Golden Circle, Secret Lagoon & Kerið Small Group Tour
Description
This Golden Circle & Secret Lagoon tour combines Iceland’s iconic sights; Thingvellir, Gullfoss, and Geysir. End the day with a relaxing soak in the rustic, less crowded Secret Lagoon, Iceland's oldest man-made pool fed by naturally occurring hot springs. This experience offers a more authentic geothermal spa experience. With small-group minibus travel, knowledgeable guides, and consistently high reviews, this tour provides a comfortable, personal, and well-paced way to experience the highlights of southwest Iceland and one of Iceland's lesser visited gems.
Tour Options
Itinerary
We'll kick off the day with a morning pick-up from your selected location in the capital city Reykjavík
A 40-minute drive takes us to Þingvellir (Thingvellir) National Park, home to Iceland’s first parliament, Althingi. Set in a dramatic rift valley between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates, the park blends striking natural beauty with rich history, making it one of Iceland’s most breathtaking destinations.
Our adventure will then lead us to the breathtaking Gullfoss, aptly named the "golden waterfall," situated at the very edge of the Icelandic Highlands. Cascading gracefully within the canyon of the Hvíta River, Gullfoss is fed by the Langjökull glacier to the north, lending it a majestic aura. As a two-tiered waterfall, Gullfoss seems to vanish into the depths below, with its waters plunging an impressive 32 meters. The waterfall offers a mesmerizing display of nature's power, showcasing the raw forces of Icelandic landscapes. Regardless of the season, Gullfoss captivates with its awe-inspiring beauty, making it a must-see destination on our journey through Iceland's natural wonders.
Next on our itinerary is the Geysir Geothermal Area, which is famous for being home to Iceland's most well-known geysers. This area is actually the namesake of all geysers! Here, you’ll stroll among bubbling water pools, clear geothermal springs, and steam vents. The most active geyser, Strokkur, erupts every 4 to 10 minutes, giving you many chances to see boiling water shoot up between 49 and 65.6 feet (15 to 20 meters) into the air.
Next up is the Secret Lagoon, Iceland’s oldest geothermal pool. Set in moss-covered lava fields, the water stays a warm 100–104°F (38–40°C) year-round, with a small geyser adding to the experience. Swimming here is the perfect relaxing finale to your adventure—bring your swim gear or rent it on-site.
Our final stop is Kerið Crater, or “The Eye of the World,” a volcanic crater formed over 6,500 years ago. Its bright blue-green lake set against red volcanic rock makes it a must-see. The crater is 886 feet (270 m) wide with walls up to 180 feet (55 m) high, offering stunning views from the rim and a scenic 20-minute hike around the lake. Seasonal changes—from green moss in summer to snow and ice in winter—make it magical year-round.
We'll then head back to Reykjavík where you'll be dropped of from your starting location.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Please note that Your Day Tours offers pick-up service from selected pickup points in the Downtown Reykjavik area. We can unfortunately not offer pick-up service from private apartments, Airbnb apartments, hotels located in the suburban areas of Reykjavík or Keflavik Airport for our tours. If your pick-up location is not on our pick-up list then we kindly ask you to locate the closest pick-up point to your accommodation from the map or list below and meet us there for your tour. PLEASE NOTE: Please be ready at your pick-up location at the exact time of the start on your ticket. It may take up to 30 minutes for your guide to collect you depending on your location and traffic conditions. DROP-OFF: You will be dropped off at approximately 18:00 (6:00pm) from your original pick-up location. Times may change depending on weather and road conditions. *If you're arriving via cruise ship to Skarfabakki cruise terminal (312 or 315), please follow the signs and make your way to the "Pre-Booked Tours" pick up location to the east of the terminal buildings.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- At time of booking, Cruise ship passengers must provide the following information at time of booking: ship name, docking time, disembarkation time and re-boarding time
- Minimum age is 6 years
- We are unfortunately unable to store or transport luggage or suitcases on this tour.
