Things to Do on the Reykjavik Golden Circle, Stop by Stop

The Golden Circle is three famous stops and a handful of extras, and every tour mixes them differently. Here is what each stop is, what it costs you and how long tours give it, in the order most coaches drive the loop. Once you know which stops you want, Reykjavik Golden Circle ticket prices make sense quickly.

Þingvellir National Park, the first stop

Most tours start here: a rift valley and the field where Iceland's assembly met from around 930 to 1798. You walk down a gorge between lava walls and meet the bus at the bottom. Entry is free; the park charges a parking fee, which your tour pays. The walk, the Silfra fissure and the car parks have a page of their own.

Geysir and Strokkur

Geysir, in the Haukadalur valley, gave every geyser in the world its name. It has been erratic for a long time and last erupted in 2016. What you will see is its neighbour Strokkur, which erupts every few minutes and throws water up to 30 metres high.

Cost: nothing. The Environment Agency charges no admission to the geothermal field. Practical: stay on the marked paths, and do not throw anything into the springs. Many tours stop here for lunch, which you buy on the spot.

Gullfoss, the two-step waterfall on the Hvítá

Gullfoss is the river Hvítá falling in two drops, 11 and 20 metres, into a canyon about 2.5 km long and 70 metres deep. On average 109 cubic metres of water go over every second, 130 in summer, and floods have reached 2,000. It has been protected since 1979.

Cost: free. Practical: the spray drifts over the viewing paths, so on a windy day you need a waterproof layer. The listings call it the Golden Falls, and on a sunny afternoon you will see why.

Kerið crater

Kerið is a volcanic crater with a lake in the bottom and rust-coloured walls. It is about 55 metres deep and about 6,500 years old, and the landowners call it one of the three most recognisable craters in Iceland.

Cost: 700 ISK, which covers the paths round the rim and down to the water, parking and the toilets. Many small-group fares include the fee; some coaches visit Kerið only on morning departures. Practical: the landowners publish no opening hours, only that the crater is open when the sun is shining.

Brúarfoss, off road 37

Brúarfoss is a waterfall at Hlauptunga, reached from road 37. It is open around the clock. Cost: no admission, but the car park is a pay zone at 750 ISK for a car, paid through the Parka app or website. Only a few tours stop, so check the itinerary if you want it.

Friðheimar, the tomato greenhouse

Friðheimar grows tomatoes under glass and serves lunch among the plants: tomato soup and fresh bread, from 11:30 to 16:00 every day. It also runs a horse show in fourteen languages for groups of 25 or more during the summer. Cost: the meal is yours to buy unless your tour says otherwise.

Hveragerði, the steam town

Hveragerði is a geothermal town on the way out of Reykjavík, about 40 minutes from the city by coach. Some classic tours make a short stop here, of 15 to 20 minutes. It is a place to stretch your legs and see steam coming out of the ground by the houses.

Faxi, the quieter waterfall

Faxi, also called Vatnsleysufoss, is a waterfall that one private day adds between its Kerið and Geysir stops. You get about 45 minutes there, and the fare includes the parking. Few coaches stop, so it is the place on that day where you may have the view to yourself.

Three lagoons to end the day

Some tours finish in hot water, and it changes the day more than any other extra.

The Secret Lagoon, Flúðir

Built in 1891 and called the oldest swimming pool in Iceland. 4,500 ISK for adults on your own; open 10:00 to 20:00 from June to September and 10:00 to 19:00 from October to May.

The Sky Lagoon

The bath one small-group day ends in, with the lagoon ticket in the fare.

The Blue Lagoon

The milky-blue lagoon the Blue Lagoon combination days end in, with the entry in the fare.

The Fontana spa

Reopened after renovation on 1 August 2026. One coach day swims here instead when the Secret Lagoon closes for upgrades in May.

The Fontana spa stands on the lakeshore at Laugarvatn, and it opens 10:00 to 21:00 in summer and 11:00 to 21:00 in winter. For a side-by-side comparison of the lagoon days, read Secret Lagoon, Sky Lagoon or Blue Lagoon.

How long the tours give each stop

These are the shortest and longest stops the itineraries give each place. The longest stops are usually on a private day or at Geysir, where lunch is part of the stop.

Asked about the stops

Where these facts come from

The Geysir and Gullfoss facts are the Environment Agency's, the Kerið fee is the landowners', and the Brúarfoss, Friðheimar, Secret Lagoon and Fontana details are each operator's own, read 23 September 2026. Every stop time comes from the tour's own itinerary.

• The Geysir area: nature and geology (Environment Agency, in Icelandic)
• The Geysir area: protection and visitor rules (Environment Agency, in Icelandic)
• Gullfoss: nature and geology (Environment Agency, in Icelandic)
• Gullfoss: protection and visitor rules (Environment Agency, in Icelandic)
• Kerið crater: entrance fee and what it covers (the landowners)
• Parking at Brúarfoss (the landowners)
• Friðheimar: restaurant, shop and horse show hours
• The Secret Lagoon: price and opening hours
• The Fontana spa: hours and reopening