Road Trip...Icelandic Style

Kita the Explorer reviews her personal travel experiences on this site that receives compensation from the companies whose products we review and/or promote. I am independently discussing these services and the opinions expressed here are my own.

I love to travel but it usually seems like I visit the same typical climates...beach, tropical, or a city. This was the first time I went on vacation and had to pack my North Face coat and Sorel boots for one of the best adventures of a lifetime! With three of my friends, we took the ultimate ICELANDIC road trip! Yes....a road trip across Iceland!

Before I continue, please note renting a car in Iceland is pretty much hassle free but ensure to get the right type of vehicle as you don't know what type of terrain or weather you may encounter! Iceland Travel takes out this worry with their preplanned tours.

One part of our road trip was to take a tour of the Golden Circle! Here is what you can see on the Golden Circle Road Trip or Ring Road....

Thingvellir National Park

Thingvellir National Park (UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE) is located along the Golden Circle which contains historical, geological, and cultural experiences as well as one of the filming sites for the Game of Thrones (for the fans out there)! We were extremely excited to see one of the filming locations for one of our favorite tv shows! You can see Arya Stark in the image on the right from the Icelandic Times during one of the scenes from the show.

The park also offers Silfra! Silfra is a fissure and one of the TOP diving sites in the WORLD! This is because you can dive in between the North American and Eurasian continental plates...HOW INCREDIBLE IS THAT!!! Snorkel in clear glacier water between these plates to see the beautiful marine life. Noticed I said glacier sooooo the water will be cold...brrrrr!

Gullfoss Waterfall

Another great site to see along the Golden Circle is the Gullfoss Waterfall. This waterfall goes

along a "staircase" in the Olfusa River canyon. When you arrive in the parking lot, you will probably just see the mist of the waterfall coming up from down below. But as you walk towards the area you can view this amazing waterfall from up above or right next to it. But hopefully you can visit in between tour buses as this stunning site gets quite busy!

Geysir Hot Springs

The geothermal geysir area along the Golden Circle is another must see stop! There are a few

"little" geysirs but you must see the grand one! You may have to wait a few minutes to see the entire performance but it is well worth the wait. Have your camera ready as it happens really quickly. If you miss it, you will have to wait for it to bubble up again.

What is a geysir you might ask? They are situated in an active geothermal area which provides "underground plumbing". Water heats up when it comes into contact with hot bedrock and builds up pressure. When it reaches its peak temperature it shoots up out of the ground for its spectacular performance. So be sure to stay back as the water is scolding hot and prepare your nose for the smell of sulfur!

Kerid Crater Lake:​​

Lastly, you must stop at Kerid (Kerio is the pronunciation) Crater Lake. This a volcanic crater lake which was created by some type of volcanic eruption which releases its magma reserves. But hey, I'm not a scientist so I can't explain that entire process to you...sorry :-(. But I do know the site is worth the stop. You can walk the top of the crater or next to the lake at the bottom. Please note, there is a small entrance fee into the park which was about $4 USD as of September 2017.

So what are you waiting for! When visiting Iceland, take a road trip to visit the Golden Circle's amazing landscape and environmental sites. Plus, it isn't too far from Reykjavik! You can book many self guided and hassle free road trips with Iceland Travel! Enjoy!

Did you take a Golden Circle road trip based on this article? Tell me about it in the comment section below!