Iceland - Thingvellir National Park & Golden Circle Questions

I'm really looking forward to going to Iceland, and driving the Golden Circle (by ourselves, using a rental car). However, I'm trying to figure out how much time we'll need to visit the highlights of the National Park (Thingvellir) and how walking-intensive a visit there will be. I guess I want to at least see the church and houses (I think) that I've seen in photos, plus the Logberg (Law Rock) and where the two teutonic plates meet. Can anyone give me any advice on how best to see these places? Is much walking involved? Where should we park, as I notice there are several parking lots. Does anyone have any good links, maps, blogs or pictures that would help me get a sense of what the park is like?

I know there is a visitor center there, but if I could get any information before I go, I think it might enable us to save our time and feet a little bit for the rest of the circle.

I'm really looking forward to going to Iceland, and driving the Golden Circle (by ourselves, using a rental car). However, I'm trying to figure out how much time we'll need to visit the highlights of the National Park (Thingvellir) and how walking-intensive a visit there will be. I guess I want to at least see the church and houses (I think) that I've seen in photos, plus the Logberg (Law Rock) and where the two teutonic plates meet. Can anyone give me any advice on how best to see these places? Is much walking involved? Where should we park, as I notice there are several parking lots. Does anyone have any good links, maps, blogs or pictures that would help me get a sense of what the park is like?

 

I know there is a visitor center there, but if I could get any information before I go, I think it might enable us to save our time and feet a little bit for the rest of the circle.

We plan to visit Iceland in the next couple of years in conjunction with a Baltic cruise. Unfortunately I can't help with your questions yet but wanted to suggest posting this in a forum on Trip Advisor. They likely have an Iceland forum and you could glean loads of information from it. Good luck and enjoy your trip.

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I'm really looking forward to going to Iceland, and driving the Golden Circle (by ourselves, using a rental car). However, I'm trying to figure out how much time we'll need to visit the highlights of the National Park (Thingvellir) and how walking-intensive a visit there will be. I guess I want to at least see the church and houses (I think) that I've seen in photos, plus the Logberg (Law Rock) and where the two teutonic plates meet. Can anyone give me any advice on how best to see these places? Is much walking involved? Where should we park, as I notice there are several parking lots. Does anyone have any good links, maps, blogs or pictures that would help me get a sense of what the park is like?

 

I know there is a visitor center there, but if I could get any information before I go, I think it might enable us to save our time and feet a little bit for the rest of the circle.

If you're going to Iceland on a cruise you'll have limited time and there is so much to see. We went to Iceland and booked a full day tour that took us to Thingviellir, the geysers, the glacier, the waterfalls and Vik.....we were there on our own so we did the Blue Lagoon separately. It is easy to drive around and if you're there on your own, I would recommend it...but with a limited time you'll see more on a guided tour than on your own....IMHO of course. It's an unforgettable place.

roothy123: We have done an Iceland cruise but have also visited on two other occasions. When we were there on the two land trips we visited Thingvellir each time as my husband is a geologist and finds rift valleys fascinating. You may find this website helpful as it contains maps and great information for planning a trip there: http://www.thingvellir.is

I have been to Iceland twice and there are many things to see on the golden circle in addition to the park. There are a number of parking lots in the park - one at the top of the valley near the visitor centre and it is quite large. The other two are further down the road at the base of the valley. We were there in July and parking was not a problem. We spent an hour or so walking in the rift area. There are good easy paths and boardwalks so it is easy strolling. We spent a full day in the area which included some time at Fontana spa which is geothermal heated. You can certainly do the golden circle on your own. There are small group tours also and I did one in January with Icelandic Mountain Guides and they were fantastic. If you prefer big bus tours Greyline corners the market on these. Not sure how many of you there are but compare costs of renting vs driving as rentals are expensive. Other sites on the circuit are Gulfoss, Keric volcano - not active amazing blue water filled - geysers, the hydroponic gardens etc.

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If you're going to Iceland on a cruise you'll have limited time and there is so much to see. We went to Iceland and booked a full day tour that took us to Thingviellir, the geysers, the glacier, the waterfalls and Vik.....we were there on our own so we did the Blue Lagoon separately. It is easy to drive around and if you're there on your own, I would recommend it...but with a limited time you'll see more on a guided tour than on your own....IMHO of course. It's an unforgettable place.

Which company did you book your day tour with? We are planning to visit Iceland for a few days before moving on to another site for cruise embarkation.

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We booked through Icelandic Mountain Guides. We were not on a cruise so you will need to see if the timing works for you. They are small group tours and were excellent.

Which company did you book your day tour with? We are planning to visit Iceland for a few days before moving on to another site for cruise embarkation.

