The Golden Circle: navigating Iceland's most touristed route

Hello friends |

Boiling hot geysers , a spectacular waterfall , the magical national green of Þingvellir... all inside a days drive - there's a argue that the Golden Circle is the most touristed route inward Iceland.  Here are some tips to soak upwardly the beauty without beingness knocked close past times crowds.

I should start amongst the basics.  The 'Golden Circle' is marketed inward a diverseness of ways - but it ever includes Geysir , Gullfoss and Þingvellir (which you lot mightiness meet written phonetically similar Thingvellir).  If you're looking at tours , many include the Blue Lagoon as well as Kerið too.  I'm going to tell you lot avoid tours similar the plague.  No , really , trust me.  

The map inward a higher house shows the route that Nicholas as well as I did.  We started at Hverageði , thus made our agency some the circle ending inward Reykjavik.  The driving part took 3.5 hours , as well as the entire circular trip took ix hours , including soaking inward the hot river at Hverageði.  Allow a solar daytime for the circular trip.

If you lot go inward summertime , allow a night.

The hot river at Hverageði simply earlier midnight

If , similar most people , you lot conception to view Republic of Iceland inward summertime , there's no ameliorate agency to brand the most of 24 sixty minutes sunlight than to halt past times the top tourist spots inward the middle of the night.  Iceland's scenery is the materials legends are made of , but it's difficult to live on mystified past times bubbling volcanic pots as well as dwarfed past times powerful waterfalls when you're looking over mortal else's shoulder.

I'm non exaggerating either - at whatsoever given daylight sixty minutes , you're jump to meet multiple tourist buses.  Sometimes you'll meet to a greater extent than than 6 or vii at a time. 

Don't bother adjusting your slumber cycle.  Just alternative upwardly a motorcar as well as pass the black driving.  

Kerið - the crater lake

Make the journeying from Hverageði to Kerið , where you lot tin walk the perimeter of this beautiful crater lake.  Err on the side of caution hither - sometimes it tin live on unopen off subsequently hours.

The smoking pools close Geysir

Geysir is literally THE geyser that made geysers geysers.  It's non really active anymore , but that's totally ok because Strokkur - Geysir's next-door-neighbour - goes off every few minutes.  Some eruptions are to a greater extent than spectacular than others , thus it's worth hanging some for a skillful one.

Some pools are completely inactive (but however hot , thus don't touch!) as well as are almost illuminated amongst an intense brilliant blueish light.  They're really pretty spectacular.  Don't throw coins inward them , though - a) the signs tell non to , b) that's a waste matter of perfectly skillful coins , as well as Republic of Iceland is pricey.

Your adjacent halt volition in all probability live on Gullfoss. Once upon a fourth dimension , Republic of Iceland were going to utilise its ability for liberate energy , but they didn't , as well as straightaway you lot tin larn admire it.  It's been described every bit 'Iceland's Niagara Falls' , as well as for skillful reason.  It's a beautiful waterfall , amongst 2 broad falls , as well as its falls are shrouded inward folktales.   

Not far from Gullfoss is the UNESCO-listed Þingvellir , situated inward the centre of its national park.  Þingvellir was listed every bit a UNESCO site inward 2004 , for its historical as well as geological significance.  Historically , Þingvellir is the place of the offset parliament of Republic of Iceland (also where they drowned witches).  Geologically , Þingvellir is where the Eurasian as well as North American tectonic plates are drifting apart.  If you're upwardly for something genuinely unforgettable , try scuba diving or snorkelling between the plates of the Silfra canyon.

EDIT: I convey really done this straightaway , as well as would 100% completely recommend.

The stance from Þingvellir

Öxarárfoss , in Þingvellir National Park

As nosotros were driving dorsum to Reykjavik - simply earlier 9am - nosotros passed Mossfellskirkja , which is i of my favourite churches we've seen inward Iceland.  It simply looks completely infinite historic catamenia as well as out of house amongst the surrounding mountains.  I advise you lot halt as well as marvel at this bizarre slice of architecture.  Even this early on inward the morn , tour buses filled amongst people were passing us the other agency (headed toward Þingvellir) , as well as nosotros were feeling really glad to live on finishing upwardly for the black as well as convey the whole circle completely to ourselves.  

Ok , nosotros saw i mink scurrying some close Geysir , but I don't intend he counts.

The Golden Circle was a pretty fantastic eventide trip , but wouldn't convey had the same magic to it if I'd been surrounded past times tour buses total of people! If you're headed to Republic of Iceland as well as it's on your to-do listing (it in all probability should be) , start planning a night-time route trip.

Read More

Waterfalls and Lava Fields: our first 48 hours in Iceland [journal]

Hello friends |

If the Mars Rover footage had y'all dreaming of visiting unusual planets , hence y'all demand to larn yourself to Iceland.  We’d hired a machine for our rootage few days inwards Republic of Iceland hence that nosotros could explore the dramatic waterfalls as well as dark beaches of the South , but weren’t wholly prepared for the unusual scenery nosotros were close to experience.

