Driving the Golden Circle

6 min read Updated October 2026 Compare all tours

The Golden Circle is a short drive by Icelandic standards. We calculated the classic loop on OpenStreetMap data: Reykjavík to Þingvellir, on to Geysir and Gullfoss, then south to the Kerið crater and back to the city. The result is about 242 km and 3 hours 49 minutes of driving with no stops and no snow. The individual legs are short enough that you can stop wherever the light is good.

Leg	Distance	Driving time
Reykjavík centre to Þingvellir	48 km	47 min
Þingvellir to Geysir	61 km	59 min
Geysir to Gullfoss	10 km	9 min
Gullfoss to Kerið	55 km	50 min
Kerið to Reykjavík	69 km	65 min

Rules on the road

Safetravel, the safety service of the Icelandic search and rescue association ICE-SAR, sets out the basics. The limit is 90 km/h on paved roads in the country, 80 km/h on gravel and 50 km/h in towns. Headlights and tail lights must be on at all times, all year. Safetravel also advises slowing down before the asphalt turns to gravel. For road conditions, phone 1777 or check the live map at umferdin.is before you leave and again at lunchtime.

Stop by stop

At Þingvellir the national park runs three car parks. P1 at Hakið sits at the top of the Almannagjá gorge beside the visitor centre, P2 lies east of and below Öxarárfoss, and P5 at Valhöll is the nearest to the church and to Silfra. One daily fee per vehicle covers all three. A camera at P1 reads number plates, and you can also pay at the machines by the visitor centre, at P2 and P5, or online through Checkit.is. Holders of a disability parking card pay nothing but should register their number plate with the visitor centre.

Snorkellers park at P5. The Silfra tours meet at the fissure and do not include the parking fee, which suits a driver who arrives early and continues east afterwards.

From Þingvellir to Geysir is the longest leg, about an hour. The hot spring area in Haukadalur is a protected natural monument; Strokkur erupts every few minutes. Gullfoss is only ten minutes further. Its reserve is managed by the Environment Agency of Iceland, which forbids leaving the marked paths and flying drones without its permission. Several glacier trips start here. One snowmobile tour meets in the Gullfoss Café parking lot and takes you by truck to the eastern edge of Langjökull, and the Sleipnir monster truck runs a three and a half hour trip from Gullfoss onto the ice.

A similar snowmobile tour starts at Geysir. Reviews say it has no transfer from Reykjavík, and several mention long waits and cancellations in bad weather; one describes a day of eight hours instead of the advertised four.

On the way back, Kerið has free parking, toilets and paths around the rim and down to the lake, and it charges a small entrance fee that you can also buy ahead. If you add Brúarfoss, Perlan describes the access from road 37 along road 355; from the newer car park, which charges a fee, the waterfall is a five-minute walk. The older trail is 3.5 km each way and can be muddy.

Driving in winter

Safetravel's winter advice covers the main risks. Conditions can change fast, so keep the road map open on your phone. Daylight is short: on 21 December the sun is up at Þingvellir from 11:21 to 15:24, which is about the same as the pure driving time of the whole loop. Four-wheel drive does not stop a car skidding on ice, and strong winds with drifting snow can make roads dangerous even when they look clear. Ask for winter tyres on the rental car and check the forecast at vedur.is each morning.

On a winter day, leave Reykjavík in the dark so you reach Þingvellir as the sky brightens, and decide at Gullfoss whether Kerið still fits. Leave a travel plan with someone you trust or through Safetravel; its app can send your GPS position to 112. The highland roads beyond Gullfoss, such as Kjölur, open only in summer, so plan to reach the glacier on a tour rather than in a rental car.

Hot pools on the way

Driving lets you finish the day in warm water. The Secret Lagoon in Flúðir is about an hour from Geysir, and Laugarvatn Fontana has pools and a pier on Lake Laugarvatn; both sell entry tickets you can book ahead. Bring a swimsuit and a towel, since the Secret Lagoon rents both only for a fee.

Continuing east along the south coast after the loop? vik-iceland.com covers Vík and the south coast.

Not sure the car is the right choice? Our page on tour or self-drive weighs it up, and weather and what to wear covers the clothes for a cold stop at Gullfoss.