Illustration.
From Reykjavik · 7 to 8.5 hours · Five stops
Golden Circle Tour from Reykjavik
BusTravel Iceland's day from Reykjavik stops at Hveragerði, Kerið crater, Gullfoss, Geysir and Thingvellir, in that order, with lunch at Geysir. Morning departures run 8.5 hours; the 7-hour afternoon departures do not stop at Kerið.
Pick your tour
Which Golden Circle Tour from Reykjavik?
A Golden Circle tour from Reykjavik is a day on the road to Thingvellir National Park, the Geysir hot springs and the Gullfoss waterfall, often with Kerið crater added, and back to the city by evening. The one to book first is BusTravel Iceland’s Reykjavik: Golden Circle Full-Day Tour with Kerid Crater, from US$92 a person (checked November 2026). It stops at all four and at Hveragerði, gives you 80 minutes at Geysir and 45 each at Gullfoss and Thingvellir, and leaves from a central bus stop or with pickup. If Kerið matters to you, take a morning departure; the 7-hour afternoon runs leave it out.
Reykjavik: Golden Circle Full-Day Tour with Kerid Crater
BusTravel Iceland: Hveragerði, Kerið, Gullfoss, Geysir with the lunch stop and Thingvellir; 8.5 hours from 8:00 AM on the dates we read. The afternoon departures run 7 hours without Kerið. From Bus Stop 12 or with pickup.
Check dates →Reykjavík: Golden Circle Afternoon Small Group Tour
Arctic Adventures: a guaranteed small group with pickup at 21 points, 6 hours from 12:00 PM on the dates we read; Thingvellir, Gullfoss, Geysir and Kerið, with the crater fee paid.
See the tour →From Reykjavik: Golden Circle, Kerid, & Secret Lagoon Tour
BusTravel Iceland: 1.5 hours in the Secret Lagoon with entry included, plus Kerið, Geysir, Gullfoss and Thingvellir, 10 hours in all. Bring swimwear; towels are rented there.
See the day →Prices, ratings and review counts from the listings (GetYourGuide checked November 2026). Operators price by date and season, so treat the figures as the shape of the market, not a quote.
Weighing a big bus against a minibus or a private car? The comparison below puts four tours side by side, and bus, small group or private goes further.
- 4.8 / 5 28004+ Reviews
- 241 km By road round the loop from Reykjavik City Hall via Thingvellir, Geysir, Gullfoss and Kerið
- UNESCO 2004 Thingvellir National Park, on the World Heritage List as a cultural landscape since 2004
- Free Cancellation
The Experience
What the Day Takes In
A rift valley between two plates, a hot spring that erupts at regular intervals, a waterfall in a canyon and a crater lake.
BusTravel Iceland's own highlights, inclusions and notes, as listed on GetYourGuide in November 2026.
Highlights
- See the best of southwest Iceland's waterfalls, lakes and geysers
- Discover where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet
- Feel the spray of the Gullfoss Waterfall
- Go to the spouting geyser of Strokkur in the Geysir area
- Look into a volcanic crater at Kerið
What's Included
- Tour
- Guide
- Transportation by air-conditioned bus
- Pickup and drop-off (If option selected)
Good to know: In case of bad weather conditions such as heavy rains or thunderstorms, the activity provider may have to cancel the tour. In this case, you will be offered another date or a full refund · Not suitable for: Children under 2 years · Not Included: Food and drinks
From Reykjavik Round the Loop and Back
Bus Stop 12 or a pickup point, then Hveragerði, Kerið, Gullfoss, Geysir and Thingvellir, and back to the city.
Bus Stop 12 or a Pickup Point
On the seven dates we read, 27 November 2026 to 14 April 2027, the morning options left at 8:00 AM: from Bus Stop 12, Höfðatorg, on Þórunnartún, or with pickup from a list of locations for a higher price.
Hveragerði and Kerið
About 40 minutes out, a 15-minute break in Hveragerði, then 20 minutes at Kerið crater. Departures at 12:00 PM and later do not stop at Kerið.
Gullfoss, Then Geysir
45 minutes at Gullfoss, then 80 minutes in the Geysir area, which is also the lunch stop. Food and drinks are not in the price.
