Reykjavik Golden Circle Map: Every Stop and Drive Time

The Golden Circle is a loop east of Reykjavík: three famous stops, a crater and a handful of detours, joined by numbered roads. This map shows where each one is and how long the tours take between them, so you can weigh Reykjavik Golden Circle ticket prices against what each day covers.

The loop on one map

Þingvellir is the closest stop to the city, on the rift north-east of Reykjavík. Geysir and Gullfoss are further east, ten minutes apart. Kerið is in the south of the loop, on the way back towards the Ring Road.

The map opens on the loop. Zoom out and west for Reykjavík and the lagoons near the coast.

Stop by stop, with road numbers

Þingvellir

Route 36 from Reykjavík, with road 361 into the park. About 45 to 50 minutes from the city.

Geysir

The Haukadalur valley, served by Route 35. About an hour on from Þingvellir.

Gullfoss

About ten minutes past Geysir, on the river canyon.

Kerið

The south of the loop, about 35 minutes from Geysir and 75 from Reykjavík.

The coaches link the three main stops in about two hours of driving, then return via Kerið or straight to the city. Brúarfoss and Laugarvatn sit off road 37. Laugarvatn is also one of the towns people stay in if they drive.

Drive times as the tours time them

These are the transfer times the tours print in their itineraries. They are coach times, with a little slack, so a car may be a few minutes faster in good conditions.

A Golden Circle day on the clock

Drive times make more sense laid out as a day. Here is how the classic coach and the Blue Lagoon minibus spend theirs, from their own itineraries, so you can see where the hours go before you choose.

The classic coach. You leave Reykjavík and reach Þingvellir after about 45 minutes, and you walk the rift for 45 more. An hour's drive takes you to Geysir, where you get an hour for Strokkur and lunch. Gullfoss is next, with another hour at the falls. Then comes the long leg: about 2 hours 15 minutes back to the city. Nearly half the day is on the road, which is why a classic tour feels relaxed at the stops.

The Blue Lagoon minibus. The longer day runs the same way out, with 50 minutes to Þingvellir and 45 there. From the park it goes to Gullfoss first, an hour on, and gives it an hour. Geysir is ten minutes back, with 80 minutes for lunch and the eruptions. Kerið takes 35 minutes to reach and gets 20. The drive to the lagoon is the longest leg at about an hour and a half, then you soak for two hours before the 50-minute run home. Plan on about 11 hours door to door.

The roads by number

You need four road numbers for the whole loop. Route 36, Þingvallavegur, runs from Reykjavík to Þingvellir and down the lake. Road 361 takes you into the park and towards the Silfra car park. Route 35, Biskupstungnabraut, leaves the Ring Road near Selfoss and runs towards Geysir and Gullfoss. Road 37, Laugarvatnsvegur, links Route 35 with the lake town and gives access to Brúarfoss.

All four are paved. In winter, check umferdin.is or call 1777 for their state before you set off.

Detours the tours add

Beyond the big three, the tours add their own stops. Each is on or near the loop.

• Kerið — the crater in the south of the loop. Many small-group days include the fee.
• Faxi — a waterfall one private day adds between Kerið and Geysir.
• Brúarfoss — the waterfall off road 37, about 25 minutes from Geysir.
• Friðheimar — the greenhouse farm, a lunch stop on the Friðheimar days.
• Langjökull — the glacier inland, which the snowmobile day reaches between Geysir and Gullfoss.

Reykjavík meeting points

All the tours start in Reykjavík. The three named meeting points are Bus Stop 12 at Höfðatorg, the BSÍ terminal on Vatnsmýrarvegur, and the Skarfabakki cruise terminal. Most small-group tours also collect from hotels and numbered bus stops across the centre. The details are on the pickup page.

Asked about the map

Where these facts come from

Every drive time and meeting point comes from the tour's own listing, saved on 23 September 2026. The road names are the Road and Coastal Administration's, read 23 September 2026.

• Road conditions and closures (Road and Coastal Administration)
• Þingvellir National Park: the assembly and the park (national park)
• Kerið crater: entrance fee and what it covers (the landowners)