Golden Circle Classic Day Trip from Reykjavik

Reykjavik, Iceland

Want to see some of the best-known natural phenomena in Iceland on a day trip from Reykjavik? From spouting geysers, tumbling waterfalls and ancient volcanoes, the popular Golden Circle Classic full-day excursion by coach will introduce you to Iceland's world-renowned pristine natural beauty surrounding the capital.

The tour begins with a visit to the Nesjavellir power plant, a geothermal area in the picturesque landscape of Lake Thingvallavatn (this part of the tour may not be included in winter). This really is "green" renewable energy, as more than half of Reykjavik's population gets its energy from the Nesjavellir geothermal plant.

Your tour also includes a visit to Thingvellir, where the Icelandic parliament Althingi was founded in 930, making it the oldest functioning parliament in the world. It is here that the slowly diverging tectonic plates of America and Europe meet.

Your tour continues to the beautiful waterfall of Gullfoss, a highlight of any visit to Iceland, along with the incredible spouting hot springs of Geysir and Strokkur. You will also visit Skalholt church, the ancient seat of the Icelandic bishops.

On your way back to Reykjavik you'll travel through fertile agricultural areas.

USD $94.00

Review by:   nick,    June 2018
This was ok, the presenter was a nice guy but his voice was too monotonous which led to boredom amongst a few of us and I noticed lots of people falling asleep! Also this was a very big tour bus, even thought the bus was high quality, its not so nice being part of such a huge group, I preferred Nice travels small group tour to South Coast much more

Review by:   Kaushik D,    June 2018
Magnificent

Review by:   William H,    May 2018
Bus tour from Greyline. The guide was only fair - should have given better info about the rest stops - free vs. pay toilets.

Review by:   Akash B,    May 2018
Amazing tour. Great guide, and ample time to explore!

Review by:   jwilcox79,    April 2018
My husband and I took the Golden Circle day tour. Both our driver and our guide the latter was Dee Dee were professional and informative throughout. We stopped at every major site we hoped to see, and we were given plenty of commentary, and time for photos. Stunning natural wonders. The tour also included a good break for lunch. Each part of the group was provided drop-off back at the hotels.

Review by:   tniopwen,    April 2018
If you only have time for one tour in Iceland, THIS IS IT! The tour guide was energetic, fun and knowledgeable. The only thing I would change is the timing even if that means eliminating a stop. When we went to the tectonic rift at Thingvellir National Park, we had only an hour to explore and my son and I barely made it back in time. We were literally jogging at some points running to see as much as we could. This stop alone is worth two hours minimum to truly experience the full magnificence of it. Our guide was very candid about being back on time so when we arrived, winded and scared we would miss it, we asked what would happen if we missed the bus. His response, We'd call the next bus and have them pick you up. LOL! So worry not my traveling friend, Gray Line Iceland and Viator are there for you. Enjoy all there is to behold!

Review by:   Anne,    April 2018
Beautiful and totally worth it!

Review by:   JPKJ,    April 2018
Excellent tour guide very knowledgeable about local area, customs, history and places of interest.

Review by:   Stephen R,    April 2018
Great tour to see all the main natural features in a day from Reykjavik. Rift between the tectonic plates looking out over their largest natural lake was special. On to Gulfoss falls, spectacular and so powerful. Back to Geysir to see the original spot where geysers were named. Another smaller waterfall on the way back and visit to the heartland of the Icelandic people between 11th - 18th century and the church there. Quite a long day but well broken with stops for refreshment and very informative. Would highly recommend if on a limited number of days for your break.

Review by:   Sam W,    April 2018
Great tour

Review by:   Steven A,    April 2018
It seemed at first like it would be a punishing 8-hour touring day, but its packed with extraordinary sights and whizzes by. The National Park is unique and historic the waterfall majestic and the geysers awesome. Not to be missed.

Review by:   Sam K,    April 2018
A good tour of Iceland. Great guide. Very informative.

Review by:   Brian L,    April 2018
The Golden Circle tour was amazing and the tour guide so knowledgeable and interesting!

Review by:   margaret t,    April 2018
Out driver was very knowledgable and he knew Iceland very well. I thought we saw all the good things and more form the golden circle. I felt we had enough time at all the stops we needed

Review by:   Amy S,    April 2018
Great trip, but ultimately, my least favorite of the Iceland excursions I went on. The bus was clean, clear, and on time, and I liked our guide. All of the sites were super cool, and worth seeing if you have the time.

