For those of us born in the 80s, it was the ultimate Sunday drive of our youth, usually with an extra member from the extended family and came with chain-smoking parents that insisted the windows be rolled all the way up so that the dust from the gravel roads didn’t get into the car. Highlights of the trip would include a splash at some random countryside pool and an ice-cream stop, both staples of the Icelandic culture, then and now. This was the Golden Circle in the 1980s, the Reykjavik – Þingvellir – Geysir – Gullfoss tour and while the memories of ice-cream and pools are heart-warming, the backdrop of these hauntingly beautiful and gloriously powerful places remains a shaping force of our childhood.

Back then, there were no seatbelts for the backseats of any family car, the roads were gravel or dirt, the boiling mud in the geothermal area of Geysir wasn’t roped off, the vertical drops around Gullfoss waterfall was there for anyone to wander off of, and you could actually drive straight through the main canyon of Þingvellir. The lake at Þingvellir and the waterfilled fissures are notoriously cold, clear and incredibly alluring, so parents would have stern talks with their children before stopping the car. Looking back, it seemed like an unnecessarily dangerous family activity on a Sunday.

While our parents would take their visiting friends from abroad to see the Golden Circle, it didn’t really feel like your average tourist attraction. It felt more like church given that these are some of the holiest places in Iceland, if the wild nature of this island can be called a religion. While these destinations all have their own history, geological uniqueness and beauty, there is an added sense of wonder there. Ironically, these places of extreme natural importance, have an incredibly supernatural feel to them. There is no denying the power of their presence. That goes for the vast lava fields of Þingvellir and its magical lake, as well as the extreme force of Gullfoss waterfall and the hot springs of Geysir.

And that’s the thing. For most Icelanders, the Golden Circle has a nostalgic and a magical feel to it and when we take that classic road trip there is no denying that connection with our history, our culture and the magic that is the Icelandic nature. The Golden Circle is an unmissable experience when visiting Iceland for a basic understanding of what this country is all about and we highly recommend a guided tour to make the most out of your excursion.