Iceland is a beautiful and unique destination, and I’m so lucky to have had the opportunity to visit. It was my first solo vacation and there was not much in the way of planning for it, but it ended up being one of the best trips of my life. One of my favorite day trips from Reykjavík was driving around the Golden Circle. This is a popular route displaying gorgeous sights right outside of Reykjavík. Below is my guide to seeing the sights on the Golden Circle!

Þingvellir National Park

The first stop on my trip around Iceland’s Golden Circle was Þingvellir National Park. This unique sight is situated in a rift valley between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. The park was designated a UNESCO world heritage site for its gorgeous views and interesting rock formations.

Walking on the park’s paved path winds through the fissure itself so you can walk between the two tectonic plates. The rocky cliff faces on either side climb high into the sky on either side of the path. There are wooden stairs that take you on top of the cliffs so that you can see the giant crack in the earth extend on either side of you.

Þingvellir National Park abuts the Þingvallavatn Lake, a popular spot for snorkeling and scuba diving. The Silfra fissure is partially hidden in the lake where you can swim between the tectonic plates. The lake is fed from icemelt from the Langjökull glacier meaning that it’s some of the clearest water in the world. You can see over 300 feet down the fissure, and is home to some of the best scuba diving in the world. I opted not to snorkle or dive because I thought that being to see so deep would give me vertigo! From what I’ve heard it’s a really interesting experience though.

Strokkur Geysir

At Geysir geothermal area you’ll find the Strokkur Geysir and the Great Geysir. The Great Geysir is considered inactive, only erupting every few months as a result of earthquakes. The Strokkur Geysir, however, is very active erupting about every 10 minutes. It was really an incredible sight to be able to witness with the water shooting over 50 feet in the air.

There are many other interesting sights along the varous trails leading to steaming geothermal pools. After walking around a bit we got lunch at the visitor center, and the traditional Icelandic meat soup was delicious especially with the misty chill in the air.

Gullfoss Falls

Gullfoss, or the “Golden Falls,” was one of the most impressive sites along the Golden Circle. The falls cascade down in two layers, the first set of falls drop about 40 feet and the second drop 70 feet. This was one of the busiest attractions along the Golden Circle for good reason, so the paved path out to the falls was crowded with people. I wish it had been a little less packed, but it was still a great experience!

Seyðishólar

We just did a quick stop at this red volcanic crater. We didn’t stay here long but it was certainly a unique sight not to be missed. The volcanic soil was a rich maroon, rocky and thick crumbling beneath my feet. It was super cool!

Laugarvatn

This vast thermal lake was probably my favorite stop along the Golden Circle. It may not be the most popular, but that’s why I loved it so much. There were puddles along the lake shore with boiling water spouting from the ground. It was so interesting to see such hot water steaming from the lake, and dipping my toes in the water was so soothing in the chilly weather. We even tried some Icelandic bread baked in caves warmed by the spring’s water. It was delicious and I loved walking along the deserted lake shore for some much needed peace and quiet after all of the busy attractions.

Langjokull Glacier

The last stop on our Golden Circle tour was Langjokull Glacier. Our guide had a 4WD Land Rover, so after deflating the tires a bit we drove out onto the icy glacier. I loved seeing the lake of ice and the way that the glacier flowed down from the mountains made it almost feel alive. The ice melt from the glacier was cold, clear, and so clean that I drank it right out of the flowing stream.

Iceland’s Golden Circle is full of can’t miss unique sights close to Reykjavik. My trip was just for the day, but if you have more time definitely consider visiting Kerið crater, Urriðafoss, Hjalparfoss, and Gjáin. I hear that these are all really great sights and are less busy than the landmarks on the main route. Check out my map below for all of the sights that I saw plus some great camping areas along the way!