; the classic minibus asks for exactly that. One traveller found its pickup point at the cruise dock well mapped out. Leave a margin before your ship sails, and choose a tour of eight hours or less if your call is short.
An afternoon timeline
The afternoon minibus collects you at noon and brings you back in the evening, six hours later. It keeps the crater, with the fee in the fare, and gives the stops 20 to 40 minutes each. One traveller called it a trip that takes the whole afternoon until evening. In winter the second half is driven in the dark; the Golden Circle in winter guide explains what that changes.
A noon start can lose the crater. The Bus Stop 12
coach drops Kerið on every start at 12:00 or later. If the crater matters, book a morning
seat or a tour that names the crater on its noon start. See the
Golden Circle afternoon tours compared.
The Golden Circle in a day: frequently asked questions
What order do Golden Circle tours visit the stops?
Most go Þingvellir, Geysir, Gullfoss, then the crater on the way home. Some reverse the loop to stay ahead of the crowds; you still see every stop.
How long does the Golden Circle take?
A tour of the three sights takes six and a half to seven hours from Reykjavík. With the crater and another stop it is eight or nine, and with a lagoon eight to eleven.
How long do tours stop at Þingvellir?
Between 30 minutes to 1 hour. Half an hour covers the walk down the rift; an hour lets you reach the waterfall or the Law Rock as well.
Where do Golden Circle tours stop for lunch?
Often at Geysir, where several tours make their lunch stop. Some stop at Friðheimar instead. Lunch is never in a shared fare.
Can I add a lagoon to a Golden Circle day?
Yes. The Secret Lagoon, Sky Lagoon and Blue Lagoon days include the bath ticket, and the day runs eight to eleven hours.
What time do Golden Circle tours come back?
Morning tours are back in the late afternoon or early evening. Noon starts return in the evening, and lagoon days later still.
Is the afternoon Golden Circle tour shorter?
The afternoon minibus runs six hours with shorter stops. The noon coach from Bus Stop 12 runs about seven hours and skips the crater.
Days that keep the crater and add a stop
Golden Circle, Fridheimar Farm & Horses Small Group Tour from Reykjavik
Nine hours with 90 minutes at the tomato greenhouse and its horse show, plus the crater, the falls, the park and the geysers; 22 at most.
From $130 per person
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Golden Circle & Kerið Small-Group Day Tour from Reykjavik
Eight hours from a 9:00 pickup in a Mercedes minibus: the park, a waterfall with a pay car park, the geysers, the falls and the crater, fee included.
From $135 per person
Check AvailabilityNext: Decide how to travel in tour or self-drive, or choose your tour in the best Golden Circle tour for your trip. Every fare sits side by side on Reykjavik Golden Circle Tours.