No need to choose between South Coast or Golden Circle—experience them both! This exciting 2-day trip covers some of the most anticipated attractions along both travel routes, resulting in an ultimate Icelandic experience. Discover Thingvellir National Park, Kerid Crater, Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach, and more on a guided excursion that starts in Reykjavik!
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We’ll kick off in the morning from Reykjavik, heading along Iceland’s famous Golden Circle route. Highlights include Thingvellir Park, Geysir Geothermal Valley, and the stunning Gullfoss Waterfall, with a stop at the volcanic Crater and Lake Kerid. After some sightseeing in Selfoss, we’ll spend the night at a cozy hotel. Day two takes us along the scenic southern coast, where you’ll explore Reynisfjara Beach, Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss waterfalls, Sólheimajökull Glacier, and the picturesque town of Vík—plenty of time for photos and memories.
Read about the highlights of your journey!
First on the Golden Circle is the historic national park of Thingvellir. Here, you will discover the unique Rift Valley that lies right at the meeting point of the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates. In addition to being a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Thingvellir is the birthplace of Iceland’s first national assembly, Alþingi, founded in 930 AD.
Next on the adventure menu is Gullfoss—the Golden Waterfall. This two-tiered giant measures 105 feet (32 m) and carries up to 4590 cubic feet of water per second (130 m³/s). We will walk from the upper to the lower viewing platform to see its majesty up close.
Continuing our journey, we reach the area of intense geothermal activity—Hakadalur Valley. It is named after the world's most famous geyser, The Great Geysir. Although this powerful phenomenon is now dormant, you will see the epic show of its brother Strokkur—Iceland's most active water-spouting hot spring. Its water fountains burst every 4-10 minutes and reach up to 49-66 feet (15-20 m).
We will make a bonus stop at the hidden gem of Kerid, a volcanic crater formed 6,500 years ago. The blue, sometimes frozen lake inside it stands out from the surroundings and looks like the eye of the earth itself. We'll walk around the edge of the caldera and go down the stairs to see the lake up close.
Finally, we reach the town of Selfoss, where we spend the night. As the largest town in the south, it offers a variety of cafes, shops, and hotels. You'll have plenty of time to explore the charming downtown and before settling in for a good night’s rest at your hotel.
On the second day, we'll enjoy a hearty breakfast at the hotel before boarding our bus for the second leg of our trip. We will start with a visit to the breathtaking 197-foot (60 m) Skógarfoss Waterfall. Then, we will travel to Iceland's fourth-largest glacier, Solheimajokull. Its dramatic landscape consists of jagged ridges, sinkholes, and crevasses. We’ll walk along the edge of the glacier to take in the majestic scenery before continuing our journey.
Our next destination is the folklore-rich black sand beach of Reynisfjara. The powerful waves have sculpted massive basalt sea stacks that rise from the shore like huge towers. The myths say that they were two trolls turned to stone. In reality, these cliffs are home to a rich variety of birds. You may see guillemots, fulmars, and various species of gulls.
The next stop is Vík í Mýrdalur or Vik—a remote seafront village surrounded by tranquil valleys, mountains, and beaches. Although the village has only about 600 inhabitants, it has a wide range of restaurants, hotels and attractions. The views are amazing wherever you turn!
Our next stop brings us to Dyrhólaey, where the iconic stone arch rises against the ocean. Standing here, you’ll enjoy incredible views of the coastline and perhaps spot birds swooping over the cliffs.
The last stop before returning to the capital is Seljalandsfoss—the most photographed waterfall in Iceland. It belongs to the Seljalandsa River, originating from the Eyjafjallajokull glacier. Just a few hundred meters from Seljalandsfoss is the Gljufrabúi Waterfall. To reach it, we’ll walk through a gap in the rocks into the open cave—an epic photo opportunity!
We will return back to Reykjavik in the early evening and drop you off at the initial location.
Pick-up starts at 08:50 AM from an authorized meeting point in Reykjavik. It can take up to 30 minutes for everyone to be picked up. Your patience is appreciated.
Take a look at the list of designated pick-up points.
Our multi-day tours will give you a small group experience as they are operated in a mini-bus and you get a better connection with the guide.