 

 

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We booked with Reykavik Excursions. They picked us up and returned us to our hotel....the guide was excellent..the buses clean and comfortable. The ones we did with them, where they stopped and MHO on the worthiness of stop:

The Golden Circle: 8 hours:

greenhouse village: mildly interesting...clean restrooms...short stop

Kerio volcanic crater: WOW...

Gulfoss Waterfall: not to be missed

Geysir hot springs: not to be missed

Thingvellir NP: not to be missed

South Shore Adventure: 10 hours:

Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss waterfalls: OMG outstanding places...if at all possible not to be missed....In October the spray was freezing in mid-air!!!!

Vik: Amazingly and eerily beautiful...

If you can only do one go with the Golden Circle. If you're there long enough to rent a car do the waterfalls on your own. If you're interested in Vik with the amazing rock formations it's not hard to get to by car.

We also did the Blue Lagoon with them and again, based on time, it was an unforgettable experience. You can rent bathing suits, but we had our own. The skin products are fabulous! Many people stop here on their way to the airport but I would not want to sit on a plane with wet hair....we spent about 3 hours there...beautiful and relaxing.

In downtown Reykjavik the main attractions are the Pearl; the Hallgrimskirkja Church and the Viking ship statue on the waterfront....and the museum....if you're short on time drop the Pearl....everything else is walking distance, as is the Pearl, but I'd categorize that as a hike not a walk.

Thanks for the replies, and keep them coming! I'm fascinated by Iceland.....and at this point there are so many things I want to see in a short period (2 1/2 days, I think it is) that I know I won't get them all done. Oh well, happens to me a lot...overplanning has become the norm for me.

Thanks for the replies, and keep them coming! I'm fascinated by Iceland.....and at this point there are so many things I want to see in a short period (2 1/2 days, I think it is) that I know I won't get them all done. Oh well, happens to me a lot...overplanning has become the norm for me.

I've been to Iceland twice (both land trips though and never a cruise) and I wouldn't hesitate to go again. Beautiful country with great people.

One day for golden circle and one day for Vik is a great plan if you are renting a car. The half day can be used to saunter around Reykjavik.

Vik is stunning and otherworldly. Definitely worth the drive (which also features some lovely vistas along the way). Here are a few pics of Vik to whet your appetite. Note that these are not black and white photos. Haha.

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We used geoiceland tours for the Golden Circle and were very pleased. The best part is they don't ask for any money in advance so if the weather is awful, you can cancel.

We stopped at Iceland on a cruise two years ago in October, one overnight, so actually two part-days in Iceland. If you Google "Driving the Golden Circle" or "Iceland in a car" (or something similar) you will find many blogs with photos and accounts. We rented a car and did not complete the Circle as we stopped several times, and enjoyed all there was to see. At the big waterfall we turned back and re-traced our steps, since were were tired and a bit done in by the weather. It took us about six hours round trip, and we loved it. I should also say that we pulled off at fairly mundane looking parking area along the way, and followed a well-marked trail to a waterfall that fell off a steep plateau like a curtain. Absolutely beautiful and unexpected. I'm trying to say there are other sights along the road, not just the big three.

The road was very drivable, but narrow, with very steep shoulders. You shouldn't just stop in the middle of the road. There are places to pull off, however, for photos or to pinch yourself to make sure you're seeing what you think you are. The landscape is phenomenal, everywhere you look. The rift area is quite long and you will probably not have time to walk its whole length - pick one part and see what you can. The geyser is fascinating, but it won't take you long. You watch it two or three times, and that's enough. The big falls require a fair walk to see - on boardwalks and stony paths. It can be slippery underfoot. That's as far as we got.

We encountered rain, wind, sun all repeated again and again. Be sure you have good footwear with good treads, and warm and rainproof clothes/jackets. Ponchos are useless, - when it's raining the wind is also blowing and the poncho just flies around. Geysir is pretty close to the road, but for most other things you will have to walk, sometimes a good distance, maybe in the rain and the wind.

Have a wonderful time! It's incredibly beautiful and unique, every mile along that road. Take time to enjoy it. I loved it so much we are going back, renting a car, and staying for a few days to see more.

STRONGLY ADVISE do a tour, either through the ship or independent (your choice). The Golden Circle is indeed amazing, but the day involves several hours of driving between the sights. The tour guide will be constantly on the speaker describing stuff, telling Icelandic stories, and giving all sorts of great information and background. Well worth it, IMO, to do a tour. You miss a lot by driving yourself.

