Thingvellir National Park - 5 Suitcases

The Ultimate Guide to Exploring Iceland’s Golden Circle

Elle MacRae — Sat, 13 Apr 2024 11:15:22 +0000

Iceland is one of the trendiest destinations on the planet. People are flocking in droves to explore the many unique experiences the Land of Fire and Ice offers. Whether you’re visiting on an extended layover, or planning to spend a week+, you’ll have plenty of things to add to your itinerary.

One thing that everyone should include in their itinerary is driving the Golden Circle route. The Golden Circle, located shortly outside of Reykjavik, offers up some pretty incredible experiences! It includes some of Iceland’s most well-known attractions: Thingvellir National Park, Geysir Geothermal Area, and Gullfoss Waterfall.

In this post, we’ll map out how to spend a day driving Iceland’s Golden Circle- although you could definitely spend more time than that there!

What is the Golden Circle?

When people first start reading up on Iceland, they often confuse the Ring Road with the Golden Circle. It’s a common misconception considering rings and circles are essentially the same thing.

That being said, the Ring Road and the Golden Circle are two totally different things. The Ring Road encircles almost the entire country whereas the Golden Circle loops from Reykjavik into Central Iceland.

The Golden Circle offers up the first glimpse of the REAL Iceland and should not be missed!

You can book an organized tour or choose to rent a car and drive the Golden Circle yourself. I recommend the latter so that you can spend as much time as you want in each place. Driving in Iceland is extremely easy and honestly, you can’t get lost on the Golden Circle.

Without making any pitstops, it takes about 3 1/2 hours to drive the Golden Circle. Obviously, you’ll want to make some stops so you should plan on spending between 6-8 hours taking in the sites.

Clockwise or Counterclockwise?

This seems to be a big question whether you’re talking about the Golden Circle or the Ring Road. We suggest going clockwise on the Golden Circle, visiting Thingvellir National Park first.

The Big 4- The Most Popular Stops on the Golden Circle

Þingvellir National Park

Our first stop was Þingvellir (Thingvellir) National Park. This UNESCO World Heritage Site that has played a huge role in Iceland’s history. In the park, you’ll find waterfalls, lakes, and the famous Silfra Fissure. We enjoyed a wonderful hike from the Oxarafoss waterfall to the Visitor Center and back.

I was GEEKING OUT the first time I heard about the Silfra Fissure. The fissure is a crack between the North American and Eurasian continental plates. You can actually suit up and SNORKEL between two continents. Pretty cool, eh?

This is honestly one of the most incredible experiences I’ve ever had in my life. I strongly suggest booking a tour and trying it out for yourself!

Things to do & see in Þingvellir National Park:

Check out Oxarafoss Waterfall
Snorkel or dive in the Silfra Fissure
Walk between the tectonic plates
Learn about the historical significance of the park at the Visitor Center
Go horseback riding
Stroll around Lake Thingvallavatn

Geysir Geothermal Areal

The Geysir Geothermal Area is located in the Haukadlur Valley. Here you’ll find boiling mud pits and two large geysers (Geysir and Strokkur).

Geysir is the OG geyser. All other geysers were named after this one. That’s pretty neat, if you ask me.

Strokkur is considered to be one of the most reliable geysers in the world, erupting every 8 to 10 minutes.

Entrance to the geothermal park is free. Plan on spending about an hour at this pit stop- between watching the eruption(s) and using the bathroom. You’ll also find a restaurant on-site where you can pick up lunch or a cup of coffee.

Gullfoss Waterfall

Gullfoss was the second waterfall we visited in Iceland (our first being Oxarafoss in Thingvellir National Park). Gullfoss is one of Iceland’s most iconic waterfalls and is a must-see for anyone touring Iceland. The thundering sound of the water cascading over the rocks is unforgettable.

One of the best things about Gullfoss is that you have an excellent vantage point of it right from the parking lot (as seen above). It doesn’t require a hike to see it, although you can get a little bit closer.

Kerid Crater Lake

Kerid is a vibrant blue crater lake that stands in stark contrast to the green moss and red rock that surrounds it. The colors at this spot are out of this world!

If you want to walk around the edge of the crater, plan on spending just over an hour at this site. Otherwise, you could easily do it in about 30 minutes.

There is an entrance fee to enter the site and walk around the crater.

