The Golden Circle is often treated as a one-day route, but in winter we chose to drive from Thingvellir to Geysir, stay overnight near Geysir, and continue through Gullfoss, Secret Lagoon and Kerid the next day.
That extra night gave us room to walk longer at Thingvellir and start the second day on foot from our hotel to the geothermal area.
The route we actually drove
- DAY 1: Thingvellir National Park → Hótel Geysir
- DAY 2: Geysir Geothermal Area → Gullfoss → Secret Lagoon → Kerid
This is not a claim that there is one perfect Golden Circle itinerary. It is the order that made sense after actually driving and walking it in winter.
DAY 1 — Thingvellir took longer than we expected
Thingvellir was not a quick photo stop for us. We walked toward Öxarárfoss in strong wind, and the weather shifted from clear skies to snow while we were still on the trail.
Current official information lists P1, P2 and P5 parking areas, with the passenger-car fee valid across those lots on the same day. Winter guidance also recommends traction such as microspikes or crampons on slippery sections, especially around the Öxarárfoss route.
That made parking choice and walking conditions part of the itinerary, not an afterthought.
RELATED MOMENT Thingvellir guide · parking, Oxararfoss and winter walkingOvernight near Geysir — stop where the next morning begins
We stayed at Hótel Geysir.
The point was not only to shorten the drive. From our room we could see steam from the geothermal area, and the next morning we left the car at the hotel and walked to Geysir.
Using the hotel as the next day’s starting point made the overnight stop feel like part of the route rather than a break from it.
RELATED MOMENT Golden Circle hotel · Hótel Geysir room, breakfast and parkingDAY 2 morning — Geysir and Strokkur
We started the second day by waiting for Strokkur and walking through the geothermal area.
Official tourism information says Strokkur typically erupts at intervals of around ten minutes, though timing and height vary. The marked paths matter here because the hot water and steam are part of an active geothermal field.
Being able to walk over from the hotel removed another parking decision from the morning.
RELATED MOMENT Geysir guide · Strokkur eruptions and winter walkGullfoss — check the winter path before planning the viewpoint
From Geysir we drove to Gullfoss.
We parked in the upper area and followed the snow-covered path toward the viewpoints. The waterfall itself was enormous, but the more practical winter lesson was that walking routes can close depending on surface and weather conditions.
Current SafeTravel information and on-site closure signs should take priority over a fixed itinerary.
RELATED MOMENT Gullfoss in winter · parking, viewpoints and pathsSecret Lagoon — build a real pause into the route
After Gullfoss, we continued to Secret Lagoon in Flúðir.
The main pool is officially listed at roughly 38–40°C year-round, with a geothermal walking path around the site. For us, the value was not simply adding another attraction. A warm soak broke up a day of cold walking and driving.
The official site strongly recommends advance reservations, so it makes more sense to plan the surrounding stops around the booked time than to treat the lagoon as a spontaneous extra.
RELATED MOMENT Secret Lagoon guide · winter hot spring, facilities and bookingKerid — a short stop only if you stay on the rim
Kerid was our final Golden Circle stop.
We walked the rim and then went down toward the frozen lake. Current official information lists the crater at about 55 metres deep, with a 700 ISK service fee and free parking.
In icy conditions, the path down can feel very different from a dry-weather visit. Staying on the rim is a perfectly reasonable choice if the surface is poor.
RELATED MOMENT Kerid Crater guide · entry fee, parking and winter walkWhy two days worked better for us
Three things made the split worthwhile:
- We did not have to cut Thingvellir short when the walking took longer.
- Staying by Geysir gave us a walkable first stop the next morning.
- Secret Lagoon created a real recovery break before the final crater stop.
Winter road conditions still matter more than any itinerary. I would keep enough flexibility to change the order after checking Road.is and SafeTravel.
RELATED MOMENT Essential Iceland apps · road, weather, parking and aurora toolsPRACTICAL INFO
- Trip period: February 24–25, 2025
- Transport: Rental car
- Our route: Thingvellir → overnight at Geysir → Geysir → Gullfoss → Secret Lagoon → Kerid
- Thingvellir: Check winter walking conditions and parking-area choice
- Secret Lagoon: Build the route around your reservation time
- Before driving: Check Road.is and SafeTravel
- Hours, fees and closures: Recheck official information and on-site conditions on the day
- Information checked: 2026-10-06
