Absorb the Golden Circle Classic.

The Thingvellir National Park was established in 1930 and was the first national park in Iceland. In 2004, it became the first UNESCO World Heritage Site in Iceland due to its cultural heritage from the Viking era and the significance of its history and nature.

Þingvellir, which means "Parliament Grounds" in English, is a fracture zone located on the tectonic plates of the North American and Eurasian continents. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge runs through Iceland from its northeast to its southwest corner, forming a depression approximately 40 km long and 10 km wide. These boundaries are only visible above ground in a few locations in Iceland. Almannagjá, also known as "Public's Rift," forms the eastern boundaries of the North American plate, while Hrafnagjá, or "Raven's Rift," begins the western bounds of the Eurasian plate. The area between these two rifts slowly subsides, pulling apart by about 3-4 millimeters yearly.

Alþingi, or "General Assembly," is the Icelandic parliament, which the Vikings established in AD 930. It is the oldest parliament in the world. Icelanders would gather there every summer until 1798 to set laws, settle disputes, trade goods, and carry out punishments and executions. At Althingi, the Icelandic nation agreed to adopt Christianity in AD 1000, superseding the heathen religion Asatru. On 17 June 1944, after centuries of being under the reigns of the Kingdoms of Norway and Denmark, the establishment of the Republic of Iceland was declared in force.

The Geysir hot springs geothermal area in Haukadalur (also known as Hawks' Valley) boasts a collection of colorful hot springs and mud pools. The main attraction, Strokkur (also known as Churner), is the only spouting hot spring in the area, making it the only one of its kind in Europe. Every 5-8 minutes, scalding geothermal water is spouted up to 30 meters into the air from Strokkur, so it's best to stay upwind to avoid getting drenched by the hot water and steam when it spouts.

Geysir (also known as Spouter) is Iceland's most famous geological phenomenon and is the namesake for all other hot springs worldwide. Although it has been dormant since 2016, earthquakes in the area and volcanic activity in Iceland could cause Geysir to awaken, and the other hot springs in the geothermal area could show changes in behavior.

Other notable hot springs in the area include Blesi (Blaze), which is a blue hot spring due to dissolved silica coming in contact with the atmosphere, and Konungshver (The King's Hot Spring), which is the largest and most attractive hot spring in the area. Konungshver was named after King Christian IX's visit in 1874 when Iceland was under the reign of the Kingdom of Denmark.

A short and easy hike up to an observation platform on Laugarfell (Hot Spring Hill) provides a panoramic view of the entire geothermal area of these hot springs.

Gullfoss, known as Golden Falls, is a spectacular waterfall in Iceland. It is believed to have been named after the golden hue of its glacial water. The waterfall is located in a narrow gorge of basalt lava columns and is part of the third-longest river in Iceland, the Hvítá (White River). The river flows from its source, Hvítárvatn (White River Lake), fed by the glacial water from the second-largest glacier in Iceland, Langjökull (Long Glacier). Gullfoss consists of two cascades, which form a tiered three-step "staircase," with the white glacial water plunging 32 meters down into the 2.5 km wide basalt gorge known as Gullfossgljúfur (Golden Falls Gorge).

Visitors can take a walking trail next to Gullfoss to reach the lower 21-meter cascade and the upper 11-meter waterfall. On sunny days, the spraying water from Gullfoss creates a rainbow, sometimes even a spectacular double rainbow.

Sigríður Tómasdóttir, born in 1871, was the daughter of the farmer Tómas Tómasson, who lived at the Brattholt farm. Gullfoss belonged to her father's land. However, in the early 20th century, Tómas was tricked into renting Gullfoss to foreign investors who planned to build a hydroelectric power plant to generate electricity. Sigríður loved Gullfoss more than anything else, so she took the investors to court to annul their contract and protested their plans of harnessing Gullfoss by threatening to throw herself down the waterfall if it were to be exploited and destroyed. Sigríður went barefoot on a 120-kilometer protest march from Gullfoss to Reykjavik to draw attention to her protests. After her rally on unpaved mountain roads, Sigríður was bleeding from her soles and in bad shape. She lived to be 86 and died in 1957, spending her entire life on the Brattholt farm. She is regarded as Iceland's first environmentalist and activist and one of the first guides for those visiting Gullfoss. Thanks to Sigríður, Gullfoss was saved, and today, it is owned by the state of Iceland for preservation, becoming a permanent nature reserve in 1979. It is among the most visited attractions in Iceland and is part of the Golden Circle. A memorial sculpture honoring Sigríður is located by the walking path leading up to Gullfoss.