Golden Circle Private Tour with Secret Lagoon from Reykjavik

by VAREN Iceland · Lagoons & spas · Reykjavík

  • Skip the queue

from €1,253.44 per vehicle

No published departures in the coming months — ask us

  • Duration

    10 hours

  • Difficulty

    Easy

  • Season

    All year

  • Starts in

    Reykjavík

  • Pickup

    Hotel pickup included

  • Guide

    Guided in English

  • Departs

    07:00, 08:00, 09:00

  • Cancellation

    Free until 24 hours before

About this experience

Iceland's Golden Circle is one of the great road trips of the world: tectonic rifts, erupting geysers, thundering waterfalls and a volcanic crater that looks like it belongs in a painting. This day ends with a warm soak in the Secret Lagoon, Iceland's oldest swimming pool.

This is a fully private tour. Your group of up to 8 guests gets a dedicated driver-guide and a vehicle that belongs entirely to you for the day. No fixed pace, no waiting for other passengers, no compromises. If you want to stay longer at Gullfoss because the light is perfect, you stay. If you want to watch Strokkur erupt one more time, you watch. The day is yours.

You'll step into the rift valley at Þingvellir, walking between the North American and Eurasian plates. On the way to Haukadalur, we stop to say hello to Icelandic horses, then you watch Strokkur explode skyward and feel the mist of Gullfoss.

In the village of Flúðir, you slip into the Secret Lagoon, a natural hot spring pool from 1891, where steam drifts across the water and a little geyser bubbles next to the pool. On the way home, we stop at Kerið, where red volcanic slopes wrap around a still blue lake.

Throughout the day your driver-guide is right there, sharing stories, small legends and practical tips, with deep knowledge of Iceland's history, culture and landscape at every stop. They answer questions, give context and make sure your group gets the most out of every moment, so you don't just see the Golden Circle, you feel why people fall in love with this place.

Full details of each stop are in the itinerary. Pick-up and drop-off anywhere in the Capital Area, including the cruise terminals, is included. Secret Lagoon tickets are not included and can be added when you book. The order of stops may be adjusted on the day due to weather or road conditions.

Choose a Private Sedan for 1-3 guests or a Private Van for up to 8 guests. One price per vehicle, not per person.

Description from the operator, VAREN Iceland. Prices and availability in the booking panel are live.

Where you go

  1. Pick-up in the Capital Area
  2. Thingvellir National Park – A Walk Between Continents
  3. Öxarárfoss Waterfall – The Hidden Gem Of The Rift
  4. Icelandic Horses – A Friendly Hello Along The Way
  5. Strokkur Geyser – The Thrill Of The Eruption
  6. Gullfoss Waterfall – Feel The Mist And The Might
  7. Secret Lagoon – Iceland's Oldest Swimming Pool
  8. Kerið Volcanic Crater – Breathtaking Colors
  9. Drop-off in the Capital Area

Included

  • Private Golden Circle tour with the Secret Lagoon, just for your group
  • Friendly English-speaking local driver-guide
  • Private Sedan or Private Van for the whole day
  • Pick-up and drop-off at your accommodation or cruise terminal
  • Up to 1.5 hours at the Secret Lagoon while your driver-guide waits
  • Help with your luggage and gear
  • Bottled water
  • USB charging on board
  • Kerið Crater entrance fee
  • Child seats, free of charge (add them when you book)
  • All parking fees and local taxes

Not included

  • Gratuities
  • Secret Lagoon tickets, unless added when you book
  • Towel and swimsuit rental
  • Meals and snacks

Good to know

  • Warm, waterproof clothes, comfortable shoes and your swimsuit.
Your booking
  • You will receive your booking confirmation right after you book.
  • Please count everyone in your group, including children and infants, as everyone needs their own seat.
  • We pick up and drop off at any accommodation in the Capital Area and at the cruise terminals in Reykjavík and Hafnarfjörður. Staying somewhere else? Send us a message before you book and we will gladly help.
  • Arriving by cruise ship? We plan the start time and the route around your ship's schedule, so you are back at the port well before all-aboard time.
Secret Lagoon
  • Entry tickets are not included in the tour price, and you can add them when you book: adults (15+) and children (0-14). Tickets are priced per person.
  • Towels and swimsuits can be rented at the Secret Lagoon.
  • One adult can look after up to three children in the pool.
  • Would you like more time at the Secret Lagoon? Just let us know when you book, and we will do our best to arrange it at an additional charge.
Walking and accessibility
  • This tour involves easy walks on uneven natural paths, so it is not suitable for guests with serious mobility limitations. The tour is not wheelchair accessible.
Children
  • Children of all ages are welcome. Parents or guardians look after their children during the tour.

Cancellation for this tour

Free cancellation until 24 hours before departure; no refund after that. If the operator cancels for weather or safety, you get a full refund or a new date.

Who this is not for

  • Not for late risers on your first morning — the earliest departure is 07:00, and Reykjavík pickups start before that.
  • Priced per vehicle, so it is poor value for one or two people and good value for four or more sharing.

