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Golden Tours

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Windsor Castle, Stonehenge and Bath Tour from London + Admission

Golden Tours London Hop-On Hop-Off Open Top Sightseeing Bus Tour

Oxford, Stratford, Cotswolds & Warwick Castle Tour from London

Total London Experience: London Eye, Tower of London & St Paul's

Stonehenge Half-Day Tour from London with Admission

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Golden Tours - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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Reviews 2.9.

1,071 total

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The Afternoon Tea Bus

The Afternoon Tea bus was a joke, £53 each paid for 3 seats together only to be told we couldn’t be put together. Sandwiches stale, by the waitresses own admission they are made and left standing. Driver lost his way and we ended back at Victoria Station before we had even started the tour.Not to mention the red lights he jumped. Good awful, only good thing was the thermal cup we were given. Waste of money.

Date of experience : 10 February 2024

Golden Tours Blue Line! Amazing

Fantastic day out in London and amazing tour guide “Joe” made the 2 hours really enjoyable, with witty and very interesting history lesson throughout. Highly recommend.

Date of experience : 13 February 2024

Chaotic pre-boarding at Bulleid Way for…

Chaotic pre-boarding at Bulleid Way for Christmas Lights Tour. Several tours departing similar times: no organised queuing. Left 15 mins late, for no apparent reason. Ended 15 mins early so lasted 60 min, not the 90 advertised. Seated lower deck (same price as upper). Couldn't hear music: views of lights very restricted. Overall, very disappointing and for £29 each, a rip off.

Date of experience : 20 December 2023

Golden tour excellent customer service

Dedication of the tour representatives. Mr. David Reid noticed that I missed the last orange line bus tour on December 27th 2023. I really got panicked. He took the time to page a bus driver nearby and he personally drove me to the station near my hotel. I never forget his kindness. He did not have to do this. I highly recommend Golden tour bus for their commitment to their customers!

Date of experience : 27 December 2023

These guys are overbooking everything

These guys are overbooking everything, then not letting you on the expensive things you've booked over them, only to then yell at you and send you away. I have booked events with them twice and had the same experience with them both times. Total scam company. This has been confirmed by the companies partnering with them also - They were very frustrated with them and ensured us they had dissolved any contracts they had had with them. Scam company. Steer clear at all cost. They only take your money and you get nothing. Tourist trap. Avoid anything their brand name is on if you want to have a nice time in London. These guys are borderline criminal, honestly.

Date of experience : 29 December 2023

We did the Hop On-Hop Off tour

We did the Hop On-Hop Off tour, which has several intersecting routes that intersect, and appears to cover the historical sites quite well. Our expectation was that it was a bus that stopped close to the sites, but it actually had a tour guide, George, who we found to be very charming with a quick wit and an incredible knowledge of every notable landmark, as well as the significance of the architecture within London. Honestly, for being so young, I have no idea how he knows so much about London. I'm not sure if there is a tour guide on every bus, but if you are lucky enough to have George as your guide, you may find yourself on the same bus for hours!

Date of experience : 13 December 2023

Afternoon Tea Bus with Panoramic Tour of London

Absolutely Awful! Value for money - Hell No! Paid for premium seats! What a sham! First the bus was 30 minutes late! No updates given about the delay and no apology when the bus eventually arrived. The tea served was lacking beyond lack. Cheese and pickle finger sandwich without the cheese. Salty egg and cress with more mayo then egg and one sprig of cress. The cakes - oh my word! They looked like they were reclaimed from lost and found. Further more…I’m glad I requested strong coffee because the coffee I received was just about detectable in the hot water. Then it rained and rained!!! Paramagnetic view… Nope - just steamy foggy windows. The two good things: a glass of Prosecco and a reusable coffee cup. Not worth the premium seating price at all. Would I recommend this adventure …. That’s a BIG NO! Better off getting a M&S picnic hamper and sitting on a 453 bus! Shame though… I had high hopes. 😔

Great experience with live Guide (George)

We booked the 2 Hours Tour with live Moderation through London. George was our Guide. He was so friendly, he answered all questions, he interacted with the visitors, gave good advice for nice restaurants/ pubs. T h a n k y o u G E O R G E ! 😘 from The 🇩🇪 Girls 😘

Date of experience : 23 November 2023

Christmas lights tour

Christmas lights tour: a total waste of money and complete con. It started 30 minutes late, did a circle of the block to pick a late crew member up, stopped on route to drop a group off and sat at 4 bus stops for about 8 minutes each time for no reason. Because of all that it only covered 1/4 of the route and we didn't see a single Christmas light as we never made it far enough away from the bus station. There wee 3 of us and I was told we would be on a table for 4 so may have someone sat with us, but we were actually spilt up in different areas of the bus not even sat together. I have emailed GOLDEN TOURS and they didn't bother responding, simply refunded part of the £102 I paid so now I have to go through the bank to claim the remaining money I wasted with them

Date of experience : 25 November 2023

Couldn't see more and learn more about…

Couldn't see more and learn more about the country in just one day (the Windsor, Stonehenge, Oxford tour). Both guide and driver very friendly. Ei Li (spelled like this?), the guide, really invests herself in making the tour very pleasant and informative. Her knowledge about the country and the places we visited.