OP, thanks for asking the question and everyone else, thanks for sharing your experience. We will be doing a 2 day stopover at Iceland (with rental car) after our Baltic cruise in late August/early September. We are a family of 4, with 2 young kids age 2.5 and 4.5. Will I be able to walk around Thinvellir with strollers? Do you think it's possible to take the kids to Gullfoss Falls (without strollers)? and do you think we can we can do Thinvellir, Strokkur geyser, Gullfoss Falls in the morning and then Blue Lagoon in the afternoon? Thanks.

The 'golden circle' is really a good day's outing and yes you can do it with strollers. The Thingvellir (sp) park has board walks and is stroller friendly. Even Gullfoss can be done with strollers or at minimum a shortish walk for the kids. Geyser is totally stroller friendly. I guess if you just did a real quick trip for those three sites you might be able to do it in a short time but there is still the drive to/from Reykjavik ..... you might be able to get to the Blue Lagoon in the late afternoon...... I believe it is also open in the evenings so you might want to spread it out a bit. Frankly, my fascination with the Blue Lagoon was a bit deflated once I found out it was not a natural occurring Lagoon but actually man made using the run off from the local geothermal plant. It is an interesting experience and I guess something to do once if in Iceland.

satie37, thank you so much for your quick response. It is good to know that golden circle is so stroller friendly. Hmm... maybe I should do Fontana Spa and Keric volcano instead. How do you like Fontana Spa?

Personally I loved Fontana spa. They have various temperature pools with different depths. It is located overlooking a lake. Also the steam rooms get the steam from a geothermal right under them. You might want to check out their policies for ages though. Keric Volcano was amazing - there is a small climb up to the crater and then a climb down into the water filled basin where there is a path around the bottom of the crater. Totally not stroller friendly however the view from the top is worth the stop. Another suggestion on the way back to Reykjavik is a town where there are board walks amongst the steam pools. I forget the name of the town but could locate it and post again.

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Check out Krysuvik. So much to see in Iceland!!

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We drove the Golden Circle last August and we spent around 7 hours doing the drive. But keep in mind that when you have a rental car you do control the speed and timing. We could have done it in 5 hours...or spent 10! One problem on our driving day was frequent rain showers (which can really add to the needed time) which caused us to change some things (like enjoying a long lunch during a rain storm). For what its worth, we will be back in Iceland this August and have already reserved our rental car. We plan on again doing that Golden Circle drive...since we enjoyed the entire experience (despite the awful weather).

Hank

Krysuvik looks amazing. Thanks for all these suggestions, seems that I have the itinerary of 1 day set. I am planning to do whale watching and Reykjavik downtown the morning before my 5pm flight back home.

Any recommendation on restaurants? Do I need to worry sand and ash storm?

If you will be whale watching then I suggest Icelandic Fish & Chips which is right down by the Harbour. Another choice is Forrettabarrin which is right across from the Iceland Air Hotel on the harbour. I don't think sand and ash would be an issue around the golden circle area. That insurance is to protect you from wind storm damage where volcanic ash can damage car paint. You might want to ask your question on the Iceland forum.

One important thing to know in Iceland is there are no barriers except maybe an easily avoidable rope at dangerous sites, and most of the sites you will be going to have the potential to be dangerous, so if you have children, make sure they are within arm's reach at all times!

Gulfoss has slippery pathways that could lead to a fall into the waterfall, and there's no way to get down there for a rescue.

Geysir water spurting is very hot and you need to pay attention to which direction the wind is blowing so it doesn't land on you, and make sure your kids don't get too close to the geysir or to the other geothermal areas very near by (you literally step over very hot water that is just running down a slope there)

Similar issues just about every other site (significant fall or burn) listed in this thread.

I'm the original poster. Thank you for the info and keep it coming! If anyone has downloaded the free but "meaty" Google Earth (a bit different from Google maps), I found that helpful in "viewing" the roads along the Circle and at the various attractions. Many roads have been photographed, and you can drag the "yellow man" in the corner to a road that is "blue."

Is there a separate Iceland forum/board? If so, I didn't see it before.

Ruthy123 thanks for the reminder that these areas are to be respected and can be dangerous. I have 5 children and have travelled a lot with them at various ages. As 'unpopular' as it may be I had a good child harness for my energetic toddler so there was no danger of them darting out into traffic, falling on cobblestones or getting into harms way. I found that the harness, and a backpack child carrier did the trick of making travel easy for me, safe and enjoyable for my child and allowed the exploration of areas I likely would not have ventured were I simply carrying or holding onto my child. Still common sense - although not always so common - should prevail when travelling with young children.

roothy:

There are a few of us here who know Iceland, but I usually suggest folks check out the Iceland board on TripAdvisor where there are many folks with much more extensive knowledge ready to help.