The Golden Circle – A unique day tour from our guesthouse

The Golden Circle day tour is evidently one of Iceland‘s most popular tours. You will observe the beauty of Iceland´s nature beside learning about the country´s history dating back to the age of settlement.

Kerid the crater:

Firstly, you should visit Kerid a volcanic crater lake located in the Grímsnes area in south Iceland. Kerid crater was formed about 6,500 years ago and lies at the northern end of a row of craters known as Tjarnarhólar. It is oval, approximately 270 m long, 170 m wide, and 55 m deep. The water depth at the bottom varied between 7 and 14 m.

Thingvellir, National Park:

Secondly, you drive to Thingvellir, where you can review the nation´s history beside observing the beauty of Iceland´s nature. At Thingvellir National Park, Althing, an open air assembly, was established in 930 and continued to meet accordingly until 1798. Many major events in Icelandic history took place at Thingvellir. Today, Thingvellir is a national park meant to remain in public ownership and be protected by Althingi forever. National Park Thingvellir is on the World Heritage List. The General Conference of UNESCO adopted this international agreement in 1972. The World Heritage List was founded on the premise that certain places on Earth are of outstanding universal value, and as such, should form part of the common heritage of humankind.

The Great Geysir:

Thereafter, you drive to one of the world´s most active geothermal fields at Haukadalur. There are many boiling springs and hot mud pots. In fact, here is the Great Geyser, a geological phenomenon. Strokkur, another famous geyser nearby, surprisingly erupts every few minutes shooting tower of water beside steam, 30 meters up into the air.

The Golden Falls:

Fourthly, you visit Golden Falls, one of the most impressive and specifically cascades in Europe. Here, you can view the history of Sigridur Tomasdottir  in Brattholt. Obviously it is suspected that Sigridur managed to prevent the harnessing of the waterfall, which was planned for electricity-generating purposes.

Faxi waterfall:

Following, you visit a small waterfall called Faxi. This is a beautiful waterfall where you can spend some time relaxing, beside enjoying the incredible nature without any disturbances or crowds. There are evidently many great opportunities for photos to be taken at this stop.

Swim in the Sectret lagoon:

After that, if you are interested for bathing, the geothermal hot pool called The Secret Lagoon is the next stop. This pool was made 1891 and is the oldest pool in Iceland made for swimming. The pools has natural surroundings as well as steam rising into the air that gives the place indeed a magical feeling. The warm water holds 38-40 Celsius all year. In the whole area there are several geothermal spots and in a addition a little Geysir which erupts every 5 minutes, showing off for the guests relaxing in the hot spring.

Friðheimar tomato farm:

Friðheimar tomato farm is a farm operated by an Icelandic family. The farm harnesses geothermal energy and uses artificial lights and a climate-control system to grow tomatoes and other vegetables all year round. You’ll get to try tomato soup, tomato ice cream, and even tomato beer. In the summer months, you can also check out the horse show, and meet the horses at the stable.

Skálholt church:

Thereafter you visit Skalholt where the first bishop, Isleifur Gissurarson was ordained in 1056. Skalholt was indeed the bishopric of South Iceland beside a cultural and educational center for 700 years.

Urriðafoss waterfall:

Finally, we consider Urridafoss waterfall. Urriðafoss is a waterfall located in the river Þjórsá, in southwest Iceland, and is the watermost waterfall in Iceland. In the early days of power companies, plans were to build a power plant in Urriðafoss and make a railway to Reykjavík from the waterfall. However, that did not happen, but now Landsvirkjun is planning to build hydropower stations on the lower part of Þjórsár river, at Urriðafoss and Núpur. The proposed Urriðafoss Power Plant is expected to have a capacity of approximately 125 MW and a power-generating capacity of 930 GWh per year. The powerhouse will be underground and a tunnel leading from the powerhouse will open out into the Þjórsá River, below Urriðafoss waterfall. The waterfall is therefore expected to disappear.

From now there are only 10 min drive back to Guesthouse Lambastadir.

Altogether The Golden Circle day tour is doubtedly the most popular tour in Iceland and we highly recommend it.

– See photo gallery here>>>>

Highlights of the Golden Circle:
» Kerid the crater
» Thingvellir National Park
» The Great Geysir
» The Golden Falls
» Faxi waterfall
» Swim in the Secret lagoon
» Friðheimar tomato farm
» Skálholt church
» Urriðafoss waterfall