Date of experience : 11 November 2023

Lies and offensive remarks on Stonehenge/Bath Tour

I booked 2 tickets on a Stonehenge/Bath tour for myself (an immigrant to London) and a friend (who was visiting from abroad). Notable disappointments: 1. We paid extra for Stonehenge entrance. Upon arrival, everyone on the bus was given Stonehenge entrance passes so it seemed a waste to have paid extra. When I asked the guide about this she deflected the question. 2. The tour guide was rude, saying in the first 30 minutes of the tour that the U.K. was overpopulated due to immigrants. At the end of the tour she was flustered by the bus not being at its expected pick-up location and at one point told a guest “don’t talk to me right now.” 3. The tour guide said many things that were not true, such as how there had been a hurricane at Stonehenge the previous week (the U.K. can’t get hurricanes) and how the Cotswolds had the only arable land in the U.K. As a result, I felt I couldn’t trust any of the information provided.

Date of experience : 28 December 2023

Ordered tickets and transportation from…

Ordered tickets and transportation from City of London to WB studio, making of Harry Potter. The driver Asis was on time, guided us during the tour. He also secured that our entrance was perfectly. That’s excellent service. Our best recommendation and will use the services again

Date of experience : 19 October 2023

Overpriced transport company for Harry Potter Studio

These folks have nothing to do with the HP tour itself; they just bulk-buy entry tickets, bundle them with their mediocre bus service, and resell them at a higher price. What I would have done without Golden: The official entry ticket is ~55 GBP. You can also easily make your own way there. The return train from Euston to Watford Junction is around 25 GBP, and from the station, there is an official free bus to the Studio, which takes under 10 mins. Total price: ~80 GBP + no limit to how long you can stay + the train is x2 faster and more comfortable than the buses Golden Tours use. What I had to do using Golden: Unfortunately, entry tickets are sometimes sold out on the Warner Bros website and are only available to buy from Golden Tours (who obviously bulk-bought them for themselves only to resell at a higher price). I needed this specific date, so I had to purchase their bundle, as they weren't available on the WB website, and I paid 100 GBP per person. Experience with Golden: - Fixed times for departure and return by bus, with only 4 hours at the Studio. - The bus is a standard double decker, clean, but has hard uncomfortable seats, ZERO storage space for backpacks/bags, was cold inside and had HP ads on its exterior, which made windows darker and hard to look through. - The 4-hour Studio limit is impractical during busy times. It took us 5 hrs to complete the tour, because there were queues to do/look at things inside the tour. We missed our return bus and opted for a more comfortable train journey instead. Overall, it's better to buy directly from the WB website and arrange your own transport. Contrary to what Golden implies, it’s a simple journey: one train ride and a short free shuttle."

Date of experience : 07 January 2024

Terrible I went on a Christmas carol singing with mince pie and mulled wine. Unfortunately my son and I did not enjoy the tour. The music was not traditional carol songs. I had to complain for them to change it and even then it was hit and mix. The only thing I enjoyed was the mulled wine. Absolutely ridiculous for the price I paid. Avoid this tour.

Date of experience : 16 December 2023

Emma is Amazing!!!!

We jumped on the blue line after blowing in from Bath. Emma gave us a 2 hour commentary on every thing insider. She was off shift after our tour and was nice enough to direct us to the Eye and surrounds, we located the graffiti bridge and appreciated THE CUT. we were staying a short distance away but would never have had the deep experience without her advise.

Date of experience : 18 August 2023

2 hour open top bus tour.

Booked the 2 hour open top bus tour the guide was called William, who was fantastic and all three of us loved the tour. It was fun and interesting. I would recommend it to anyone wanting to see the sights of London.

Date of experience : 02 December 2023

On our visit to London we chose to go…

On our visit to London we chose to go on Golden Tours. However we were very disappointed with the availability of the buses. The route around Trafalgar Square anf Buckingham Palace closed very early. We were moved from bus to bus as each one finished their route. The only thing that saved our holiday was one driver Nazareth de Sousa who rescued us several times really going out of his way literally to help us get to where we needed to be. He used his break time to help us and on one occasion contacted control and waited with us until another bus arrived even though he should have signed off. A hero in our eyes.

Date of experience : 18 July 2023

Chaotic and expensive

Booked online for a family group of 5. All stops we tried to get on were closed, leading to a lot of time walking about trying to find a stop. Closures were not reflected in the app, which should be easy to update. All the busdrivers were very unfriendly. Tours also stopped very early (although to be fair we could have checked the timetable more closely). Tour itself was ok, not brilliant and commentary often cut off before it finished to announce the next stop. All in all this has put us off doing any more bus tours anywhere.

Date of experience : 18 October 2023

The company is very messed up

The company is very messed up, they do not provide a well guided tour, cheat the people by dropping of many kilometres away from the confirmed drop off point in the voucher. Drivers very openly ask for financial tips which is very rude. We took London panaromic with London eye and stone henge tour with them. They did not even gave us the cruise which was part of the tour package, instead they booked a boat uber for us from one point to other

Date of experience : 25 September 2023

Great Christmas Lights tour led by…

Great Christmas Lights tour led by Willian and Glenn.Amazing interesting facts about history of London along the way.I would definitely repeat this adventure🤩

Date of experience : 03 December 2023

The 5 Best Golden Circle Tours From Reykjavik [2024 Reviews]

There’s a ton to see in the unique island of Iceland, though one of the most consistently popular routes is the Golden Circle.

