By Monika
Silver Circle, Iceland: Best Stops on This Underrated Scenic Route.
If you’re looking to explore a quieter area of Iceland, the Silver Circle is well worth adding to your itinerary. Because most visitors drive right past it, heading straight for the more famous destinations along the Ring Road, this scenic route in West Iceland remains a little under the radar.
And for me, that’s the biggest part of its appeal.
You can discover some truly stunning landscapes, beautiful waterfalls, and fascinating natural and historical sites without encountering the same crowds you’ll find at Iceland’s more popular attractions.
So let me tell you all about the Silver Circle in Iceland – where to find it, how to get there, and which stops on this fabulous route are must-see.
I promise you’ll get my honest review and all my best tips on how to best plan your day.
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What is the Silver Circle?
Similar to the other “circles” in Iceland (the Golden Circle, not far from Reykjavik, and the Diamond Circle in North Iceland), the Silver Circle is a very scenic – but very underrated – route in West Iceland.
It’s about 65 km (40 miles) long each way (counting from the beginning of route 50 to the last stop on the list of attractions) and offers amazing sites like waterfalls, hot springs, glacier experiences and more.
You can see all the stops on the Silver Circle map below, which you can also find on silvercircle.is
Where is the Silver Circle
Most Silver Circle attractions are located along Route 50, which you can join by taking a right turn on your way from Reykjavik towards Borgarnes – right before you enter the Borgarfjörður Bridge (Borgarfjarðarbrú) leading towards Snæfellsnes Peninsula.
How to get to the Silver Circle
Drive
The best way to get to the Silver Circle is to drive. Road 50 is fully paved, so the drive is very easy and you will be able to explore this amazing corner of Iceland at your own pace.
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With a tour
If you don’t feel like driving yourself, you can join an organized tour and see all the incredible Silver Circle sites with an experienced guide.
You can also combine your visit to the Silver Circle with touring Snæfellsnes Peninsula on a 2-day tour.
Best things to see and do on the Silver Circle
Now that you know how to find the Silver Circle, let’s go over what you can actually see and do on this route.
1. Fossatún Troll Garden
Drive time: 1 hour 15 minutes (90 km) from Reykjavik
Fossatún is the first stop on the Silver Circle Route. It’s a campsite for tents and campervans, also offering stays in small cabins (camping pods) and hotel rooms, but the main tourist attraction is their Troll Garden.
You buy a ticket (cost is 600 ISK) at the Rock ‘n’ Troll Restaurant (which is also a great place to have a meal with a view!) and you head out on the trail.
Along the well-marked path, you will see statues of different Icelandic (fun photo props!), you can play troll games and just enjoyed the views.
We visited in June and the lupines in full bloom on a sunny morning made the area look amazing.
As you’re heading back towards the parking lot you’ll pass a really pretty waterfall, called Tröllafossar (or simply Troll Waterfall)
Helpful hint: your ticket will have a QR code and when you scan it you can listen to troll stories as you walk the trail.
Time needed: about 1 hour
2. Deildartunguhver hot spring
Drive time: 13 minutes (14 km) from Fossatún
Deildartunguhver is a small but very powerful hot spring. It’s the most powerful hot spring in Europe – turning over about 180 liters (just under 50 gallons) of hot water per second.
You can see the steam right from the parking lot (which is shared with the next attraction – Krauma Geothermal Baths). In fact, when we arrived, we saw nothing BUT steam for a while.
Only after it settled for a moment were we able to see the water bubbling from many openings in the ground.
There are no walking trails around this hot spring – you can only view it from behind the barrier for your safety. And watch out – the steam may suddenly completely engulf you and you’ll get to experience its heat firsthand!
Time needed: 30 minutes
3. Staldrið food truck and the greenhouse
This food truck is located near the hot spring – if you’re looking at the steam, it will be on the right side of the same shared parking lot.
Don’t miss it!
They serve hot dogs (really good!), Fish’n’Chips, sandwiches, and tomato soup that’s supposed to rival the famous soup served at Friðheimar Tomato Farm on the Golden Circle. I didn’t try the soup here, so I can’t verify this claim, but the hot dogs were delicious!
