One Ring to Rule Them All - The Golden Circle of Iceland

Day 2 of our incredible 9 day adventure we ventured out close to Reykjavik on the famous Golden Circle Drive. 2 Large waterfalls, a colorful crater, geysers, and oh no big deal, the rift between 2 continental plates! It's going to be easy to see why this circle (triangle?) is indeed pure gold.

Stop 1: Thingvillir National Park : Parking is $6.50 for all day pass

Up and early we had breakfast and were out by 8 with our first stop: Þingvellir (Thingvellir in English) National Park, just a short drive away from Reykjavik. You pay an easy $6.50 for an all day parking pass. There's a small visitor center with historical information on the site (a lot of it!) and then you head out to walk the rift between continental plates.

When most people hear about this national park they automatically think of Silfra, the popular diving spot where you can actually swim or snorkel between the Eurasian and North American Tectonic plates. We weren't brave enough to don the dry suit for a swim in there but we didn't want to miss out on not only the cool geology of this national park but also the HISTORY.

Þingvellir is the only UNESCO World Heritage site in Iceland, and that isn't due to geology folks! This place has some rad history to it since it was the seat of Iceland's parliament since its establishment in 930 AD all the way until 1798.
The settlement of Iceland began in AD 874 when the Norwegian chieftain Ingólfur Arnarson became the first permanent Norwegian settler on the island. Early on, district assemblies were formed, but as the population grew, there was a need for a general assembly to limit the more powerful families in SW Iceland.

Grímur Geitskör was allotted the role of rallying support and finding a suitable location for the assembly. At about the same time, the owner of the Þingvellir region was found guilty of murder. His land was declared public, and then obligated to be used for assembly proceedings. The Þingvellir area was chosen for this reason and for its accessibility to the most populous regions of the north, south and west. The foundation of the Icelandic parliament is said to be the founding of the nation of Iceland, and the first parliamentary proceedings in the summer of 930 laid the ground for a common cultural heritage and national identity.

History of the park:

The Alþingi (assembly) at Þingvellir was Iceland's supreme legislative and judicial authority from its establishment in 930 until 1271. The Lögberg or Law Rock was the focal point of the assembly and a natural platform for holding speeches. The Lawspeaker, elected for three years at a time, presided over the assembly and recited the law of the land.Inauguration and dissolution of the assembly took place at the law rock, where rulings made by the Law Council were announced, the calendar was confirmed, legal actions were brought and other announcements made which concerned the entire nation. Anyone attending the assembly was entitled to present his case on important issues from the law rock.
The Law Council served as both parliament and supreme court. Laws were passed and approved there, and rulings made on points of law. The Assembly was Iceland's legislative and chief judicial authority for the duration of the Commonwealth, until 1271. Executive power was in the hands of the chieftains and parties to individual cases.
In the final decades of the Commonwealth, there were clashes between chieftain families, which resulted in Iceland coming under the Norwegian crown. Executive power was strengthened under this new order, while legislative and judicial authority at first remained in the hands of the original assembly, but even that was gradually transferred to the Norwegian and later the Danish rulers, until in 1662, the King of Denmark became the absolute monarch of Iceland.

Geology:

The continental drift between the North American and Eurasian Plates can be clearly seen in the cracks or faults which traverse the region. The largest one, Almannagjá, you walk through after the main parking area into the trail system. (what all the pictures above are of) This also causes the often measurable earthquakes in the area. Some of the rifts are also full of clear water like the Silfra, but not all of them can you dive. Several of the bridges in the park traverse the fissures so if you too do not wish to go for a swim, just cross a bridge and look down and you'll be looking down between 2 Tectonic plates. The park also borders Iceland's largest natural lake Þingvallavatn.

Practical Information:

The park and Visitor Center are FREE
Parking however costs 500 ISK ($6.50) for a day pass that you must display in your car window at all times. The machines on site were pretty easy to use.
Hours for Visitor center: June - August 31: 09:00 - 19:00
September - May 31 09:00 - 18:30
WC: The Toilets cost 200 ISK and are open available from 09:00-18:00 daily

Stop 2: Geysir

Next up on the Golden Circle route was Geysir... which I'll be honest, I've been to Yellowstone so this was a quick stop for us. (Didn't help that it was FREEZING at this stop) We explored the massive gift shop on site here and looked longingly at the over priced $20 bowls of soup before heading out to see some boiling water.
The large Strokkur Geysir reaches height of around 30 m and goes off every 6- 10 minutes. We saw it twice though the first time was very small. Unfortunately I didn't get any great shots of it erupting.

History:

The area Geysir is named after the original Geyser that erupted there, consequently the FIRST geyser described in a printed source and the first known to modern Europeans. Incidentally the English word Geyser derives from the name Geysir which itself is derived from the Icelandic verb geysa, "to gush."
The geysers in this region have been very affected by earthquakes over the centuries with Geysir once being the 2nd largest geyser to ever erupt and erupting every 30 minutes or so. Now Geysir rarely erupts but luckily there is Strokkur to keep us all entertained. Visiting Geysir was easy as the car park is free, and it is just a short walk over to view the hot pots and geyser going off.

