Golden Circle Route Order: Which Direction to Drive and Why (2027)

For most people, the best Golden Circle route order is clockwise: Þingvellir first, then Geysir, then Gullfoss, returning south via Route 35 and Selfoss. It puts the easy driving first, gets you to Þingvellir before the tour coaches if you leave early, and leaves the extra stops for the way home. Anticlockwise is better if you are starting late, want Gullfoss in the morning, or are sleeping near Selfoss. Here is how crowds, light and lunch decide the order.

What is the best order to drive the Golden Circle?

Clockwise, starting with Þingvellir, is the best order for a classic day trip from Reykjavík. It is the shortest way to the first sight, and the southern return via Route 35 passes most of the extra stops: Faxi, Friðheimar, Kerið and Selfoss.

The loop works just as well the other way. The key is not the direction but the timing. The big tour coaches leave Reykjavík in the morning and fill the main sights from mid-morning to mid-afternoon, so the question is whether you want to be ahead of them or behind them.

Which order avoids the crowds?

Either be at Þingvellir before about 9.00, or go anticlockwise and reach it after about 17.00. Those are the quiet windows on the Almannagjá path. The coaches arrive mid-morning and the main walk gets busy around midday in summer.

Geysir is busiest from late morning to mid-afternoon. Gullfoss is quieter before 10.00 or after 16.00 in summer. Kerið usually sees its coaches between about 11.00 and 15.00. That gives two crowd-beating plans:

• Early clockwise. Leave Reykjavík at 7.45, reach Þingvellir before 9.00 and stay ahead of the coaches all day. Visit Kerið after 16.00 on the way home.
• Late anticlockwise. Leave around 11.00, visit Kerið, then reach Gullfoss and Geysir in the afternoon as the coaches head back. End at Þingvellir in the evening. This works best from May to August, when it stays light late.

Which order gives the best light?

The light changes less than the crowds, but a few details are worth knowing. At Gullfoss, rainbows form in the spray when the sun is behind you; in winter, the low midday sun gives the best chance. At Geysir, Strokkur looks best with the sun behind the eruption, so the water and steam glow.

At Þingvellir, the Hakið viewpoint looks east over the rift towards the lake and the church. In the morning you face the sun; in the late afternoon and evening, the light falls on the valley from behind you. That is one more reason the anticlockwise, evening-Þingvellir plan suits photographers.

At Kerið, midday gives the strongest colour in the lake water, while early morning and late afternoon give softer light on the red crater walls. Our guide to Golden Circle photo spots goes into detail.

Where does lunch fit in the order?

Lunch decides the order more often than people expect. The three best-known lunch stops have fixed hours:

Clockwise, with an early start, you reach Geysir around 11.30, perfect for lunch there. If you want Friðheimar, book a slot before noon or after 14.00, when walk-ins are less likely to be turned away. Anticlockwise, Friðheimar comes early in the loop, so book a slot close to its 11.30 opening. More options are in our guide to where to eat on the Golden Circle.

How long is each leg in either direction?

The legs are the same length whichever way you drive; only the order changes. These are approximate summer times for the classic loop:

The long leg is the southern one between Gullfoss and Reykjavík. Clockwise, you drive it at the end of the day, when extras like Kerið break it up. Anticlockwise, you drive it first, fresh, and finish with the shorter hop from Þingvellir back to the city.

Where do the extra stops fit?

The extras fall naturally on two parts of the loop. Laugarvatn Fontana, Efstidalur and Brúarfoss sit between Þingvellir and Geysir. Faxi, Friðheimar, the Secret Lagoon at Flúðir, Skálholt and Kerið sit on or near Route 35 between Gullfoss and Selfoss.

Clockwise, you pass the first group in the morning and the second group in the afternoon. That makes a pool, such as the Secret Lagoon, a natural last stop before the drive home. Read about each one in our guide to extra Golden Circle stops.

What order works if you are going on to the south coast?

Do Þingvellir first and Gullfoss last, then head south rather than back to Reykjavík. From Gullfoss you drive south on Route 35, or on Route 30 through Flúðir, to Route 1, and on to Hella or Hvolsvöllur. Gullfoss to Hella is roughly 85 km, a little over an hour.

This is how most Ring Road trips start, and it lets you sleep near the south coast waterfalls. See Golden Circle and south coast in one day or two.

Does the order change in winter?

Yes, a little. In midwinter you want the brightest hours at Geysir and Gullfoss, so drive to Þingvellir in the dark and arrive at first light. Clockwise is best. Gullfoss then falls in the early afternoon, when the low sun is highest.

Leave the driving home for after dark, when you can watch for the northern lights from a proper car park. Our Golden Circle in winter guide has a timed winter plan.

What are three good Golden Circle orders?

1. The classic, clockwise. Reykjavík, Þingvellir, Laugarvatn, Geysir (lunch), Gullfoss, Faxi, Kerið, Reykjavík. Leave by 8.00.
2. The late start, anticlockwise. Reykjavík, Kerið, Friðheimar (lunch), Gullfoss, Geysir, Laugarvatn Fontana, Þingvellir in the evening, Reykjavík. Best from May to August.
3. The one-way, onward to the south. Reykjavík, Þingvellir, Geysir, Gullfoss, Secret Lagoon, then a night at Hella or Hvolsvöllur.

Our main Golden Circle self-drive guide has the legs, times and fees. For the sights themselves, see Þingvellir, Gullfoss and Kerið.

Facts checked October 2026. Coach timings are typical patterns rather than fixed schedules, and restaurant hours change by season. Check road conditions on umferdin.is before you drive.