Review by:   jrp,    April 2018
We enjoyed this trip immensely. The guide was kind and knowledgeable. We chose a French tour because 4 out of 5 of our group are French speakers, and were pleasantly surprised that the guide did the tour in both French and English. Because I understand both languages, I can vouch for the completeness of the descriptions in each. The stops chosen were good, and we got a couple of bonus ones in, too. There were a lot of bathroom stops and enough time at each of the sites.

Review by:   kjgaus,    April 2018
Our tour guide and bus driver were incredible. The tour was amazing and the guide made this trip fun! Highly recommend!!

Review by:   Victoria H,    April 2018
Great experience. Beautiful country. Excellent guide was very knowledgable.

Review by:   omar.elwatidy,    March 2018
Really nice tour, takes you through the most important landmarks with an experienced guide.

Review by:   vaishnavvi s,    March 2018
The tour with Grey line was truly amazing. The tour guide Simon was really good and we did enjoy the whole day. The pick up was on time and everything as expected.

Review by:   Niamh W,    March 2018
This tour was brilliant and had so much packed in! Our tour guide was great and gave some really interesting stories. I really must thank Grayline however for being such a great company. Due to a Red Weather warning our flights were delayed and we needed to move our booking. GrayLine were incredibly helpful with this which we really appreciated!

Review by:   Joanne A,    March 2018
This tour was a great tour and took in a lot of Icelands beauty. Felt the tour guide was constantly hurrying us up and it was just a 'job' for him. He was very knowledgeable however not really a people person. I asked a couple of questions and found his responses were a tad rude. All in all the tour itself was wonderful.

Review by:   Ali D,    March 2018
The guide was a bit monotone, but the scenery was beautiful. We spent about an hour at Gullfoss, an hour at Geysir, and a little bit longer at Thingvellir. Very cool tour, but I wish the guide was a little bit more animated. He was very nice otherwise.

Review by:   Patricia M,    March 2018
Really good trip thoroughly enjoyed good value for money, I would definitely recommend it

Review by:   junechow18,    March 2018
We had a wonderful tour with Olifer who was charming, soft spoken and knowledgeable. There were no tablets as advertised on other tours so we had a traditional tour in this sense. I would recommend the tablets as it is difficult to always be in front of the tour guide and to hear everything being described about each attraction. I would recommend that the tour guides be given whisper radio devices and users audio phones so that you don't miss the lectures and this would also give them a way to remind everybody to be back on the bus at the appointed time.

Review by:   Tammy H,    December 2017
This excursion was amazing! I would highly recommend to everyone!

Review by:   lberger,    December 2017
Our tour guide John was great. We got to see the tectonic plates, Gullfoss waterfall and more.

Review by:   danielp14,    December 2017
Excellent views of the natural environment and a great experience I would recommend. The only issue were the long waiting times with drivers constantly turning up late for pick ups. Over my trip not 1 bus from Viator picked us up on time and its a small issue when you end up waiting outside in below zero conditions for 35 minutes for a driver to arrive late. Luckily the tour guides were excellent and a saving grace!

Review by:   andrew.haywood,    December 2017
This tour was amazing!

Review by:   Nadine H,    December 2017
I would highly recomment this tour. Anyone thinking of doing it - stop thinking and book it. Had an amazing day and thoroughly enjoyable guide in Oti sp who was both entertaining and very informative. There are so many marvellous sights crammed into this tour, which have created lifelong memories. We booked as a family of 4 and all of us loved it including 2 teenagers.

Review by:   David S,    December 2017
Excellent tour and opportunity to see the sites. Well organised

Review by:   James L,    December 2017
This would be a fantastic 8 hour tour during the summer months but we went in late November, which should have been OK but the Tour Guide said winter has come 6 weeks early this year. This tour includes visits to 3 or 4 spectacular sights in Iceland. The tour is offered all year round but these sights are undoubtedly at their best in the summer months. The tour takes you through mountainous areas of Iceland and with a ground cover of snow and ice plus very strong chilling northerly winds it was difficult to maximise the enjoyment that would be possible on such a visit in better conditions. We knew it was going to be cold and were well equipped with many layers, thermal underwear, warm cold-weather parkas, wooly hats, scarves and gloves but that northerly wind cuts through everything. Would love to go back in the summer months.

