THE GOLDEN CIRCLE

We signed up for a day tour of the Golden Circle, a popular tourist route in Iceland, during our stay in Reykjavik. The three primary stops on the route include: 1) the geothermal area in Haukadalur, which contains the geysers Geysir and Strokkur; 2) Gullfoss waterfall; and 3) Þingvellir National Park. It was both a wonderful and miserable day.

It turns out the weather on this day tour was not the same weather we had been experiencing in the capital city. We had assumed we could dress as we did in the Reykjavik (wrong) and found ourselves hiking through ice and snow in the cold rain without adequate protection from the elements (we should have known better). We were cold and wet and miserable on this day tour. And it made for a long day.

Dress properly in Iceland, people.

{Photos below blurry from the rain.}

^^walking between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates^^

Recommendations: 
1) Strokkur erupts every 5-10 minutes. Be ready with your camera.
2) Geysir erupts very rarely. Don't bother waiting for it to erupt.
3) Don't touch the geothermal water. You will be burned!
4) Eat lunch in Haukadalur. The food is good and less expensive than the food at Gullfoss.
5) You'll need to pay to use the bathrooms at Þingvellir.
6) Bring water and snacks for the bus.
7) Dress properly for the outdoors. In the wintertime, wear boots and a warm, waterproof coat. Bring a hat and gloves/mittens.
8) Consider booking this tour in the summer months when there is more daylight and better weather.