Getting to Republic of Iceland was something else entirely.  We woke upwards – I was nevertheless sick – as well as lugged our things to the airport.  As luck would convey it , the shuttle jitney didn’t start running until the side past times side twenty-four hours , hence nosotros were walked the twoscore minutes to the drome alongside our packs , inwards the hot sun.  So nosotros larn inwards as well as we’re sweaty as well as I’m nevertheless sneezing similar crazy as well as my eyes are watery as well as I’ve got those shakes y'all larn when y'all larn the ‘flu hence nosotros don’t hold off peculiarly fine as well as upstanding.  To overstep it off , we’d forgotten to pack the wetbag inwards our checked baggage , hence my hairdressing pair of scissors as well as far likewise many liquids were inwards our carry-on.

We handed them over to security.  I was subjected to a frisking , alongside a stranger’s hands on my clammy dorsum (I wanted to apologise hence badly).  My torso was doing that weird feverish matter where I needed 3 jumpers ane infinitesimal as well as to live naked inwards an H2O ice bathroom the side past times side , hence I was switching out layers similar a mad person.  This had safety especially concerned as well as they all watched me similar hawks patch Nicholas beeped several times going through the scanner.

After beingness held upwards , nosotros were running belatedly for the plane.  We literally ran at that topographic point , were met at the gate , asked where on public we’d been seeing every bit nosotros were cleared at safety xv minutes agone (“We ran hither straightaway from security!”) as well as boarded the plane.  We were seated separately.

The bird took off apace , as well as my torso temperature was nevertheless all over the place.  I was sweating profusely as well as hence hot I was close to throw upwards , when Nicholas came to banking concern check on me.  I had no cash on me , but the friendly stewardess on WOW Air gave me a gratis bottle of H2O – belike glad I wasn’t vomiting everywhere.

I’m ordinarily a adept flyer.  I larn a flake antsy on long flights , but don’t heed them.  This flying was the exception , as well as I was thrilled when nosotros lastly landed at Keflavik.

We hopped inwards our hire machine as well as laid out downwards south.

A patch agone , I’d heard word that a swain RMIT Art School alumni had been sent on a ‘self guided cycling residency’ through Iceland.  While I’d never spoken to her during our fourth dimension at that topographic point , I knew her artwork , as well as there’s only hence many familiar faces hence far from abode , hence nosotros drove to the N1 where she was drinking her weight inwards java as well as got chatting.

We finished upwards after than anticipated , as well as made a late-night dash for Seljalandsfoss - the rootage major waterfall y'all divulge every bit y'all serpent your way some the telephone road.  Braving the mutual coldness as well as the moisture , nosotros ventured outdoors as well as made the curt journeying behind the waterfall (getting almost completely drenched inwards the process).

The heaven was nevertheless lit alongside the hazy blueish of dusk (or maybe dawn?) hence nosotros crawled into the piddling Suzuki Jeep-esque matter nosotros had rented , pulled out our sleeping bags , as well as slept inwards the car.

The side past times side violet waterfall on our journeying was Selfoss (if y'all haven't managed to deduce , 'foss' agency 'waterfall') , as well as nosotros only only managed to trounce the tour buses here!  We arrived only after 9am , made the curt trek upwards the staircase to the overstep as well as saw them arriving past times the one-half dozen on our descent.  A alarm to anyone who finds themselves visiting Republic of Iceland inwards the summer: brand role of the sunlight inwards the early on morning.

While the waterfalls y'all divulge en route to Vik are famed throughout the lands , I convey to tell it was the side past times side lot of scenery that actually captured my attention.  Sprawling dark rocky deserts , fields of hardy bluebell-like flowers (to forestall sandstorms from destroying the roads) , as well as groovy mossy lava fields , the remnant of disastrous eruptions inwards the 1700's.  

The heaven was a pale greyish as well as it made the landscape hold off to a greater extent than desolate than it would've otherwise (though , manifestly , the fields are much to a greater extent than vibrantly light-green after rain).  Very few cars stopped to detect the unusual shapes as well as forms inwards the rocky bubbles that went on , endlessly , inwards the landscape.  

We continued driving , stopping briefly to stare as well as marvel at the texture , earlier the landscape returned to the unusual , otherworldly dark desert.  Sections of the Iceland's glaciers peered at us over mountains , as well as nosotros stopped to come across the remnants of bridges destroyed past times a volcanic eruption from nether the glacier.  The pockmarked scenery was bear witness of the powerful natural forces that governed Republic of Iceland , forcing the people to constantly adapt. 

Passing Skaftafell (and vowing to come upwards dorsum as well as brand the pilgrimage to Skogafoss on our provide trip) nosotros made our way to the glacial lagoon only earlier midnight , to come across the little icebergs that drift through the H2O there.

Read More