Reykjavik Excursions by Icelandia — Local services in Reykjavik

I used Reykjavik Excursions for a Golden Circle plus Sky Lagoon tour. We were at the bus stop before 9:30 am for the 10 am tour and later got back to our hotel around 8:20 pm.

For the Golden Circle Tour, Eric was our tour guide from Spain who spoke clear English and could give his perspective about living in Iceland. He gave interesting and helpful information including how long we had about each stop before we arrived, bathrooms and guided us on which path to take. He was a top notch guide in providing information yet also allowing us quiet time to nap on the long stretches between stops. He was very organized and with excellent communication skills such explaining how we would drop off the people at the bus stops on the return and then go to BSI bus terminal for those with Sky Lagoon or Blue Lagoon tours and some fun Icelandic language lessons.

Herman was our driver and did an excellent job and made the riding experience very enjoyable and smooth.

After picking us up at Bus Stop #3 which was near the Reykjavik Konsulat Hilton hotel at 9:50 am (were there around 9:20 am), the bus took us to the BSI Bus terminal which we actually could have walked the 20 minutes if we had known. At the bus terminal, we crossed through to board the actual Golden Circle bus. The terminal only has 200 kronor bathrooms you need to pay for by credit card. It was about an hour to the first Golden Circle stop, so make a dash in there before you board the bus if needed.

Our time table: 10:02 am - 10:55 am - drive to Thingvellir to see the American and Eurasian tectonic plates - very cool. 30 minute stop. Bathrooms, gift shop, and 500 year old water in the water fountain to try.

11:25 am - stop for 60 minutes at the Geysir where one big geyser erupts about every 5 minutes and there were several hot spring, bubbling pools to see. Big gift shop but we didn't have time to eat. You cannot eat your own food inside the building either. Next stop is about 10 minutes away.

12:35 pm - Gullfoss waterfall for 40 minutes. We elected to do the easier path on the left and not go down the steps in the icy, cold. The waterfall was not too exciting to me and it was bitter cold and windy, icy, so we went inside to share a ham and cheese baguette for a snack.

We then drove about 2 hours then had another hour of dropping non-lagoon going passengers off at their bus stops before getting back to the BSI bus terminal. It was actually a nice way to see the city more.

4:15 - 5:00 pm - wait in BSI bus terminal

5:00 - 5:20 pm - Bus to Sky Lagoon Have your Sky Lagoon pass ready and a credit card. You will still need to stand in the long line even though you have your pass to get your wristbands and connect a credit card to it so you can use it to buy a drink at the swim up bar.

You are supposed to take off your hiking boots/shoes before you enter the locker area at the benches You can use the shower stalls around the corner if you want privacy to shower than change into your bathing suit. Use your wristband to lock your locker. Towels are next to the entrance area before you get in the lagoon water. I brought sandals to wear on the floors that I left in a cubby hole next to the water. Steps down to the lagoon.

The man-made Sky lagoon has a bumpy bottom to provide traction when you walk.

Beware: the rocks in the lagoon and the side of the rock walls extend out under the water a foot or two as ledges to sit on, so be careful about bumping your toes or legs against them.

The 7 Step Ritual is on the left side of the large pool up the stairs. Form a line of one or two people at the bottom of the stairs if there is a wait for the sauna.

In hindsight, I would wait until after I did the 7 Step Ritual before we went to the bar to get a drink so that I would have been able to watch the sunset with a drink. The beer is a really big one!

Wonderful Sky Lagoon infinity edge to the ocean. Incredible sauna picture window for the 7 Step Ritual. Excellent experience and perfect way to end a long sightseeing day...

I haven't been long time on so well organised tour.

I did really enjoy every bit of it and timing included.

The bus arrived on time ,even in very snowy, hard condition weather. We have been informed about every detail about the trip during the trip as also about departure time from each attraction which made easier to plan the time spend on each attraction.

