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During one of my days in Reykjavik last month, Nichole and I rented a car with Ty, a guy we met in our hostel, and headed out to Iceland’s iconic Golden Circle route. Let me just say, this drive is probably one of the most beautiful drives I’ve ever taken in my life. Ty was in charge of driving and we spent all day meandering the nearly desolate roads of Iceland. As you can see from the photos below, we had sunshine and perfect (although really cold) weather the entire day!
Thingvellir National Park
Thingvellir used to be the center of Icelandic culture and politics. In 930 AD, the first governmental assembly for Iceland was established at Thingvellir, which literally translates to “Parliament Plains.” It has played an important role in the history of Iceland for over 1,000 years.
Today, Thingvellir is a National Park and one of the main sites on the Golden Circle. Besides being an important part of Icelandic history, Thingvellir is geographically very important. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge, which divides the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates, runs through Thingvellir (you can actually see the divide!). The landscape of this national park is absolutely stunning!
This reminds me so much of the landscape in Newfoundland…especially all the rocks and their formations.
ROAD TRIP BUDDIES!
Stumbled across this gorgeous waterfall in the middle of the national park!
Strokkur
This infamous geysir erupts around every 10 minutes. Unfortunately, I only managed to catch the aftermath of the geysir but if you are really curious, you can google it :) It was freezing (!!!) so we decided not to stay and watch it erupt again :)
This wasn’t the geysir but small hot springs that are near Strokkur!
The aftermath of the geysir erupting.
Gullfoss
The waterfall, known as “Golden Falls” in English, was probably the highlight of my time on the Golden Circle. It was approaching sunset so the lighting was amazing and the views spectacular. I think the pictures speak for themselves :)
I can’t get over how gorgeous that light looks shining through to the waterfalls.
Pretty, pretty Nichole pondering the meaning of life? Or just chilling and taking in the gorgeous views ;) Or potentially trying to stay warm!
Thanks Ty for being a great travel buddy, driver, and friend! :)
The three of us at the waterfalls together! Loved this travel group and the wonderful memories we made :)
We took a wrong turn and ended up with this stunning view. Not too shabby?!
Animals along the way…
We made a few impromptu stops along the way to “attempt” to play with the animals. Sometimes we failed (sheep) and sometimes we won (horses)!
Look at that golden sun! I love the lighting of this photo and the composition of the sheep.
Beautiful Icelandic horses grazing in an endless pasture.
Tips + Hints:
I’d highly recommend just renting a car (fairly cheap) and doing the route at your own pace rather than going with a tour group. That way, you can stop as frequently as you would like and stay as long as you like! The Golden Circle loop is around 300 kilometers (180 miles) but it took us around 8 or 9 hours to complete! The roads were all pretty good but we were told they can get icy almost any time of the year (thanks E.R. doctor who sewed up my foot for that piece of advice). Also, bring lots of snacks for the route because there are very few places to stop!
We did the Golden Circle clockwise which I think is better because you hit most of the places during the first half (when you still have energy!) We definitely got tired towards the end and were happy we saw everything earlier on the route :)
As always, let me know if you have any questions about what I mentioned! :)
bevchen says
Wow, this looks gorgeous! We are hopefully going to Iceland for New Year, but I don’t think we will have blue skies like you did… for one thing there’s only like 4 hours of daylight at that time of year!
Jordan Beck Wagner says
Let me know if you end up heading there and I will pass along tips/advice for you!!! Even without a lot of sun, the country is beautiful! xo
Kaelene @ Unlocking Kiki says
Beautiful pictures of Iceland! It looks like you had awesome weather for a road trip. I just have to ask, was your friend wearing sandals?? My feet were cold just looking at her!
Jordan Beck Wagner says
hahaha I think she had socks with her sandals! The day started out really warm and got colder the later it got! I had such an amazing time on the Golden Circle and am already planning my next trip back to Reykjavik! Except next time we are meeting up :) xo
Kaelene @ Unlocking Kiki says
Yes most definitely!
Lily Lau says
Really spectacular photos, Jordan! Reminds me of these other pictures about beautiful and isolated spots around the world http://lazypenguins.com/the-loneliest-houses-in-beautiful-secluded-spots-around-the-world/ , the Iceland of your post should be here too :)
Jordan Beck Wagner says
Thanks so much for stopping by my blog! :)
Tee @ Rotten One says
Ah, I remember being in Iceland last year – it was wonderful! Your pictures really bring back a lot of memories from that trip, and I love the photos of those horses! x
Tee @ http://www.Rotten-One.com
Jordan Beck Wagner says
Thanks so much! I found your blog from Margo at the Overseas Escape and have been obsessed since then :) Berlin is my favorite city and your photos are amazing! Thanks for stopping by :)))) xo
Tee @ Rotten One says
Ah, thank you so much! So glad you found me, I’ve been following your blog as well. Lovely. Keep in touch x :)
Erika says
Wow, the word that comes to mind when I read this is: ENCHANTED! Those views are so beautiful!
I feel like Iceland is really on the radar this year! I now definitely want to visit it at some point — looks like a nature dream! :)
Jordan Beck Wagner says
You’re so sweet Erika! :) It is pretty easy (and cheap!) to get to Iceland from the USA! I went from Detroit to Minneapolis and then Minneapolis to Iceland. That second flight was less than 6 hours! Icelandair all the way :))))) Maybe a reward for when you finish school?! Incentives always work on me! xo
Erika says
Oooh, just this comment is making it feel so much more attainable! I’ll have to look up flights and convince Tyler to go as a graduation gift… I like that… incentives! :)
Jordan Beck Wagner says
It is definitely attainable :))))
Amanda @ Rhyme & Ribbons says
Iceland just looks incredible. So many travel bloggers have been going there lately and the photos are all just jaw dropping! x
Jordan Beck Wagner says
Iceland is just so gorgeous…how could you not go there? Also, Icelandair allows you to have a free stopover there for up to 7 days so how can you say no! :)
Marianne says
More and more I’m thinking about making Iceland a destination on my way back to the U.S. from Europe. This post just helped to convince me…
Jordan Beck Wagner says
You definitely should!!! Free layovers in Iceland and Icelandair flies to a bunch of places in Europe and the USA :)
Courtney @ Adelante says
Oh my goodness, every single one of these pictures makes me want to visit Iceland so badly! The scenery is absolutely breathtaking! Those waterfalls look especially incredible. I need to go!!!!