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Our pickReykjavik: Golden Circle Full-Day Tour with Kerid Crater
7–8.5 h08:00 or 12:00
Kerið→Gullfoss→Geysir→Þingvellir
from€83per adultCheck dates
Updated Nov 2026 · Prices checked Nov 2026
Reykjavik Golden Circle Tour
The day, stop by stop: which tours leave when, which way round they go, how long you get at Geysir and Gullfoss — and which one to book.
Most people book a Reykjavik Golden Circle tour as a 7–8.5-hour coach day from €78–83 per adult: pick-up around 08:00, Þingvellir, Geysir and Gullfoss, often Kerið, back by late afternoon. Small groups cost from €95, lagoon days €121–249.
- Most tours start at Þingvellir; the biggest one runs the loop the other way and starts at Kerið.
- Geysir is the long stop, usually about an hour, because lunch happens there.
- A 12:00 start is cheaper on the big coach tour but skips Kerið.
- A lagoon adds 2–3 hours and turns the day into 9.5–11 hours.
Reykjavik Golden Circle Tour: the day hour by hour
Most of the day is spent at the stops, not on the bus. A classic tour runs seven to eight and a half hours, and under four of them are driving. Pick-up is around 08:00, the three main stops take most of the day, and you are back in Reykjavík by late afternoon.
Pick-up starts around 08:00, and the first leg out of the city takes about 45 minutes. Which stop comes first depends on the tour: most go to Þingvellir and walk the rift while the light comes up; the biggest coach tour turns south, takes a short break in Hveragerði and starts at the Kerið crater.
Geysir is where the day slows down. Tours give it 45 to 80 minutes because lunch happens there, in the café and restaurant across the road from the hot springs. Gullfoss is ten minutes further on; 45 minutes covers the upper path and the walk down to the edge of the canyon. The drive home is about an hour from Þingvellir, two from Gullfoss.
Full-Day Tour with Kerid Crater · morning start
7–8.5 h · 5 stops · back in Reykjavík 15:00–16:3008:00pick-up
40 min
Hveragerði15minbreak
drive
Kerið20mincrater rim
drive
Gullfoss45minphoto stop
10 min
Geysir80minlunch · Strokkur
drive
Þingvellir45minwalk the rift
1 h
15:00–16:30drop-off
Source: GetYourGuide tour page, itinerary · checked Nov 2026Check dates
Which Reykjavik Golden Circle tour to book
For a first visit, book the Full-Day Tour with Kerid Crater: the most-booked day on the loop, every main stop plus Kerið, from €83 per adult. The other five each change one thing — a noon start, a smaller group, an extra waterfall, or a lagoon at the end of the day.
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Reykjavík: Golden Circle Afternoon Small-Group Tour
6 h12:00small group
Þingvellir→Gullfoss→Geysir→Kerið
from€98per adultCheck dates
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From Reykjavik: Golden Circle, Kerid & Secret Lagoon Tour
10 h08:00pick-up +€12
Secret Lagoon→Geysir→Gullfoss→Þingvellir
from€121per adultCheck dates
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Reykjavik: Golden Circle, Kerid Crater & Blue Lagoon Tour
11 hlagoon entry included
Þingvellir→Geysir→Gullfoss→Blue Lagoon
from€224per adultCheck dates
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Reykjavík: Golden Circle, Bruarfoss and Kerid Crater Tour
9 hsmall group
Þingvellir→Brúarfoss→Geysir→Gullfoss→Kerið
from€95per adultCheck dates
1 / 5
Reykjavik: Golden Circle, Kerid Crater and Sky Lagoon Tour
11 hKerið included
Þingvellir→Geysir→Gullfoss→Kerið→Sky Lagoon
from€209per adultCheck dates
Pick your start time
Most tours leave between 08:00 and 09:30, and that is the start to pick in winter, when daylight is short. A noon start lets you sleep in and costs less on the big coach tour, but that tour then skips Kerið; the afternoon small-group tour keeps it.
Most tours leave between 08:00 and 09:30, and only a morning start fits all four stops and a lagoon into one day.
You see
Þingvellir, Geysir, Gullfoss and Kerið; lagoon tours add 1.5–3 hours in the water.
Gets cut
Nothing on the classic loop: the Kerid Crater tour gives Geysir its full 80 minutes, lunch included in the stop.
Light
June: daylight the whole day. Late December: sunrise is after 11:00, so the first stop is in the dark.
Runs it bestReykjavik: Golden Circle Full-Day Tour with Kerid Crater08:00 · 7–8.5 h · Kerið→Gullfoss→Geysir→Þingvellir
from€91per adultCheck dates
Smaller group: the Golden Circle and Kerið Crater Small Group Tour starts at 09:00, from €109, up to 19 guests.A 10:00 start lets you sleep in and still see the three main stops; the cheapest coach day leaves at this hour.
