The Golden Circle of Iceland

Iceland has catapulted to America’s favorite stopover destination in the past decade. Thanks to Icelandair’s generous stopover program and the country’s excellent tourism infrastructure, Reykjavík has become one of the most visited European cities for Americans. Almost every travel influencer or vlogger nowadays is obligated to spend a week or two in Iceland. Iceland is a cool and edgy destination. One thing that all travel insiders could agree on is the effectiveness of Iceland’s tourism bureau in branding their country. One of the most successful marketing campaigns is the re-invention of the so-called Golden Circle route. The route is just enough to fit into a busy day of sightseeing and offers a great variety of natural and cultural sights. While no one will regard any particular sight as the most spectacular, Iceland offers “the best varieties of sightseeing and scenery per miles driven.”

The 150-mile loop is the single best day trip from the Icelandic capital. Aside from the three must-see sights, there are nearly a dozen worthwhile stops. So, doing some prior research and considering all the options was worthwhile. Given the extended daylight hours of Icelandic summer, we had the luxury of having a relatively late start to our day trip. Starting our day at around 10 am, we opted to take the scenic route via Nesjavellir, which was recommended by Rick Steve’s guidebook. The scenic route followed a well-maintained service road for a giant hot water pipe from the Nesjavellir Geothermal Power Station. The snaking white pipe across the lunar-like landscape looks quite like a piece of contemporary art.

Summer may offer the best weather, but Icelandic weather is notoriously fickle. We were blessed with sunny weather. The road eventually leads us along the side of the massive Þingvallavatn Lake. This was our first encounter with Icelandic wilderness, and it was indeed magnificent. We were surprised just how desolate Iceland is right outside of Reykjavík. Even though we were on the busiest tourist route at the height of the summer season, there was barely another car in sight. Iceland may be very touristy by Icelandic standards, but it is still far from being the next Venice or Amsterdam.

Þingvellir National Park

Like most visitors, our first stop is Þingvellir National Park, also anglicized as Thingvellir. At first glance, there seems to be nothing special about this place. It looks like just any volcanic valley that we saw on the way there. But once we learned the history, it is one of the most mystical places that we have visited for quite a long time. Þingvellir holds both historical and spiritual significance for all Icelanders. From 930 to 1798, this is the home of Alþing, the Icelandic parliament. Back then, the “parliament “ was an annual gathering of various chiefdoms to discuss the island's pertinent issues. Of course, it took a lot longer to travel across the island back then. Getting here from the East Fjord region could take up to a week.

View from the observational platform near the western parking lot.

Per the guidebook’s recommendation, we parked in the upper parking lot by the park's west side. This parking area is particularly well-equipped as far as tourist amenities are concerned. Aside from a high-tech museum and a gift shop, they also have one of the most beautiful public bathrooms in the world. The upper parking lot also provides a panoramic view of the entire area. Nearby is a scaled model of the entire park, which provides a valuable context of the unique Rift Valley landscape.

Almannagjá is the geological fissure separating North America and Europe.

By sheer chance, this spot also happens to be where the fissure between the Eurasian and North American plates happens. While there is no chance that medieval Icelanders were aware of this fact, it was nevertheless an extraordinary coincidence that they found this place for their gatherings. As we walked down Almannagjá, or Everman’s Gorge, the American continent was on the left, and the right was the European continent. Brian became very contemplative. Brian was a little contemplative as we walked down the path. Once in a while, he felt the metaphysical force around him. After our visit, he told me this was one of the most spiritual places he had ever been.

At the bottom of the path stands a flagpole with an Icelandic flag. The flag marks the location of Lögberg, or the Law Rock. It was at this alleged spot where the law speaker (lögsögumaður) of Alþing would preside and conduct the meeting. Major speeches and law proclamations were also made here. For a few centuries, the law speakers were the only public employees of Iceland. When we realized that Alþing is the oldest national parliament with uninterrupted continuity, I could not help but think that Þingvellir represents Icelandic sovereignty and the embodiment of democratic ideals.

An illustrative sign explains the composition and history of Alþing.

Not far from Lögberg is a plaque that explains the history and functioning of Alþing. Since the early parliament was an outdoor gathering, the graphic illustration helps us to visualize how this dramatic landscape may have been used during the annual session. For two weeks out of the year, various tribes on the island put aside their political differences to address all Icelanders' pressing needs and concerns. Even though Alþing was moved to Reykjavík in 1798, the romantic within me does wish that Icelandic lawmakers would still make an annual symbolic meeting here. Among the most consequential decisions made here was in the year 1000 when Alþing voted to make Christianity the state religion. As a compromise, the assembly agreed on a compromise to permit pagan worship in private homes only. It was considered a valuable compromise to prevent civil war between Iceland’s Christian and pagan populations.