By booking a multi-day tour with us, you don’t need to have to worry about finding accommodation during the time of the tour as our multi-day tour includes accommodation which is often booked far in advance. You will get more opportunities to explore Iceland further and experience places that you would normally not be able to see on a one-day tour.
All of our tours are English guided so you will have English speaking licensed guide throughout the tour that will tell you everything about what you see along the way and knows where the best locations to stop by at to get the absolute best experience.
When booking your tour you are guaranteed accommodations at a friendly country hotel and/or guesthouse. All of the hotels we work with are of the same standard and offer nice rooms with beds and linen. The standard room is a twin room but it is possible to request a double room or a triple room, with no extra charge. The rooms come with private or shared bathrooms, depending on your booking.
Free Wi-Fi, towels, a hairdryer, and a kettle are accessible at all of the hotels.
If you want to have your own room, then a single supplement is payable in order to secure a single room. If you do not wish to book a single room then you will be roomed with another traveler of the same gender.
A typical breakfast buffet is included at all the hotels/guesthouses we stay at during the tour, allowing you to fuel up for the day on various slices of bread, toppings, cereal, fruits, and yogurt. Tea and coffee are also included, alongside a variety of additional tasty options.
Your guide will also find a good place for the group to eat lunch, where you can find a wide selection of dishes on the menu, so there will be options available for everyone. The dinner is usually at the hotels/guesthouses we stay at for the night. We will make stops at restaurants and convenience stores where you will be able to purchase all necessities.
The average amount spent on food each day per person is 8,000 ISK (80$). Cash is not necessary, as credit cards are accepted at all restaurants and stores. A small amount of cash won't hurt, though.
Breakfast is included at the hotel/guesthouse restaurant during the tour. Meals and beverages are not included on your tour. However, we will make stops at restaurants and conveniences stores where you are able to purchase all necessities.
The average amount spent on food each day per person is 8,000 ISK (80$). Cash is not necessary, as credit cards are accepted at all restaurants and stores. A small amount of cash won't hurt though.
For multi-day tours, each participant is allowed to bring a small backpack and one piece of luggage weighing a maximum of 20 kg (44 lbs). If you are traveling with extra bags or heavier luggage, you will need to book suitable storage before you arrive; this will incur a small fee. There is the option to add luggage storage in Reykjavík during the booking process of your order in the extras section.
* The combined dimensions of each bag must not exceed 158 cm (62 in).
We welcome all participants of all ages older than the listed minimum age for each tour. Our average group usually consists of participants between the ages of 22 to 55 years. However, we have people of all ages, ranging from 8 to 99 years, joining our multi-day tours. We get a lot of solo travelers joining us, as well as families and friends.
If you find yourself having difficulties participating in any of the activities included in the tour, for example, a glacier activity, then you are more than welcome to skip it. Iceland is surrounded by beautiful scenery so you can explore your surroundings in the meantime r wait elsewhere while others do the activity. Our guide should be able to drop you off at a nearby place where there are some services available if requested.
The average is around 300 km (186 miles) per day on our multi-day tours. You’ll spend approximately 4-5 hours in the car each day. Stops are of course, made at multiple locations throughout the tour for sightseeing, activities, bathroom breaks, lunch stops, etc.
We do offer some necessary items for rent. For most of our multi-day tours, we rent out waterproof jackets and pants as well as hiking shoes. These items are available to book under the selection “Extras’’ in the booking widget when booking your tour on our website.
If you have already booked the tour and wish to add some rental gear to your booking, you can do that at least 24 hours before your tour starts, via our Customer Portal.
The Northern Lights are a natural phenomenon, and therefore we can unfortunately never promise that they will be seen on your tour. Their appearance depends upon atmospheric and weather conditions. The best time to see the lights is between September - March when it’s a dark and clear sky. The sky needs to be as dark as possible, so the best places to see them are well away from the city lights.
Most of the hotels on our tours are remotely located and, therefore, ideal for spotting the northern lights. If the forecast is in our favor, then it is very likely that you will be able to see the northern lights. Most of the hotels offer a Northern Lights wake-up call upon request if lights are spotted, so it is more likely that you will see the lights on a multi-day tour!
We always highly recommend booking a multi-day tour starting at least one day after arriving in Iceland. If you’re flying in from the US or will be landing early (4-6:30) you should be able to join the tour, but be aware that some risks could follow such as flight gets delayed and could, therefore, miss out on the tour.
