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Golden Circle & Kerid: Day Trip from Reykjavik with Farm Stops

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Free cancellationExcellent quality

1/7

Duration8h

GroupUp to 19

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Walk between continents see geysers horses and crater lakes in Iceland

You’ll taste fresh pastries in Hveragerði, walk along Kerið’s volcanic rim, meet Icelandic horses up close, and feel Gullfoss waterfall’s wild spray—all on this Golden Circle day trip from Reykjavik with a local guide and hotel pickup included. Each stop is its own small adventure; expect laughter, weather changes, good food—and a few surprises Iceland always seems to throw in.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit Earthquake Museum in Hveragerði
Enjoy coffee and Icelandic sweets
Walk around Kerið volcanic crater lake
See vegetable growing at Fridheimar greenhouse
Stop to meet Icelandic horses
Watch geyser eruption at Geysir
Explore Þingvellir National Park tectonic plates
View Gullfoss waterfall and have lunch
Taste homemade ice cream at Efstidalur II farm

The Experience

"Did you hear that?" our guide, Jón, asked as we stepped out of the minibus near Hveragerði. The ground felt oddly alive under my boots—turns out there’s a whole earthquake museum right there, and I swear the bakery next door smelled like cinnamon and cardamom even before we opened the door. I tried something called vínarbrauð (don’t ask me to pronounce it again), which was flakier than any pastry I’ve had back home. The weather kept shifting—sun one minute, drizzle the next—but nobody seemed to mind.

Kerið crater was next. The wind whipped up around the rim, carrying this mineral tang I still can’t quite describe. Some of us walked down to touch the water—cold enough to jolt you awake for sure. Jón told us stories about how locals believe elves live around these places; he laughed when someone asked if he’d ever seen one (“Not yet, but maybe after more coffee”). Then we rolled on through fields dotted with those famously shaggy Icelandic horses, who came right up to the fence—soft noses and all—and just stood there blinking at us.

I didn’t expect to be so fascinated by tomatoes, but at Friðheimar greenhouse they grow them year-round using geothermal heat. The air was thick with green leaves and that earthy smell you get in a warm garden after rain. Lunch was this soup—simple but somehow perfect—and then off again, chasing clouds toward Gullfoss. The waterfall’s roar sort of drowns your thoughts; spray on your face, rainbow if you’re lucky (we were). It’s loud enough that you have to shout to be heard—kind of freeing actually.

The Geysir area felt like another planet: steam hissing up from cracks in the earth, Strokkur blasting skyward every few minutes while everyone waited with cameras ready (I missed it twice because I got distracted by the sulphur smell). Last stop was Efstidalur II farm—a barn-turned-café where we tried homemade ice cream while watching cows through a window. Not fancy, just real. Thingvellir came late in the day—the light going gold over those ancient rocks where two continents meet. Walking there felt heavy and quiet somehow; maybe it’s all those old stories Jón told us earlier or just the wind echoing between stones.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup and drop-off from Reykjavik (or designated bus stops), transport by climate-controlled Mercedes Benz minibus limited to 16 guests per group with free WiFi onboard, plus guidance from an English-speaking local driver-guide throughout every stop—from tasting pastries in Hveragerði to walking among geysers and waterfalls before returning in the evening.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Back to Iceland travel