Where to Next: REYKJAVIK, Iceland, is known mostly for its dramatic landscape with volcanoes, geysers, hot springs the BLUE LAGOON and lava fields. Most of the population lives in the capital, Reykjavik, which runs on geothermal power and is home to the National and Saga museums, tracing Iceland’s Viking history.
Iceland Golden Circle is a must do road trip. I personally love road trips with my guy and we try to go on as many as possible. So if you are planning a trip to Iceland I say rent a car. Most blogs would say to make sure you get a 4wd vehicle but to me it just depends on where you are planning to go and what time of year you visit. I went in June and the weather was perfect, there wasn’t any snow so you can definitely get by with almost any vehicle during this time (just my opinion ). The Trip Notes below for this blog will be my must do for a quick Golden Circle Road Trip and a few city highlights.
TRIP NOTES
THE BEST ROUTE FOR THE GOLDEN CIRCLE TOUR.. Check out my youtube video here of the Golden Circle.
What you must do:
GAS UP : So we got up pretty earlier in hopes to beat the crowds and the massive tour companies and it was so worth it. Most companies start at 8 a.m. so we tried to be on the road by 6 a.m. notice I said tried. lol .. I have never been one for time but we did beat the crowd but whose keeping score (waves hand in the air like I do care) . We stopped at the local gas stations to gas up and grab coffee and snacks. Definitely make sure you have plenty of gas because I did not see one gas station on the route. Gas is pretty expensive in Iceland like mostly everything else so be ready for the mouth open look at the Gas pump.
DOWNLOADS: Make sure to download a good offline Map. My map of choice is an app call Maps Me. I used it on all my trips and find it very helpful. You may also want to download other places to check out along the way or great places to eat at for reference. Most of the Golden circle stops have cafe’s but they can be a little pricey.
First stop: Thingvellir National Park has some of the most breath-taking views and if you get there early you will have the entire park to yourself plus free parking at the top. Take as long as you want as there is so much to see from waterfalls, to Natural formations. The park is also home to the Silfra fissure a crack between the North American and Eurasian continental plates, and it’s the only place in the world where you can dive or snorkel directly between two continental plates. I hear that it has some of the best underwater visibility. I am definitely curious to find out after snorkeling the great barrier reefs in Cairns. But since we didn’t have time to circle back to this part I will have to save it for our next visit.
Next Stop: Geysers!! We stopped at the Geysers of Haukadalur There are several small and large geysers here including the Geysir which is what gave us the word Geyser itself. Research has shown that this Geyser has been active for more than 10,000 years. Most of the Geysers here erupt every 5-10 minutes. 
On to: WATERFALLS Gullfoss waterfalls is one of the most up close and personal waterfalls and a must see on the golden circle for its iconic views. The water plummets down 32 meters in two stages into a rugged canyon which walls reach up to 70 meters in height. On a sunny day you might even catch a rainbow.
Lastly: Just STOP!!! We took so many unplanned stops along the way to admire the view the farm animals especially the Icelandic horses the owners even put out horse food so you can feed them so don’t be shy. After all what’s a road trip without at least one unplanned stop. I can’t begin to tell you the things I’ve seen on my journey by just going with the flow.
Hang out in the city:
The City of REYKJAVIK is a nice place to explore after you have finished your Golden Circle Tour.
You must Try and Icelandic Hotdog. I picked up one from Baejarins Beztu Pylsur which translates as the best hot dogs in town. Honestly, I picked up another hotdog from a little stand in town and it was just as good. I’m not sure if you can go wrong with a hotdog in Iceland. I think it may be even better than a New York hot dog, sorry New York it was really good.
The city never sleeps especially when it’s mostly daylight so you can always find some pub or bar open late. There where times it was 2 a.m. but it felt like it was 2 p.m. to me. So make sure you are aware of the time. I believe the city shuts down for a small 4 hour block before everything opens again.
Finally go to the Hallgrimskirkja Cathedral it is one of the tallest structures in Iceland and during the northern lights one of the best places to catch a view.
Thanks so much for checking out my blog and I’ll see you in the next one. Don’t forget to check out my youtube channel and subscribe also on instagram @myladytravel.
XOXO
My Lady Nyoka
Greetings My Lady 