Golden Circle & Secret Lagoon tour from Reykjavik, 9h

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/44

Duration9h

GroupUp to 19

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Strokkur erupts every few minutes, and you get to watch it happen live.

A 9-hour small-group tour of southwest Iceland's Golden Circle and Secret Lagoon, departing from Reykjavik with hotel pickup and an English-speaking guide. The route covers Thingvellir National Park, Gullfoss waterfall, the Geysir geothermal area with active geysers, Secret Lagoon's warm geothermal pool, and Kerið volcanic crater. Children from age 6 are welcome; swimwear and towels are not included but can be rented on-site at Secret Lagoon.

Step-by-step itinerary

Golden Circle and Secret Lagoon tour

Pick up in Reykjavík
Drive to Þingvellir National Park
Visit Þingvellir National Park
Visit Gullfoss waterfall
Explore Geysir Geothermal Area
Relax at Secret Lagoon
Visit Kerið Crater
Return to Reykjavík

The Experience

Your day starts with a pickup from your Reykjavik location and a 40-minute drive to Thingvellir National Park, where you'll walk through a rift valley between two tectonic plates—the Eurasian and North American—and stand where Iceland's first parliament once gathered. The park's dramatic geology and history set the tone for what comes next.

From there, the route takes you to Gullfoss, a two-tiered waterfall that drops 32 meters into the canyon of the Hvíta River, fed by the Langjökull glacier. The sheer scale of it—water plunging into what looks like nothing—is the kind of thing photographs don't quite capture. Next is the Geysir geothermal area, where Strokkur geyser erupts every 4 to 10 minutes, shooting boiling water 15 to 20 meters into the air. You'll have time to watch it happen more than once and walk among the bubbling pools and steam vents that give the whole landscape an otherworldly feel.

The afternoon shifts to Secret Lagoon, Iceland's oldest geothermal pool, set in moss-covered lava fields with water that stays between 38 and 40°C year-round. A small geyser feeds into it, and this is where you swim—it's less crowded than the better-known Blue Lagoon and has a quieter, more rustic character. Your final stop is Kerið Crater, a volcanic crater formed over 6,500 years ago with a bright blue-green lake ringed by red volcanic rock and walls up to 55 meters high; a 20-minute walk around the rim gives you the full view. The drive back to Reykjavik closes the day.

What’s included

Pickup and drop-off from your Reykjavik location.
English-speaking guide.
air-conditioned minibus.
entry to Secret Lagoon.
access to Thingvellir, Gullfoss, Geysir and Kerið Crater.
WiFi on board.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearby

Operated by Your Day Tours

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you have a free afternoon or morning in Reykjavik and want to see the Golden Circle's main sights without renting a car or arranging transport between stops—the small-group format and fixed itinerary mean the day holds together, and the guide handles the route so you can focus on what you're standing in front of.