And if you purchase your food from the food truck, you can eat in at the greenhouse, which is always a fun experience.
The owner is also really nice and has some fun stories to share with his clients.
He told us about “cucumber lemons” grown inside the greenhouse, and when I asked what they tasted like, he said he didn’t know, as he doesn’t eat salads, but according to him “they work wonders in a gin and tonic” 😊
Time needed: 30 minutes
4. Krauma Geothermal Baths
Krauma spa shares the parking lot with the Deildartunguhver hot spring and the food truck.
I have to be honest, when I saw the location of this spa, I wasn’t sure I’d like it. It seemed too close to the parking lot to offer a peaceful experience.
BUT – boy, was I wrong!
We bought our admission tickets at the check-in desk but you can also buy them in advance on the official website or here.
It ended up being one of our favorite spas we visited on this trip.
It has 5 pools of varying temperatures, with water heated by the nearby hot spring, a cold plunge, a steam room, an infrared sauna (my kids’ favorite experience at the spa) and a relaxation room.
It was much quieter than many others we visited in Iceland and we really enjoyed it.
And while you’re relaxing in one of the pools, you have a wonderful view of the hot spring that heated it!
Time needed: about 2 hours
5. Sturlureykir Visiting Horse Farm
Drive time: 4 minutes (2.6 km) from Krauma and Deildartunguhver hot spring parking lot
This spot is a family run horse farm, where you can stop by and visit the horses, book a horseback riding tour (they offer different options, both for families and experienced riders), eve try some geothermal bread baked at the farm’s “underground bakery” (similar to the way it’s done at Laugarvatn on the Golden Circle).
We’ve ridden Icelandic horses during our previous trips to Iceland so we just made a quick stop here to see them in their pasture, but if you haven’t had the experience yet, this is a great place to book a ride or just a farm tour.
Time needed: 30 minutes for a quick stop or 1-2 hours for a farm tour or horse riding.
6. Reykholt historical site
Drive time: 4 minutes (4 km) from the Sturlureykir Horse Farm
Reykholt is a historical site dedicated primarily to Snorri Sturluson – a saga writer and poet, considered one of the most influential people in Iceland’s history.
In Reykholt you’ll find a Visitor Center with an exhibit about Snorri’s life, a church with a small cemetery next to it, Snorri’s statue, an archaeological site and the famous Snorralaug – Snorri’s geothermal bathing pool – a small natural hot spring that was sadly out of water and dry during our visit.
We still enjoyed walking around the site!
Time needed: 30 minutes to 1 hour
If you like visiting historical sites, make sure to visit Skálholt on the Golden Circle!
7. Hraunfossar and Barnafoss waterfalls
Drive time: 15 minutes (18 km) from Reykholt
Hraunfossar and Barnafoss are two waterfalls connected by a short trail.
To reach them you’ll have to leave your car in the parking lot (Google Maps location is either “Hraunfossar Waterfall” or “Hraunfossar Parking Series of Waterfalls”) and take a short walk on a well-marked path.
Good to know: the parking lot for the waterfalls is large and free.
First, the path will bring you to a viewing platform for Hraunfossar – a series of smaller waterfalls spurting from a lava field on the opposite bank of the Hvítá river, covering a length of about 1 km.
They are very unique and very beautiful.
From there, just keep walking and you’ll find yourself on a bridge called Barnafossbrú. You can get a different perspective of the Hraunfossar waterfall and the river.
Shortly after, you’ll reach Barnafoss waterfall that is linked to a sad story about two children that had fallen off the original stone bridge and died in the river. Their mother had the bridge destroyed and it wasn’t until 1954 that a new bridge (Barnafossbrú) was constructed.
Barnafoss is much smaller and very different from Hraunfossar, but also very pretty.
After your walk, you can grab a bite to eat at a small restaurant located near the parking lot. You do pay for the restrooms – it’s based on the honor system and many different currencies are accepted. Just place the money in the pay box.
We loved both waterfalls – you get stunning views for very little effort! It was also really nice to walk around a bit after all the driving we did.
Time needed: 1-2 hours, depending on how much time you’ll spend admiring the waterfalls.
