The Golden Circle

17 August 2026,

We picked up the rental car in Reykjavik and headed to The Golden Circle. Rick Steves’s travel guide for Iceland gave us the route and a good description of what to see and what to skip. As he suggested, we decided to drive the less-traveled interior route for the first segment. It took us through a spectacular, rugged landscape.

Without stops, the drive is 3.5 hours. With stops, it took us a little over eight hours. Well worth it.

On the Way

The first part of the journey followed pipes that transport boiling water to Reykjavík. The smaller pipes look flexible, while the large one seems to have buffers that allow the pipe to flex during earthquakes.

Random Stop (1)

Þingvellir National Park (Stop 2)

This site has great cultural significance for Iceland as the location of the annual parliament from 930 to 1798. But the site also marks the crest of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. It is the boundary between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates—moving apart at nearly an inch a year. (Wikipedia) The gorge between the two plates is awe inspiring, and especially appreciated by Bonnie who took several courses in physical geography. Lots of tourists are hiking the path between the plates in the national park.

Lunch (Stop 3)

Efstidalur Farm (Stop 4)

Working dairy farm where the guests and cows eat under one roof.

Geysir (Stop 5)

This small assemblage of geysers charms visitors. The English word Geyser comes from the Icelandic word Geysir, meaning to gush.

Gullfoss Waterfall (Stop 6)

Last stop on the Golden Circle is of the most popular tourist attractions in Iceland. The falls has 5,000 cubic feet of water per second descending a “three step” staircase, 210 feet deep in total. It’s big.

Then back to Reykjavik in time for dinner.