Gullfoss

Gullfoss is the turning point of the Golden Circle and, for highland drivers, the start of the Kjölur road: route 35 continues past the car park as the gravel track north to Hveravellir and Blönduós, so this is the last paved road and the last services before the interior. On the standard loop it is the far point, about an hour and a half from Reykjavík by the direct road, and the drive back by Selfoss is the same again.

How long: half an hour from the upper car park down to the platform and out along the lip; an hour if you take the lower path to the rock beside the falls, which the rangers close when it ices. Quietest before 10:00 and after 17:00; it is a late-morning coach stop.

The practical line, from parka.is today: the upper car park is charged by Parka, 1,080 ISK for a car of one to seven seats, 400 ISK for a motorcycle, per four hours, with the toilets included; pay in the app or online within 24 hours. The Environment Agency's pages, read today, say the restaurant, café and shops are "by the upper parking lot" and that the lower car park is for coaches and people with reduced mobility. No fuel here; Geysir, ten minutes back, has the nearest.

Safety and rules from the agency, which manages the reserve: the area is a Category III protected area, drones are prohibited without permission, and the spray on the lower path soaks the rock and the visitor. The edge beside the lip path is unfenced for a stretch; keep children in hand.