How much faster is a helicopter tour than a bus tour of the Golden Circle?
A helicopter Golden Circle tour completes all three major stops in just over an hour, whereas a standard bus tour takes up to eight hours—saving you seven hours while covering the same iconic features.
At a glance
Length
5 min
Channel
Travel Man
Video from
Feb 2019
Rating
⭐⭐ Great video · 2/2
Best for
Time-pressed travelers seeking an adrenaline-fueled aerial perspective on Iceland's most famous sights.
What this video answers
How much faster is a helicopter tour than a bus tour of the Golden Circle?
Can you land near the geysers and waterfalls on a helicopter tour?
What's special about the Strokkur geyser shown in the video?
Is the tectonic valley worth seeing from the helicopter?
What should you wear for an Icelandic helicopter tour?
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Overview of This Golden Circle Helicopter Tour in Iceland
Travel Man's helicopter exploration of Iceland's Golden Circle compresses one of the country's most popular scenic routes into just over an hour—compared to the standard eight-hour bus tour. Rather than joining crowds on the ground, Richard Ayoade and Jessica Hynes take to the air to experience three of Iceland's most spectacular natural features: the geysers, a tectonic rift valley, and a dramatic waterfall. The tour covers the same iconic sights but from an aerial vantage point that reveals the landscape's scale and geological drama in a way ground-level visits cannot match.
This experience suits travelers who want to see Iceland's most famous natural wonders efficiently, appreciate dramatic scenery from above, and are willing to pay a premium for the privilege and thrill of helicopter access. If you're short on time, crave a different perspective, or simply want an adrenaline boost alongside your sightseeing, a helicopter tour review like this one shows why the investment appeals to adventurous visitors. Be prepared for cold conditions, noise inside the aircraft, and the exhilaration of seeing Iceland's tectonic forces and water features from angles inaccessible to standard tourists.
Key Moments
Key Sights on the Golden Circle by Helicopter
The geysers at Geysir—home to Iceland's most famous hot spring features, including the Strokkur geyser that erupts every three minutes, and the larger but dormant Geysir itself, which last erupted in 2000
A tectonic rift valley where the North American and Eurasian plates are actively separating at a rate of 2.5 centimeters per year—visible only as a dramatic geographic feature from above
Gullfoss waterfall, a 32-meter drop across two stages fed by Iceland's second-largest glacier, viewed from an elevated perspective that reveals both the cascade and the visitor infrastructure below
Aerial views of crowds and parking facilities at major stops, emphasizing how the helicopter vantage point offers both intimacy with the landscape and detachment from ground-level tourism
What to Know Before Booking Your Helicopter Golden Circle Tour
Duration: The complete Golden Circle tour by helicopter takes approximately one hour and seven minutes, compared to eight hours by bus
Cost: Expect to pay roughly ten times the price of a coach tour for helicopter access
Weather conditions: The video emphasizes the cold, brisk Icelandic climate—bring warm clothing and be prepared for wind exposure during boarding and landing
Landing and ground time: The video shows landing at some stops but implies limited time on the ground; confirm with your operator which sites include descent versus aerial-only viewing
Photography gear: Consider bringing a smartphone mount or tripod pod to document your experience, as the video demonstrates using a remote-controlled attachment system
Physical demands: Helicopter access requires climbing in and out of the aircraft; be prepared for the noise and vibration inside the cabin
Frequently Asked Questions About Golden Circle Helicopter Tours
How much faster is a helicopter tour than a bus tour of the Golden Circle?
A helicopter Golden Circle tour completes all three major stops in just over an hour, whereas a standard bus tour takes up to eight hours—saving you seven hours while covering the same iconic features.
Can you land near the geysers and waterfalls on a helicopter tour?
The video shows the helicopter landing at certain stops, allowing passengers to disembark and get closer to features like Strokkur geyser and Gullfoss waterfall, though ground time appears limited compared to traditional tours.
What's special about the Strokkur geyser shown in the video?
Strokkur is the most active and reliable geyser at the site, erupting every three minutes with magma-heated water—making it far more predictable than the larger Geysir, which has been dormant since 2000.
Is the tectonic valley worth seeing from the helicopter?
