Golden Circle Tour, Iceland: A Mesmerizing Journey Through Nature
Anyone who makes the trip to Iceland should make sure they take the Golden Circle tour. Iceland visits are incomplete without this fascinating trip, which takes you to a land of glacial rivers, stunning landscapes and spectacular scenery. You will also be able to see some rare natural sights and phenomenon like geysers that shoot up 30 meters into the air, volcanic lakes and tectonic plates.
This tour is for everyone who can travel, irrespective of age. It gives the best of Iceland in the three main stops that it covers: the Þingvellir national park, also called the ‘national shrine’ of Iceland; the magnificent waterfall of Gullfoss; and the hot springs and geysers of Geysir and Strokkur. In short, this trip gives the very best of Iceland and is not to be missed and the highlights of the Southwest region can be covered in a single day from Reykjavik.
Let us take you though the best things that the Golden Circle tour has to offer.
Kerið Volcanic Crater Lake
Iceland is a land of volcanoes. The Kerið ‘crater lake’ has an intact caldera which tells you about its violent past. This is the only crater of this type that can be easily reached from Reykjavik.
Þingvellir National Park:
Þingvellir National Park is a place of great national significance for Iceland. It is where Iceland as a nation made its first move towards independence. Here you can see the site of the world’s first parliament, which first sat in the year 930. This was the meeting place for the assembly, and the so-called ‘Rock of Law’ was the platform from which speeches were made.
The place was the ideal choice for the assembly as it was easily accessible for most of the representatives from the island country. The rock also sits in an acoustically enhanced position. The only problem for the parliament was that they were sitting on two continents, though at that time they did not know that.
Although Iceland is a European country politically speaking, physically a part of the island is on the North American Plate and part of it is on the Eurasian Plate. Geological activity is moving these plates about two and a half centimeters apart each year. There is a place called the Rift Valley, which is in effect between the two continents.
This is the only place on the planet where you can see tectonic plates above sea level. For those of you who want to walk across from North America to Europe, the Þingvellir National Park is the place to go!
Geysir, Land of Hot Springs
Geysir is the original geyser which probably gave rise to the word ‘geyser’. Geysir sits atop a vast geothermal field called the Haukadalur geothermal area. Steam rises from the hot springs and streams of this region with colourful bubbling mud. Geysir is dormant most of the time, but the Strokkur geyser erupts every ten minutes sending a column of boiling water about 25 to 30 meters into the air. Most Golden Circle tours will pause here for about an hour at the least, so you will have plenty of opportunities to see the Strokkur in action.
Just a few minutes drive from Geysir, the next stop on the amazing Iceland Golden Circle Tour is the white water and waterfalls of Gullfoss.
Gullfoss, The Golden Falls Waterfall
At the thundering Gullfoss waterfall you will see rushing white water go down a 32 meters drop into the canyon below. If the sun is out, the spray of the waterfall will create a lovely rainbow which adds to the beauty of the view. If you come here in winter, you are in for an even better view as part of the waterfall freezes.
If you visit Iceland, then the Golden Circle Tour is something that you really must take. It is just a one-day trip from Reykjavik, but it takes you through areas with some of the most magnificent geological phenomena and natural beauty in the world.
Iceland is like a second home to travel writer David Hamer, who has visited the country many times. Of all the wonderful tours available in Iceland David rates the Golden Circle Tour Icleands finest.
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