Read off the operator's own conditions. If none of it applies to you, this is a good one.

Why we list it

VAREN Iceland is one of 207 operators we work with — chosen for reliability, honest descriptions and how they treat guests when weather changes plans. We don't list everything; we list what we'd book ourselves. The six checks every operator passes →

What travellers say about VAREN Iceland

Read all 126 reviews on Google →

Operator rating 4.5/5 from Google — these are reviews of the company, not this specific tour. Shown as Google returns them, unedited.

  • Chris Allen

    ★★★★★ · a year ago

    Lovely hour-long cruise round the Utrecht canal. Friendly guide with lots of information about the history and people of Utrecht. Prices were very reasonable, and longer trips available if you wanted.

  • Tilman Dominik

    ★★ · a year ago

    We Bootes a place to see the grachten in Utecht. Unfortunately there were no explanations or informations about the area or buildings at all. So Next time I would Book another ship

  • Ginney Liu

    ★★★★★ · 7 years ago

    Five stars service - super nice and helpful staff We booked the boat for a bachelorette party. We had a few logistical challenges prior and on the day itself - and Varen in Utrecht staff were so helpful and kind to help us to find solutions. On th day itself, Max - our captain- went out of his way (quite literally, by picking up the bride by boat at a location that would be easily accessible by car). Moreover, as the bride wasn't able to get to the spot until 40 minutes later, Max at his own initiative even extended our time because the next reservation wasn't until half an hour later after our initial time was supposed to end. How incredibly kind is that? A million thanks to the lovely people of this company - would recommend them in a heartbeat.

  • Peter M

    ★★★★★ · 7 years ago

    Visitors of Utrecht often forget that its canals are just as attractive as those in Amsterdam and the best way to see them is by boat. Good angles for photography as well.

Reviews from Google · updated 23 Oct 2026

Read before you book

Reviews from our travellers

Only people who booked this tour through us can write here. We publish every review in full — good or bad.

Reviews arrive the day after each trip — none yet for this one. After your tour we send one email asking how it was, and what you write goes here, unedited.

Lagoons & spas — questions people ask

Is the Blue Lagoon worth it or is it too touristy?

It is busy and it is worth it, once. The water is milky blue from silica, the setting in the Reykjanes lava is unlike anywhere else, and it sits twenty minutes from Keflavík Airport, so it fits an arrival or departure day. Book a time slot in advance; it sells out. If crowds bother you, go early morning or after 20:00. The Secret Lagoon or Fontana on the Golden Circle are calmer and cheaper alternatives.

Can I do the Blue Lagoon on the way to or from the airport?

Yes, and it is the best way to use it. Transfers like IceTransfer's Keflavík to Blue Lagoon to Reykjavík (/experience/1036423/) or the reverse (/experience/1036419/) stop at the lagoon for a few hours with your luggage stored. Allow at least three hours at the lagoon and check that your slot lines up with your flight. Note that the Reykjanes eruptions have closed the lagoon at short notice; check its status before travelling.

What is the difference between the Secret Lagoon and the Blue Lagoon?

The Secret Lagoon at Flúðir is a simple, warm geothermal pool with a bubbling hot spring beside it and basic changing rooms. It is on the Golden Circle, so it slots into a sightseeing day (/experience/17050/, /experience/624446/). The Blue Lagoon is a spa: silica masks, swim-up bar, saunas and a price to match. If you want a soak after a day of waterfalls, Secret Lagoon. If you want the spa day, Blue Lagoon.

Do I have to shower naked before a pool in Iceland?

Yes, at every public pool and most lagoons. Swimwear off, wash thoroughly with soap, swimwear on, then into the water. It is a hygiene rule because Icelandic pools use very little chlorine, and it is taken seriously. Changing rooms are single-sex with open showers; some larger lagoons have a few private cubicles. Nobody looks. It feels odd for thirty seconds and then it does not.

Hotels

Where to stay for this tour

From the cheapest to the top end of what is near Reykjavík, from our hotel partners. Rooms are booked on our hotels site.

All hotels in Reykjavík →
  • One checkout, any number of operators

  • Rankings are not for sale

  • 206 operators vetted, and not all of them accepted

  • If it falls short, we fix it

Pairs well with

Add any of these to this tour and 3 % comes off both at checkout. One basket, one payment, however many operators they come from.

Try Iceland Tours

Golden Circle Extended

from €238 per person4.8· 25 Google reviews of the operator

16% above the €205 typical for lagoon & spa visits

pickup included · works in rain

12 h · from Reykjavík

  • Family friendly
Check dates

BusTravel Iceland

Golden Circle & Secret Lagoon Tour

from €117 per person4.8· 40 reviews of this tour

43% below the €205 typical for lagoon & spa visits

pickup at extra cost · works in rain

10 h · from Reykjavík

  • Wi-fi on board
  • Family friendly
  • Free cancellation 24 h
Check dates

from

€1,253.44 per vehicle

Check dates & book