The Golden Circle is the most comprehensive route to take if you want to see all kinds of geothermal activity, volcanoes, waterfalls, an UNESCO world heritage site, and so much more!

While you can definitely take it yourself, if you want to make the most of your experience, we highly recommend taking a tour. The tours are put on by locals who know this area very well, and are incredibly knowledgeable about the culture and history.

So, without further ado, we bring you the top Golden Circle tours available!

Be sure to see our reviews of Northern Lights Tours , Whale Watching Tours and ATV Tours .

Best Golden Circle Tours in Iceland

Quick answer: the 5 best rated iceland golden circle tours for 2024.

• Private Tour of the Golden Circle from Reykjavik
• Private Golden Circle Tour from Reykjavik
• Golden Circle Private Tour
• Golden Circle Iceland Tour
• Private Golden Circle Tour by Superjeep from Reykjavik

Iceland Golden Circle Tour Reviews

1. private tour of the golden circle from reykjavik.

• Duration: 7 to 8 hours
• Departure: Hotel pickup and drop-off
• Departure Time: Variety available
• Includes:  Hotel/port pickup and drop-off in the capital area, private driver/guide, pure Icelandic bottled water, 4G WiFi in vehicle, Thingvellir National Park entry

The first tour on our guide offers an incredible time for everyone, regardless of age or background. If you’re looking to really see some of the most impressive natural wonders and learn about local history, then do yourself a favor and check this one out.

The Private Golden Circle Tour from Reykjavik has everything covered for a convenient and memorable experience.

Lasting anywhere from 7 to 8 hours depending on traffic and weather, you’ll start off early in the morning. Hotel pickup is offered, so there’s no need to book transportation. They’ll come to you, so just be ready in the hotel lobby when they indicate.

The private guide is incredibly friendly and knowledgeable, telling you all about the area as you pass by. Should you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask!

The comfortable transport also comes with high-speed 4G wi-fi onboard, so you’ll remain in contact with others who aren’t on the trip and can upload photos and videos in real-time.

As this is a customized experience, you will tell your guide what your specific interests are so they can tailor the tour to them. You’ll start off driving through the magnificent Thingvellir National Park, which is famously the site of the world’s first democratic parliament, back when Vikings ruled.

Make a stop at Geysir, where you may even get to see Strokkur erupting! Have your camera ready for this show of electric-blue spray! Gullfoss, which is one of the largest waterfalls in the world, is next. After the natural wonders, stop at Skálholt, where Iceland had its first Episcopal See in 1065.

At this point, you’ve surely worked up an appetite, so stop at the Fridheimar greenhouse for a tasty local lunch.

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience, other experiences you may enjoy:, 2. private golden circle tour from reykjavik.

• Duration: 7 hours
• Departure: Hotel pickup and drop-off included
• Departure Time: Check with tour operator
• Includes:  Private transportation, air-conditioned vehicle, bottled water, WiFi on board

No need to go renting a car and driving around the winding roads of Iceland to see all the beautiful nature it has to offer.

Instead be picked up from your accommodations and roam around in comfort, with a luxury 4WD vehicle complete with wi-fi, air conditioning, and bottled water. If that sounds like fun to you, check out the Private Golden Circle Tour from Reykjavik .

Lasting around 7 hours, this tour packs in a whole lot of sightseeing and learning about this interesting culture!

After being picked up, you’ll start heading towards Thingvellir National Park. As you travel, your guide will offer an educational commentary about everything you pass by as well as the park.

Once you arrive, you’ll already have a pretty good idea about what it holds. However, seeing it in person is something else!

Head to the edge of the North American plate, where it sits on one side of a valley opposite the Eurasian plate and Þingvalla Lake. Check out the spot where Icelandic parliament initially assembled, as well as other prevalent historical landmarks.

Next, you’ll see two impressive natural wonders: the exploding geothermal Geysir, as well as the towering Gullfoss Waterfall and the nearby canyon. Further on, sits the gorgeous Faxi waterfall, as well as the impressive Kerid Crater.

You’ll have the chance to walk down into it if you’d like, to get a better glimpse of the lake that sits in the bottom.

After all that trekking around, take a load off at the Efsti-Dalur 2 farm, where you’ll even get to try out the process of making ice cream. It’s harder than you’d think!

3. Golden Circle Private Tour

• Duration: 1 to 10 hours (variety available)
• Departure Time:  Check with tour operator
• Includes:  Bottled water, air-conditioned vehicle, private transportation, fees and taxes

While there are plenty of Golden Circle tours you can take in Iceland, many of them involve big groups of people. One of the best ways to see the area is by taking a private tour, such as the Golden Circle Private Tour .

This way, you get the guide all to yourselves for any questions you may have, and get to personalize it according to your top interests.

This one in particular is one group fee, and you can have up to 5 travelers included. This makes it wonderful if you are traveling with little ones or just want you and your family to go. The air-conditioned vehicle is very comfortable and has more than enough room for everyone.

This tour is so convenient because you get to choose your start time, within reason, of course. After all, this tour lasts quite a while and you don’t want to be driving around in the middle of the night.

Not only that, but they’ll pick you up from your hotel accommodations so you don’t have to do any driving.

