A lot of the places you’ve seen documented in Iceland are in the Golden Circle. Gullfoss Waterfall where the European and North American tectonic plates meet, the Geysers, and Þingvellir National Park – I pronounced that one ping-fuller, no idea if that’s correct.  I’m glad we went, it’s amazingly beautiful, and ½ a day starting off early to skip the tourist buses was just the right amount of time. There are so many amazing things to see around Iceland, the golden circle includes a group of those things, but by no means would I recommend it taking up the bulk of your time. Side note for the American’s: you don’t have to pay/get checked in to visit the amazing sites in the Golden Circle. You just show up. I worry that lack of oversite will change but it was neat to experience while we did.

Gullfoss