Reviews(1,483)
This was a very nice tour, easily paced and Bruno was a friendly and knowledgeable tour guide. Highly recommend this tour!
Very interesting trip. The Highligts of Reykavik. Our guide was very friendly and told us a lot about Iceland the pick-up at the ship also worked
We took a number of tours while in Iceland and this was by far, our least favorite. The guide did not seem interested in sharing information about our stops, which were all amazing, and just seemed to be going through the motions. Additionally, it was disappointing when another bus broke down and he gave our van to another group to use with all of our personal belongings inside. We wandered around the parking lot looking for our guide in the pouring rain for 15 minutes and then had to wait an additional 15 minutes for the van to return. When it arrived, our belongings were all over the place, including on the floor, which was all wet from the rain. I highly recommend the golden circle tour, but find a different company!
Maria was a fantastic tour guide: warm, competent, humorous, and with a palpable passion for Iceland. Her explanations were precise, never too long, and always spiced with little stories that brought the places to life. The tour itself was perfectly organized: Small group, making it very personal and relaxed Beautiful stops – from Þingvellir to Geysir to Gullfoss Enough time at every location, without stress or rushing Pleasant driving style, clear communication, and always keeping an eye on everyone feeling comfortable Overall, an all-around successful tour that, thanks to Maria, was not only informative but also truly heartfelt. I would book them again anytime.
The places we went were great. Per our drivers instructions, we left our personal belongings on the bus. When we were at one of the longer stops, the driver allowed another tour group to take our bus. The driver took the bus with other tourists with all of our belongings. The driver was 20 minutes late back to the bus and we were stuck standing in the rain.
The tour was interesting and we saw amazing sites. It was, however, very difficult to LOCATE our tour van at the start of our journey. We went to the area marked "prebooked tours" as directed on the email, but there were 500 other people all looking for tours. There was no delineation for various companies and no description of what type of vehicle we should locate. I was expected the van or bus to read "New Day Tours" but it was an "Arctic Adventure" tour bus. We wandered around asking buses and vans if they were our tour. Finally, we heard our name called by a driver walking around trying to collect his people. Not a great start. Utter chaos and poor signage. Tour sites were SUPER crowded with little explanation other than a few predrop-off bits by our driver. Finally, while we were at one of the stops, our driver loaned our van to another group whose van had a mechanical issue. This was very upsetting as our group had left much of our belongings in the bus...including cameras, watches, ipad, wallets, etc. We were told to take what we needed but that the bus would be locked up. This required us to stand waiting in the rain for the return of our bus, and it delayed our next visit. Thankfully none of us lost any belonging, though bags were stuffed here and there at random and dropped on the wet floor, and it took some time for folks to find their items and pass them around to proper owners. I understand that our driver was only trying to be kind. It just felt very unsettling to know our bags had gone off with strangers and were not being cared for.
I would recommend this tour but with a different company besides artic adventure. We returned to the van after the golden circle at the designated time. There were 12 in our group. The van was no where to be found. We asked another driver with the same company for help. He told us we were wrong and the van is always in the same spot. After 15 min of searching the lot we finally found the driver. We learned he loaned our van to another driver who had a flat tire, we were never informed of this and we were told upon stopping that we could leave our belongings on the bus as it would be locked and secure. While luckily nothing was taken , we felt the situation was handled in appropriately, They should have a better system in place in case there are van issues. I sent a message to the provider and I got no response.
Very beautiful excursion with Maria, "Arctic Adventure" and "all day tour", Icelandic, cyclist, and very friendly! Anecdotes and spontaneous presentations of his country, and especially of the Golden Circle in a small group in a small, very comfortable shuttle! A long time at the Secret Lagoon! Only downside: the meeting point is the same as for all the buses and shuttles! Stressful moment trying to find your shuttle!!
Be patient. Some sites are INCREDIBLY crowded. Long lines at bathrooms, no seats, etc. That said, the scenery is amazing. Our guide, Erla, was excellent!
It was great but we definitely needed more time at the Secret Lagoon. Because of the showering requirement before and after, our time in the water is severely limited.