Head to the fabled Thingvellir National Park, where you’ll see an old parliament site which is quite possibly the most important in all of Iceland. Also within the park are the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates, where you even get to see the fault line between them!

Depending on your interests, your guide will also take you to various stunning natural wonders. The Gullfoss Waterfall should be on your agenda for the day, which is crystal-clear and enormous! As you check it out, your guide will fill you in on its history and how it came to be.

Geysir geothermal hot spring area is also fantastic to see, where the Strokkur hot spring lets loose an enormous jet of boiling water to fall through the air!

4. Iceland Golden Circle Tour

• Duration: 6 to 8 hours
• Includes:  Bottled water, WiFi on board, private transportation, parking fees, coffee and/or tea

No matter the time of year, the Golden Circle Iceland Tour is always a good idea! One of the reasons why it’s such a popular one, is due to their staff.

With an incredible attention to detail, great communication that begins right after booking, and vast knowledge about the country, you’re bound to have a great time.

Hotel pickup is included, so there’s no need to plan ahead in order to meet up at some other point beforehand. Lasting anywhere from 6 to 8 hours, it’s important to have a comfortable mode of transportation as you won’t always be walking around.

There’s quite a bit of sitting in-between different sites, so you’ll appreciate the padded/spacious seats. Air conditioning, bottled water, and wi-fi are all included as well so you’ll always be able to stay in touch and share your adventuring on social media.

Overall, you don’t have to worry about ever being uncomfortable or thinking, “are we there yet?!”. Your first stop of the morning will be at the gorgeous Kerid Crater/Selfoss. This crater, depending on the season, sports an array of colorful shades like dark red and green.

Sitting at the bottom is a beautiful turquoise lake, to perfectly contrast the surrounding tones. In the wintertime it is a bit more barren, but still impressive!

You’ll then see the Haukadalur valley which holds 1 of the 5 existing geyser fields on the entire planet! A wide variety of landscapes decorate the place, surrounded by steam and various hot springs full of pure Icelandic water. Some shoot water up to a whopping 30 meters high every few minutes!

After all that trekking, take a break for some local eats like their famous kjötsupa meat soup made with lamb. On a cooler day, this soup just hits the spot and recharges your adventuring battery right up.

After this, check out the impressive Gullfoss Waterfall/Golden Falls. As one of the most famous landmarks in the country, it sits in the middle of a mountain range, on a cliff. Walk through the clouds of water for the best view of the falls at the natural observation deck.

5. Private Golden Circle Tour by Superjeep from Reykjavik

• Duration: 8 to 9 hours
• Departure Time: 8:30 am
• Includes:  Private tour, freedom to customize, National Park fees, transport by Land Rover Defender 4×4 Super Jeep, Jeeps equipped with leather seats, WIFI, GPS

We would be remiss to make a guide consisting of the best Golden Circle tours and not include this next gem. The Private Golden Circle Tour by Superjeep from Reykjavik is unlike any other you’ll find out there.

While you’ll get to see many of the same landmarks, traveling in a Super Jeep and with this crew is something special! Start off the day with a pickup at your hotel or accommodations. When you step out of the lobby, you’ll surely be a bit impressed at the unique form of transportation!

These well-maintained Jeeps involve massive wheels that move easily over the rugged (and often icy) Icelandic terrain. This means that your safety will never be put at risk, nor your comfort. Not to mention, they just look plain awesome!

Lasting 8 to 9 hours, you’ll get to see the Thingvellir National Park, Geysir, and Gullfoss Waterfall. We’ve already spoken quite a bit about these spots, so we won’t keep repeating the same thing.

Make sure to look out your windows and enjoy the views of rolling hills, rivers, and local wildlife. After you check out the Golden Circle’s main attractions, you’ll all make a stop for some local cuisine and have some time to relax.

After this, you’ll get to see a spot not many tourists see: the Langjökull ice cap! This is the second-largest ice cap in the country. Follow it up by seeing the small-but-pretty Faxi waterfall.

As this is all customizable, make sure to tell your guide about your specific interests and what you’d like to see most.

Iceland Travel Guide

There are many reasons the Land of Fire and Ice has seen an explosion in tourism since 2019. Not only can you see the Northern Lights, active volcanoes, glaciers, and puffins, you can also relax in a geothermal spa and even bake bread inside a pot buried underground.

What you decide to do in this fascinating country is your choice, but you should take the time to do some research before you go. This guide is here to inform you where you can go, what you can do, and how you can get there, because we want you to have the best vacation of your life in Iceland.

Airports & Entry

Most visitors to Iceland arrive at Keflavik International Airport (KEF). Although Iceland only has a population of 359 thousand people, in 2018 this busy airport handled 9.8 million passengers. Despite the number of visitors, there is only one terminal. You will find the check-in times minimal, with an average 20-minute waiting time at the security check.

Inside the terminal, you will find everything clearly signposted in English. Charging points for cellphones and laptops are provided in the waiting area along with free Wi-Fi.

Strollers are provided for children, and there is a dedicated kids’ play area. The usual selection of food outlets and shops are found on the upper floor of the main building. Manned information stands are located throughout the airport.

It is 30 miles from the airport to Reykjavik, the capital city. The speed limit is 55 mph, but the drive usually takes 50 minutes due to traffic. Shuttle bus services link KEF to the city, which you can book in advance online or pay for at the airport.

