THE GOLDEN CIRCLE–THE BEST OF ICELAND

Everyone goes to Iceland. At least that what it seems like the past few years. And almost every tourist visits sites of the famous Golden Circle.

Iceland has become very popular, especially with Americans, thanks to cheap flights on Icelandair and discount carrier Wow. Strike that; Wow has ceased operations.

The number of visitors has exploded.

The natural beauty is absolutely stunning. But waterfalls with 100 others? Geysers two-deep with tour bus throngs? Not really my scene.

I looked forward to getting outdoors — hiking, camping, whale watching, snowmobiling. But I was concerned with avoiding the biggest crowds at all the nature spots.

An interesting plan was hatched — I decided to sleep during the day and visit the most popular sights at night.

My goal was to see the Golden Circle minus the crowds.

Crowds at Strokkur geysir, Geysir, Iceland
Um, no thanks. Photo credit to George Atanassov.

I’m obsessed with travel, so the planning never really stops. While heading around Myanmar earlier this year another great airfare deal popped up; Icelandair was starting a new seasonal route from Philadelphia and tickets for June travel were going for $400.

So I bought one.

PLANNING FOR ICELAND

Iceland is on par with central Alaska in terms of latitude (about 65 degrees north), so complete darkness doesn’t really exist at the height of summer. Sunrise in the tourist-heavy south occurs at 2:55am, sunset 12:03am.

The main northern city, Akureyri, only 61 miles below the Arctic Circle, technically experiences just 31 minutes of actual darkness on the longest day of the year. And that darkness is more like twilight.

Touring in the off-hours wasn’t as crazy as my friends initially thought.

Like a good outdoor adventure? Check out my 3-day hike with armed guards in South Africa’s Kruger National Park.

My overnight flight landed at 6:10am, so the nighttime touring required a bit of first day adjusting. I sorted out a SIM card, picked up and organized the inside of my rental car and grabbed breakfast. That occupied a couple of hours. I figured a large dose of fresh air and outdoor activity would tire me out. Add in the short night of economy class sleep and I would be well positioned for an evening nap before flipping my schedule.

REYKJADALUR

After a 90-minute drive I pulled in to a rather busy gravel parking lot at Hveragerdi, home to the Reykjadalur Hot Springs. I geared up — pants over bathing suit, boots, down jacket — and packed my towel. After a rather pleasant 45-minute walk I saw the first of the bubbling vents.

Reykjadalur Hot River, Iceland
Not the spot for a dip

Portions of the river (it’s more like a stream) are boiling hot, so hopping in anywhere is asking for trouble. Basic privacy screens where visitors can change dot the wooden boardwalk at the upper end of the valley.

I scouted out the area and tested the water temperature with my hands. Large sections of the stream flowed with tepid water while others boiled away, too hot to tolerate. I found a comfortable nook and let the natural spa go to town.

Bathing spot, Reykjadalur Hot River, Iceland
The perfect jet lag cure

I enjoyed an obscenely long soak, fully embraced vacation mode and took a relaxing stroll around the valley. Groups of fluffy off-white sheep munched grass from the deep green hills as I detoured to a small waterfall.

The scenery was so beautiful, everything I had hoped Iceland would be. I almost didn’t want to leave.

Reykjadalur Hot River, Iceland
Strolling around the valley

Back at the parking lot, I packed up and said goodbye to the first of what I hoped would be many spectacular sights. Selfoss, the main town in the area, was my next destination.

Bonus is known as a discount grocer (for Iceland!) and became my go-to for supplies. I shopped for provisions for the upcoming 15-day road trip and tested out my cooking gear with a camp dinner.

My road trip continues in Iceland’s far north, on the Tröllaskagi Peninsula

I drove around for a bit, found a quiet spot overlooking a hydroelectric plant and managed about three hours of sleep before the alarm went off at 11:30pm.

THE GOLDEN CIRCLE

The Golden Circle refers to a roughly 250km (150 miles) route linking three of Iceland’s most popular outdoor sights — Thingvellir National Park, Geysir Geothermal Area and Gullfoss Waterfall.

There are a wide variety of other attractions along the route, but most visitors skip them in favor of the Big 3. The route works well as an easy full day trip from Reykjavik or, as for me, one fragment of a larger adventure.

The Golden Circle is ground zero for Iceland’s booming tourist scene. You’ve been forewarned.

THINGVELLIR NATIONAL PARK

My first destination was the location of Europe’s oldest parliament at Thingvellir National Park. When America declared independence the locals had been meeting here for 846 years.

