Golden Circle Private Evening Tour: Chasing the Midnight Sun
- 6–7 hours
- Free cancellation up to 24h before
- Guided in English
- Instant confirmation
Highlights
See the Golden Circle in the evening light of the Icelandic summer, when the day crowds have gone. Walk between two tectonic plates at Thingvellir National Park, watch Strokkur erupt at the Geysir geothermal area and feel the spray at Gullfoss waterfall. Along the way you also see the colourful Kerid crater, all under the low midnight sun. The evening runs at your pace. Choose a sedan for 1-3 travellers or a van for up to 8. Your guide collects you from your Reykjavik accommodation with a VAREN name tablet, helps with your luggage and has water on request.
Inclusions
What's included
- Private sedan (1-3 travellers) or van (up to 8), only for your group
- Parking fees and local taxes
- Pickup and drop-off at your Reykjavik accommodation
- Luggage assistance and water on request
- Flexible itinerary at your own pace
- Professional English-speaking driver-guide
What's not
- Gratuities
Itinerary
Your private vehicle picks you up directly from your Reykjavík accommodation at 5 PM. No transfer, no assembly point - the tour starts from your front door. Pickup time will be confirmed 24 hours in advance.
Iceland's most historically significant landscape and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Þingvellir is the place where the world's first parliament - the Alþing - was founded in 930 AD. By early evening the site is calm and largely to yourselves. The walk through Almannagjá canyon carries a thousand years of Icelandic history, and the wide open rift valley in the low afternoon light is a world away from the midday tourist rush.
Strokkur erupts every five to eight minutes regardless of the hour - but the steaming geothermal field in the low evening light has a quality that daytime visits rarely capture. The steam catches the amber sun, the colours of the surrounding hillsides deepen, and the landscape feels quieter and stranger than it does at noon. Strokkur shoots up to 30 metres into the air with each eruption. You will want to watch it more than once.
This is the reason for the 4 or 5 PM departure. Gullfoss in golden hour - when the sun is low on the horizon and the light falls warm and sideways across the canyon and the falling water - is one of the most visually striking things Iceland offers in summer. The two-tier waterfall drops 32 metres into its canyon, and in the evening the mist and the light interact in ways that are impossible to forget in person. With most visitors long gone, the viewing platforms are yours.
On the return south, the tour stops at Kerið - an oval volcanic crater with steep red walls dropping to a still, turquoise lake at the base. The colours here are extraordinary at any time of day, but in the last light of the Icelandic evening they become something else entirely. Walk the rim for the full panoramic view, or follow the path down to the water's edge. Entrance fee not included.
Your private vehicle drops you back directly at your Reykjavík accommodation. Estimated return time is around midnight, depending on pace during the evening. Door to door, start to finish.
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.
Know before you go
- Pickup
- Pickup is included for everyone.
- Ticket type
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Operated by
- Varen
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Dress for changeable weather: waterproof jacket, warm layers, walking shoes, gloves and a hat. Evenings can be cool even in summer.
- Private tour for your group only: a sedan for 1-3 travellers or a van for up to 8.
- Your guide meets you with a VAREN name tablet and helps with your luggage. Water is available on request.
- This is an evening tour. Food options along the route may be limited in the evening, so eat before pickup or bring snacks.
How it compares in Reykjavik
- Its from-price is 169% above the median of the 1582 experiences we list in Reykjavik.
- Its length is typical for the group.
- The operator lists free cancellation on it.
About Reykjavik
Reykjavik is the northernmost capital of any nation, a colourful, compact city of art and music that opens onto Iceland's volcanic landscapes.
The landmark Hallgrímskirkja church, its tower inspired by basalt columns, rises above streets of brightly painted houses. Down by the harbour, the glass-fronted Harpa concert hall shimmers on the water, and the Sun Voyager sculpture faces the sea toward Mount Esja. Laugavegur, the main shopping street, is lined with design shops, cafés and bars.
Top-ranked sights in Reykjavik: Thingvellir National Park, Gullfoss, Harpa.
Special offers in Reykjavik
Was/now prices come from the operator, never from us.