Thingvellir, Then Reykjavik
45 minutes at Thingvellir National Park with a walk, then about an hour back to Reykjavik and one of 28 drop-off points. The morning departures last 8.5 hours.
Photo Gallery
Waterfall, Hot Springs and Rift Valley
Gullfoss in its canyon, steam over the Geysir field, the walls of the rift at Thingvellir and the red slopes of Kerið.
Book Your Experience
Check Availability & Prices
BusTravel Iceland's Golden Circle day: Hveragerði, Kerið crater on morning departures, Gullfoss, Geysir with a lunch stop and Thingvellir National Park, by air-conditioned bus from Bus Stop 12, Höfðatorg, or with pickup as an option. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Plan Your Golden Circle Day
Planning a Golden Circle Day
The stops in order, what each kind of tour costs, bus or small group or private, winter days, adding a lagoon or a glacier, and driving it yourself.
Prices are each page's featured tour: GetYourGuide checked November 2026. Tour prices on GetYourGuide and Viator are in US dollars; fees paid in Iceland are in Icelandic krónur (ISK).
Four Golden Circle Days from Reykjavik Side by Side
The bus day with Kerið, a small-group afternoon, the lowest-priced classic loop and a day with the Secret Lagoon: length, where each starts, the stops, what is in the price and the limits. GetYourGuide prices with the month they were checked.
| Feature | THIS PAGE Bus day with Kerið | Small-group afternoon | Three classic stops | With the Secret Lagoon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What You Pay | From US$92 per person (the options we read started at US$101.39; checked November 2026) | From US$109 per person (checked November 2026) | From US$80 per person (checked November 2026) | From US$135 per person (checked November 2026) |
| Length | 8.5 hours from 8:00 AM; 7 hours on the afternoon departures | 6 hours; 12:00 PM on the dates we read | 6.5 hours | 10 hours; 8:00 AM on the dates we read |
| Where It Starts | Bus Stop 12, Höfðatorg, or pickup from a list of locations (a dearer option); 28 drop-off points | Pickup and drop-off at 21 listed points in Reykjavik, hotels and bus stops among them | BSÍ Bus Terminal, 15 minutes before departure; pickup as an option starts 30 minutes earlier | Bus Stop 12, Höfðatorg, or pickup as an option; 24 drop-off points |
| Stops and Time There | Hveragerði 15 min, Kerið 20, Gullfoss 45, Geysir 80 with lunch, Thingvellir 45 | Thingvellir 25 min, Gullfoss 20, Geysir 45, Kerið 20 | Thingvellir 45 min, Geysir 1 hour, Gullfoss 1 hour | Secret Lagoon 1.5 hours; Kerið, Geysir, Gullfoss and Thingvellir as photo stops |
| Kerið Crater | A 20-minute stop on morning departures; none at 12:00 PM and later | Included, with the entrance fee | Not on the route | Included, with the entry ticket |
| In the Price | Guide, air-conditioned bus, pickup if you choose that option; no food or drinks | Pickup, English-speaking guide, Wi-Fi, Kerið fee; no food or drinks | Bus, Wi-Fi, English-speaking guide, the National Park visitor fee; lunch bought at the stops | Guide, Wi-Fi, entry to the Secret Lagoon; no towel, food or drinks |
| Group | Not stated; an air-conditioned bus | Guaranteed small group, size not stated | Not stated; a 1st class bus | Not stated; a bus |
| Limits | Not for children under 2 | Not for children under 5 | Family discount for up to two children or youths per full-paying adult | Not for children under 2; bring swimwear |
| Best For | All five stops with time at each, from a central bus stop or your pickup point | A later start, a small group and Kerið's fee paid | Thingvellir, Geysir and Gullfoss at the lowest price in this table | An hour and a half in a hot-spring pool on the same day |
| Check dates | See the tour | See the tour | See the tour |
More Ways to Go
Other Golden Circle Tours from Reykjavik
The lowest-priced bus day, a minibus with a tomato-farm lunch, small groups, the Blue Lagoon and a glacier ride, on GetYourGuide and Viator.
THREE CLASSIC STOPSFrom Reykjavik: Golden Circle Full Day Tour
Gray Line Iceland's 6.5-hour day by bus from the BSÍ Bus Terminal, with pickup as an option starting 30 minutes earlier: 45 minutes at Thingvellir, an hour at Geysir and an hour at Gullfoss, with stops to buy lunch. The National Park visitor fee and Wi-Fi are included; it does not go to Kerið.