Daybreak at Thingvellir National Park, Iceland
2:22am and all is quiet

I fully expected to be alone, but between 1:00am and 2:30am I saw seven other visitors. I checked out the site of 16th and 17th century executions; beheading for men, drowning in a sack for the ladies.

Thingvellir National Park waterfall, Iceland
About as dark as it gets in mid-June

GEYSIR

Ninety minutes later I pulled into Geysir, a naturally bubbling geothermal field with one spectacular geyser named Strokkur going off reliably every eight minutes. At 4:05am there were no crowds to indicate interest in a scene or event, no heads up about, well, anything really.

Bubbling water and steam vents, Geysir, Iceland
So where is this geyser??

I was about to take a seat on a bench and enjoy the early morning steam show when all of a sudden — WHOOOSH! — the main attraction popped off in dramatic fashion.

My heart raced after the unexpected explosion.

I laughed at the awesome scene and quickly noted the time; I had about eight minutes until it happened again.

After six more bursts from various viewpoints I returned to the car, loving life.

Who said Iceland was crowded? I hadn’t seen another person in 2.5 hours.

Strokkur geyser erupting, Geysir, Iceland
4:13am

GULLFOSS WATERFALL

Finally I went to the most popular of the Golden Circle spots, Gullfoss waterfall. By my 5am arrival the double-falls were peacefully quiet. I spent an hour scrambling across slippery rocks, snapping photos and taking in the scene.

Panorama of Gullfoss waterfall, Iceland
Worth staying up all night

The thundering falls exited in the form of a river via a narrow chasm and produced all sorts of mist. The natural breeze combined with fresh waterfall spray was invigorating. Down-wind photo-taking was not the easiest task, but that hardly mattered.

I shared Gullfoss with a couple of photographers and one lone backpacker at 6:30am.

Gullfoss waterfall, Iceland
Not a bad way to wrap the day.

At 8am I was asleep in the back of my VW Caddy Camper.

VW Caddy Camper, Iceland
Goodnight!

Still to come during my visit to Iceland? A Super Jeep trip to see a massive volcanic caldera deep in the Highlands

DO IT YOURSELF

There is no sugar coating it — Iceland is an expensive destination, period. But there are ways you can minimize expenses and save a few krona.

Getting There

Icelandair has some pretty good deals throughout the year, but for the absolute best prices (if you live in America) keep a regular eye on The Flight Deal. As always, being flexible with your dates is key to taking advantage of the best deals.

Icelandair and Wow offers stopovers and vacation packages which can be a very cost-effective way of seeing Iceland. Don’t rule them out, especially if planning a winter visit to catch the northern lights.

Getting Around

A special note regarding winter trips; hope for blue skies, but prepare for extremely dangerous conditions. Winter road tripping is, well, watch the video and decide for yourself.

Most independent visitors rent a vehicle and drive some portion of the Ring Road. Camper vans are a popular option. Happy CampersGo Campers and KuKu Campers are all reputable agencies with a variety of vehicles. Advance bookings — up to a year in advance (don’t laugh) — are absolutely necessary. If you can’t operate a manual transmission, your options will be even fewer. Don’t leave it late!

I rented the Volkswagen Caddy Camper in the photo above from Rent.is. The parent company, Go Iceland, rents cars as well, but camper rates are cheaper through Rent.is.

I absolutely loved my camper experience and recommend it to anyone with a sense of adventure. The functionality was amazing; from the auxiliary battery which operated a cooler to the magnetic window shades that kept out the midnight sun, I had zero vehicle complaints. A portable wi-fi device was even included — and it worked surprisingly well. Their low-quality synthetic sleeping bag could have been a drag, but I brought my own down bag and used theirs as a sleeping pad. Summer low temperatures can dip within a few degrees of freezing.

Sleeping

November of 2015 saw a change in Iceland’s camping law. It is now against the law to pull a camper over wherever you please and bed down for the night. The good news? Campgrounds are everywhere, but not everyone bothers. And that annoys the locals.

A fairly standard mix of hostels, hotels and Airbnb accommodation are available for anyone not keen on camping. Or maybe a bubble in the middle of the forest is more your scene.

Eating

Buying groceries and cooking your own meals is a huge money saver. Virtually everyone with a camper does it. Restaurant meals in Iceland are expensive — US$10 for a very average pre-made petrol station sandwich, US$20-30 for a middle of the road meal, US$15 for a mixed drink in Reykjavik. Prepare yourself. Bonus is your best friend.

Seeing the Sights

The good news — most of Iceland’s appeal lies in its natural beauty. Waterfallsglacier lagoons and national parks are cheap, if not entirely free.