The Hidden Gems

Laugarvatn Fontana– a spa and wellness center built on natural hot springs
Secret Lagoon- the oldest natural pool in Iceland
Thjorsardalur Valley– home to one of the highest waterfalls in the country, Haifoss
Bruarfoss Waterfall– a glacier-fed waterfall known for its stunning blue colors. The hike takes about an hour each way.
Skaholt Cathedral– the country’s largest Catholic cathedral
Hveragerdi– hot springs and a geothermal park
Geothermal Energy Exhibition– an energy plant that shows how geothermal energy is harnessed
Fridheimar Tomato and Horse Farm- a family-run tomato farm that offers lunch in a greenhouse

Where to Stay Around the Golden Circle

You can find all kinds of accommodation around the Golden Circle ranging from hotels and guesthouses to cabins and even farm stays. Since the Golden Circle is so close to Reyjavik, it makes sense to use that as your base.

We suggest spending at least 2 nights in Reykjavik: day one to get adjusted to the time change and explore the city and day two to do the Golden Circle.

Our favorite hotel in all of Iceland was the Sand Hotel in Reykjavik. It was also the most affordable!

If you want to stay somewhere along the circle, you can find accommodation in the following places:

Selfoss
Laugarvatn
Flúðir
Hveragerði

Let Us Help You Plan Your Trip!

Our 8-Day Iceland Itinerary offers hotel and food recommendations for the entire Ring Road. Join us as we relive our 8-Day Ring Road Road Trip! We’ll give you a breakdown of what we did each day, share some advice from the road, and offer suggestions for other things to add to your itinerary.

Our trip includes:

Snorkeling between the tectonic plates in Thingvellir
Exploring the Katla Ice Cave
Geothermal pools/spas like Blue Lagoon
A visit to Diamond Beach
Incredible hikes
Countless waterfalls
Whale watching
And so much more!

Save a Pin & Start Planning Your Adventure

For future reference, be sure to save our post “The Ultimate Guide to Exploring Iceland’s Golden Circle”! Pin one of the images below to Pinterest. Go ahead and follow 5 Suitcases on Pinterest while you’re at it!

While we were in the area, we also visited Diamond Beach, Skogafoss, the Katla Ice Cave, and more!

Be sure to give us a like on Facebook or follow us on Instagram for more travel tips and tricks. See you next time!

Thingvellir National Park- The Epicenter of Icelandic History

Elle MacRae — Sat, 16 Sep 2023 18:00:59 +0000

Thingvellir National Park is an absolute gem that should be on every traveler’s bucket list! This spectacular nature reserve is located in the southwest region of Iceland and has so much to offer.

One of the main highlights of the park is its mesmerizing geological features that are unlike anything else you’ll see on this planet. Thingvellir National Park (THING-VET-leer) is settled along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Here the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates are visible above ground. It’s truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience to witness these plate boundaries in action.

But that’s not the only exhilarating feature that you can enjoy in this national park. Its historical significance is undeniable. The history dates back to the establishment of Iceland’s national parliament, Alþingi in 930 AD.

Apart from its historical and geological wonders, Thingvellir National Park boasts of great natural beauty. Its varied terrain offers hiking trails, scenic drives, and various water activities such as scuba diving, fishing, and birdwatching.

Being a UNESCO World Heritage site, the park is protected to preserve its natural and historical importance. Overall, Thingvellir National Park is a treasure trove of unparalleled natural beauty, geological and historical phenomena, and is a must-visit on your Iceland itinerary!

The Main Attractions of Thingvellir

Almannagja– a 7km long rift that marks the eastern boundary of the North-American tectonic plate.
Logberg– In early Icelandic history, it was here that the Alþingi assembly met and created the laws that shaped Iceland.
Oxarafoss– A 13 m high waterfall that was believed to have been diverted to its current location during ancient times.
Stekkjargja– A section of Almannagja that was used as a hanging site for convicted thieves.
Flosagja– A deep fissure with cold, crystal clear groundwater that originates from the Langjokull glacier 45 km away.
Thingbudir– The overgrown rectangular foundation of the old assembly meeting grounds.

Our Experience

On day 2 of our Ring Road Tour, we left Reykjavik and drove about 45 minutes to Thingvellir National Park where we booked an excursion to go snorkeling between the tectonic plates. Our excursion wasn’t until noon, so we had some time to explore the park before we met up with our tour guide.

Our first stop in the park was Oxarafoss. We parked in P3 (Parking Lot 3) and took the short hike to the falls. Old sagas say that early settlers changed the course of the river to improve the water supply at Thingvellir.

The falls have a small boardwalk area where you can snap photos from. If you’re feeling a little adventurous, you can hop across some of the rocks in the pool to get a closer look at the falls.

