Golden Circle & Secret Lagoon Tour with Reykjavik Pickup

4.80

(1902 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

The first thing I noticed was how our driver, Jón, actually remembered everyone’s names after picking us up in Reykjavik. It’s a small thing but made the minibus feel less like a tour and more like a road trip with a bunch of new friends. We left the city behind and suddenly there was just open land — mossy lava fields, that kind of pale Icelandic light. I kept thinking it would be colder but somehow the air felt clean instead of harsh.

We stopped at Thingvellir and Jón told us about how this place is literally splitting apart — North America on one side, Eurasia on the other. You can see the cracks under your feet if you look close. The wind picked up while we walked between those cliffs; someone’s scarf blew away and we all laughed (she got it back). There was something quiet about it, even with everyone around. I didn’t expect to care about history that much but hearing about Iceland’s parliament starting here in 930 AD made me pause.

Next was Haukadalur valley — you smell sulfur before you see anything. Strokkur geyser shot up right as I pulled my phone out (timing for once), and then again five minutes later because it just keeps going. The ground is hot in places; steam curls around your shoes if you stand too close. Gullfoss came after — you hear it before you see it, honestly. The spray hit my face when I leaned over the rail and I still think about that sound, water pounding down into the canyon.

The last stop was what Jón called “the real reward”: soaking in the Secret Lagoon. It’s older than any pool I’ve ever seen — warm enough that nobody wanted to get out even though rain started falling lightly. Locals floated by chatting in Icelandic, totally unfazed by tourists or weather or anything else. My fingers wrinkled fast but I could’ve stayed there until dark… which doesn’t really come in summer anyway.