We are finally nearing the end of my Iceland road trip recap. I’m continually surprised by how much blog material I got out of this eight-day trip — each 24-hours period was packed with so many photo-worthy experiences that it’s taken me months to write about it all.
Because of my early morning snorkel session at the Silfra fissure, I had to finish this road trip in a less-than-ideal way. I wish I’d overnighted at the Skogafoss waterfall campground and then made my way up towards the Golden Circle area and back to Reykjavik, as indicated on this map:
Instead, I pushed through all the way to Thingvellir National Park on day 5 and set up my tent in the dark (“A” on the map below). Then after my morning snorkel, I drove all the way out to “B” and worked my way back towards Reykjavik while stopping to see the Golden Circle highlights (Gulfoss waterfall, geysers, and a neat tomato-based restaurant). It worked out fine this way; I just had to backtrack for Gulfoss and Geysir instead of passing by them in a more natural route. I was able to do all this and return my rental car in Reykjavik by 6pm to avoid getting charged for an extra day.
Let me share a little about the Golden Circle. This term was made up in recent years to attract tourists based in Reykjavik to take a day trip to see nearby waterfalls and geysers. My Lonely Planet guide book calls it an artificial tourist circuit. Well-intentioned tourists visit these meager Golden Circle highlights when instead they might get more out of far-flung destinations along Iceland’s South Coast. Having now visited these sites myself, I can sum it up more accurately: I think the Golden Circle is a distraction. Yes, it’s close to the capital city. No, it’s not necessary to visit. Simply put, there are better ways to spend your time here. If you HAVE the time, then by all means drive through this area; parts of it are lovely. But if your days in Iceland are limited, then don’t waste more than a few precious hours seeing the highlights along this route (the specifics of which are detailed throughout this post).
End rant.
Back to the start of Day 6! Here’s my tent at Thingvellir National Park. I did not have a specific campground in mind when I drove here; it was the first place I saw so I pulled over and it worked out fine.
View of the lake at Thingvellir National Park:
My vegetarian sister recommended a place called Fridheimar for lunch, as she really enjoyed it on her own Iceland trip — it’s a greenhouse with a restaurant that serves tomato soup and accouterment. This concept intrigues me so I make sure to leave plenty of time to get here (they close around 4pm).
Big tour buses come through so most of the tables are reserved for them, but the hostess seats me immediately.
Guests dine inside the greenhouse surrounded by tomato vines. Basil plants line the tables so that patrons can snip off a few leaves to add to their soup as desired.
Check out this menu and how the chef cleverly integrates tomatoes into each dish:
For around $15 USD, you can order unlimited tomato soup and bread. Done and done.
The bread is homemade and there are a variety of types. The sweet loaf with cinnamon is my favorite.
Fresh butter, sour cream, and shredded cucumbers are brought to each table. Water is garnished with — you guessed it — a tomato.
I’m totally charmed by this place.
A quick look at the tomato greenhouse:
My next stop is Geysir (note the spelling variation). This is a major Iceland tourism destination along the Golden Circle and there are lots of crowds. If, like me, you’ve been to Yellowstone or seen some of the geysers around Rotorua, New Zealand, then you might find this site underwhelming. But I stop here on principle since it’s a big tourism site.
If you don’t like tomatoes, then go to the Geysir Visitor Center for lunch! I stop in to use the restroom and I’m so impressed with this space. The menu looks great, too.
The geysers and hot springs are across the street. This is pretty clear from the steam rising along the side of the road… watch your step, as there aren’t many barriers.
Admittedly, this is a pretty cool sight:
This is the main geyser that erupts every couple of minutes.
I watch it erupt from a distance while approaching on foot, and it’s pretty meager. So I get close to the barrier while waiting for the next eruption. And then this happens…
Yikes! That was a close one. Lesson learned: geysers can be unpredictable.
I walk the short loop around some of the hot pools and less-frequently-erupting geysers.
Next up, I drive to Gulfoss. Truth be told I am pretty waterfalled out by this point but I can’t skip Gulfoss because it’s the biggest waterfall in Iceland. I go for like 10 minutes and snap a few photos.
It’s a nice sight but after the uniqueness of Skogafoss and Seljalandsfoss, I’m underwhelmed by Gulfoss. Sort of sad to simply check it off the list, but that’s what this visit amounts to.
And with that, I hop back into my car and take off for Reykjavik. I should have just enough time to drop off all my gear in the city and then return my rental car by 6pm. It’s been a whirlwind week on the road and I am so pleased with how this adventure has unfolded. And I still have one more full day to explore Reykjavik!