Some hotels offer airport collection, and you should ask about that when you book your room. You can, of course, jump in a taxi at the airport, but it will be extremely expensive compared to the airport bus service. Car rental is available at the airport, but it is advisable to book in advance.

Planning Tips

With so many exciting things to do and see in Iceland, you’re guaranteed to have a great holiday. However, things do not always go to plan, so here are 5 tips to help you make the most of your visit.

Tip #1: If you want to see the Aurora Borealis, go between September and March

It’s easier to view the Northern Lights when the sky is at its darkest. In Iceland, the nights are especially long between September and March, but the sky doesn’t grow dark enough to view this magical phenomenon during the summer months. However, do not plan a visit around a full moon, because its light can dampen the impact of this natural light display. The best days to go are around the time of a new moon.

Tip #2: Check out the SolarHam website

If you are especially interested in the Aurora Borealis and want to earn your Geek Badge, check out the SolarHam website. This techy site provides a 3-day geomagnetic forecast, which is useful for aurora hunters to select the best time to view the Northern Lights. The same site provides a satellite map of where the natural light show is right now, so you can look up if you’re near.

Tip #3: Take your time to enjoy all the attractions of Iceland

There’s so much to see in Iceland, it would be a crime not to explore and experience as much as you are able in the time you have. While you are there, do not miss the opportunity to see so many unforgettable natural phenomena in one place.

A great way to see all the national parks is with a horseback riding tour ! There is nowhere else on the planet where you can see active volcanoes, glaciers, and icebergs, all in one national park. A great way to explore is with an ATV tour of the park .

Tip #4: Book everything in advance, especially in winter

Tourism is on the rise in Iceland, and hotel rooms, tours, and attractions get fully-booked ahead of time.  Don’t miss out on seeing the Northern Lights from the best vantage point possible because all the tours were booked-up before you arrived. Many tours like the ones detailed above offer a 24-hour-in-advance free cancellation, so you take no financial risk booking. Ask about free cancellation when buying your ticket.

Tip #5: Impress your friends with quintessentially Icelandic souvenirs

The budget chain store Bonus stocks many unique Icelandic products, such as Omnom chocolate, Icelandic specialty teas, herbal sea salt blends, and licorice mixed with chocolate. At Bonus, you can pick up great, inexpensive gifts for your friends! Vinbuoin, the state-run liquor store, sells a fine selection of renowned Icelandic spirits, including Iceland’s signature tipple, Brennivin.

And if you like to sort through other folks’ debris for the hidden treasures, a special weekend market is held at Kolaportio in downtown Reykjavik where Icelanders come to sell off their unwanted goods when moving to a new house. You could find anything!

Restaurants & Eating Out

Because of Iceland’s geographical position and climate, vegetables and grains are rare in traditional foods, and many famous dishes focus on preserved seafood or meat. Also, food was scarce in yesteryears, so every part of an animal or fish was eaten. You’ll find many traditional meals involve fish or meat that is salted, smoked, dried, or fermented. Watch out for such culinary delights as baked sheep’s head and fermented shark.

Seafood restaurants are common throughout Iceland, and all serve “fish of the day”, which is usually salmon, monkfish, haddock, or cod. However, if you wish, you can seek out some of the more exotic options. Humar is a kind of lobster caught off the south coast of Iceland, renowned for its tender and tasty flesh.

It is served fried, baked or grilled, though it can also be found as a pizza topping! Plokkfishkur is a fish stew, made to the chef’s specific recipe but usually combining white fish with onions, potatoes, milk, and flour. Harofiskur is a snack you can buy in any grocery store. It is dried stockfish, eaten with butter or straight out of a bag.

Because it is difficult to grow wheat in Iceland, there are many traditional varieties of rye bread, like flatkaka, baked in thin disks on hot stones. One variety of rye bread you should try is rugbrauo, a sweet-tasting, dark bread.

The reason rugbrauo is so interesting for visitors to Iceland is that a common baking technique is to bury a dough-filled pot near one of the many hot springs, such as Fontana Hot Springs, and use geothermal heat to bake the bread. Rugbrauo baked that way is also called hyerabrauo (hot-spring bread).

Icelanders don’t only eat fish and rye bread. Sheep are the most common livestock in Iceland, so lamb is often on the menu. Sheep wander freely around the countryside, eating seaweed, grass, and berries, which tends to make lamb tender with a mild flavor.

Smoked lamb is called hangikjöt and is often served boiled during the winter holidays. Also watch out for varieties of meat you won’t see in most other countries, like puffin, horse, and whale. Despite international concern over puffins and whales, they are still commonly consumed in Iceland.

A meal on vacation isn’t complete without dessert. Popular local sweets include rugbrauosis (rye bread ice cream), pönnukökur (Icelandic pancakes), and snuour (cinnamon bread covered in caramel or chocolate). A dairy product unique to Iceland is skyr.

It is a kind of sour milk cheese eaten like yogurt and often sweetened and flavored with fruit or vanilla.

Nightlife & Entertainment

With long, cold nights throughout the winter, it’s no surprise Icelanders love their nightlife, and much of it is centered where most of the people live—Reykjavik. Because the capital is so small, most of the clubs and bars are within walking distance of one another. In fact, many are along one street, Laugavegur, the commercial artery of downtown.

