How to Self Drive Golden Circle Iceland

Are you planning a trip to Iceland and wondering if you should self drive Golden Circle Iceland? The answer is YES. The Golden Circle is one of the most visited routes in all of Iceland and for good – no, GREAT – reason. It’s a beautiful route, it’s easily accessible, and there are a bunch of other awesome stops along the way.

I have visited The Golden Circle in winter and summer. With a tour and self driving. As a day trip and also with a few nights in the area. It’s always awesome.

I will go through everything you need to know to self drive Golden Circle Iceland on your own. And I’ll share why I think you should self drive instead of going with a tour group. And most importantly, I’ll share the amazing extra stops you should add to your trip.

First, What is The Golden Circle?

The Golden Circle is a driving route in Iceland with 3 stops – Gullfoss Waterfall, Geysir Geothermal Area, and Thingvellir National Park.

It is, yes, in the shape of a circle.

I’m not sure if the Golden comes from the Midnight Sun in summer, the golden rainbows you can catch off a waterfall, or that everything just feels “golden” while you’re in Iceland. But it’s works.

(Ok, I just googled this because this blog is supposed to be informative. And I learned that the Golden part comes from Gullfoss, which literally means Golden waterfall. My guesses feel pretty accurate.)

Map to Self Drive Golden Circle Iceland

Self Drive Golden Circle Iceland Stops

The official stops on the route:

  • Thingvellir National Park – Iceland’s historic parliament on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
  • Geysir Geothermal Area – erupting geysirs!
  • Gullfoss Waterfall – a massive, two-tier waterfall.

The extra stops on the route that are totally worth experiencing:

  • Kerid Crater – an insanely cool crater that you can walk around or down into.
  • Bruarfoss Waterfall – my favorite Icelandic waterfall
  • Efstidallur Dairy Farm – ice cream + farm animals
  • Foxafoss Waterfall – waterfall that you can get super close to
  • Visit a hot spring in the area (options later)
  • Visit an Icelandic Pool

How Much Time Do You Need to Self Drive Golden Circle Iceland?

This can vary by a lot! The driving time is 3-4 hours, but that’s just time behind the wheel. You’ll want to spend enough time at each stop to actually enjoy them. 

The minimum time you should spend on The Golden Circle route is 8 hours. 4 hours of driving + 4 hours of relishing the views.

But that’s the minimum.

I promise you will not regret spending more time on this route. 

You could easily spend a full 12+  hour day doing this route plus the extra stops. It would be a lovely day.

OR you could spend a night or two in the area and dedicate more time to each place. The countryside around here is BEAUTIFUL. Bonus points if you get a place with a hot tub. We stayed at an airbnb near the Geysirs/Gullfoss for 3 nights, and we did not get bored.

Thingvellir National Park church

Thingvellir National Park

When is the Best Time to Visit The Golden Circle?

This is a tough question for Iceland. Every season can be wonderful, but you should figure out what you want most out of your trip.

Visiting The Golden Circle in summer is the best, I think. You get the Midnight Sun, so you can visit these places at literally any time of the day. You have daylight all the time. This means you can avoid the tour groups that tend to visit during normal 9-5 hours and go early or late. The weather will be more pleasant, so you can spend more time outdoors, which is what The Golden Circle is allllll about. 

Visiting Iceland in the winter can mean seeing the Northern Lights, and the views can be magical with icy waterfalls and snow. Unfortunately, you get very limited daylight, so you’ll be visiting all these places at the same times as everyone else. And it can be so so cold and windy.

Winter can also equal icy/dangerous roads, so I’d lean even more towards summer if you’re going to self drive.

The off-seasons make you miss out on the Northern Lights and the Midnight Sun, but you will encounter fewer crowds.

I go in-depth on when to visit Iceland in another post.

As for the time of day to visit The Golden Circle, it’s best to visit these spots early or late to try to avoid tour groups.

Cost of Self Driving The Golden Circle

Many of these sites are free, so this is a pretty inexpensive experience. You will have to pay for gas and your rental car. And you do have to pay a small amount to park at Thingvellir, Kerid Crater, Bruarfoss and Foxafoss. If you visit a hot spring or swimming pool, you’ll have to pay those fees.

Pack some food to save money.

Read Next: Why You Should Take a Family Vacation to Iceland

Why You Should Self Drive Golden Circle Iceland vs Take a Tour

There are TONS of tours of The Golden Circle in Iceland. Tons.