Drekkingarhylur, the Drawing Pool, *is both fantastically beautiful and yet sinister.*

After a few minutes walk north of Lögberg, we arrived at Drekkingarhylur, or the “Drowning Pool.” By appearance, the pool seems like a place straight out of the Garden of Eden. But it masks the sinister history. For centuries, this has been the preferred location for public executions. According to historians, capital punishment became widespread after the official adoption of Christianity. While beheading was the preferred method of punishment for men, female offenders were typically drawn, and those practicing witchcraft were burned at the stake. In total, there were a total of 18 documented drownings at this pool. Considering Iceland’s tiny population back then, that was a lot. The gruesome history of this place stands in sharp contrast with the country’s respect for human rights nowadays. It does show us how social change is possible.

Öxarárfoss is a wonderful spot for picnicing.

A further ten-minute hike took us to Öxarárfoss, the upper waterfall of Þingvellir. The path leading toward the waterfall is absolutely beautiful. The spankingly new wooden walkway seemed to float among a carpet of grass. Brian and I were speechless as we tried to take in the beauty of this place. Even though Öxarárfoss was not impressive by its physical measurements, it is still among the most beautiful in the country. An extended platform makes this an ideal location for a picnic. According to legends, medieval Icelanders altered the flow of Öxarárfoss to improve the water supply at Þingvellir.

Þingvallakirkja, the Church of Þingvellir.

A visit to Þingvellir is not complete without a stroll along the lower valley. A network of ramps and staircases led us toward the river. A tiny church stands out in the landscape, almost like a lighthouse beacon. Þingvallakirkja (Church of Þingvellir) is widely considered to be the oldest church in the country. The original church was built using timber and a bronze bell gifted by King Olav II of Norway. This was our first encounter with Iceland’s famous wooden churches. The church interior speaks to the humble lives of early Icelanders. Even though the church was closed at the time of our visit, we could still take a peek inside. The pastel green wall and blue ceiling are wonderfully Icelandic and yet modern.

At the back of the church, a curiously-looking graveyard was laid out in the shape of Gosforth Cross on a low plinth. This cemetery was conceived in 1940 as a national pantheon of Icelandic national heroes and was designed by Guðjón Samúelsson, the architect of the famous Hallgrímskirkja in Reykjavík. But for whatever reasons, the only two burials that took place here were two poets who were instrumental in fostering Iceland’s independence movement: Jónas Hallgrímsson and Einar Benediktsson.

Þingvallabær, the official summer residence of the Icelandic prime minister.

Just southwest of the church is a house composed of five simple gables. Just like everything in Iceland, the humbleness of the structure conceals the building’s significance. Known as Þingvallabær, this rather discrete structure was another design by Guðjón Samúelsson. It was built to celebrate the 1,000th anniversary of the Alþing. The gable form directly references traditional turf houses, but the roof slopes were too steep to hold onto the turf. Eventually, the roof is covered with a metal roof instead. But what makes this house remarkable is that it is the official summer residence of the Icelandic Prime Minister. With such a simple house as the summer residence for its leader, Iceland is sending a strong message of equality and democracy.

For me, Þingvellir is one of the most remarkable sights in Iceland. Something is interesting for all kinds of travelers. Whether you are interested in Games of Thrones filming locations or chasing another UNESCO World Heritage Site, Þingvellir should anchor your Golden Circle itinerary. Ultimately, we spent about two and a half hours at Þingvellir. For anyone with more time, there is much more to see. One very popular activity is a diving trip at Silfra. To be able to dive between the two continents is surely something worth boasting about.

Skálholt

Among all the blockbuster sights along the Golden Circle, Skálholt is probably one of the least visited, considering its historical importance. Looking at Skálholt today, it is difficult to see that this desolate “village” was once the preeminent center of learning, politics, and religion. For over 800 years, Skálholt and Hólar are the two episcopal seats of Iceland. A medieval chronicler referred to Skálholt as the largest city in Iceland. During the Reformation, the Catholic bishop of Hólar Jón Arason led a rebellion to combat the tide of Protestantism. After his defeat on the battlefield, Arason was trialed and executed here in Skálholt. There is a small memorial marking the spot of his execution.

But for anyone interested in history and architecture, visiting Skálholt could be quite a bit of a letdown. While the cathedral was built on the foundation of its medieval predecessor, the church we see today was finished in 1963. Though modest by international standards, this is one of the largest church buildings in the country. Unfortunately, our visit coincided with a funeral, so we could not see the interior. However, at least we could take a quick stroll around the church to admire a beautiful turf house and excavated foundation of a medieval monastery.