Most social venues are informal and entrance fees rare. When Icelanders go out for the night, they tend to begin late, and many clubs and bars don’t get busy until after midnight. This is in part because alcohol in bars is expensive, so locals drink at home before setting out.

Many clubs and bars stay open as late as 5 am. Cocktail bars are a recent addition to Iceland’s nightlife, but with the booming tourist trade, they are rapidly expanding.

And don’t worry too much about safety at night. In 2019, the Institute for Economics and Peace in Sydney ranked Iceland the most peaceful nation on Earth for the 12 th year running. Crime rates in Reykjavik are probably lower than anywhere you have ever lived.

Getting Around

Iceland is a small country covering an area slightly smaller than Kentucky. If you wanted to drive from Reykjavik on the west coast to Faskruosfjorour on the east coast, the 425 miles route would take only 8½ hours.

However, because of its small population outside of the capital, you cannot rely on public transport to go sightseeing around the country or reach the best place to view the northern lights. This leaves you with two options: hiring a car or booking a coach tour, like the 3-day Golden Circle tour detailed above.

Within the capital and its immediate area, you do have more options: bus, taxi, bicycle, or walk. The public bus service is inexpensive and efficient, and you can ask for help to find the right bus from your hotel reception. Given that Reykjavik is so small a city, taxis are affordable.

If you want a little exercise, bicycle rentals are available in many hotels, and the city is crisscrossed by dedicated bicycle paths. If you decide to walk, make sure you wrap up well. The weather can deteriorate rapidly in Iceland.

Accommodations

Over the past few years, Iceland has seen a huge expansion in tourism. With a 378% increase since 2010, hotel rooms fill up quickly. Through Christmas and summer, hotels are usually fully booked. Since 228 of Iceland’s 359 thousand citizens live within the capital and its immediate hinterland, settlements throughout the rest of Iceland are small and rooms for visitors limited. Most hotels are in the capital.

You will probably find it most convenient to stay in Reykjavik. You will find a broad range of hotels there, it is near the airport, and many of the attractions along with most of the nightlife are found there or nearby. Many organized tours to other parts of Iceland and major tourist attractions set out from Reykjavik, such as most of the Northern Lights tours detailed above.

Within the downtown and central area of Reykjavik you will find a choice of luxury hotels, like the Hotel Borg downtown and The Icelandair Hotel Marina, overlooking the harbor. If you head a little more out of the center, you’ll find more affordable hostels, such as The Capital Inn and Bus Hostel Reykjavik .

There are some popular hotels outside of the capital near to tourist attractions, such as Hotel Skaftafell in the Vatnajökull National Park, which offers spectacular views of Iceland’s largest mountain, or Skyrhusid Guesthouse near Lake Jökulsarion in the south. Wherever you decide to stay, the important thing is to book in advance. If you don’t, you will miss out on the best rooms.

Iceland is not the place to go if you want year-round sunshine and dry weather. In fact, on 22 nd December there are only 4 hours of daylight, because that is the shortest day. That’s great if you want to see the Aurora Borealis, since it can only be seen during dark nights, but not so good for other sightseeing. In contrast, the longest day boasts 21 hours of daylight, 21 st June.

The “warm” summer period covers June, July, and August, with an average daily high of 55 0 F and a low of 46 0 F. Yes, 55 0 F is their summer high! Summers are short and cloudy. The winter period covers November through March, two months longer than summer, and is cold, wet, windy, and overcast, with frequent snow. The average daily high drops to 35 0 F in January with a low of 27 0 F.

If your main interest is the Northern Lights, you should go anytime September through March, because the sky is dark enough to view those fantastic electromagnetic displays. If the Aurora Borealis does not interest you, you’ll get the warmest weather and longer days from the end of June to mid-August.

Attractions

The Northern Lights are not the only unique and fascinating attraction in Iceland. The Land of Fire and Ice is the best place in the world to see and experience the majesty and power of two extremes in Nature: glaciers and volcanoes.

12 miles from KEF is the world-famous Blue Lagoon geothermal spa. Here you can laze in pools of hot, milky blue water heated by a lava flow. Nearby stands the Svartsengi Geothermal Power Plant, which uses superheated water from the lava flow to generate electricity and also provide heat for a municipal water heating system.

There are geothermal spas like the Blu Lagoon throughout Iceland, so wherever you choose to stay, you can find one near you and experience the power of molten rock.

If you are there in the winter, be sure to see the migrating whales. To have the best chance of see them, that a whale watching tour . The boat captains know the best places to go to see them.

If ice and Arctic landscapes interest you, head 140 miles east from Reykjavik to Vatnajökull National Park , which is centered on Vatnajökull glacier and the surrounding beautiful landscape. This park covers 14% of Iceland and is filled with glacial rivers and active volcanoes. To fully see it, take a tour of the glaciers and be sure to see the ice caves .

Vatnajökull glacier empties into the glacial lake of Jökulsarion in the south, where you can see 100-feet-tall icebergs freshly broken away from the glacier. Jökulsarion served as a setting in several major Hollywood movies. On your drive back to Reykjavik, you can see two beautiful waterfalls around Skogar. The first, Skogafoss, is an impressive waterfall and a popular destination for Icelandic day-trippers.