Review by:   richardgravells,    November 2017
This tour was amazing; I was picked up from my accommodation on time. The coach stopped at 5 different locations on the golden circle. The waterfalls were amazing however it was very cold! The National Park was superb as well; so much amazing scenery to take in.

Review by:   wkkindler9,    November 2017
This bus tour was a great way to view Iceland's rugged landscape, it's geothermal sites, and impressive waterfalls. The cold but sunny weather provided us with excellent photo opportunities at Thingvellir National Park, Gullfoss waterfall, and the active geysers sites. Views of the double-tiered Gullfoss waterfall and the spouting geysers sites were very impressive and the highlights of our tour. On our way back we also visited another attractive waterfall for a brief photo stop. The 64-seat tour bus as a bit cramped - but overall this was an amazing and enjoyable tour.

Review by:   Leona M,    November 2017
Great tour guide, great sights, would probably leave out the trip to the service station/ rock museum as it was a bit out of the way for a 15 minute stop off.

Review by:   Satish S,    November 2017
The weather made this tour less than perfect. The tour guide and transportation were excellent. Snow was beautiful but some ice on ground made walking difficult. We got to see all the sights that were promised, but we could have enjoyed these more if we did not have to worry about ice and wind. I advise to dress warm for cold and for wind._br/_ Satish S.

Review by:   Angela M,    November 2017
This was a wonderful day trip. The waterfall and geyser were phenomenal. The weather was COLD and windy with snowfall on the ground. It is important to dress for the icy conditions, we did not make it to the national park due to the bad weather but that meant we got more time at the other stops. The time flew by on this excursion, with rest stops along the way you never had a chance to get stiff from sitting too much. The guide was very knowledgeable and I learnt a lot about the country and the people. The bus had free wi-fi which made uplaoding the pictures you just took easy.A great day trip

Review by:   Chris C,    November 2017
An amazing tour! Not only does the Golden Circle Classic give you time at three fantastically beautiful highlights of Iceland, but the drive in between those highlights gives you a great picture of the countrys landscape. We had a great tour guide willing to answer questions and tried her best to get everyone involved. The tour also stopped at a couple extra places. It was a long day but definitely worth it!!

Review by:   marcinovskaja.diana,    November 2017
This tour was amazing!

Review by:   John,    November 2017
Amazing trip, the guide and driver were excellent. Only complaint was the bus windows were filthy and we couldn't see out of the bus. that means no pictures of the beautiful countryside. The tour was excellent in spite of horrific winds. A must see.

Review by:   bridgerphotographer,    November 2017
this also for both water falls and the geezer should be separate tours to give more time. This main water fall to see and photograph and take in the wonder is amazing , but not enough time to sit and rest to enjoy the lamb soup other tours were raving about.

Review by:   Miguel Angel D,    November 2017
Love every minute of it: nature in general, geisers, waterfalls, historical -vikings-places, small villages, interesting shops with icelandic unique staff...

Review by:   Mica B,    November 2017
Great tour. Not exactly as described as there was no visit to the power station. Spectacular views for the falls, national park, and Geysir.

Review by:   Msamulewski,    November 2017
Great tour!

Review by:   Jenna R,    November 2017
This tour is amazing. If you’re in to seeing beautiful scenery then I highly recommend it. It snowed a lot the day we did the tour which made everything look magical. Although the tour was good, you did spend a lot of time getting on and off a coach.

Review by:   Ardeth W,    November 2017
Weather was not so great, but the guide and the sights were great. I highly recommend this tour if you want to see Reykjavik.

Review by:   Derek P,    November 2017
Fantastic day with amazing views all day long. Tour guide exceptional. Wrap up in winter because it's cold!!

Review by:   Sarah G,    November 2017
The trip was perfect. We had plenty of time to see all the different stops, the bus was clean and modern and our guide Roman was brilliant. He provided interesting facts and information and he was easy to talk to. Would definitely recommend!

Review by:   Ayanna H,    November 2017
Very nice tour. Guide was excellent.

Review by:   Karen S,    November 2017
Just WOW, great sights and fabulous guide. A must do to put on your bucket list for Iceland.