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Golden Circle

Iceland travel guide

What to see in the Golden Circle

The classic route: Þingvellir National Park, the Strokkur geyser and Gullfoss waterfall.

Updated 18 October 2026 · How we make our guides

  • 5 must-see places
  • Best time: from March to October
  • Stay in Selfoss
  • Typical food: Rúgbrauð
Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0

Golden Circle highlights

The places you can’t miss. In the app we sort them by day and close to each other.

  1. Þingvellir

    A national park between tectonic plates; site of the ancient assembly.

  2. Geysir / Strokkur

    The Strokkur geyser erupts every few minutes.

  3. Gullfoss

    A two-tiered waterfall on the Hvítá river.

  4. Kerið crater

    A volcanic crater with a turquoise lake.

  5. Secret Lagoon

    A historic geothermal pool in Flúðir.

Where to stay in the Golden Circle

The handiest areas for getting around and going out.

  • Recommended areas

    Selfoss · Laugarvatn · Flúðir

Day trips from the Golden Circle

We take you straight to the best-rated tour on GetYourGuide, with its reviews and dates.

Some links are affiliate links: if you book through them, Bagintravel may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

When to travel to the Golden Circle

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to the Golden Circle are from March to October.

  1. Jan with warnings
  2. Feb with warnings
  3. Mar no warnings
  4. Apr no warnings
  5. May no warnings
  6. Jun no warnings
  7. Jul no warnings
  8. Aug no warnings
  9. Sep no warnings
  10. Oct no warnings
  11. Nov with warnings
  12. Dec with warnings
  • from November to February

    Winter: few hours of daylight and closed roads

    There are 4–6 hours of daylight, storms that close roads and the interior (the Highlands) is shut. In return, the northern lights.

    What to do: A 4x4, short routes near Reykjavik and the south, and check road.is every morning.

Typical food of the Golden Circle

The dish you have to try there and how to make it at home, to whet your appetite before the trip (or to go back to the Golden Circle from your kitchen).

Rúgbrauð
Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Sten assumed (based on copyright claims). · CC BY-SA 3.0

Rúgbrauð

The sweet, dark rye bread that in Laugarvatn, on the Golden Circle, is baked buried in hot sand beside the hot springs. At home, in a very low oven.

  • Serves 10
  • 10 h

Ingredients

  • 500 g rye flour
  • 200 g wholemeal wheat flour
  • 1 tablespoon of bicarbonate of soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 250 g molasses or golden syrup
  • 1 l buttermilk or milk with yoghurt

How to make it at home

  1. Mix the flours, bicarbonate and salt.
  2. Add the molasses and buttermilk and mix until you have a wet, sticky dough.
  3. Put it in a greased loaf tin (or two tins) and cover well with foil.
  4. Bake at 100 °C for about 9 hours (it can go overnight).
  5. Leave to cool and serve in slices with butter and smoked fish or herring.

The trick: It’s almost a cake: dense, sweet and moist.

Where and what to eat

To eat like a local: the harbour food stand. The dishes you can’t miss are in the Iceland guide.

  • Fridheimar

    Reykholt

    Tomato soup in a greenhouse.

  • Geysir Glíma

    Geysir

    A geothermal café.

Frequently asked questions about the Golden Circle

What to see in the Golden Circle?

Þingvellir, Geysir / Strokkur, Gullfoss, Kerið crater and Secret Lagoon.

What to see in the Golden Circle in one day?

Don’t miss Þingvellir, Geysir / Strokkur, Gullfoss, Kerið crater and Secret Lagoon. To split it into days and areas without crossing the city back and forth, the Bagintravel app plans your trip in a minute.

Where to stay in the Golden Circle?

The handiest areas to stay are Selfoss, Laugarvatn and Flúðir.

What’s the best time to travel to the Golden Circle?

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to the Golden Circle are from March to October.

What day trips can you take from the Golden Circle?

Golden Circle and Snorkelling in Silfra.

What is the typical food of the Golden Circle?

Rúgbrauð. The sweet, dark rye bread that in Laugarvatn, on the Golden Circle, is baked buried in hot sand beside the hot springs. At home, in a very low oven.

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Guide reviewed 18 October 2026. Places, areas and seasons: the same data the Bagintravel app uses. Sources and method.