Friðheimar Tomato Farm

While we did not see any other tourists at Skálholt, that could not be said about Friðheimar Tomato Farm, just ten minutes to the north. Friðheimar is one of the most well-known commercial greenhouses specializing in growing tomatoes. Unbeknown to many, Iceland has a striving agricultural industry despite its northern latitude. Harnessing the vast national geothermal and hydroelectric potentials, greenhouses throughout Iceland can operate all year round. Given Iceland’s geographic isolation from the rest of the world, importing fresh vegetables is not necessarily the best practice. This farm reportedly produces many tomatoes daily, accounting for 20% of Iceland’s daily consumption.

While the tomato is their specialty, they also plant plenty of herbs and cucumber.

Much of the tomato greenhouse is open to the public, and you could wander in without a ticket or reservation. The center of the greenhouse is set up as a bar and restaurant. The open rows of tomato plants provide a beautiful and surreal lunch setting. Friðheimar offers a guided tour for those who wish to learn more bout its operations. Around the greenhouse are plenty of placards explaining the logistics and building system that makes the growth possible. They elevate oxygen and carbon dioxide levels three times higher than normal to facilitate growth. Growing at one meter per week, they reached their full nine meters fairly quickly and remained productive for about nine months.

Committing to a pesticide-free environment, they import their own special “greenflies,” also from the Netherlands. Perhaps the most interesting feature of the greenhouse is the army of bumblebees brought to pollinate the plants. The bees were imported from the Netherlands and had a rotation period of nine months. I hope the hives are “rejuvenated” and not “liquidated.” All around the greenhouse, we could see numerous cardboard boxes of bees. It speaks to how reliant the human species is on these humble insects.

Beautiful greenhouse aside, their famous lunch buffet drew the crowd here. This place is arguably the most popular dining spot along the Golden Circle. When we arrived, the queue for a table was long. Fortunately, a bar is conveniently located nearby, serving interesting items. True to their specialties, everything on offer is made of tomatoes. The most tempting item was their special tomato beer, which was surprisingly tasty. Being a non-beer drinker, I opted for coffee with tomato syrup instead.

After half an hour of waiting, we were finally seated for lunch. The lunch buffet is straightforward, with unlimited tomato soup and fresh-baked bread. Also included in the buffet are free water (typical for Iceland), sour cream, cucumber relish, and butter. If tomato soup is not your thing, plenty of a la carte items are available, such as pasta and seafood. We opted to try out their quirky tomato cheesecake and ice cream. They were presented in planting pots, which made them hardly appetizing looking. While I can’t say they are the best we ever had, it is a fitting end for a great meal experience.

Overall, I have no hesitation in recommending Friðheimar for lunch. However, I do suggest making an online reservation during the high season. I think it would be a very special experience to visit here during winter when it was dark out early. Dining in the lit-up greenhouse would have been a beautiful experience.

Gullfoss

For anyone traveling on the Golden Circle, you can’t miss out on Gullfoss (Golden Falls), the namesake of the Golden Circle. There are various explanations for the name Gullfoss. One of the most colorful origins tells of a story that an old Viking chief dumped all his golden treasures down the waterfall so that none of his rivals could take them away from him after his day. Another theory claims that the yellow sediment of the river gave the waterfall a golden hue in a certain season. For me, the most feasible explanation might be that a full rainbow often appears on sunny days, as was the case during our visit.

Fed by the melting of Langjökull Glacier and the River Hvítá, the waterfall is said to be the second-largest in Iceland in terms of volume of water. But it is neither the widest nor the tallest of Icelandic waterfalls. But what it lacks in statistics is made up by its relative accessibility and expansive vistas of the surrounding landscape. It was only a quick stroll from the parking lot to reach the first viewing platform. And like any other waterfall, the roaring sounds of the cascade were defeating. What made Gullfoss particularly appealing is its narrow canyon. If you look closely, Gullfoss is constituted of two tiers of waterfalls. The lower part of the cascade plunged 69 feet to the river below. Because the mist perpetually obstructs the view toward the bottom, there is a mystical quality.

Like most visitors, we strolled toward the lower observation platform close to the water. Part of the thrill was to be drenched by the spraying water from the wind, so make sure to come prepared, especially if you have expensive camera gear. I was surprised at how close we could get to the very edge of the water. It feels a little unsafe to see young kids running around the area. From the lower platform, we could look back downstream to see the narrow river valley downstream.

Looking back at the river valley downstream.

For a natural sight, Gullfoss holds national significance when it comes to the issue of stewardship of national resources. For much of the 20th century, the power of Gullfoss prompted the speculative interest in developing hydroelectrical powers. According to the story, Tómas Tómasson, the owner of the local farm that encompassed the waterfall, refused an English investor's offer to dam the waterfall. Undaunted, the investors leased a nearby land and attempted to build a power plant through legal loopholes. Fearing the impending construction, his daughter Sigríður Tómasdóttir pulled all of her savings into hiring a lawyer to fight the issue in court. Her fever for this issue became nationally known. She would make the 150-mile trek on foot to Reykjavík frequently to attend the legal proceedings.

