Golden Circle travel stories – find inspiration to travel

The Golden Circle is often the first area of Iceland people explore. It is popular to rent a car and go on a road trip around the Golden Circle. If that is something you would like to do, I hope that my Golden Circle road trip planner helps you with your tour planning. The great thing about road trips is that you can really control your own pace. If you are looking for inspiration we have a great collection of Golden circles travel stories and articles.

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Find hotels on the Golden Circle

Use this interface from Booking.com to find hotels and other forms of accommodation on the Golden Circle.

Bucket List Material on the Golden Circle

The route contains beautiful places such as Thingvellir, the world´s oldest parliament, Gullfoss waterfall and the geyser field of Haukadalur valleyThe restaurant and tomato farm Friðheimar is also increasingly popular for a good reason. I love the food and the ambiance there. If you have the change, I would go on a snowmobile tour on Langjökull glacier and check out the fantastic ice tunnel there.

Golden Circle travel stories and destinations

River rafting adventure in Iceland with Arctic Rafting

In the heart of the Icelandic Golden Circle, the thrill of adventure meets the beauty of nature. Founded in 1985, the rafting and kayaking company Arctic Rafting offers a gateway to the exhilarating world of river rafting in Iceland under the stewardship of Tinna Sigurðardóttir,…

Sky Lagoon spa – relax & unwind in paradise

The Sky Lagoon spa is located near downtown Reykjavik. Here, you can experience authentic Icelandic luxury with unparalleled calmness and relaxation. Visiting the Sky Lagoon is, therefore, one of the best ways to end a cruise through Europe. This beautifully designed outdoor spa is open for…

Stuck in Iceland recommends: Sümac restaurant

In this first special Stuck in Iceland restaurant recommendation, we will talk about one of our all-time favorite restaurants in Reykjavík, the Middle-Eeastern themed Sümac, run by one of Iceland´s most renowned chefs, Þráinn Freyr Vigfússon. Þráinn also runs ÓX, one of the three Michelin-star…

Lee-Anne Fox has visited Iceland 17 times – here are her travel tips

As I have often discussed, a big part of my motivation for running Stuck in Iceland Travel Magazine is the great people I have known through this part-time passion project. Sadly, I have not met all of these people, but that is a feature of…

Litli Barinn in Reykjavik – A haven of Icelandic culture and warmth

In the heart of Reykjavik’s historic Vesturbær neighborhood lies a quaint and cozy gem within the Local 101 hotel, offering a unique blend of Icelandic culture and hospitality. At the helm of this charming bar and its accompanying hotel are Alma Bremond and her partner,…

Discover the real Iceland through the lens of amateur photographer Einar H. Reynis

The amazing thing about the internet is how everyday people can apply their skills and reach millions of other people from all over the globe. I have achieved modest success in this regard. However, sometimes you notice that other people have, in their quiet way,…

Explore the Wilderness: Unique adventures in the Westfjords

Borea Adventures stands out as a leading adventure guiding company based in Ísafjörður, the vibrant heart of the Westfjords of Iceland. Established in 2006, the company embodies a lifestyle deeply rooted in the untamed beauty of its surroundings. I am delighted to add the company…

How to best experience the 2026 solar eclipse in Iceland

On 12 August 2026 at 16:42, we here in Iceland will be treated to an amazingly natural phenomenon: a total sun eclipse. Therefore, I am thrilled to bring back a familiar face to my readers: Sævar Helgi Bragason, a renowned Icelandic educator, TV personality, and…

The ultimate list of tips for your camper van road trip in Iceland

This is the season when people are planning their camper van road trip in Iceland. Embarking on a camper van road trip in Iceland is an exhilarating experience. Here are some practical and actionable tips for the best camper van road trip in beautiful Iceland…

Sonia Nicolson is the Reykjavik Sketcher

Sonia Nicolson, AKA the Reykjavik Sketcher, is a Scottish expat living in Iceland who has carved a space in the world of design and education here in Iceland. Not your typical architect, Sonia’s journey is one of perseverance, passion, and adaptability. From struggling through high…

The eruption in Grindavik

Early this morning, a volcanic eruption started just outside the little fishing town of Grindavik. The town is situated on the southern coast of the Reykjanes peninsula. Keflavik International Airport is on the north-west corner of the Reykjanes peninsula and is some 27 Kilometers (I7…

Self-drive guides for Iceland: John Lloyd’s expertly curated routes

John Lloyd has visited and explored Iceland 19 times since his first trip in 2012, completing the Ring Road several times and covering the Westfjords, Snæfellsnes and Vestmannaeyjar too. The results are comprehensive and practical self-drive guides for Iceland. His e-book series, “Iceland – Route…

Dancing in the morning at FlyOver Iceland

A friend of the magazine, Emilía Sigurðardóttir, Sales & Marketing Manager of FlyOver Iceland, just sent me this article about their recent holiday breakfast, which their friends and neighbors enjoyed at the FlyOver Iceland HQ. It is also the first entry into a brand new…