Using a tour does have its perks:

  • You don’t have to drive yourself around, you can just relax.
  • The tour guides are knowledgeable about the area, so you learn more about what you’re seeing.
  • A tour group can be nice to get to know other people from around the world.
  • In winter, they know more about their dangerous roads.
  • You’re supporting a local business.

But using a tour also has its negatives:

  • You’re visiting these spots at the same time as every other tour group.
  • You can’t be flexible on timing or how much time you spend at each place.
  • The extra but awesome stops may not be included in the tours.
  • Expensive.
  • If you’re traveling with kids, you don’t have flexibility with naps, eating, etc.

I think you should self drive Golden Circle Iceland. Obviously. I’m writing a whole post about it. 

Using a tour is unnecessary, and there are too many perks to self driving. I’ve done both, and I highly recommend driving it on your own.

Why You Should Self Drive Golden Circle Iceland:

  • A rental car is nice to have in Iceland, so you already have what you need to drive it.
  • Cheaper.
  • Wayyy more flexibility for timing.
  • Fewer crowds.
  • If you travel with kids, it’s way less stressful to have your own vehicle, and you can time your day better.
  • You can spend the night in the area and have even more time for the beauty.
  • Add in whatever extra stops you want, and I promise the extra stops are worth it!
  • If there’s a crappy weather day, and you already booked your tour, you’re out of luck. But if you self drive, you could reschedule your Golden Circle day to a better weather day.
Bright blue Bruarfoss Waterfall Iceland

Bruarfoss Waterfall – SO BEAUTIFUL

Self Drive Golden Circle Iceland Itinerary

Follow the map from above for your driving route. You can modify the itinerary based on how much time you have and what’s most important for you to see. If you want more details on each stop, head here.

Leave Reykjavik early and head to Thingvellir National Park. Spend 1-2 hours here. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site with tons of cool history and geology. Check out the visitors center, and walk around between the tectonic plates. If you have the time, you can snorkel or scuba dive in the Silfra Fissure.

Drive to Efstidallur Dairy Farm for ice cream and lunch (they mostly serve burgers, so pack a lunch if that’s not for you). 30 min – 1 hr stop.

Bruarfoss is up next, just a few minute drive away. Plan to spend 40 mins – 2.5 hours at this waterfall, depending on how far you want to hike. You can park near Bruarfoss (at the top of the hike) and do a short hike to Bruarfoss Falls. Look for a Bruarfoss sign with a picture of Bruarfoss on it that says 3km with an arrow – that’s where you’ll park. If you want to continue your hike to the 2 other waterfalls, it’s 4.1 miles roundtrip. Here’s the Alltrails link. Bruarfoss is by far the best waterfall of this hike, so it’s not necessary to hike to the others.

Do Gullfoss next. 30 min – 1 hour stop. Walk around above the falls and take the trail to get close to them.

Head to the Geysir Geothermal Area. 30 min stop. Make sure you see Strokkur erupt a couple times.

If you’re ahead of schedule, check out Foxafoss Waterfall. 20 min stop.

Check out a hot spring if you have time. Plan for this ahead of time, so you don’t drive out of your way to visit one.

  • Hrunalaug Hot Spring. Kind of pricey and can be crowded.
  • Fontana Spa. You can bake bread in the ground. Also kind of pricey.
  • Secret Lagoon. The oldest natural pool in Iceland.
  • Kualaug Hot Spring. This is kind of a strange spot as it only fits a couple people and legitimately looks like a puddle. But the water is warm, only one car can park near it at a time, and it’s free.

Be sure to leave time for Kerid Crater on your drive back. 30 min – 1 hour stop.

Again, if you have time, maybe visit a swimming pool. There’s an amazing one near Selfoss on the way back to Reykjavik.

If you spend the night in the area, split this itinerary up into 2 days.

Is The Blue Lagoon Included in The Golden Circle?

Nope.

The Blue Lagoon is kind of out of the way, closer to Keflavik International Airport.

I recommend visiting The Blue Lagoon on a different day. Both The Golden Circle and The Blue Lagoon deserve sufficient time.

The Blue Lagoon is a resort with swimming, and you need a decent chunk of time to get your money’s worth. If you want to just walk near it (super beautiful with fewer crowds and open 24/7), you can visit for free.

Quick Advice – Self Drive Golden Circle Iceland

  • Visit in the summer, as discussed earlier in this post.
  • Pack some snacks/food to save money.
  • Get a wifi device to use maps as you drive around.
  • Spend a night in the area.
  • Relish the beauty.

Enjoy!!

Enjoy The Golden Circle! It’s nature at its best and deserves to be experienced. 

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