Reykjavik Golden Circle private tours put your group alone in a car or van with a driver-guide, on the day and at the time you choose. You set the pace, stay longer where you want and add stops the coaches skip. Fares start at $435 a person and vary with the size of your group.
Your own car for seven hours, with about 45 minutes at each of five stops, Faxi among them. The crater fee and the parking at the park and at Faxi are in the fare; one to three adults a booking.
From $435 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Hire a driver-guide for your group of up to five: about an hour at each main sight and at the Friðheimar greenhouse, then 30 minutes at the crater, fee included. Infant seats are available.
From $620 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Full-size SUV or Sprinter van, a driver-guide in English or German and a start between 9:00 and 17:00. All fees and taxes are in the fare; two travellers at least. Wheelchair accessible, transport included.
From $820 per person (minimum 2)
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Start at any hour from 7:00 to 22:00 in a private vehicle for up to six. You get about 50 minutes at each main sight and 40 at the crater, with parking in the fare.
From $695 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Hotel or cruise-port pickup at 10:00 for the park, the falls, the crater and an hour in the Secret Lagoon, with a driver-guide. The lagoon ticket is extra, paid on the day; two adults at least.
From $435 per person (minimum 2)
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
One price for the whole car, up to four people, in a private car, minivan or minibus. Parking, bottled water and Wi-Fi are included; the crater fee is not. The driver guides as well.
From $931 per group (up to 4)
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
The highlights day includes the crater fee and the parking at the park and at Faxi, with about 45 minutes at each stop. Every private day refunds in full up to 24 hours ahead.
Check availabilityA day with nobody else on board. A driver-guide collects you from your hotel, or from the cruise port on some days, and drives the loop for your group alone. You see the same sights as a coach: Þingvellir, Geysir and Gullfoss, and on most private days the Kerið crater. What changes is who decides the timing.
The vehicle depends on the day: a private car, an SUV or Sprinter van, or on the per-group day a car, minivan or minibus. The private SUV day is the one private listing marked wheelchair accessible, transport included.
One private day starts any time from 7:00 to 22:00; the SUV day starts between 9:00 and 17:00. A coach leaves when it leaves. If you land late, want an evening at the falls or have a ship to meet, that alone decides it.
One driver-guide ran the loop counterclockwise to avoid the crowds. Another group started early and watched the big buses pull in at each stop as they pulled out. On a shared tour the order is set.
The highlights day includes the Faxi waterfall; the Friðheimar private day gives the greenhouse an hour; the SUV day lists the Secret Lagoon and Faxi as optional stops. Ask your guide for anything else before the day.
Most private days give the main sights about 45 minutes to an hour each. Several shared days give them 30.
A minibus is the shared tour closest to a private day. Here is what the private fare adds.
| Private | Minibus | |
|---|---|---|
| Who is on board | Your group only | 17 to 22 guests, where stated |
| Fares | $435 to $931 | $114 to $296 |
| Price basis | Per person, varying by group size; one per car | Per person |
| Start | Your choice on most | Fixed pickup, 8:30 to 12:00 where stated |
| Order and stops | Yours to change | Set by the itinerary |
| Minutes at a main sight | 30 to 60, most about 45 | 30 to 90 |
If you are travelling alone or as a pair, the minibus is usually the better buy; see the Golden Circle classic tour Reykjavik options.
You get the vehicle, the driver and your own hours. Beyond that, read each fare. The highlights day includes the crater fee and the parking at the park and at Faxi. The SUV day includes all fees and taxes. The per-group day includes parking, bottled water and Wi-Fi, but not the crater fee. On one private day the inclusions do not mention a guide.
You do not get lunch, and on the private lagoon day you do not get the lagoon ticket: it is US$35 a person on the day. The crater fee, where a fare leaves it out, is 700 ISK a person.
| What to expect | |
|---|---|
| Fares | From $435 a person; $931 for a car of up to four |
| Length | 6 to 10 hours |
| Group | Up to 4, 5, 6, 8 or 14 by tour |
| Minimum | Two travellers on the SUV and lagoon days |
| Cancellation | Free up to 24 hours ahead |
Read the fare for your own number: most private prices are per person and vary with the size of your group, and the per-group day is one price for up to four. Private days can be booked late: one traveller arranged one at short notice after other plans fell through. A group of six chose one so they could travel together. The where to stay page covers pickup from the city and the loop.
A driver-guide in English or German, a start between 9:00 and 17:00 and every fee and tax in the fare. Pick your date before you pay.
Check availabilityNext: Weigh a hire car in tour or self-drive, or see what each fare buys. Every fare sits side by side on Reykjavik Golden Circle Tours.