AUDIO GUIDE IN APPReykjavik: Golden Circle Tour with Optional Kerið Crater
ICELANDIA's 6.5- to 7-hour bus tour from the BSÍ Bus Terminal, with pickup as an option: Thingvellir, Geysir and Gullfoss, with Kerið crater on the 08:00 departure only. A guide on board plus an app-based audio guide in several languages (bring headphones) and Wi-Fi. One adult may bring up to two minors.
SMALL GROUPSmall-group Golden Circle Classic Tour from Reykjavik
Your Day Tours' 8-hour small-group minibus day with pickup in Reykjavik: Hveragerði, Gullfoss, Geysir, Thingvellir and Kerið crater, with an English-speaking guide and Wi-Fi. Lunch is at your own cost. Minimum age 6; no space for suitcases.
TOMATO FARM LUNCHReykjavik: Golden Circle, Tomato Farm and Kerið Crater Tour
EastWest's 9-hour small-group day with hotel pickup from 8:30 AM: Thingvellir, Gullfoss and Geysir 45 minutes each, an hour at the Friðheimar tomato farm for lunch at your own cost, then 45 minutes at Kerið, admission included. English-speaking driver-guide; English and Spanish on Thursdays. Not for children under 4 or wheelchair users.
BLUE LAGOONReykjavik: Golden Circle, Kerid Crater, & Blue Lagoon Tour
Nicetravel's 11-hour minibus day with pickup in Reykjavik: Thingvellir, Geysir, Gullfoss and Kerið (entry included), then about 2 hours at the Blue Lagoon, with the type of admission chosen at booking and a towel included. Bring a swimsuit. Not for children under 5.
SNOWMOBILEFrom Reykjavik: Golden Circle and Glacier Snowmobiling
ICELANDIA's 10-hour day by bus from the BSÍ Bus Terminal (pickup is not included): Thingvellir, an hour at Geysir, then Langjökull for a 1-hour guided snowmobile ride, two people to a snowmobile or alone as an option, and Gullfoss on the way back. Protective clothing is provided and no experience is needed; bring a driver's licence. The ride depends on the glacier's conditions.
PRIVATEIceland Reykjavik: Golden Circle Private Tour
Tulip Tours Iceland's 8-hour private tour with a driver-guide in an MPV or van, from your Reykjavik accommodation: Thingvellir, Geysir an hour, Gullfoss and a stop at Kerið. Priced per group of up to 3. Not suitable for wheelchair users, pregnant women or people with back problems.
Golden Circle tours from Reykjavik
The Loop, the Stops and What You Pay
Where the day goes, how long each stop lasts, what the price covers, and the tours that add a group size, a lagoon or a glacier.
Where the day goes
The route’s three big sights lie inland, east of Reykjavik. By road it is 241 km round, starting and finishing at Reykjavik City Hall with Kerið included, or 234 km without it.
Tours do not agree on the direction. BusTravel Iceland’s day heads out past Hveragerði to Kerið first, then Gullfoss and Geysir, and visits Thingvellir last, on the way home. Gray Line Iceland's day and Arctic Adventures' small-group afternoon start at Thingvellir and go round the other way. The direction decides which stop you reach at lunchtime and, in December, which ones you see in daylight. The stops in order goes through each one.
BusTravel Iceland’s day, stop by stop
On the seven dates we read, 27 November 2026 to 14 April 2027, the morning options left at 8:00 AM. You either walk to Bus Stop 12, Höfðatorg, on Þórunnartún, or book the dearer option with pickup from a list of hotels and bus stops. Drop-off is at any of 28 points in the city.
About 40 minutes out, the bus stops for a 15-minute break in Hveragerði, then 20 minutes at Kerið, a crater with a lake in its floor. Gullfoss gets 45 minutes. Geysir gets 80, and that is also the lunch stop; food and drinks are not in the price, so bring something or buy it there. Thingvellir comes last, 45 minutes with a walk, before about an hour’s drive back.