The Katlatrack adventure with Gudjon Gudmundsson

I’m excited to introduce you to Gudjon Thorsteinn Gudmundsson, the founder of Katlatrack, one of Iceland’s top adventure tour companies. Since its inception in 2009, Katlatrack has pioneered year-round natural ice cave exploration in Iceland, offering unique, offbeat adventures beyond typical tourist hot spots. As…

Stuck in Iceland Wrapped for 2023 – thank you dear readers

What a year 2023 was for my Stuck in Iceland Travel magazine. Over 70 thousand people read the magazine, and 5.400 readers signed up for my newsletter. By doing so, they receive discount codes from over 100 tours and travel services from over 40 travel…

Auður Jónsdóttir: insight & warmth in Iceland’s literature

If you only knew Iceland from its dynamic literary scene and the number of books published in Icelandic every year, I would understand if you thought Iceland is a country of millions. In 2021, 895 book titles were published in a country of just under…

Iceland road trip with camping – find great tips here

Want to go on an Iceland road trip with camping? Zakarias Fridriksson is a young entrepreneur who recently founded the car rental and camping equipment rental company Camping Iceland with two of his childhood friends, Aron Freyr Gíslason and Bergsteinn Máni Guðmundsson. I just started…

Old-time Icelandic Christmas – dodging trolls, and a kid eating cat

Icelanders love to celebrate Christmas. In a country where people must deal with a long, hard winter, feasting, gift-giving, and merrymaking are welcome distractions. Articles about Icelandic Christmas are popular with my readers during the advent. This is why I wanted to write about old-time…

Entrepreneur Safa Jemai spices up Iceland

One of the best things that has happened to Iceland in the past decades is the many immigrants that have moved from abroad and enriched the country´s culture and country. When I was growing up, Iceland was utterly monoculture, and everything was rather bland, both…

Man-made caves in south Iceland could be from the first settlers

For the longest time, the history of Iceland has been told this way: Noble Norwegian chieftains wanted to be free of the aggressive king Haraldur Hardrada, who unified Norway with force. These intrepid chieftains wanted to live free in remote Iceland rather than bend the…

Will American Scientists Solve the Mystery of the Caves at Hella?

A team of American scientists is currently working on the age determination of the caves at Ægissíða in Rangárþing ytra and their possible role in settlement of Iceland. The team is investigating carvings on cave walls and sediment layers in the caves. They use an…

Serendipity seekers love Reykjavik music festival Iceland Airwaves

The Reykjavik music festival Iceland Airwaves should come with a health warning: Do not attend if you have FOMO – Fear of Missing Out. You will have a bewildering choice of musical acts and venues throughout venues in central Reykjavik. The 2023 Iceland Airwaves had 82,…

Icelandic Eiderdown is rarer than diamonds, and much more useful

Based in northern Iceland’s rugged Troll Peninsula, Icelandic Eider was founded in 2019. It is based on a well-established legacy of 80 years of a family business. Eiderdown has been gathered in the area by the locals since 1860. About 4.500 eider ducks nest in…

The third batch of love letters of Iceland is here

My friends and partners at Sleipnir Tours offered me their exquisite Sleipnir necklace by Icelandic artist Óttar Gauti Guðmundsson. They generously provided two necklaces—one for me and one for you, my readers, with a 20% online discount code. Simply subscribe to my newsletter for the code….

Exclusive winter discount: Explore Iceland with Moonwalker Tours!

Are you ready for an unforgettable Icelandic adventure this winter? I’ve got an exciting offer for my dear subscribers at Stuck in Iceland magazine. When you sign up for our exclusive newsletter, you’ll get a fantastic 15% discount on top-rated private tours with Moonwalker Tours,…

A new batch of love letters to Iceland

My friends and partners at Sleipnir Tours offered me their exquisite Sleipnir necklace by Icelandic artist Óttar Gauti Guðmundsson. They generously provided two necklaces—one for me and one for you, my readers, with a 20% online discount code. Simply subscribe to my newsletter for the…

Love letters to Iceland: affair started in challenging times

Sometimes, you don’t know quite what to do with good things that come to you. My friends and partners at Sleipnir Tours offered me to promote their fabulous Sleipnir necklace created by the Icelandic artist Óttar Gauti Guðmundsson. Sleipnir Tours gave me two necklaces, one…

Nice Travel: Icelandic Hospitality and small-group travel

Founded in 2012 by three Icelandic families, Nice Travel is a top-rated tour company with almost 600 positive reviews on TripAdvisor. Their ethos centers around providing personal travel experiences. Limiting their tours to a maximum of 19 guests ensures a more intimate journey for every…

Reeling in Memories: Meet Icelandic fishing Guide Guðmundur Atli

I could never be a fishing guide in Iceland. I am what is called in Icelandic ‘fiskifæla,’ a word that means something like ‘fish repeller.’ Every time I am by a riverbank and try to fish, the salmon, trout, or char conspire not to interact…

From first flash to fading embers: A tribute to eruptions in Iceland

Daníel Páll Jónasson, a geographer and avid photographer, has embarked on a remarkable journey through Iceland’s recent eruptions in Iceland. After the 2021 eruption in Geldingadalir, Daníel published a book featuring 112 of his favorite photographs from that first eruption. But now, after two eruptions,…