Golden Circle, Iceland
The Golden Circle and the south coast: geysers, waterfalls, black sand beaches and a glacier lagoon, on about 1,100 km of paved road.
Golden Circle and the south coast
The south is the one part of Iceland where the sights sit close enough together to see properly in a week. Everything on this route is on Route 1 or a short paved spur off it.
Two rules shape the trip: parking overnight outside a registered campsite is illegal, and the F-roads into the interior are closed to any vehicle without four-wheel drive. Wind is the real hazard. Gusts regularly pass 25 m/s and can tear a door off its hinges, so park nose into the wind and check road.is before each leg.
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Top attractions
See what's worth seeing in the Dolomites
Thingvellir National Park
The rift between the North American and Eurasian plates, and the site of the Althing assembly from 930 to 1798.
Geysir and Strokkur
Strokkur erupts every five to ten minutes to a height of 15 to 20 m. The original Geysir next to it has been mostly dormant since 1916.
Gullfoss
The Hvita drops 32 m in two stages into a narrow canyon. Spray reaches the viewing path, so waterproofs are not optional.
Jokulsarlon
A glacier lagoon that did not exist before the 1930s and now covers about 25 sq km. Icebergs drift out to sea and wash back onto Diamond Beach.
Route suggestion
Day by day
Reykjavik
Hallgrimskirkja, the Harpa concert hall and the old harbour. Stock up here: prices outside the capital are higher and shops close early.
Golden Circle
Thingvellir, Geysir and Gullfoss in a 250 km loop. Add the Kerid crater or the Secret Lagoon at Fludir if the weather holds.
South coast
About 190 km to Vik past Seljalandsfoss, which you can walk behind, and Skogafoss. Reynisfjara has sneaker waves, so stay well back from the water.
Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon
Another 190 km east past Skaftafell and the Eldhraun lava field to the lagoon and Diamond Beach. Boat trips run June to October.
West along Route 1
The 380 km back along Route 1, with a stop at Solheimasandur or the Kvernufoss gorge, and a soak at the Sky Lagoon on the edge of Reykjavik.
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