You see
Þingvellir, Geysir and Gullfoss, with an hour each at Geysir and Gullfoss on the coach day.
Gets cut
Kerið: the cheapest coach day skips it. The northern-lights combos leave at this hour too and add an evening hunt.
Light
June: light all evening. Late December: daylight is about 11:18–15:32, so you return in the dark.
Runs it bestReykjavik: Golden Circle Day Tour with optional Blue Lagoon10:00 · 6.5 h · Þingvellir→Geysir→Gullfoss
from€78per adultCheck dates
With a lagoon: the Golden Circle & Secret Lagoon Guided Tour, from €142, rated 4.9 by 232 guests.A noon start gives you a full morning in Reykjavík and the three main stops in about six hours.
You see
Þingvellir, Gullfoss and Geysir; Kerið on the small-group tour.
Gets cut
Kerið on the big coach tour; shorter stops: 20–25 min at Gullfoss and Þingvellir.
Light
June: daylight all evening. Late December: about 4 hours of daylight, so the last stops are in the dark.
Runs it best
Reykjavík: Golden Circle Afternoon Small-Group Tour
12:00 · 6 h · Þingvellir→Gullfoss→Geysir→Kerið
from€98per adultCheck dates
Cheaper: the 12:00 coach option of the Kerid Crater tour, from €83 — without Kerið.
Evening and midnight-sun tours run in summer only; in winter the evening belongs to the northern-lights combos.
You see
Þingvellir, Geysir, Gullfoss and Kerið in low light, after the day coaches have left.
Cut in winter
November and December: the evening and midnight-sun tours have no dates.
Light
June: about 21 hours of daylight; the sun sets around midnight at the solstice.
Runs it bestReykjavik: Golden Circle Midnight Sun Minibus TourEvening · 6 h · Þingvellir→Geysir→Gullfoss→Kerið
from€122per adultCheck dates
In winter: the Golden Circle & Northern Lights tour with hot chocolate starts at 09:00 or 10:30, from €127, and hunts the aurora after dark.Iceland Reykjavik Golden Circle tour: which way round?
Both directions see the same three sights: Þingvellir, Geysir and Gullfoss. Most tours start at Þingvellir and reach Geysir at midday, when it is busiest. The biggest coach tour runs the other way round, starting at Kerið, and gets to Geysir after the morning coaches have left.
The usual order is Þingvellir, Geysir, Gullfoss — the park in the morning light, Geysir at lunchtime, the waterfall last. Most coaches run it this way, so Geysir is at its busiest around midday.
The Full-Day Tour with Kerid Crater, the biggest tour on the loop, goes the other way: Hveragerði and Kerið first, then Gullfoss, a long lunch stop at Geysir and Þingvellir on the way home. You reach Geysir after the morning coaches have moved on, and the drive back from Þingvellir is the shortest leg.
Þingvellir first
Most tours on this site- Þingvellir45 min
- Geysir1 h
- Gullfoss1 h
Day Tour with optional Blue Lagoon runs it this way: the park in the morning, Geysir around lunch, Gullfoss last.
The other way round
Full-Day Tour with Kerid Crater- Kerið20 min
- Gullfoss45 min
- Geysir · lunch80 min
- Þingvellir45 min
Short break in Hveragerði on the way out. You reach Geysir when the morning coaches have moved on.
The stops and how long you get
Þingvellir and Gullfoss are on all 64 tours from Reykjavík, Geysir on 58 and the Kerið crater on 41. Geysir gets the most time, usually an hour, because lunch happens there; Kerið the least, about half an hour. Extra stops such as Brúarfoss or a tomato farm come on top.
Þingvellir
You walk down the rift between two plates to the old assembly site.
Usually 45 min (25–120)All 64 tours
Geysir
The longest stop of the day and where most tours break for lunch.
Usually 60 min (20–90)58 of 64
Gullfoss
Two drops into a canyon, seen from an upper and a lower path.
Usually 45 min (20–60)All 64 tours
Kerið
A red crater with a lake; walk the rim or down to the water.
Usually 30 min (15–60)41 of 64
The Golden Circle month by month
The Golden Circle tours run every day of the year. What changes with the month is the light, which tours have dates and whether an evening aurora hunt is on offer. In June you get about 21 hours of daylight; in late December about four, so you leave in the dark.
November
Port, evening and summer-only tours have no dates; the classic tours run every day. Pick the 08:00 start so Gullfoss is in daylight.
Check datesJanuary
Short days: book a morning start so Gullfoss and Geysir are in daylight. Port, evening and summer-only tours have no dates; the northern-lights combos run.
Check datesFebruary
Days lengthen quickly but a morning start still matters. The northern-lights combos add an evening hunt after the loop.