The stops add up to 3 hours 25 minutes; the bus fills the rest of the 8.5 hours. Geysir itself is dormant: the Environment Agency of Iceland gives its last known eruption as 2016. Strokkur, beside it, erupts at regular intervals, up to 30 m high. Thingvellir is where the Althing, Iceland’s assembly, was founded in 930, and it has been on UNESCO’s World Heritage List as a cultural landscape since 2004.
The guide speaks English. The tour is not for children under 2, and in heavy rain or thunderstorms BusTravel Iceland may cancel and offer another date or a full refund.
Check dates for the Golden Circle day
BusTravel Iceland also sells a Golden Circle day with Kerið on Viator, as Golden Circle with Kerid Volcanic Crater Day Tour from Reykjavik.
What the price buys
The US$92 on the booking calendar is a from-price. On the seven dates we read, no option showed it: the morning tour from Bus Stop 12 was US$101.39 a person, the morning tour with pickup US$114.77, and the 7-hour afternoon tour with pickup, which skips Kerið, US$105.85 on the four dates it was on sale (checked November 2026). Two adults paid twice the one-adult price.
That buys the guide, the air-conditioned bus and, on the pickup option, the ride from your hotel or bus stop. Whether the Kerið admission is in it is not stated; at the crater, kerid.is gives the fee as 700 ISK a person, and Arctic Adventures’ page 600 ISK with children under 12 free (both checked November 2026). The Golden Circle tour price sets this day against every other kind of tour.
Smaller groups and private cars
Arctic Adventures' small-group afternoon is from US$109 (checked November 2026). It guarantees a small group without giving a number, collects you from one of 21 points, and spends 25 minutes at Thingvellir, 20 at Gullfoss, 45 at Geysir and 20 at Kerið, whose entrance fee it pays. Nicetravel's Golden Circle and Kerið tour caps its bus at 19 people and collects from your hotel, from US$121.
Your Day Tours' small-group Golden Circle Classic goes by minibus with pickup, for 8 hours, from US$119 (checked November 2026).
A private tour costs far more and is priced per car. Tulip Tours Iceland's private Golden Circle is from US$780 for a group of up to 3, with a driver-guide in an MPV or a van and a stop at Kerið. Bus, small group or private compares the three.
Adding a lagoon, a farm or a glacier
The longer days add one thing to the loop. BusTravel Iceland's day with the Secret Lagoon gives you 1.5 hours in the pool at Flúðir, entry included. Nicetravel's day with the Blue Lagoon ends with about 2 hours there, from US$250. The Golden Circle with a lagoon compares the four lagoons on offer.
EastWest's small-group day stops an hour at the Friðheimar tomato farm, where you buy lunch, and makes a quick stop at Efstidalur farm. ICELANDIA's day with a snowmobile ride drives up to the Langjökull glacier for an hour on a snowmobile, from US$329; the snowmobile and ice cave days explains what the weather can do to it.
What reviewers mention
BusTravel Iceland’s day has 28,004 reviews on GetYourGuide at an average of 4.8. We read the 350 most recent, the newest dated 7 November 2026 and the oldest 14 October: 291 give five stars and 16 give three or fewer. Two of the low ones say the departure time was moved the day before. Others mention a crowd waiting at one pickup stop, too little time at Geysir or Thingvellir, a bus 45 minutes late that then left out Kerið, a smaller replacement bus with loose seats, and seats too tight for tall people. One three-star reviewer suggests bringing your own lunch, so that the Geysir stop is not spent buying food.
Before you book
- Kerið. Only the morning departures of BusTravel Iceland’s day stop there. ICELANDIA's bus tour includes it on the 08:00 departure only, and Gray Line Iceland's day does not go.
- Age. BusTravel Iceland’s day is not for children under 2, Arctic Adventures' small-group afternoon not for under 5s, and EastWest's day not for under 4s or wheelchair users.
- Clothes. On Gray Line Iceland's day it can get very cold and windy; bring layers and shoes that grip, whatever the month.
- Lunch. None of the day tours above includes it; most stop where you can buy it.
- Cancelling. Every GetYourGuide tour here can be cancelled free up to 24 hours before, and you can reserve now and pay later.
Five Stops, Back in Reykjavik the Same Day
BusTravel Iceland's Golden Circle day: Hveragerði, Kerið crater on morning departures, Gullfoss, Geysir with a lunch stop and Thingvellir, from Bus Stop 12 or with pickup. Starting from US$92 per person (the options we read started at US$101.39; checked November 2026).