18 miles west of Skogafoss is picturesque Seljalandsfoss waterfall . A path allows sightseers to pass behind the curtain of water as it falls into the crystal-clear plunge pool.

If it’s man-made cultural and historical attractions you seek, you’ll find plenty to do and see around Reykjavik. The capital’s earliest history stretches back to 874, but it only became a true city in 1785.

Around Reykjavik, you’ll find an interesting assortment of museums and tourist attractions, like the National Museum of Iceland and the Reykjavik Maritime Museum.

A famous landmark visitors flock to see is the Hallgrimskirkja Church, which is the largest church in Iceland. This unique structure was designed by a local architect to resemble the glaciers and mountains of Iceland.

Tour Guides

The Private Tour of the Golden Circle from Reykjavik is our Editors Choice for the best Golden Circle tour

Robert Baker

Related articles, the 5 best stonehenge tours from london [2024 reviews], the 5 best wine tours from florence [2024 reviews], the 7 best vatican tours ⛪ [2024 reviews], the 5 best seine river dinner cruises [2024 reviews].

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Tours From New York Reviews

3-day new york/new jersey to philadelphia, washington dc, niagara falls, corning, watkins glen and hershey chocolate world tour tour code : gol-nyc-509.

By : jigar Goyal Date : Wed Jun 05, 2024 at 05:23 AM

Highly appreciative services, very soft-spoken and understandable guide, and driver. I enjoyed it thoroughly every second of my trip. Thanks for making it memorable.

2-Day From New York to Marthas Vineyards, Essex Steam Train and Riverboat Ride Tour Tour code : GOL-NYC-147

By : Tourist Date : Wed May 08, 2024 at 04:33 AM

6-Day New York to Philadelphia, Washington DC, Boston, Watkins Glen, Niagara Falls, Corning and Hershey Chocolate World Tour (Free Airport Pickup) Tour code : GOL-NYC-525A

By : Madhan kiumar. Date : Tue Apr 09, 2024 at 04:25 AM

7-Day New York to Watkins Glen, Niagara Falls, Corning Hershey Chocolate World, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Boston and Cambridge Tour (Free Airport Pickup) Tour code : GOL-NYC-526A

By : Arif Koanda Date : Sat Apr 06, 2024 at 04:18 AM

3-Day New York/New Jersey to Washington DC, Philadelphia, Corning Glass and Niagara Falls Tour Tour code : GOL-NYC-455

By : Shirley Date : Wed Mar 06, 2024 at 01:18 AM

We had a great time on our 3 day trip to see Liberty bell, the White House, Capitol Hill, Hershey’s factory, and Niagara Falls. Kudos to our tour guide, Mr Stone who’s well knowledgeable on those places, good listener and fun to be with! Likewise to Mr Leo, our guide going home to NY who gave up his seat to accommodate 2 of our 4 paid front seats. I don’t recommend paying extra for front seats because of the hassle of bus transfers, they can’t guarantee your paid front seats in the other buses where someone is already seated. Good thing we’re just going home. That was just my experience. Overall, we had an amazing time especially in Niagara.

2-Day New York/New Jersey to Corning, Watkins Glen State Park, Niagara Falls (Scenic Hotel Stay) In-depth Tour Tour code : GOL-NYC-101

By : Ravish Date : Fri Sep 08, 2023 at 04:21 AM

4-Day New York/New Jersey to Philadelphia, Washington DC, Niagara Falls, Hershey Chocolate World, Corning, Watkins Glen and Cave of the Winds Tour Tour code : GOL-NYC-527

By : Martha Date : Mon May 15, 2023 at 06:13 AM

We enjoyed the tour, it was amazing. We highly recommended it. The only thing we didn't do, is stopping at the Yale University in CT, however, the bus drive by it.

2-Day New York/New Jersey to Niagara Falls, Maid of the Mist Boat Ride and Watkins Glen Tour Tour code : GOL-NYC-453

By : Radhi Disai Date : Thu May 04, 2023 at 04:28 AM

Niagara Falls is one of the great sources of viewing natural beauty. I am a huge fan of mother nature and this was fabulous. I would love to try it again and again.

4-Day New York/New Jersey to Washington DC, Philadelphia, Hersheys, Corning, Niagara Falls and Harvard University Tour Tour code : GOL-NYC-354

By : RJravi Date : Mon Apr 10, 2023 at 00:16 AM

4-Day New York/New Jersey to Washington DC, US. Capitol, and Philadelphia Tour (Free Airport Pickup) Tour code : GOL-NYC-227A

By : Jyoti Date : Mon Apr 10, 2023 at 00:15 AM

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London at night - Golden Tours

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London at night

I'd recommend, we saw a lot of London in just one go, very comfortably. William and Glynn were lovely, William made the visit very interesting and fun!

Thank you for your recommendation! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed exploring London comfortably with us. We're delighted that William and Glynn made your experience interesting and fun. We appreciate your kind words and hope to welcome you back for more adventures in the future.

Really informative tour visiting many nice sites in London. Our tour guide William and our driver Glen both did an excellent job.

Thank you for your kind words! We're delighted to hear that you found our tour informative and enjoyable. We appreciate your compliments about our tour guide William and our driver Glen. We're lucky to have them on our team. If you ever plan to explore more, we'd love to welcome you back for another great experience.