Check datesMarch
Long enough days for any start time and dark evenings for the Golden Circle and northern-lights combos. Snow may still cover the Gullfoss path.
Check datesApril
Light into the evening, so a 12:00 start works. Ice can linger on the lower Gullfoss path early in the month.
Check datesMay
Light late into the evening; summer-only tours open their calendars, so check dates before you plan around one.
Check datesJune
About 21 hours of daylight: every start time works, including the evening and midnight-sun tours that miss the midday crowds.
Check datesJuly
Near-endless light. Take an evening or midnight-sun tour to see Geysir without the midday coaches.
Check datesAugust
Long days and the cruise-port tours in season. Any start time keeps all stops in daylight.
Check datesSeptember
Dark evenings return and the Golden Circle and northern-lights combos start. Days are still long enough for a 12:00 start.
Check datesOctober
Days shorten fast: pick a morning start to keep every stop in daylight. The northern-lights combos run in the evening.
Check datesDecember
About four hours of daylight in late December (11:18–15:32): you leave and return in the dark. Port and evening tours have no dates.
Check datesAdding a lagoon to the day
A lagoon adds two to three hours and turns the day into 9.5 to 11 hours. The Secret Lagoon tour is the cheapest way to add one, from €121 per adult; Sky Lagoon and the Blue Lagoon end the day by the sea and cost from €209 and €224.
Where the lagoon sits changes the day. The Secret Lagoon and Laugarás are on the loop itself, so the soak comes in the middle and you drive home dry and warm. Sky Lagoon and the Blue Lagoon are near the coast; you get there at the end, and the return is short.
Every tour here includes the entry ticket. Check the tier: the cheaper option uses the shared changing rooms, the dearer one a private cubicle or extra towels and drinks.
Secret Lagoon · 1.5 h · Flúðir
from€121per adult
Blue Lagoon · entry included · end of day
from€224per adult
Sky Lagoon · 2 h · Kerið included
from€209per adult
Laugarás Lagoon · 2 h
from€172.80per adult
Laugarvatn Fontana
from€160per adult
Hvammsvík hot spring
from€199per adult
Read our reviews: Golden Circle with Sky Lagoon admission · Golden Circle and Laugarás Lagoon entry
What a Reykjavik Golden Circle tour costs
A classic coach tour costs from €78 per adult and a small-group day from €95. Adding a lagoon takes the price to €121–249, and a private tour starts at €560 for a group of up to seven. Pick-up from your hotel adds €12–14 on most coach tours.
Coach · classic dayfrom€78per adult
The three main stops in 6.5–8.5 h with a guide; lunch not included.
Small group · minibusfrom€95per adult
Fewer people, extra stops such as Brúarfoss or Kerið, longer days.
With a lagoonfrom€121per adult · up to €249
Entry included; the day grows to 9.5–11 h.
Privatefrom€560per group of up to 7
Your own driver-guide and your own pace.
Prices for 1 adult, mid-November date · GetYourGuide · checked Nov 2026What moves the price →
Tours in Spanish, German and Chinese
Most Golden Circle tours from Reykjavík are guided in English. Four tours on this page run in Spanish, Chinese or German, and one private 4x4 day is guided in Spanish. The German tours are cruise-season trips and have no dates in November and December.
Spanish guide · 9 h
from€120per adult
Chinese guide · Brúarfoss · 10 h
from€90per adult
German guide · cruise port · no dates Nov–Dec
from€165per adult
German guide · Kerið · no dates Nov–Dec
from€98per adult
Reykjavik Golden Circle tour in Spanish by 4x4
A private 4WD day with a Spanish-speaking guide and photos taken for you. It has 2 reviews (both 5 stars) and costs from €250 per person (Nov 2026). For a cheaper Spanish day, the small-group tour above runs from €120.
Check datesOn a cruise? The port day
Port tours pick you up at Skarfabakki and run 6.5–8 hours, from €141 per adult. Most regular tours also collect at the terminal, so you are not limited to port tours. None has dates in November and December, and none promises to have you back before the ship sails — leave a buffer.
What nobody tells you
Four things change the day more than the choice of tour: where you eat, whether Kerið is paid for, ice on the paths and how little of the day is actually spent on the bus. None of them is on the booking page in big letters, so read them before you pick.
- 1Lunch is a stop, not a meal planMost tours stop at Geysir for lunch and you buy it there. Check the "not included" list of your tour.
- 2Kerið can cost extraThe crater charges 700 ISK per person. Some tours include it, others don't; on the 12:00 coach start it is skipped.
- 3Ice at the waterfallFrom late autumn the paths at Gullfoss and Þingvellir can be icy. Shoes with grip matter more than a warm coat.
