What are the opening times for the main attractions on Iceland's Golden Circle (Gullfoss, Geysir, Þingvellir) during Summer?
This is a follow up question on JonathanReez's question How crowded are Iceland's main sites during summer?
Iceland is getting more tourists year on year - according to a report from the Icelandic Tourist Board, in June 2017 more than 200k tourists visited Iceland. This can lead to crowding in the main attractions (e.g. Gullfoss, Geysir, Þingvellir) on the Golden Circle, a heavily advertised route visited by numerous tourists (whether in tours or on their own wheels), at certain times of the day.
Naturally, this leads to suggestions that people can have a better experience if they time their visit to avoid the crowd. Examples include this review article, this TripAdvisor discussion, this magazine article, and of course an answer here posted by myself, who visited in Summer 2018.
The question is then: What are the opening times of these main attractions (Gullfoss, Geysir, Þingvellir) in summer (June - August)? Do some natural attractions close after business hours?
Surprisingly, the internet is providing little authoritative information, perhaps because people think it is blindingly obvious. What we know so far for certain is:
- The waterfall at Gullfoss is open 24/7:
WHEN IS GULLFOSS OPEN?
Gullfoss Kaffi schedule can be found here: http://www.gullfoss.is/cafe/
Gullfoss Waterfall is open 24/7, it is a public open area.
...and the Kaffi is open between 10:00 and 19:00 as it currently stands.
- The service centre at Þingvellir National Park, which functions as a pit stop, opens between 09:00-22:00:
The Service Centre in Þingvellir National Park is at Leirar, close to the camping grounds. [...]
Summer opening (June - August): 09:00 - 22:00.
... which we can infer that the national park is open for at least this hour. There are no gates around the national park, nor signs that indicates the opening time that I am aware of, and I have assumed that nothing will stop me from getting in there at midnight (which is when the Sun sets but hovers just below the horizon in mid-June).
- There seem to be no official website for Geysir. Though again there are no gates around the entrance, and it is near impossible that Strokkur stops erupting after business hours.
Best Answer
I've just returned from Iceland and I can confirm that all major natural attractions are open 24/7. In fact, if you're traveling in June or July when it's always bright outside I'd highly recommend starting your days somewhere around 4PM. There's little tourists anywhere by 8PM and after 10PM you'll get to experience all the sights in complete solitude.
This can work out perfectly if you're flying in from the US as all you have to do is stick to your "home" timezone.
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What time does the Golden Circle open?
Most Golden Circle tours leave in the morning from Reykjavik, between 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., with afternoon departures around noon and 2 p.m. Most of them are back in Reykjavik by 8 p.m. There are select midnight sun tours available in the summer.What are the three main attractions of the Golden Circle?
The classic Golden Circle tour consists of Iceland's three most popular tourist attractions: Gullfoss Waterfall, Geysir Geothermal Area, and \xdeingvellir (Thingvellir) National Park. The route covers approximately 250 kilometers (155 miles) and loops from the capital city to the center of Iceland and back.Do you have to pay to see Gullfoss waterfall?
ENTRANCE FEEVisiting Gullfoss Waterfall is completely free, similar to most Iceland's attractions. As the falls are free of charge and you do not need to pay for parking either, Gullfoss is one of the best places to visit for those traveling around Iceland on a budget.How long does it take to explore Golden Circle Iceland?
The whole Golden Circle route can easily be done in one day, as the classic journey covers around 230 kilometres (140 miles to you and me). You can actually drive the route in just over 3 hours. But, of course, you need to factor in time to enjoy the attractions, take photos and stay fuelled as well.10 THINGS TO DO IN REYKJAVIK - Iceland Places to Visit (Iceland Tips)
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Answer 2
All Icelandic "attractions" which are natural formations are free to visit, there is no paid entrance (except for Kerið which has a symbolic ~2€ entrance fee) therefore there are no "opening hours" either, you can come at any time.
Apart from Golden Circle area and few other places in the south of the country, majority of those "attractions" have barely any infrastructure at all (no coffee shops or restaurants, sometimes not even toilets) and if there is any, they tend to be completely closed during winter time (from approx. October until March).
So, unless you have in plan to grab some food or drink or buy a souvenir, there really are no "opening times" for natural attractions across the whole country.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Miguel Á. Padriñán, Miguel Á. Padriñán, Pixabay, Miguel Á. Padriñán