8. Húsafell (Adventure Center, hotel and campsite)
Drive time: 7 minutes (6.5 km) from Hraunfossar/Barnafoss parking lot
Húsafell is a small settlement on the Silver Circle and is considered its main accommodation and adventure hub.
You have Hotel Húsafell and a campsite where you can stay overnight and the Húsafell Adventure Center which is the meeting point for two major tours offered in this area:
Into the Glacier Ice Cave Tour
This experience will take you to a man-made tunnel inside the second-largest glacier in Iceland, Langjökull, which you will reach by riding in a specially adapted monster truck.
You can book this tour with a meeting point in Húsafell or with a pick-up from Reykjavik.
Into the Glacier tours are available all year – just make sure to check the weather forecast and road status if you’re driving to the meeting point outside of the summer months.
Time needed: 3-4 hours for tours meeting on location and a full day for day trips from Reykjavik. Please check your tour description.
You can explore other Langjökull glacier activities here.
READ MORE: How to Visit Glaciers in Iceland – Need to Know Facts, Safety Tips and Best Tours.
Canyon Baths
This experience combines a short hike through the Icelandic Highlands with a relaxing soak in a geothermal pool.
You can only reach Canyon Baths by booking a guided tour with a meeting point at the Húsafell Adventure Center.
If you need a pick-up in Reykjavik, you’ll have to book a tour of the Silver Circle that includes a visit to Canyon Baths.
I have not done either of the Húsafell experiences – YET – they are definitely on my to-do list!
9. Víðgelmir Lava Cave
Drive time: 15 minutes (11 km) from Húsafell
Víðgelmir Lava Cave is the end point of the Silver Circle. It is one of the largest lava caves in Iceland and can only be visited with a guide.
You can book a tour with a meeting point just outside the cave entrance or a Silver Circle tour that includes Víðgelmir with a pickup from Reykjavik.
Time needed: 1.5 hours for a tour meeting on location or a full day for a tour from Reykjavik.
What we skipped
The one attraction we skipped was the Háafell Goat Farm. We actually started driving there, but the road got so bumpy, dusty and narrow that we decided to turn around and move on to our next stop.
However, if you do want to see the goats, just keep in mind that the road is rough, and it will take you more time to get there than your GPS suggests.
Best time to visit the Silver Circle
The Silver Circle is accessible year-round; however, you have the best chance for nice weather in the summer months. The days are nice and long as well, so you can take full advantage of your day to explore. And driving is the easiest at that time of year.
If you plan your visit to Silver Circle in the winter or during shoulder season, just be sure to check the weather and road status/passability before you head out.
Where to stay on the Silver Circle
As I mentioned earlier Fossatún offers many accommodation options, like a campsite, small cabins (camping pods) and Fossatún Country Hotel rooms.
Húsafell also has a hotel – Hotel Húsafell and a campsite and Borgarness is another great option – it’s only 18 minutes (22 km) from Fossatún and a great starting point to explore Snæfellsnes Peninsula.
Places to eat on the Silver Circle
We visited the Silver Circle during our campervan trip so we took care of our meals on the go, but if you need to stop for a meal you have a few choices.
For a quick bite to eat, try the Rock ‘n’ Troll Restaurant at Fossatún, the Staldrið food truck near Krauma and Deildartunguhver hot spring, the café at Hrainfossar or the bistro at the Húsafell Adventure Center.
For a more upscale experience, you can eat at the Krauma Restaurant or Húsafell Hotel Restaurant.
Is the Silver Circle worth it
It absolutely is!
What I love about the Silver Circle is how much variety it offers. From breathtaking waterfalls and glacier adventures to geothermal hot springs and charming countryside, there’s plenty to see on this route.
It may not be as famous as some of Iceland’s other sightseeing routes, but it’s every bit as rewarding – and you might just find that its quieter atmosphere makes the experience even more special.
It’s the kind of place where you can step away from the crowds, take your time and enjoy the scenery – definitely worth adding to your itinerary!
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About Monika
An avid traveler and a passionate trip planner, mildly obsessed with being organized and prepared 🙂
Well aware of how precious travel time is, I’m here to share my experience and help you get the most out of your vacation time.
“Taking the hassle out of trip planning”