Golden Circle & Snowmobiling On Langjokull Glacier from Reykjavik

Southern Iceland Road-Trip in Winter in 10 Days – Day 3

The name Golden Circle or “Gullni hringurinn” comes from “Gullfoss”, which literally means Golden waterfall. Gullfoss is one of the three most popular natural attractions of this tour, along with Thingvellir National Park and Geysir Geothermal Area. Visiting these three sites from and to Reykjavik makes a 300-km route that is called “The Golden Circle of Iceland”. This trail is one of the clearest examples of Iceland’s fascinating geological forces, magnificent landscapes, and rich culture. Many tour operators in Iceland feature this trail as a guided package. You can also combine the visit to Golden Circle with exciting activities nearby, such as snorkelling at Silfra fissure and snowmobiling on Langjokull glacier and more. We booked “The Golden Circle Day Tour With Snowmobiling” with Mountaineers Of Iceland.

Highlights of the Day

• Thingvellir National Park
• Geysir Hot Spring
• Gullfoss Waterfall
• Snowmobiling In Langjokull Glacier

Golden Circle Tour With Snowmobiling

In particular, the Golden Circle tour would be operated by Reykjavik Excursions and the snowmobiling on Langjokull glacier that I chose as an additional activity would be taken care by Mountaineers Of Iceland. We were asked to board the bus of Reykjavik Excursions from the nearest bus stop 9 – Snorrabraut. It is around 750 m from Hallgrims Guesthouse. We got ready by 8.30 AM and were picked up from the bus station at around 9 AM by the tour operator. It was winter, the sky was dark. The bus drove out of Reykjavik into the countryside of Iceland. I was carrying some fruits that worked out as our breakfast.

#1 Thingvellir National Park

Thingvellir National Park was the first stop in the Golden Circle Tour. It is around 45-min away by driving from Reykjavik. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, known for its exceptional beauty and historical importance. Thingvellir houses Althing, which is Iceland’s first parliament and also the one of the oldest surviving parliaments of the world, founded in the 10th century. The national park is perched on a rift valley caused by the separation of North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. The movement of the plates caused the formation of the Almannagja gorge between the two segments. The gorge varies in width, but at several points can be walked through.

#2 Geysir Hot Springs

After Thingvellir, the bus headed inland for another hour toward the highly active Geysir Hot Spring area, located in Haukadalur valley. It is a high-temperature geothermal area with numerous boiling mud pits and spouting hot springs. Strokkur is the most active geyser in Iceland that is located here.

Active geysers like Strokkur are formed when these three conditions are met. Firstly, there is magma as an intense heat source close to the surface of the area because of the tectonic plates, so the rocks are hot enough to boil water. Secondly, there is a continuous source of flowing water from Langjokull glacier that sinks into the surrounding porous lava rock. Thirdly, there is a naturally complex plumbing system that allows the geyser to erupt. Opposite to Strokkur, there are a restaurant, cafe, hotel and luxury gift shop.

#3 Gullfoss

When noon rolled around, we headed to Gullfoss, which literally means Golden Waterfalls. It is true in its sense as it is one of Iceland’s most iconic and powerful waterfalls. It is located just 10 km away from Geyser Hot Spring area. We got down from the bus hearing the roar of the waterfalls from the surrounding; the experienced was beloved.

#4 Snowmobiling in Langjokull

Finally, we were asked to assemble in the parking lot of Gullfoss near the Monster Truck of Mountaineers Of Iceland where there was an attendance name call. Walking to the monster truck was making me feel like I am walking to something from the movie Transformers. The truck roared to life while adventuring through the rugged interior of Iceland. The journey was an exciting experience in itself. The landscape soon changed from brown, rugged roads to white, ice-filled no-roads that looked like we transported to another world.

After arriving at the glacier base camp, we were provided with a snowmobile suit, gloves, balaclava and helmet for our snowmobile ride. After we geared up, we boarded the monster truck once again to get driven to the glacier to meet up with the snowmobile guide. Our professional glacier snowmobiling guide showed us how to safely operate a snowmobile before the one-hour excursion officially starts.

The Adventure Begins!

If you are single person, you have to book for two persons because two persons per vehicle are allowed. Also, a valid driver’s license is mandatory to book this tour.

The guide gave us signal to pull in our sleds into a row formation once we got close to the starting point. While getting down from the snowmobile, I looked back at what I had just come down from. My adrenaline levels were high. I was feeling the best! The experience came out to be very exciting!

Back To Reykjavik

We were driven back to Reykjavik from Langjokull by Reykjavik Excursions in around 3 hours. We headed straight to Kafe Vinyl (now closed) to have dinner before walking down to the guesthouse. It was a wonderful day for a nature lover like me who is also an adrenaline junkie. I will highly recommend adding this snowmobiling activity when you book the Golden Circle tour in Iceland!

Total Distance Traveled: 320 km

NET EXPENSE FOR 1 PERSON (IN USD)

Let us have a look at the shared expenses of Day 3 in Iceland – Golden Circle

• Golden Circle & Snowmobile Tour: 232
• Food and Miscellaneous: 68

Total expense (roughly): 300 USD

For a more customized itinerary, whether for solo or couple or group of any number of people, feel free to contact me on Contact Us page.

If you are planning for a much-organized, tastefully-curated, stress-free yet exciting vacation, consider booking your holidays at Travel Love Repeat. It is going to be a treat for sure!