Iceland tours are dizzying in scope and too numerous to mention, but my Super Jeep trip to Askja with Geo Travel deserves special mention. Highly recommended!

I knew Iceland’s number one tourist attraction, the Blue Lagoon, was not going to be my kind of place. Instead I opted for the quieter, more relaxed Myvatn Nature Baths. Myvatn is on the opposite side of the country, so unless you’re moving around a good deal, it isn’t really an either or choice.

10 thoughts on “THE GOLDEN CIRCLE–THE BEST OF ICELAND”

  1. Hi, we are going to do the ring road in July of this year. We were actually considering doing the same thing. Two questions-do you think this would have worked if you were sleeping in hotels? What parts of the ring road did you explore at night/sleep during the day? Also, can you share your itinerary? I’m having the most difficult time trying to decide where to book our lodging each day. Thanks so much!! Great post and incredible pics!!

    1. Hey Sherri

      Thank you. Much appreciated!

      I feel your pain! Planning this sort of trip is NOT easy. There’s sooo much to see. I’m wondering if you’ve left your options a bit tight as it’s only a month out.

      So let me preface this by saying I worked at nighttime for quite a while before my trip, so this timing switch thing wasn’t a big deal to me.

      I didn’t find it necessary to keep a schedule precisely like the one in the post for my entire visit. I spent 15 days driving the entire Ring Road counterclockwise. My plan, which worked very well, was based on this nighttime touring mainly for the Golden Circle (this post), the heavily touristed South Coast and the Snaefellsnes Peninsula. Up north near Myvatn, Husavik and the Trollaskagi Peninsula (another post here if you want to look it up) I kept a relatively normal schedule.

      After the sites in this post I spent 2 or 3 nights out doing similar things in the south at Skogafoss, Gamla Laugin, Fjarorargljufur canyon, Seljalandsfoss, Gljufurarbui and Reynisfjara. I went to that plane wreck too (overrated, but okay if you have plenty of time). I planned to visit a few time-restricted spots as well — Skaftafell for some hiking (closes at 9p), Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon (boats stop at like 530pm), Dyrrholaey (closes at 7pm) and a guided tour at Ingolfshofdi (various times, but finished around 4pm).

      So going to bed at 5 or 7am worked great. At the latest I’d sleep until 3pm, then get going. If I needed to hit a tour I’d plan to be asleep a bit earlier the night prior.

      It’s definitely a bit complicated with all the planning and organizing times, but you could manage. If you’d like I can email my general outline along with a whole timed out document.

      —————

      I see a couple potential issues for your trip should you stay in hotels and try this schedule.

      1) Check-in/out times. You could plan to be there first thing, check in around 2pm and be asleep by 4. You could wake up at midnight and be on the road shortly thereafter, spending the entire night out and about, tourist-free.

      2) Hotel noise. No one else will care if you’re attempting to sleep all afternoon/evening. Think car doors, hall noise, etc.

      3) Food. If you won’t be cooking your own meals, when/how will you eat? I made 90% of my meals with a camp stove and portable cooler. I had no issue rolling up to Skogafoss at 11pm and making lunch in the parking lot before going for a midnight hike. You won’t have that ability.

      Of course you could swing this for just the busiest spots–2 days from Reykjavik (one similar to the post, then one with the best of the south coast) before going back to typical times. FYI–the difference in visitor numbers between 6pm and 10pm is substantial. But go out after 11pm and you’ll have Iceland virtually to yourself.

      One other thing to keep in mind–it will be a bit darker during your visit than it was for mine. My trip wrapped around the longest days of the year, so your photos may not be so hot if you’re out in a canyon at 3am.

      Let me know about the email or feel free to follow-up. Happy to help!

      Chris

  2. Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a thorough reply. I thought the same thing about checking into hotels/noise, etc. My husband and I were also wondering about whether attractions closed and at what times, so the info you provided on closings is very helpful. If we attempt the nighttime sightseeing I think it w/just be for the golden circle and the south coast. If it’s not too much trouble I’d love an email of your outline, etc. Our trip w/be shorter-9 nights. Thanks again!!

    1. No problem!

      Don’t take my closing times as set in stone. Definitely double-check to be certain.

      I will forward the documents via email. I hope they help and wish you an enjoyable trip.

  3. Chris, I am researching to do exactly what you did for July 2019, have a nocturnal schedule while making the most photographing Iceland to avoid the crowds. I plan to take naps/sleep in a car while waiting for good light. Just curious, have you ever slept at the parking lots of attractions during the day while waiting for sunset, day naps/sleep between the hours of 10am – 8pm at location. Other than noise while sleeping in designated parking areas during the day, would there be other issues? I see a lot of no overnight parking post, but nothing about sleeping/napping during midday anywhere. I’m used to taking 3-hour naps twice a day when I travel to dance events, or sleep most during the day. But I most likely have to take longer naps/sleep to survive 18 days in Iceland. My schedule will be very fluid, following the weather and good light, with primary focus in landscape/nature photography.

