Traveling Iceland's golden circle tourist route

DW (English)

Iceland is a wonderland for lovers of nature. Some of its most spectacular phenomena can be found near the capital, Reykjavik. The tourist in a hurry can even see them all in one day.

Transcript

00:00 This is what you have to see at the Golden Circle, the most famous route of Iceland.

00:05 Geysers sending jets of water up to 20 meters into the air, the amazing Gullfoss waterfall,

00:13 and the best place to see where two tectonic plates meet.

00:18 The tour can also be combined with a trip to the Blue Lagoon, one of Iceland's most

00:23 visited places.

00:25 Thousands of people visit the attractions of the Golden Circle every day, but why are

00:33 they so famous?

00:35 Iceland, the land of ice and fire, a paradise for nature lovers.

00:39 The sights along the Golden Circle are found in Iceland's south, less than 50 kilometers

00:45 from the capital Reykjavik, which makes them easy to reach and popular attractions.

00:51 So Marco, are you ready?

00:54 You can either rent a car and drive there yourself or join an organized tour.

00:59 We opted for a one-day road trip.

01:03 Our first stop, Gullfoss, the Golden Waterfall, which is how the Golden Circle got its name,

01:08 and meeting Katrin Frederiksen from Guide to Iceland.

01:12 We're starting at the upper viewing platform.

01:14 Wow, oh my god, that's huge!

01:17 It's looking good today.

01:20 So this is the most famous waterfall in Iceland.

01:24 I mean, it's quite impressive, but tell me why.

01:27 Basically, this waterfall consists of two drops.

01:30 We have the first drop, which is more like a slope of a cascading waterfall.

01:35 It's 11 meters, and then it goes into this massive drop, which is 21 meters.

01:41 This sort of combination, and then going into this amazing canyon, is really what just makes

01:46 this quite beautiful.

01:48 A truly jaw-dropping landscape, which changes dramatically during winter when parts of the

01:54 waterfall freeze over.

01:58 For safety reasons, this path leading to the lower viewing platform is closed during the

02:02 cold months.

02:03 It takes me about 10 minutes to get there.

02:06 And this is the view from downstairs.

02:09 I think I like this one better.

02:10 I feel like in the middle of the waterfall.

02:13 We continue our journey to Haukadaluv valley, home to Iceland's famous Estrakul and Brege

02:24 Sild hot springs.

02:25 Wow!

02:26 You got it right, Marco.

02:27 Yeah!

02:28 Geysers are a really rare phenomenon that can only be seen in few parts of the planet.

02:39 What causes them?

02:40 We need a geothermal area, such as this one.

02:43 Then we need a water source underground, a sort of water reservoir.

02:46 And then we need a vent from that water reservoir all the way up to the surface, where the water

02:51 gets pushed up.

02:52 So sort of like a natural plumbing system.

02:54 Estrakul is Iceland's most active geyser.

02:58 It spouts boiling hot water into the air every five to 10 minutes, sometimes up to 20 meters

03:04 high.

03:05 Whoa!

03:06 It smells a little bit like rotten eggs.

03:15 Next up, we head to Tynkvelia National Park, a place of great historical significance and

03:21 a unique tectonic environment.

03:23 It's a 45 minute drive from Haukadaluv valley.

03:27 This is officially the first time that I'm walking between two tectonic plates.

03:31 Crazy, right?

03:32 The park is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

03:35 This is where Iceland's very first parliamentary meetings were held in 930 AD.

03:42 So we are at Tynkvelia Park, the first national park of Iceland.

03:46 So tell me, why is it so important?

03:48 Well, geologically, this place is really significant because Iceland is placed on two tectonic

03:54 plates and Tynkvelia National Park is one of the places where this is really visible.

03:59 Right now we are standing on one tectonic plate, which is the North American tectonic

04:03 plate and just about approximately five kilometers that way, we see the Eurasian tectonic plate.

04:10 And in between we have sort of a no man's land, which is basically new land.

04:15 Which expands by two and a half centimeters every year.

04:20 Our last stop is the Blue Lagoon, which people often combine with the Golden Circle tour.

04:26 Geographic lists this geothermal spa among the 25 wonders of the world.

04:32 It's about one hour from Reykjavik, so of course we gave it a try.

04:36 If you come here, listen to this.

04:40 Before you jump in the water, you must rinse your hair.

04:43 And if you have long hair, you have to put it up.

04:49 The lagoon water is great for your skin, but really bad for your hair.

04:53 It can turn dried and matted because of the high mineral concentration.

04:57 The water's milky blue shade results from silica reflecting sunlight.

05:02 And although the lagoon is a man-made hot spring, I have to say I'm quite impressed.

05:07 Deep in the earth, the water's temperature is 240 degrees Celsius, but when it reaches

05:13 the lagoon, it cools to 38 degrees.

05:17 I get a silica mud mask, along with most guests here.

05:22 My tip.

05:23 If you come here, take at least two days to enjoy with more time all the locations.

05:29 See ya!

05:32 (upbeat music)

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