First we went to the "Freidheimar Tomatoes GreenHouse " where I had a chance to try Tomatoes Ice Cream !! Can you imagine ? 😍 I fall in love ! I have seen that on the menu are much more then this ; other people had chance to try even tomatoes beer and cocktails 😀 where I guess it is worth to try each Icelandic crown because it turns out that the cultivation of these tomatoes places a strong emphasis on mineralizing water to provide the tomatoes with the necessary ingredients such as magnesium, calcium, etc. You can also taste and see basil and the bread they bake in the greenhouse. (~40 minutes)

The second attraction we went was "Geysir" in Arnessysla where I had a chance to observe gajers that made me smoke :D haha and I saw the gajser explode 4 times, which I must admit was very satisfying and exciting. Down there is also Gift Shop with Food shop where you can buu some uniqe food, drink warm drinks and buy a lot of interesting things ranging from T-shirts with a Viking motif, postcards through soaps vegan, ending with various types of magnets, etc. ( ~1.5h)

Next attraction was my favourite after tomatoe Ice Cream 🍨 :D And the name of it is "Gullfoss Waterfall" which is absolutely stunning to view and experience. My hands were never as cold as there, but it was worth it. The views and the aura that radiate from this place are not easy to describe, they can only be felt. Complete satisfaction! They also have gift and food shop ,but the only difference are in clothes and additionally I have noticed beautiful jewellery "made from lava " . (~1.5h)

Last, but not least it was „ Pingvellir - Thingvellir Icelandic National Park " where I had been blessed by the weather for making beautiful pictures 🖼️ This place not only allows you to catch your breath, but also has a lot of history surrounding it which you can read on https://www.thingvellir.is/en/education/history/ ~1h

During the trip, a very nice and friendly guide tells us about life in Iceland; taxes, education, related costs, history of faith and its changes and many different curiosities. And the driver is the icing on the cake - his kindness and smile radiate from a mile awa

I recommend it wholeheartedly, because the organization, plan and employees gave me something more than just photos...

If given the ability, I would assign zero stars to this company. As echoed by many of the other reviews here, Reykjavik Excursions will scam you.

I traveled to Iceland in June 2017 with four of my friends and we decided to purchase a tour of the Golden Circle through the company. We elected for a 2:30 PM pick up at Hlemmur bus station, that was clearly marked about 0.1 miles from where we were staying in Reykjavik.

We showed up around 2:20 PM and waited patiently for the bus. 2:30 PM came with no bus arrival, so we decided to give the them a call. Long story short, the first time we called (2:30 PM), Reykjavik Excursions said the bus was on the way. The second time we called (2:45 PM) as to inquire about the location of the bus, they said that the bus had arrived at the station we were at, saw no one waiting, and left. There is no chance whatsoever that a bus came to the station. My friends and I had been waiting there for a half hour at this point and had not seen a single bus from Reykjavik Excursions come. It should be noted that these buses aren't exactly hard to recognize, either. They are all over the streets in Reykjavik.

Regardless of whether or not you find this story credible as to my friends and I missing the bus at the station (trust me, we didn't), you should be aware of the poor customer service that comes along with your purchase. When you book a tour, you provide a cell phone number, which, one would assume is used for contacting customers if you aren't at a bus stop on time or there is some confusion about your booking details. Guess what? Albeit Reykjavik Excursions had supposedly stopped at the station we were waiting at, and left while we were still there without getting on the bus, we were not given one phone call as a form of notification. Maybe a courtesy call to let us know they were there, and direct us exactly to where we needed to be? What is the point of providing our phone number, Reykjavik Excursions?

I know the tone of this review is scathing, and there is a reason for that. This was an absolute scam. We disputed the charge through my friend's American Express twice and both times we were turned down as the "merchant had provided details to justify the charge." Nonsense.

If Reykjavik Excursions made this right and refunded our money then this review would not exist. Trust me, save your money and avoid this company like the plague. Rent a car for a day...