    1. Hey Ian

      Sounds like the makings of an interesting trip! Love to hear about it.

      You will be fine keeping the 10a-8p sleep hours. My down hours were generally earlier–5am-3p, give or take. The plus for me was a pick of parking spots. 5am is pretty much empty everywhere. I would scout out the most secluded parking spot or what I imagined would be the most quiet. You will be more restricted if you roll up to Geysir at 10am.

      July is pretty bright, especially early July. Sunrise in Reykjavik will vary from 3am until 430am. Maybe you can arrive and get to sleep before anyone shows up? It’ll be much easier to fall asleep and doze through car doors and people walking around than arrive to a busy lot with all sorts of action and then try to sleep. Follow me? Plus with such an early sunrise, golden hour is over by 6 or 7am. After 8am the road trippers and tour buses roll up.

      Funny comment about ‘overnight parking’ during the day. I had the opposite concern. I was parked in empty lots at 3am while out hiking. I was concerned people would think I was sleeping. Stick to actual attractions and parking lots and no one will bother you. Bigger is better for flexibility. Small can be problematic. Car doors closing 5 feet from your head will wake you up. Gravel is noisy, asphalt isn’t.

      You mentioned a car. Will you be renting a camper of some type or do you mean a 4-door sedan car? Priority number one–make sure you can black out all the windows. Unless you can sleep properly in bright daylight… I can’t imagine being well rested after trying to sleep in a regular car in potentially bright sunshine in a possibly busy parking lot.

      My camper had magnetic shades which clipped in around every window. 6 separate shades in all. Put those up and the middle of the day was relatively dark in the vehicle.

      I’ll do another post or two with specific nighttime routines. This post is literally less than 24 hours, but I kept at it for the better part of 10 days. Keep an eye out!

      Chris

      1. Hmm, never thought about picking a parking spot early. I was thinking i’ll drive and scout the next location, wherever it might be, and try to sleep there. But your suggestion makes a lot of sense. There is plenty of daylight anyway before “dark”. For sure I want to sleep where there will be people. Hmm, picking a secluded corner would be a priority then. Okay, i’ll settle earlier then, before 8am. Great to know I can make use of the parking lots this way during the day.

        Oh, I plan to just rent a normal sedan. However, I will have my backpacking gear with me in case I need to tent it out. I don’t mind it being bright outside. But I can’t handle the sun hitting my face! Hmm, i’ll bring window shades via suction caps or hang my clothes to dry and cover the critical windows at the same time. I plan to also bring eyemask, just in case and maybe even earplugs (weary about earplugs while sleeping though). Oooh, I do have a “head-net tent” thingy I got for my Nepal trip before to protect my face from mosquitoes while in a sleeping bag. I can modify it to add “privacy covers”. Yes! 🙂

        Still so weird for me to think about sunset and sunrise being only 3 hours apart in July 😳 In a way it’s better than waking up early to catch the sunrise, and risk not being rested or missing it. In Iceland, no problem sleeping in as much as you want. It’ll be difficult to oversleep and miss sunset in Summer 🤣🤣🤣

        I am excited for my trip! Can’t wait to read more about your experience 🙂

        1. One note regarding tents and camping–“wild camping”, as they call it in Iceland, is not allowed. Its become a rather sensitive issue in recent years.

          Check it out

          Basically, with the huge influx of tourists, people were camping in random locations, parking on the side of the road, etc. Imagine people urinating in the bushes, leaving trash laying around, brushing their teeth in parking lots.

          The modified rules mean you almost have to stay in a campground. Technically. Of course our ideas of sleeping in vehicles during the daytime where normal day visitors are parked will pass. Just be conscientious about it. No tents in random locations. Someone will call you out on that. And deservedly so.

          Otherwise it sounds good!

          1. Ah, thanks. I have read about it. It makes sense, especially with the increasing amount of tourism they are getting.

            In case I want to sleep comfy. I can always pitch and sleep in my tent, in campgrounds, of course. It’s just that I am
            not sure how comfortable or if it’s even possible for me to fit and sleep in a Hyundai i20 or not. It’s definitely a lot smaller than my truck.

            Thanks for all the info 🙂

          2. You’re welcome.

            Definitely a snug night in an i20, ah!

            I’m sure you’ll have an excellent time no matter what you do.

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