Stop 3: Gulfoss

Then 5 minutes down the road is the crowning jewel of the golden Circle: GULFOSS

Yay WATERFALLS! One of the main things that brought me to Iceland in the first place and even though the rain was coming down again and we were definitely cold, Gulfoss did not disappoint. There are 2 parking lots to visit this waterfall (both free) one that is more level with where I'm standing and with no facilities. The other one is at the top of the hill where there is a gift shop, snack bar and other facilities. We went where the GPS took us which was the top lot which meant quite a few stairs up and down.
*which careful they're slick when wet! Braden slipped and about lost our car keys as they fell out of his pocket when he caught himself and went under the stairs. Luckily they were at an easy spot on the hill to trek up to and recover them.

We walked along the narrow path in the mist to get to the center point of the falls and boy were we soaked when we did! We didn't last too much longer after that. haha

Some brief blue skies on an otherwise rainy day. Also one of the infamous 1 way bridges that are EVERYWHERE.

Stop 4: Háifoss

Next stop was a bit off the golden circle route but easily my favorite part of the day: Háifoss.
There's loads of debate about there on the Iceland forums... about whether Haifoss is worth the extra car time, worth the bumpy dirt road, etc... and the answer to all of this is

YES. IT IS.

Not only is the one waterfall worth it on it's own, but there's a score of waterfalls and a STUNNING canyon to photograph and explore at the same time. It's a win all around. We had a 4 wheel drive vehicle but not necessarily high clearance, and I don't think we even had the 4X turned on. So even if you don't splurge for a 4x4 car, just go slow. It's only 7 km of dirt road, will probably take you 20 minutes and you can DO IT.

When we first got there, all of these beauties were shrouded in mist and the waterfall was very ghostly all around. Haifoss is Iceland's 3rd tallest waterfall at just over 400 feet (122 m) of straight drop.

Within minutes, the clouds began to clear and we could get a better shot of this waterfall alley

Even though it was cold, wet, and extremely windy at first, I'm glad we stuck around to experience this stunning waterfall with a bit of clear skies even if it was for only 10 min.

And the view then, OH MY GOD. So Beautiful, I honestly don't think I've ever experienced a more beautiful site.

Note: Visiting Haifoss is both out of the way a bit and free but because of that it lacks 2 things: facilities and tourists. Better make use of some facilities at your prior destination as you've got bumpy roads and no facilities for miles around once you get out here.

I had read on some reviews that there is a trail to the bottom of these falls that was only 10-15 minutes so even with the iffy weather, we headed out to explore. The trail is pretty easy to follow as you stick closer to the cliff and head out toward the valley. There are periodic orange flags that mark the way.
As you can see though, we got to a switch back part with the bottom of the falls in view, and the heavens opened back u on us... and it had taken us 15 minutes to get half way there so with friends waiting for us at the car.. we decided to turn back.

You win this round Iceland weather.

Stop 5: Kerið Crater admission ! : $3.80pp

Our last stop of the day before reaching our hotel in Selfoss was the Kerið Crater which is back right on the Golden Circle.
The Kerið crater is a 3,000 year old volcanic caldera that is approximately 55 m (180 ft) deep, 170 m (560 ft) wide, and 270 m (890 ft) across. The lake itself is fairly shallow (7–14 metres, depending on rainfall and other factors), but due to minerals from the soil, is an opaque and strikingly vivid aquamarine. Also interestingly enough, the majority of the water in the crater is NOT from rainfall but the water table as the base of the crater is on level with it.

Some theorized that like most volcanic craters, the Kerið crater was formed by a huge explosion as the volcano erupted. However, there's a large lack of evidence of a large lava explosion so the more likely theory is that a Cone volcano formed and a smaller eruption drained the magma reserve. Once the magma was emptied, the top of the cone caved in on itself into what would've been the magma chamber.
Either way what was left is steep red rock walls covered in moss making this one colorful crater you don't want to miss.

There's an easy walking path on the more sloped side that allows you to walk up to the water's edge, relax on the VERY dirty bench that's half sunk and you have to climb onto, or take a short walk around the lake. Once again there are no facilities at this crater's parking area but you are very close to Selfoss (10 min away). Also important to note is the owner's of the land charge a 400 isk (about $4) pp charge to enter. It takes maybe 20 minutes to walk around the top and another 20 minutes to go down and walk around the lake.

Stop 6: Selfoss (town)

Selfoss as we rolled in. We stayed this time in an adorable guesthouse that was one of our cheaper stays on the trip. Guesthouse Garun Skolavellir which was right in town. We had a separate room from our friends and from what I could tell really only shared the bathroom with them as the 3rd room on our landing had their own. There was also a great little kitchen for preparing your own meals and a hot tub which we didn't make use of on this night but I imagine would be really nice. Def. recommend Garun Guesthouse. (link below)

Tips

1. Start early!! With the proximity of these spots to Reyk, they will get busy fast with tours. Stay ahead of the tours by getting there early!
2. Pack a lunch... there aren't much but expensive cafes with limited options along the golden circle route.
3. As long as it isn't torrentially raining, visit Haifoss. Yes there is a dirt road, but you can make it in a 2 wheel drive car if you take it nice and easy. This was my favorite spot of the day!

Budget

Thingvillir National Park - Parking is $6.50 for all day pass
Kerið Crater admission - $3.80pp

Lodging

Garun Guesthouse $113/ room/ 2 people

Food

Breakfast and lunch - $10 groceries purchased previous day
Gulfoss shop sandwich - $7
Dinner at Yellow - $36.20 for 2 meals
Groceries again for potentially next couple of days: $21.86

Rental Car

Daily rate split with another couple $66
Daily Gas rate split $18

Day 2 costs: $276 for 2 people

Driving Distance/Time: 300 km 4hr,45 min

Up Next: The Amazing Southern Coast of Iceland