Small-group Golden Circle tours: 19 seats instead of 60
What nineteen seats actually changes
I have driven both. On a full coach the stop does not begin when the handbrake goes on; it begins when the last person is off the steps, and that is three or four minutes at every stop, twice, four times a day. At the Geysir Centre the toilets are across the road from the geothermal field, and a coach load arriving at once turns a two-minute errand into ten. Nineteen people clear all of that before you have finished zipping your jacket.
The second difference is improvisation. Heidi from Belgium wrote that it is worth visiting in a small group because there are already so many people at all those places, and praised her live guide Thorey for a dry sense of humour. Mercedes from the US had pickup and return on time and extra stops added for farm-made ice cream and an Icelandic horse. Hilma from Sweden called it well planned with stops of just the right length. Those unscheduled stops turn up on the coach too — Hazel and Judith both mention them — but a minibus can pull into a farm track that a full-size coach cannot.
The third is access. Christina from the US said the tour was very accommodating for her mother, who uses a walker. Kelly called it an incredible day even in the rain, which on this loop is the more useful review. If mobility is the deciding factor rather than crowds, the private jeep handles it better still.
What works
- Nineteen seats means the bus is moving again while a coach is still boarding
- Hotel pickup and drop-off in Reykjavík, not a bus stop across town
- Wi-Fi and a USB socket at every seat on the 8-hour tour
- Guides add unscheduled stops — an ice-cream farm, horses, a geothermal plant
- Back in Reykjavík around 17:00, so the evening is still yours
Worth knowing
- Priced above the coach doing the same four stops
- No under-5s on any of the small-group tours
- Food and drink are not included on any of them
- Bring warm clothing and hiking shoes — this is stated, not suggested
- The afternoon tour’s stops are short: 25, 20, 45 and 20 minutes
When the big coach is the right call
I am not going to pretend the cheaper coach is a bad day. It has 26,856 reviews at 4.8, which is more than the other seven tours here combined, and Diane from the US summed up the reason: great tour with the right amount of time at stops, a knowledgeable guide and a comfortable bus ride. It also has 23 pickup and drop-off points including the Skarfabakki cruise terminal, which no minibus here matches. If your budget is the thing deciding this, take the coach and spend the difference on something else on the day.
The three small-group days side by side
| Reykjavík: Golden Circle Afternoon Small Group Tour | Smallest busGolden Circle and Kerið Crater Small Group Tour | Reykjavik: Golden Circle, Kerid Crater, & Blue Lagoon Tour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Check latest price | Check latest price | Check latest price |
| Day length | 6 hrs | 8 hrs | 11 hrs |
| Group | Small group | Max 19 guests | Small-group minibus |
| Pickup | 21 pickup points | Hotel door | Hotel door |
| Stops | Þingvellir, Gullfoss, Geysir, Kerið | The loop plus Kerið | The loop, Kerið, Blue Lagoon |
| Ends | Early evening | About 17:00 | Late evening |
| Rating | 4.7 | 4.8 | 4.9 |
| View → | Book this → | View → |
Max 19 guestsHotel pickup includedGolden Circle and Kerið Crater Small Group Tour
Late startKerið entry fee includedReykjavík: Golden Circle Afternoon Small Group Tour
Top ratedBlue Lagoon admission includedReykjavik: Golden Circle, Kerid Crater, & Blue Lagoon Tour
German-speakingCruise-terminal pickupReykjavik: German-Speaking Golden Circle Shore Excursion Small Group Tour
If the crowds are your real worry, the hour matters more than the seat count. A minibus arriving at Þingvellir at 11:00 lands in the same wave as everything else. The afternoon departure reaches the sights after the morning coaches have gone, and the Blue Lagoon combo runs the loop clockwise, which puts you at each stop out of step with most of the traffic.
Check dates on the 19-seat tour
This one has 776 reviews at 4.8 and a smaller fleet behind it than the coach, so summer dates go first. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before, as with everything on this site.
Frequently asked questions
How small is a small-group Golden Circle tour?
The dedicated small-group tour states a maximum of 19 guests per bus, and the German-language shore excursion uses a Mercedes Sprinter with the same cap. The afternoon tour and the Blue Lagoon combo are described as small group without publishing a number. For a vehicle with only your party in it, see private tours.
Is a small-group tour worth the extra over the coach?
If crowds and boarding time bother you, yes. If your budget is tight, no — the cheaper coach stops at the same four places for a comparable number of minutes. The whole price ladder is set out on the tour prices page.
Does the small-group tour include hotel pickup?
Yes, pickup and drop-off in Reykjavík are included, as they are on the Blue Lagoon combo. The afternoon tour uses 21 named pickup points including Hótel Ísland, Natura, City Hall stop 1 and BSÍ. The German-language tour collects only at Skarfabakki cruise terminal.
Can I take a walker or a wheelchair on a small-group tour?
One reviewer travelled with her mother’s walker on the 19-seat tour and reported it went well, but nothing is guaranteed and the minimum age is 5. Say what you need at booking. A private vehicle with a guide-driver is the safer choice for real mobility limits — see the small-group tour review for the day in detail.