We decided to walk 1/2 mile from Oxarafoss to the Visitor’s Center. We made stops along the river before ew got to Law Rock. In 930 AD, local chieftans began to gather at an annual meeting called Alþingi (“all-thing”). These meetings took place here, at Law Rock. It is because of these annual meetings that Thingvellir can be considered as Iceland’s first capital.

Next, we passed through Almannagja (Everyman’s Gorge). This path traces the boundaries of the continents- on one side is North America and on the other is Europe.

The walk from Law Rock to the Visitor’s Center was much steeper than I anticipated. If you struggle with mobility or if you’re traveling with littles, you may want to skip the Viewing Platform and Visitor’s Center all together.

The viewing platform overlooks the great fissure where you can see the two tectonic plates moving apart. It’s kinda cool for a nerd like myself.

Here, we turned around and walked the 1/2 mile back to our parking lot.

The highlight of our visit to Thingvellir was snorkeling between the tectonic plates– well, for me anyway. Ashley didn’t love it. It was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and a definite must if you’re into pushing your boundaries, snorkeling, and nerd stuff.

After our snorkel excursion, we drove to Geysir, Gullfoss, Seljalandsfoss, and much more! It was a super thrilling, incredibly busy day!

Visiting Thingvellir National Park

The natural site is always open and free, although you did need to pay to park.

Free one-hour guided tours in English depart from the Thingvellir church each day at 10:00 and 15:00.

Let Us Help You Plan Your Trip!

Our trip includes:

Snorkeling between the tectonic plates in Thingvellir
Exploring the Katla Ice Cave
Geothermal pools/spas like Blue Lagoon
A visit to Diamond Beach
Incredible hikes
Countless waterfalls
Whale watching
And so much more!

Save a Pin & Start Planning Your Adventure

For future reference, save our post: Thingvellir National Park. Pin one of the images below to Pinterest. Go ahead and follow 5 Suitcases on Pinterest while you’re at it!

While we were in the area, we also visited The Blue Lagoon, The Penis Museum, Gullfoss, and much more!

Be sure to give us a like on Facebook or follow us on Instagram and Twitter for more travel tips and tricks. See you next time!

Snorkeling Silfra: The Ultimate Icelandic Adventure

Elle MacRae — Sat, 02 Sep 2023 18:06:13 +0000

When we first started mapping out our Icelandic Ring Road Trip, snorkeling Silfra was high on my list of things I wanted to do. I’ve had a few friends who have done it said it was absolutely incredible…I just hoped I could work up the nerve to actually do it!

Located in Thingvellir National Park, Silfra is a unique snorkeling destination that promises a mesmerizing experience. The fissure between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates offers a crystal-clear underwater view that is nothing short of breathtaking.

As you get ready for your snorkeling adventure, a wetsuit that is suitable for the chilly Icelandic waters is provided by your tour company. Soon you will find yourself in the icy-cold waters, gliding through the frigid clearest waters you will ever see. The water is so transparent that you can see up to 100 meters ahead with endless shades of blue and green.

As you journey through the Silfra fissure, it is as if you are swimming in a living, breathing geology book. You will come across vibrant colors and textures etched into the rocks, giving you a profound sense of the power of nature. If you’re lucky, you may even catch a glimpse of freshwater fish that inhabit the area.

Snorkeling Silfra is an unforgettable experience due to the combination of geology, clear waters, and fish sightings. This Iceland gem is ideal for anyone seeking adventure and a newfound appreciation for the natural world.

Our Experience Snorkeling Silfra

We woke up early and had a delicious breakfast at the Sand Hotel in Reykjavik and headed to Thingvellir National Park. Thingvellir is about an hour outside of the city, making it the perfect day trip from Reykjavik. We arrived at the park earlier enough to be able to do some hiking and visit a waterfall before we had to meet up with our tour company. We were each given a bag to store all of our personal belongings.

Our tour was about nearly 3 hours long. The first hour was spent suiting up, going over safety information, and demonstrating a few basic moves in the water before we were able to continue snorkeling between the plates.

After checking in with our company (we used Troll Expeditions), we stripped down to our base layer and were fitted for our dry suits. For our base layer, we were long underwear (link) and a t-shirt. It was plenty warm enough for being in the water. We were also given thick gloves, a snorkel, and flippers.

The crew took a lot of care into making sure everyone was wearing the proper size suit, flippers, and making sure everyone’s hood was secure. They even helped us put our dry suits and hoods on, which was helpful since they are so bulky and awkward.

