Choosing a Golden Circle tour
Three ways to see Þingvellir, Geysir and Gullfoss from Reykjavík, laid out side by side — people on board, time at each stop, pickup, photos and the real price per person — so you can pick the right one.
Side by side
| Coach tour | Small-group minibus | Private (us) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who's on board | 40–60 strangers | 8–16 strangers | Your group only (1–8) |
| Departure | Fixed, usually 08:30–09:30 | Fixed, 1–2 times a day | Your choice, any hour |
| Time at each stop | 20–40 min | 30–60 min | As long as you like |
| Pickup | Bus stop or pickup point, 30–60 min early | Hotel or pickup point | Hotel door, at your time |
| Route changes | None | Rarely | Any — add Kerið, the Secret Lagoon, a farm |
| Photos of you | Selfies | If the guide has time | Guide shoots your group at every stop |
| Lunch | Fixed stop, queue | Fixed stop | Where and when you like |
| Typical price per person | 10,000–15,000 kr | 19,000–26,000 kr | 77,400 kr (2) · 38,700 kr (4) · 30,800 kr (6) · 23,100 kr (8) |
| Book | — | — | Check availability |
Coach and minibus prices are typical published rates in Reykjavík for the standard Golden Circle day, September 2026. Our per-person figures are the group price divided by guests; the group price is the price, however many of you there are up to the tier.
The honest version
Travelling alone or as a couple on a tight budget, with no strong feelings about timing? Take the coach — it's a fine day out and half the price. Four or more of you, a family with children, a birthday or an anniversary, a cruise call with a hard deadline, or just a dislike of standing behind forty people at Strokkur? Then the private tour costs about a minibus seat per person and gives you a different day entirely.
The small-group minibus sits in the middle: better than the coach, still on somebody else's clock.
What private changes
Leave at seven and have Þingvellir to yourselves. Stay at Gullfoss for an hour because the light is doing something. Stop for the horses because the children asked. Eat at the tomato farm because your guide booked it. Come back at four, or at nine — see the full route.
The price is the price
Per private group · ISK, VAT included · Free cancellation up to 24 h before
Check availabilityPay securely by card (Visa / Mastercard) via Straumur — nothing is charged until we've confirmed your date.
Questions
154,900 kr for a private group of 1–4 and 184,900 kr for 5–8, VAT included — per group, not per person. For a family of four that's about 38,725 kr each; for eight, about 23,112 kr each, which is close to a small-group minibus seat but with your own guide, your own timing and nobody else on board. Entrances, parking and Reykjavík hotel pickup are included; the only extras are optional add-on stops with admission fees, Keflavík pickup (25,000 kr) and extra hours (15,000 kr each).
Whenever suits you — that's the point of a private tour. Early departures beat the coach crowds to every stop; in summer, evening departures get the midnight-sun light and even emptier viewpoints. Tell us your plans and we'll recommend a time for your dates.
Yes. Kerið is a 15-minute stop on the way back and costs a small admission per person. The Secret Lagoon at Flúðir adds about two hours (extra hours 15,000 kr each, plus admission). Sky Lagoon is in Reykjavík, so we can drop you there at the end of the day instead of your hotel. Tell us when you book and we'll quote the whole day.
Yes. The walking is easy — level paths and boardwalks, never more than half an hour at a stretch. Children count toward the group of eight, and child seats are available if you tell us the ages when you book.
Send the request, we confirm your date by email within a few hours, and you pay by card (Visa / Mastercard) through a secure Straumur link. Nothing is charged until you've confirmed, and your date is reserved once payment is received. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
A coach carries 40–60 people on a fixed timetable; a small-group minibus 8–16 on a slightly looser one; a private tour carries only your group, at your time, at your pace. Per person the private tour costs about the same as a minibus seat once you're four or more. We've laid the three out side by side.