Explore 9 photography locations in the Golden Circle & Nearby area of Iceland.
Golden Circle & Nearby hosts 9 photography locations curated for this guide, with a focus on waterfalls and landscapes. Each entry includes GPS coordinates, season notes, distance from Reykjavik, and access details (paved, gravel, or 4x4) so you can build a realistic itinerary across a single day or a multi-day loop through the region.
This guide lists 9 curated photography locations in Golden Circle & Nearby, spanning waterfalls, landscapes. Each waypoint includes GPS coordinates, seasonal notes, and access details so you can build a route before you leave Reykjavik.
Driving distance from Reykjavik varies by location within Golden Circle & Nearby. Each card in the list shows the precise distance — use it to group nearby locations into single-day shoots and plan refueling stops on longer loops.
Most coastal and Ring-Road-adjacent sites work with a 2WD year-round. Inland and highland approaches generally need a 4x4 and are summer-only (mid-June to mid-September). Check the "Way In" field on each location card before committing.
The Faxi waterfall is located on the Golden Circle, a popular tourist trail east of Reykjavik. The waterfall is located on the Tungufljót river.
Like the Háifoss, the small valley Gjáin with its small waterfalls
Glymur is the second-highest waterfall in Iceland, with a cascade of 198 m
Gullfoss is a waterfall located in the canyon of the Hvítá river in southwest Iceland
The waterfall Háifoss is situated near the volcano Hekla in southern Iceland
Hjalparfoss is a beautiful, two stepped waterfall near the confluence of Rivers Thjorsa and Fossa in the Thjorsa Valley.
Urriðafoss is a waterfall located in the river Þjórsá in southwest Iceland
Þjófafoss, a waterfall on the Þjórsá in the Merkurhraun lava field west of Route 26, below the 480 m Búrfell. Búrfellsskógur, the birch wood the entry is named for, lies south of the mountain.
Þingvellir (Thingvellir) is a historic site and national park in Iceland, east of Reykjavík. It's known for the Alþing (Althing), the site of Iceland's parliament from the 10th to 18th centuries.