I can't recommend this tour enough. Very organized and well managed. The guide Ana and the driver Adrián were excellent. People who care about their clients. Kind, respectful, charismatic and more... They deserve raises immediately!! You can take this tour with your eyes closed. Especially Spanish speakers. I always do thorough research on what I am purchasing and will definitely continue using this service. Ana and Adrian are employees the company needs to retain and make them want to keep working with you. Because this is the face of the company and they are doing an excellent job!! They make clients want to come back and choose you again! Team Banana always!! Gracias por una experiencia inolvidable!

Thank you for your incredibly kind words and enthusiastic recommendation! We're thrilled to hear that Ana and Adrian provided you with such an unforgettable experience. We truly value your feedback and will make sure to recognize their exceptional service. We're honored to have earned your trust, and we look forward to welcoming you back for more memorable adventures in the future. Muchas gracias por ser parte de Team Banana!

Great experience! We have well informed by the tour guide, Bruce and smooth journey because of Ashley :) lovely memory.

Thank you for your kind words! We're delighted to hear that you had a great experience with our tour guide, Bruce, and that Ashley ensured your journey was smooth. Creating lovely memories for our guests is what we strive for. We hope to welcome you back for more memorable experiences in the future.

Bruce and Ashley where the best. They made the experience!!! I will definitely use Golden Tours again. Highly recommended.

Thank you for your kind words! We're thrilled to hear that Bruce and Ashley made your experience memorable. We truly appreciate your recommendation and look forward to welcoming you back on another Golden Tours adventure in the future

This was an excellent tour with guide Oscar and Jim the driver. Very informative. We had plenty of time at Stonehenge to really take things in and do the audio tour in full and ample time at Windsor to see every thing. I give 5 out of 5!

Thank you for your fantastic review! We're delighted to hear that you had an excellent experience on our tour with Oscar as your guide and Jim as the driver. It's wonderful to know that you found the tour informative and that you had ample time to explore both Stonehenge and Windsor. Your 5 out of 5 rating means a lot to us! If you ever wish to explore more, we'd be thrilled to have you join us again.

Jeff Lynne’s ELO Announce Final Tour: ‘Over and Out’

By Jem Aswad

Executive Editor, Music

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Jeff Lynne’s ELO have announced their final tour, dubbed “The Over and Out Tour.” The 27-date excursion, produced by Live Nation, will kick off in Palm Desert, CA on August 24 and travel across North America before concluding in Los Angeles on October 25.

Artist presale will begin on Wednesday, March 20 at 10 a.m. local time and the general onsale will start on Friday, March 22 at 10 a.m. local time. Exclusive VIP experiences will be available March 20 at 10am local.

“A brilliant catalog returns to U.S. stages and gives the strings-starved people what they want,” Variety wrote of the group’s previous tour in 2018. “The ELO catalog speaks for itself… and it was a glorious thing to behold… in a 19-song set that reprised the closest thing to truly Beatle-level pop the 1970s had to offer.”

ELO — originally named the Electric Light Orchestra — was formed in 1972 by singers/multi-instrumentalists Lynne and Roy Wood and drummer Bev Bevan from the ashes of legendary rockers the Move, with the intention of fusing rock music with classical instruments. Wood left after one album and Lynne assumed leadership of the group — taking on lead singer, songwriter, producer and guitarist roles — which went on to score such massive hits through the ‘70s as “Evil Woman,” “Strange Magic,” “Living Thing,” “Can’t Get It Out of My Head,” “Mr. Blue Sky,” “Telephone Line,” “Don’t Bring Me Down” and more.

Lynne revived the ELO brand in 2001, with himself and longtime keyboardist Richard Tandy as the only remaining early members, for the album “Zoom” (featuring Harrison and Starr) and tour. He did so again in 2014 and has toured extensively and released two albums with the group, 2015’s “Alone in the Universe” and 2019’s “From Out of Nowhere.”

  Date                  City                                           Venue  

August 24       Palm Desert, CA                     Acrisure Arena

August 27       Seattle, WA                            Climate Pledge Arena

August 28       Vancouver, BC                       Rogers Arena

August 30       Portland, OR                           Moda Center

September 1    San Francisco, CA                  Chase Center

September 6    St. Louis, MO                         Enterprise Center

September 7    Indianapolis, IN                      Gainbridge Fieldhouse

September 9    Toronto, ON                           Scotiabank Arena

September 10  Pittsburgh, PA                        PPG Paints Arena

September 13  Cincinnati, OH                       Heritage Bank Center

September 14  Cleveland, OH                        Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse

September 20  Philadelphia, PA                     Wells Fargo Center

September 23  Boston, MA                            TD Garden

September 25  Washington, DC                     Capital One Arena

September 27  Chicago, IL                             United Center

September 30  St, Paul, MN                           Xcel Energy Center

October 2        Denver, CO                             Ball Arena

October 9        Detroit, MI                              Little Caesars Arena

October 11      Nashville, TN                         Bridgestone Arena

October 12      Atlanta, GA                            State Farm Arena

October 15      Austin, TX                              Moody Center

October 16      Houston, TX                           Toyota Center

October 18      Dallas, TX                              American Airlines Center

October 23      Sacramento, CA                     Golden 1 Center

October 25      Los Angeles, CA                    Kia Forum

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