Thingvellir Tours›Golden Circle with Kerid Volcanic Crater Day Tour from ReykjavikUpdated 2026-09-10
Golden Circle Day Tour with Kerið Crater from Reykjavík, via Thingvellir
★★★★★ 4.7 (3,623 traveller reviews)
40 min at ThingvellirFrom ReykjavíkKerið entry, morning runs
This is how most people see Thingvellir: a guided coach on the Golden Circle, forty minutes in the park, then Geysir, Gullfoss and the crater lake at Kerið. You get a guide on board for eight and a half hours and a fare of $89 that keeps the day simple. Kerið is on the morning runs only: a coach leaving at 12:00 or later skips the crater and runs about seven hours.
Hours, prices and access verified by the Thingvellir Tours team — last checked 2026-09-10
Time for a walk in the rift before the coach moves on.
Ninety minutes at Geysir
The longest stop of the day, with Strokkur and time to eat.
Forty minutes at Gullfoss
The waterfall that gives the loop its biggest view.
Kerið on the morning runs
Twenty minutes at the crater lake, entry included, if you start before noon.
One guide, all day
A professional guide talks you through the route, so you only pay for food and tips.
Eight and a half hours, four stops, one coach
The Golden Circle is the loop of Thingvellir, Geysir and Gullfoss that most
visitors see in their first days in Iceland. This coach adds Kerið, a volcanic crater lake,
on its morning runs. Your guide handles the roads and the story, and you watch the
country go by between stops.
Your time at Thingvellir is forty minutes. That is enough to see the rift and get a feel
for the place, but not to hike the trails or visit the exhibition. If Thingvellir is the
stop you care about most, you will find forty minutes short, and
the private half-day gives it two hours.
The coach is a big one, with room for up to 65. There is no ticket to buy for
Thingvellir itself, because the park has no gate. Want to be in the water instead of
beside it? Silfra snorkeling happens inside the same park and suits a separate morning.
If you are still choosing, compare this day with the other Thingvellir National Park tours.
How the day runs, stop by stop
Depart Bus Stop 12, Höfðatorg, Reykjavík
Ninety minutes at Geysir and Strokkur
Forty minutes at Gullfoss
Forty minutes at Thingvellir National Park
Twenty minutes at Kerið crater (morning departures)
Return to Reykjavík
That is the order of stops on a morning run, back at Bus Stop 12 about eight and a
half hours after you leave. Runs starting at 12:00 or later skip Kerið and last about
seven hours. If the crater matters to you, choose a morning start when you book.
What the $89 covers
In the fare
A professional guide for the whole day
The coach from Bus Stop 12 at Höfðatorg and back
Entry at Kerið, on the morning runs
Not in the fare
Food and drinks
Tips
Kerið, on runs starting at 12:00 or later
Who it suits, and who should book something else
Book this if
It is your first visit and you want the three big sights in one day.
You would rather let a guide drive the roads than hire a car.
You are arriving by cruise ship and can give your ship's times at booking.
You want a low fare with Kerið thrown in on a morning run.
Book something else if
You want more than forty minutes in the park: the private half-day gives Thingvellir two hours.
You want to be in the water: the Silfra snorkel meets at the fissure inside the park.
You use a wheelchair: this coach is not accessible, and the private tours include accessible vehicles.
The coach leaves from Bus Stop 12, Höfðatorg, at Þórunnartún 1 in Reykjavík, and
brings you back there. Pickup runs from selected locations and bus stops in central
Reykjavík: add where you are staying in the booking notes, and the operator confirms your
nearest stop.
Coming off a cruise ship? Give your ship's name, docking time and re-boarding time when
you book, so the timing works for you. Every tour's meeting point is on
the Thingvellir map.
Know before you go on the Kerið day
Kerið is a morning stop. Coaches leaving at 12:00 or later skip the crater and run about seven hours, so pick a morning start if you want it.
Bring food, or money for it. Food and drinks are not in the fare; buy lunch at the main stops or pack your own.
Wear shoes with grip. The paths at the stops are uneven, and a good sole makes every walk easier.
Forty minutes goes quickly. Head straight for the rift at Thingvellir and save the exhibition for another trip.
Children travel with an adult. Children book in the child band (2 to 11) or youth band (12 to 15).
Tips are extra. Gratuities are not part of the fare.
How the coach day went for travellers
★★★★☆
The crater and the waterfall were my favourites, while the geyser meant a long wait for a very short eruption. I had hoped to stand with a foot on each plate at Thingvellir, which is not how the park works. Anna, our guide, was friendly, informative and found a rest stop with excellent baking.
Cynthia S. · Traveller · August 2026
★★★☆☆
It is sold as an introduction, and that is what it is. The staff were friendly and helpful, but the time at most stops, the waterfall especially, is short. Quick walkers manage fine; slower ones will see less.
Madeline B. · Traveller · August 2026
★★★★★
An excellent tour with plenty of information. On top of the three main sights we stopped at the big volcanic crater with its lake, and the guide was very good.
websteririna · Traveller · August 2026
★★★★★
Pickup and drop-off were easy, our driver was excellent and Darren kept the facts and jokes coming. There was plenty of time at each stop. We packed a lunch, but you can buy food at two stops and there are toilets at every one.
Ciana A. · Traveller · July 2026
★★★★★
The walks are fairly easy but mostly on uneven ground. There was time for photos and a toilet stop at each place, though none for lingering. Good value for the time and the places covered.
No. Kerið is on the morning runs only; coaches leaving at 12:00 or later skip the crater and last about seven hours. Pick a morning start time when you book if you want it.
How long do you get at Thingvellir?
Forty minutes, enough for a walk in the rift and the viewpoints but not the trails or the exhibition. The private half-day gives you two hours in the park.
Is there hotel pickup?
Pickup runs from selected locations and bus stops in central Reykjavík, and the coach itself leaves from Bus Stop 12 at Höfðatorg. Tell the operator where you are staying in the booking notes and they confirm your nearest point.
Is lunch included?
No. Food and drinks are not in the fare, so pack a lunch or buy one at the main stops.
Do you need a ticket for Thingvellir?
No. Thingvellir has no gate and no admission charge, so there is nothing extra to buy there on this day. The exhibition at Hakið costs 1,200 ISK for adults if you want it, though forty minutes leaves little time for it.
What is the cancellation policy?
You can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before your start time. That also lets you switch to a morning run later if you decide you want Kerið.
