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The Golden Circle

Facts verified 2026-08-03Updated 2026-08-03Day trips

Þingvellir, Geysir and Gullfoss — the three stops with coordinates, and today's road verdict for the loop.

Gullfoss: the Hvítá river turning a right angle and dropping in two tiers into a canyon, with the clifftop viewing path on the right.
Gullfoss, the third stop. Photo by Sarah Thorenz on Unsplash.
Short answer

The Golden Circle is a 250 km loop east of Reykjavík linking three places: Þingvellir, where the continental plates pull apart; Haukadalur, where Strokkur erupts every 6–10 minutes; and Gullfoss. It is not one named road — it is a route on ordinary paved roads, drivable in a 2WD car year round, and it takes 3–4 hours of driving plus however long you stand at each stop. Coordinates for all three are below.

The three stops, in driving order

Decimal coordinates, straight from our own datasets — paste them into a sat-nav. Anticlockwise (Þingvellir first) is the usual direction out of Reykjavík; the loop works equally well reversed.

  1. Þingvellir National Park
    The rift valley where the North American and Eurasian plates pull apart, and where Iceland’s parliament was founded in 930. Free to enter; parking is charged.
    64.258056, -21.125
  2. Geysir & Strokkur, Haukadalur
    Strokkur erupts every 6–10 minutes and is the one you will actually see go off. The original Geysir, 150 m away, is mostly dormant — it gave every geyser in the world its name.
    64.312696, -20.300773
  3. Gullfoss
    The two-tier fall in the photograph above: the Hvítá turns a right angle and drops into a canyon. Two viewing levels, both free, the lower one wet.
    64.32661, -20.121682

The loop right now

Live segment status from Vegagerðin, on the actual roads the route uses. The map is drawn from the route’s real segment geometry, not an illustration.

Cars & campers

−12%exclusive discountFree cancellationKEF airport pickup 24/74.8
Dacia Duster 4x4
SUV

Dacia Duster 4x4

Cheapest real 4WD in the fleet — gravel, the Westfjords and easy summer F-roads without truck prices.

TransmissionManual
FuelPetrol/diesel
Seats5
Drive4WD
From
5,355 kr6,300 kr/day
Reserve −12%
VW Caravelle
9-seater

VW Caravelle

Whole family or friend group in one car — gear in the back, room to stretch.

TransmissionAutomatic
FuelDiesel
Seats9
Drive2WD
From
12,750 kr15,000 kr/day
Reserve −12%
Key Camper Wild Duo
Camper

Key Camper Wild Duo

Sleep right by the trailhead, wake up at the falls — F-road ready from mid-June.

TransmissionManual
FuelPetrol
Sleeps2
Drive4WD
From
5,304 kr6,240 kr/day
Reserve −12%

Golden Circle — questions people actually ask

What is the Golden Circle?
A 250 km loop east of Reykjavík linking three places: Þingvellir National Park, the Haukadalur geothermal field with the Strokkur geyser, and the Gullfoss waterfall. It is not a single road with a name — it is a route people drive, on ordinary paved roads, and you can do it in either direction.
How long does the Golden Circle take?
About 250 km and 3–4 hours of pure driving from Reykjavík and back, using our own road-authority route data. Nobody drives it that way: with time at all three stops it is a comfortable 7–9 hour day, and adding a bathing stop or Kerið makes it a full one.
Do you need a 4x4 for the Golden Circle?
No. The whole loop is paved and a 2WD car drives it year round. Winter is a weather question rather than a vehicle one — the live verdict on this page covers the actual route.
How often does Strokkur erupt?
Every 6–10 minutes, which is the interval our geyser dataset carries. That is why Strokkur, not the original Geysir, is the one in everybody’s photographs: Geysir sits 150 m away and is mostly dormant.
Can you drive the Golden Circle in winter?
Yes, and it is one of the few routes that stays realistic in winter because it is short, paved and close to Reykjavík. The daylight window is the real constraint — in December you have roughly four usable hours, which is enough for the three stops and nothing else.

Hero photograph: Gullfoss by Sarah Thorenz on Unsplash. Road status: Vegagerðin. Coordinates and distances: our own datasets.

Iceland nowfrom 19 Sep 06:10
8°C · overcastWind 2 m/sRing Road (R1) openAurora Kp 2.67Daylight 07:02 – 19:39Webcams