- 4Less bus than you thinkThe whole loop is 250–300 km and under four hours of driving; the rest of the day is spent at the stops.
Is a Reykjavik Golden Circle tour worth it?
Yes for a first visit without a car, and especially in winter, when the roads are icy and the daylight short. If you are two or more and already rent a car, driving yourself costs about half as much — but you lose the guide and the stories at every stop.
Book a tour if
- You are here November–March and don't want to drive icy roads in four to five hours of daylight.
- You travel alone: the tour costs about the same as a car for one.
- You want a lagoon at the end without a second transfer.
Drive yourself if
- You already have a car and want Þingvellir before the coaches arrive.
- You are two or more: about €45–60 each for car, fuel, km fee and parking.
Alone, the tour costs about the same as driving; with two or more in the car, driving is half the price — if you are fine on winter roads.
Coach tour
Drive yourself
Cost, 1 person
from €78
≈ €85–115 car, fuel, km fee, parking
Cost, 2 people
from €156
≈ €45–60 each
Distance · driving
None for you
250–300 km · under 4 h at the wheel
Guide
Stories at every stop
None
Time at stops
Set by the tour: 20–80 min
Yours: dawn at Þingvellir, as long as you like
Winter
Driver used to ice and dark
Daylight 11:18–15:32 late Dec; 4x4 advised
What guests say
These are recent reviews of tours on this page, as the guests wrote them in November 2026. Most of them name their guide, and several say the day felt well paced even in fog or rain — which is the weather to expect on the loop at this time of year.
Although the day started with foggy weather, our guide Andrea took really good care of us! She was our entertainer and DJ , narrating interesting facts about geography and culture of Iceland. The day just went by with one great experience after another, highlight was the Secret lagoon soak in geothermal pool & the cold plunge there after!
JaishaNov 2026
From Reykjavik: Golden Circle, Kerid & Secret Lagoon Tourit was a great afternoon, we were able to fit in a lot during the amount of time we had. the guide was friendly and knowledgeable. we had the right amount of time at each place.
IndiaNov 2026
Reykjavík: Golden Circle Afternoon Small-Group TourAlfred our guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. The pick up and drop off was good. It is a long day but well worth it. We particularly enjoyed the waterfall and the Blue Lagoon. Food stops and comfort breaks well organised. Would recommend
HelenNov 2026
Reykjavik: Golden Circle, Kerid Crater & Blue Lagoon TourCheck dates for the Full-Day Tour with Kerid Crater
Pick a date to see live availability and the price for your group on GetYourGuide. The Full-Day Tour with Kerid Crater runs every day with an 08:00 start, which includes Kerið, and a 12:00 start without it; both can collect you from bus stop 12 or your hotel.
Reykjavik Golden Circle tour: questions
Short answers first, details below each. These are the questions people ask before booking a Golden Circle day from Reykjavík: how long it takes, what is included, which way round to go, what changes in winter and on a cruise day.
7–8.5 hours on a classic coach tour. Classic coach tours take 7–8.5 hours, the afternoon small-group tour 6 hours. Add 2–3 hours for a lagoon, and evening aurora combos run 9–12 hours.
On most tours, no. Most tours stop for lunch at Geysir and you buy it there. A few include a meal, such as the Friðheimar farm tours; the tour page lists it under included.
Either; it changes the crowds, not the sights. Most tours start at Þingvellir. The Full-Day Tour with Kerid Crater runs the other way and reaches Geysir after the morning coaches.
Not on the big coach tour. The Full-Day Tour with Kerid Crater skips Kerið for departures at 12:00 and later. The Afternoon Small-Group Tour still stops there for 20 minutes.
April to August for light, September to March for aurora combos. Days are longest in June (about 21 hours). In December you get about 4 hours of daylight, so take the 08:00 start.
Yes, on a guided tour. Roads can be icy and the daylight short; a tour removes the driving. Bring shoes with grip for the paths at Gullfoss.
Usually, for a few euros more. Most coach tours sell a bus-stop option and a hotel pick-up option; the difference is €12–14 on the tours checked.
Before the listed start time. Pick-up runs ahead of the start time on the tour page; your exact window comes with the booking.
Yes, in the cruise season. Port tours leave from Skarfabakki and run 6.5–8 hours. None has dates in November or December.
No. Wake Up Reykjavik sells its own small-group Golden Circle day, but not on GetYourGuide, so we can't compare it here. The closest on this page are the small-group tours from €95.
From €560 per group of up to seven. Private days run €560–1,700 per group. Split between four people, a €900 day is €225 each.
Ready for the loop? The Full-Day Tour with Kerid Crater runs every day from €83.
Next: the itinerary stop by stop · what each format costs · the Sky Lagoon tour review · the Laugarás Lagoon tour review