Since the gloves were so large, it was pretty hard to manipulate my GoPro, so I ended up leaving it behind. Fortunately, our guide snapped lots of photos of us, so that worked out. He sent them to us that evening, which was a super quick turn around!

To keep our heads warm, we had to wear a hood, which was fastened with a choker. The choker was really uncomfortable, especially since I have claustrophobia. Honestly, everyone was uncomfortable with it on, but ultimately its job was to prevent water from getting into our suits, so it was essential.

We were handed our flippers and snorkels and we walked just down the road to the entry point. We had to wait a bit while other groups finished getting suited up and getting info from their guides.

Once it was our turn, we had to make sure our masks were tight enough by putting our faces in the water. Next, we had to demonstrate that we could get water out of our snorkel, if needed, and that we were able to roll over onto our sides under water. It’s all pretty basic stuff and requires very little skill, at all.

Alas, it was time for us to explore the fissure. What an awesome, unique experience! I mean, how many people can say that they snorkeled between tectonic plates? That they swam between Europe and North America? I thought it was a little cooler than Ashley did, but I’m also just a tad bit nerdier and into the science of things.

As a group, we explored the fissure. We had about an hour to float in the frigid water. Since there’s such a strong current in the fissure, you barely have to swim. Swimming in the water was very effortless.

One of the things I was worried about was being cold in the water. With the suit and gloves, the only part of our body that was exposed was our face. I watched several YouTube videos and read blog posts where people said their faces were freezing in the water, I didn’t notice the cold at all.

Ashley’s suit leaked a bit around the neck area, so by the time we neared the end of the snorkeling run, she was over it. We were given the option of exploring a little lagoon area, and instead she headed to the exit point and I swam around a bit alone.

By the time we were done, our lips were swollen from the cold water and we were ready to get out of our suits. We were especially ready to ditch the chokers! Our guide wouldn’t let us remove the choker, hood, or any part of the suit until we were back at the meeting point.

We stepped into a trailer with a heater to ditch our suits and get dressed. They had heaters in the trailer which was super nice! When we took our suits off, we realized just how wet Ashley was. Her shirt was drenched, no wonder she was uncomfortable! She was the only one in our group who had a leaky suit, the rest of us were perfectly dry- except for our hair.

We were offered cookies and cocoa or coffee to help warm us up. We bid kveðja (farewell) to our guide and headed to our next stop.

Snorkeling between the tectonic plates was a super cool experience. I’m really glad that we did it and that I didn’t chicken out. I had worked myself up so much leading up to our trip that was convinced that I would have a panic attack in the water. It was all for nothing, it was such an awesome experience. Snorkeling the plates was one of my favorite things we did in Iceland. Ashley, on the other hand, didn’t enjoy it nearly as much as I did. She hates being uncomfortable so she was miserable pretty much the entire time.

Would I do it again? Yes…if I had time to spare. We only had a week on our Ring Road Tour and our excursion took a big chunk of our day. Our itinerary was jam packed and we didn’t get to spend as much time at some of the other sites on our list for that day. For example, we barely spent any time at Gullfoss and we skipped the Kerid Crater all together. At the same time, it’s a once in a lifetime experience, so I’m perfectly content with having done it just the one time.

How to Get to Thingvellir National Park

The best way to get anywhere in Iceland is to rent a car. I honestly couldn’t picture doing Iceland without having a vehicle. That being said, there are plenty of tour companies that offer transportation from Reykjavik to Thingvellir.

There are plenty of rental car companies located in Reykjavik and Keflavik, near the airport. If you’re traveling to Iceland during the summer, make sure you book your rental car well in advance! Iceland is an extremely popular tourist destination at this time of the year.

Let Us Help You Plan Your Trip!

Our trip includes:

Snorkeling between the tectonic plates in Thingvellir
Exploring the Katla Ice Cave
Geothermal pools/spas like Blue Lagoon
A visit to Diamond Beach
Incredible hikes
Countless waterfalls
Whale watching
And so much more!

Save a Pin & Start Planning Your Adventure

For future reference, save our post: Snorkeling Silfra: The Ultimate Icelandic Adventure. Pin one of the images below to Pinterest. Go ahead and follow 5 Suitcases on Pinterest while you’re at it!

While we were in the area, we also visited The Blue Lagoon, Pingvellir National Park, the Penis Museum, Gullfoss, and much more!

Be sure to give us a like on Facebook or follow us on Instagram and Twitter for more travel tips and tricks. See you next time!