Check datesMore from Reykjavik
Day Tours from Reykjavik with Open Dates
Golden Circle days and other trips from Reykjavik with live availability. Pickup, what is included and the cancellation terms show before you book.
Golden Circle Tour from Reykjavik: Questions
Which tour, how long, the order of the stops, price, pickup, Kerið, lunch, winter, lagoons and driving yourself.
For most people, BusTravel Iceland's Golden Circle Full-Day Tour with Kerid Crater, from US$92 a person (checked November 2026): five stops, Hveragerði, Kerið, Gullfoss, Geysir and Thingvellir, with 45 to 80 minutes at the big three. If you want a smaller group and a later start, Arctic Adventures' small-group afternoon tour is from US$109. If you want to bathe on the same day, BusTravel Iceland's tour with the Secret Lagoon is from US$135.
Six to nine hours for the sightseeing day, longer with a lagoon or a glacier. Gray Line Iceland's day is 6.5 hours and Arctic Adventures' small-group afternoon 6 hours. BusTravel Iceland's day with Kerið runs 8.5 hours from its 8:00 AM start and 7 hours on the afternoon departures. Days with the Blue Lagoon, the Sky Lagoon or a snowmobile run 10 to 11 hours. The loop itself is 241 km by road from Reykjavik City Hall with Kerið.
It depends on the tour. BusTravel Iceland's day with Kerið goes south first: Hveragerði, Kerið, Gullfoss, Geysir, then Thingvellir on the way back. Gray Line Iceland's day and Arctic Adventures' small-group afternoon start at Thingvellir and work round the other way. See the Golden Circle stops in order.
From US$80 a person for the plainest bus day, Gray Line Iceland's; a day with a snowmobile ride on Langjökull starts at US$329 (checked November 2026). BusTravel Iceland's day with Kerið is from US$92; on the dates we read, its options started at US$101.39 (checked November 2026). A small-group afternoon is from US$109. Private tours are priced per group. See the Golden Circle tour price.
Many do, often as an option at a higher price. BusTravel Iceland's day with Kerið meets at Bus Stop 12, Höfðatorg, or collects from a list of locations if you book that option. Gray Line Iceland starts at the BSÍ Bus Terminal, and its pickup begins 30 minutes before departure. Arctic Adventures' small-group afternoon includes pickup at 21 listed points.
Some do, and the start time can decide it. BusTravel Iceland's day stops 20 minutes at Kerið on morning departures but not on departures at 12:00 PM and later. ICELANDIA's bus tour includes Kerið on its 08:00 departure only. Arctic Adventures' small-group afternoon includes the Kerið fee. Gray Line Iceland's day does not go there. If you pay at the crater, kerid.is gives the fee as 700 ISK a person; Arctic Adventures' page gives 600 ISK with children under 12 free (both checked November 2026).
Rarely. On BusTravel Iceland's day the 80-minute Geysir stop is the lunch stop, and food and drinks are not in the price. EastWest's small-group day stops for lunch at the Friðheimar tomato farm, at your own cost.
Yes, but the light is short. BusTravel Iceland's day with Kerið had options on all seven dates we read, 27 November 2026 to 14 April 2027. On 15 December the sun is up from 11:16 to 15:29 in Reykjavik (computed for Reykjavik), so an 8:00 AM tour starts in the dark. BusTravel Iceland may cancel in heavy rain or thunderstorms and then offers another date or a full refund. See the Golden Circle in winter.
Yes, the Secret Lagoon, Fontana, the Sky Lagoon or the Blue Lagoon. BusTravel Iceland's tour with the Secret Lagoon gives 1.5 hours there with entry included, from US$135 (checked November 2026); Nicetravel's day with the Blue Lagoon about 2 hours, from US$250. See the Golden Circle with a lagoon.
If you are confident on winter roads and want your own timings, a car works. The loop with Kerið is 241 km by road from Reykjavik City Hall. Parking at Thingvellir is 1,000 ISK for a car with five seats or fewer, one payment for the day (Thingvellir National Park, checked November 2026), and Gullfoss is free to visit (gullfoss.is). Check umferdin.is before you set off. See self-drive or tour.
Still have questions? Email us at info@goldencircletourfromreykjavik.com