Driving the Golden Circle by car

The classic loop, stop by stop

The Golden Circle links three famous sights east of Reykjavík: Þingvellir National Park, the Geysir geothermal area and the Gullfoss waterfall. The classic order:

1. Þingvellir: take Route 1 to Mosfellsbær, then Route 36 over the Mosfellsheiði heath. Iceland's parliament, the Alþingi, was founded here in 930, and the national park has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2004.
2. Geysir: continue on Route 36, then take Route 365 over the Lyngdalsheiði heath to Laugarvatn, and Routes 37 and 35 to the Geysir geothermal area in Haukadalur, where Strokkur erupts every few minutes.
3. Gullfoss: 10 km further on Route 35. This is where you turn back: north of the falls, Route 35 continues as Kjalvegur, a highland road (see below).
4. Back: Route 35 south through Grímsnes to Selfoss, then Route 1 west over Hellisheiði to Reykjavík, or on to Keflavík Airport on Reykjanesbraut (Route 41).

Worth a stop on the way:

• Laugarvatn, right on the route between Þingvellir and Geysir.
• Skálholt, the historic bishop's see, a detour of about 5 km on road 31 off Route 35.
• Kerið, a volcanic crater about 6,500 years old in Grímsnes, the district Route 35 crosses on the way to Selfoss. A service fee is charged to visit.

Distances and driving times

These are the official road distances from Vegagerðin, the Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration (distance tables, in Icelandic). Every leg below is paved.

Added up, the loop is 244 km from Reykjavík and back, and 327 km from Keflavík Airport and back (Þingvellir here means the park's service center). Visit Iceland puts Þingvellir within a 40-minute drive of Reykjavík and suggests one to three days for the Golden Circle. If you do it in one day, start early: in winter, daylight is short.

Parking and entry fees

• Þingvellir: the national park is open around the clock and charges no entrance fee, but cars pay for parking. Cameras read the license plate, and one payment covers all the park's paid car parks for the day you pay. Pay before you drive away, at a machine (in the Hakið visitor center and at the P2 and P5 car parks) or online through Checkit. Current prices: thingvellir.is.
• Geysir: the car park charges a parking fee. Pay in the Parka app or on parka.is.
• Kerið: a service fee is charged to visit the crater; see kerid.is.
• Everywhere else: follow the signs at each car park and pay when asked. Fees change, so we link the official pages instead of printing prices.

Safety at the sights

• Stay on the marked paths. They keep you safe, and the vegetation beside them is fragile and slow to recover.
• Geysir: Strokkur's jets of boiling water reach up to about 30 m. Stand on the upwind side and never step off the path: the ground around hot springs can be unstable.
• Gullfoss: use the upper car park (the lower one is for buses and accessible parking). A path leads to a viewing platform above the falls, and a trail runs down along the canyon. In winter the lower trails are sometimes closed because of ice and snow.
• Wet and icy ground: stones near waterfalls are slippery, and paths can be icy from autumn to spring. Wear shoes with a good grip.
• In an emergency, call 112.

The Golden Circle in winter

You can drive the Golden Circle all year, and Gullfoss is open all year. In winter, these matter most:

• Short days: around the December solstice, Reykjavík gets only about four hours of daylight. Plan the drive for the light hours.
• The whole route, not just the start: the loop crosses three heaths — Mosfellsheiði (Route 36), Lyngdalsheiði (Route 365) and Hellisheiði (Route 1). Check them on umferdin.is before you leave and again during the day. In winter the map is updated from 07:00 to 22:00; outside those hours, conditions can change before the map shows it.
• Weather: check the forecast and warnings on vedur.is and the travel alerts on safetravel.is.
• Closed means closed: never pass a closure sign or drive onto a road marked Lokað. Driving a closed road breaks our rental terms: no waiver covers the damage, and the €1,000 prohibited-road fee may apply (rental terms 16 and 40(g)).
• Tires and drive: every car has winter tires from 1 November to 14 April at no extra charge (rental terms 1). From November to March we strongly recommend AWD or a 4×4: it helps you get going in snow, but it does not stop a skid on ice.
• Flexible plans: keep the tank well filled and carry warm clothes. If conditions get worse, wait in a safe place until the weather calms down.
• Car trouble: for a breakdown, a flat tire or a car stuck in snow, call us day or night on +354 779 9499. See Accident & breakdown.

Driving rules that matter here

• Stop only in parking areas. Never stop on the road or its shoulder for photos or to watch animals.
• Never drive off the road. Off-road driving is prohibited by law in Iceland and damages fragile nature. Under our rental terms it costs €1,000 (rental terms 40(f)), and no waiver covers the damage (rental terms 16).
• Speed: 90 km/h on paved roads outside towns unless signs say otherwise; in wind, rain or ice, drive slower. See Speed limits & fines.
• Headlights on at all times, day and night, all year.
• Animals: sheep and horses can be on or beside the road.
• Kjölur is not part of the loop: under our rental terms, Kjalvegur over Kjölur may only be driven in a four-wheel-drive car your booking confirms as F-road approved, and only when it is officially open (rental terms 16).

Which car you need

The main Golden Circle roads are paved. Vegagerðin's tables show the route from Reykjavík to Gullfoss via Þingvellir and Lyngdalsheiði (115 km) and the return on Route 35 to Selfoss without any gravel, and Visit Iceland says a 4×4 is not required.

• Summer: any of our cars handles the loop. For one or two people, Everyday is enough.
• November to March: every car has winter tires, and we strongly recommend AWD or a 4×4; Comfort (AWD) is our default winter pick. A two-wheel-drive car on winter tires manages in mild weather but leaves less margin when conditions turn.
• Six or more people: Family & Space has 9 seats including the driver, on a standard category B license.

More help: Which car do I need in Iceland? and Winter car rental in Iceland.

Questions about driving the Golden Circle