The Golden Circle and volcano day trip from Reykjavík

Þingvellir: the rift where the North American and Eurasian plates pull apart, and the site of the world's oldest surviving parliament. Walk the Almannagjá gorge — the path between the walls of two continents is the point.

Geysir: Strokkur erupts every five to ten minutes to a height of fifteen to twenty metres. Stand upwind. The original Geysir itself is now mostly dormant.

Gullfoss: a two-tier fall dropping into a canyon, thunderous in summer meltwater and half-frozen in February. The lower platform is closed in ice.

Several operators extend the route towards the Reykjanes peninsula's recent eruption sites and lava fields, or to the Kerið crater with its red rim and turquoise water on the way back.

Access to any active site depends entirely on the day's conditions and official guidance, so treat it as a bonus rather than a guarantee. Kerið is reliably open and is included on most standard routes for a small on-site fee.

Coach: cheapest, fixed stops, forty-five minutes per site. Minibus with eight to nineteen seats: shorter transitions, more flexibility, a guide you can actually question. Self-drive: cheapest for four people in summer and inadvisable for most visitors from November to March, when wind and ice close roads at short notice.

Waterproof outer layer, hat and gloves in every month — Gullfoss generates its own spray and wind. Lunch stops are usually at Geysir or the Friðheimar greenhouse; the tomato soup there is the single most reviewed lunch in Iceland for a reason.