Climbing the staircase to the upper observation platform.

Unfortunately for Tómasdóttir, her legal battle did not end with a desirable verdict. But she did inadvertently become Iceland’s first environmental activist. In the process, she also connected with numerous important allies, including her lawyer, Sveinn Björnsson, who later became the first president of independent Iceland. Tómasdóttir’s dedication to the cause spurs many legends, including a common one that tells of her threat to throw herself into the waterfall as soon as the first sign of construction emerged. Luckily, the English investor came short of the land lease payment, which prompted the Icelandic government to terminate the lease. In 1979, twenty-two years after her death, the national government purchased Gullfoss and the surrounding land and placed them under the protective status of the Icelandic laws.

With this understanding of history, our visit to Gullfoss became immensely meaningful. Honest, visiting waterfalls could easily be a letdown for me. Once you see the waterfall, you have seen it all. I do think Gullfoss falls into that category for me. But luckily, the infrastructure around the fall is great. We arrived at the upper observation deck after a five-minute climb and a quick stroll. Overall, we spent about half an hour here, which I suspect is enough for most visitors. After all, there is just so much to see all along Golden Circle.

Geysir Geothermal Area

The final stop of our day trip is Geysir Geothermal Area, the final marquee sight of Golden Circle. From Gullfoss, it was only a ten-minute drive on the same road. One thing that immediately jumped out to us was the commercialization of the immediate area. Just opposite the entrance to the site is the so-called Geysir Center, a commercial venture run by a nearby hotel. The center is a catch-all travel stop that caters to travelers’ needs, ranging from clean restrooms to gift shops and a decent cafeteria. However, be aware that access to the Geysir site is free, so there is no need to seek a ticket office.

The field of steaming water, which I was so tempted to test out the temperature.

In contrast with Geysir Center, the actual geothermal area is kept decidedly pristine. We saw the active geothermal system at work from the moment we entered the area. To prevent injuries, plenty of signage warns visitors to stay on the designated path. Thankfully, everyone seemed to be on good behavior during our visit. Unbeknown to us, the English word “geyser" actually came from the Icelandic word “Geysir” which means “one who gushes” in Icelandic. While not unique to Iceland, it was in Iceland and this particular spot where such natural phenomena were recorded in writing in the late 18th century. And we could say that this is the mother of all Geysir! For that reason alone, this is a place worthy of a visit.

The history of Geysir is fascinating. The land where the geysers are located was owned by a local farmer until it was purchased by James Craig, the future Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, as a commercial venture. The area was fenced off to charge for tourist admission. A year later, he gifted the property to a friend who made it free to the public. Eventually, subsequent owners handed the site to the Icelandic government.

Strokkur was the only active geyser during our visit.

In the 19th century, Geysir was considered one of the most intriguing natural phenomena for the scientific community. At its peak, the eruption from Geysir reached a height of 550 feet and dwarfed all other geysers in the vicinity. Unfortunately, the famous Geysir has been dormant for the past few years. Fortunately, the nearby Strokkur (or Butter Churned in Icelandic) geyser still erupts with reliable regularity of six to eight minutes. Interestingly, today's regular eruption was only possible after the locals removed a blockage in 1963. I am almost certain the locals would do everything possible to keep at least one geyser going.

A major fun thing while visiting Geysir Geothermal Area is seeing crowds huddling around the perimeter of Strokkur. Even though everyone knew what to expect, it was as if aiming your camera was some cultural activity we must all partake in. Compared to the famous Old Faithful in Yellowstone, visitors could get pretty close to Strokkur. This proximity also means that gusting wind could get unsuspecting visitors drenched. Of course, we all have a little bit of schadenfreude in us.

Personally, I am still particularly fond of the original Geysir. Despite its dormancy over the past few years, it is difficult not to appreciate its historical significance. Plus, there is also a chance we might get lucky to see it return to life. For the best view of the whole thermal area, it is worthwhile to climb uphill to another dormant geyser Konungshver. It was a beautiful perch to take in the vista of the valley and the eruption of Strokkur. Those with more time could climb even higher to the top of the ridge. But based on photos posted online, I don’t think it was worth the endeavor.

Final Thoughts

Overall, we must agree that Golden Circle’s towering reputation is well deserved. Compared to the Diamond Circle route in the north of Iceland, the Golden Circle is quite compact and offers great flexibility due to the level of tourist infrastructure. Both the scenery and the points of attraction are out of this world. Especially for those with short layovers in Reykjavík, this is your best bet in getting a slice of Icelandic landscape and history. Due to our time constraints, I am sad to report that we had to skip out on half a dozen worthwhile stops, such as Laugarvatn Fontana, Kerið Crater, the Secret Lagoon, and the very tempting Reykjadalur Geothermal River. However, it does give us a good excuse for a return visit.

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