Iceland Guide: The Golden Circle
Our second day trip from Reykjavik took us on Iceland’s famous Golden Circle. In a few hours we made a plan to stop at Thingvellir National Park, Gullfoss, Strokkur Geysir, Friðheimar Tomato Green House, and as a last stop before heading back to Reykjavik, the Kerið Crater. We began the morning with breakfast and coffee at Emilie and The Cool Kids. Full review forthcoming but it was an excellent choice and they had a wide variety of vegan and vegetarian options. We then initiated our tour of the Golden Circle.
Thingvellir National Park
We had been to Thingvellir National Park our first night in Iceland on a guided tour of the Northern Lights. While unfortunately, only a band of the green arch of Aurora Borealis was visible that night, it was incredible to stand in the fields of Thingvellir and take in the view of the stars while enjoying warm cinnamon waffles. In the light of day, and with a relatively short amount of time to hit all our marks, we divided our time at Thingvellir as follows. Note, you will pay for parking upon arrival, but the one fee is valid for parking at any of the Thingvellir lots should you drive from one location to the next.
Lögberg: or law rock. A UNESCO World Heritage site, this is where the world’s oldest surviving national parliament—the Althing—met beginning in 930 to legislate. From 930 to 1798 the Althing met here. Beginning in 1881, the parliament is located within Alþingishúsið in Reykjavík.
Almannagjá | Tectonic Plates: The experience to walk the visible tectonic-plate boundary where North America and Eurasia are tearing away from each other at a rate of 1mm to 18mm per year, was quite incredible. This stunning path is entered near the Thingvellir National Park Visitors Center and runs through to Lögberg. You may recognize the tectonic plate path from scenes in Game of Thrones.
öxarárfoss: This was not originally on our plan for the day but the recommendation of the host at the visitors center and we were really glad we followed her advice. The path to the waterfall is an easy hike and as we approached fog rising from the thin layers of ice and water was an incredible site to see.
Gullfoss
The largest waterfall in Europe measured by volume, Gullfoss is an impressionable natural wonder to visit is a two tiered falls, with a total height of an impressive 105 feet. The hiking trail was closed on the day we visited due to the ice and slippery conditions near the falls, but on warmer days, the trail looks like a well kept path to walk. (I will add video footage of the falls via YouTube later this week)
Strokkur Geysir
We choose to stop at Strokkur Geysir because of the frequency with which it errupts (every 8-10 minutes). The ambiance is exciting as heat rises from boiling mud pools among the golden fields. The geysir itself happens quickly so be sure to keep your eyes on the action. If you’re in need of coffee or lunch there are options here.
Friðheimar Tomato Green House
When traveling, I really enjoy visiting farms to table restaurants and the Fridheimar experience was certainly unique among these. Given Iceland’s climate, this tomato farm is operated as a green house and produces two tons (!!!) of tomatoes per day. The harvest is only sourced to stores and restaurants in Iceland to promote sustainable, local farming. Call in advance to book your reservation and enjoy lunch served among the botanical scents of tomatoes and basil for a new experience. We ordered the tomato soup buffet which is essentially bottomless tomato soup, with a variety of breads and spreads. The soup was fragrant and thin, like tomato water. It was very good and my son really liked it. We also put in an order of ravioli with pesto which again tasted fresh and delicious and the garden salad which my only suggestion was that it needed more salt but otherwise also delicious. For dessert we had an apple and green tomato crumble with cream and again, my son devoured every last bite. It was fresh and simple. Of course, I also tried a green tomato IPA beer. It was refreshing with a light tomato after taste that was pleasant. My wife had the Bloody Mary. The mix was quite similar to the soup, lighter in color and texture than most Bloody Mary mixes and enjoyable. Following your meal, you can stroll the rows of tomato vines and you’ll see boxes of bumblebees to pollinate the plants.
Kerið Crater
It turned out that we had planned our timing perfectly. As we exited Friðheimar we still had about an hour of light to see the stunning colors of the volcanic Kerið Crater which was a 23 minute drive away. But you know what they say about making plans…at minute 20, my son had the sudden realization that his coat was still back at the restaurant. It was cold. We had no choice, the coat was needed! So we drove back and as we arrived at Kerið Crater we weren’t sure how much we would see in the dark and lightless night. While normally there is an entrance fee, we were allowed to enter free of charge due to the lighting. While we didn’t see the contrast of colors the crater is famous for, we took in an awesome view of the crater with the moon rising above it.