Yes—the rift where the North American and Eurasian plates separate is a geological feature best appreciated from above, where you can see its scale and the way it tears the landscape apart. From ground level, the significance is less obvious.
What should you wear for an Icelandic helicopter tour?
The video emphasizes that conditions are cold and brisk, so bring warm, layered clothing. You'll also want wind-resistant outerwear and secure footwear for boarding and landing on potentially exposed terrain.
This video is genuinely useful if you're weighing whether to splurge on a helicopter tour versus a standard Golden Circle bus day. It honestly shows the trade-off: you save seven hours and gain spectacular aerial perspective, but you pay ten times more and spend most of your time in a loud, cold aircraft rather than exploring on foot. Richard Ayoade's dry humor also makes the experience feel real and relatable rather than glossy.
What I loved most was how the video doesn't pretend the helicopter experience is objectively better—it's faster and more thrilling, but you miss the immersive walk among the geysers and the full exploration that ground tourists enjoy. If speed, novelty, and an adrenaline rush matter more to you than deep engagement with each site, this tour absolutely delivers. I'd recommend it to anyone who's short on time or chasing an unforgettable aerial adventure.
Years on the front lines of helicopter tour coordination — not as a travel blogger, but as the person responsible for making every guest experience go right. Managed 2,000+ cruise guests weekly as Shore Excursions staff aboard the Pride of America in Hawaii
Personally coordinated with helicopter tour operators to confirm age, weight, and safety requirements.
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Video transcript for “Exploring The Golden Circle By Helicopter | 48hrs in...Iceland” Accessibility
A full written transcript of this video, provided for accessibility. Select any timestamp to jump the video to that moment.
[Music] well you'd be accurate in describing this as cold he brisk it's pretty bracing in spite of the cold people come to Iceland to experience the aggressive and stunning Landscapes and while you can do this via dog sled or snowmobile most choose a bus tour the most popular tour is of the Golden Circle a round
trip of some of Iceland's most spectacular natural features but that takes up to 8 hours so I've got a better idea look for a mere 10 times the price of a sluggish coach we jointly commend you to Charter a copter by taking to the skies we can complete the Golden Circle Tour in just
1 hour 7 hours quicker than the bus oh imagine we could just be going along at a sedate Pace not encountering the frankly valuable lesson that life can end any moment our first stop on the Golden Circle Tour is the home of Iceland's most famous water features the
Geyers J should we go and check out this Geer that everyone's going on about yes okay let's vate the copter these geezers are liquidy illustrations of Iceland's active landscape and have been spewing out magma heated water here for 10,000 years we're here Jess at the biggest Geyer in Iceland at the diamond Geyer
the Rave Windstone if you will of Iceland wow I bet get my camera out well I don't think it's going to go off anytime soon it last erupted 70 foot high in the air in 2000 when D were at their height things can only get better well they didn't no unfortunately they got a lot worse we did get brine Cox out
of it so swings and roundabouts I'm going to take you to the second bigger skis of the Danny Dyer if you will and that erupts every 3 minutes much like Danny D only joking he's just an actor he he he is he's not like that he's in control wow that's strer for you strer regular
as he likes I imagine that um you'll be wanting to document this with a picture of yourself with that in the background that's what you well the memory of it certainly not going to be in it's not sufficient we must document it I'm going to gift you now yeah the pod goes around your smartphone thus you can attach that
to any object a bench a branch so on and also the Halo remote how does it work Richard well that's already clipped in you clip that the tripod or something off and then you navigate this remote do you think I could just PCH it somewhere on you if I just clip it on perfect okay oh look
it's swelling oh yeah here we go bang I hate you didn't blow it with 3 minutes wasted on frippery we must return to the terracopter and continue on our so-called way we are journeying to a valley where the North American and Eurasian tectonic ples are tearing the world apart and that is straight from Wikipedia they're
moving towards each other or kind of they're about to collide all I remember is that in geography that's where you did extra special shading moving 2.5 C m a year is a ricking romp in geological terms another Golden Circle Tour stop checked off without even touching the ground but I
demand yet more speed wow look at that that's a whole heap of falling water we are ending the Golden Circle Tour here at gfos a waterfall with a 32 M drop over its two steps fed by Iceland's second biggest glacier steep desent this seems too
steep well here we are what of you it's pretty good look at those saps on the other side all in a big line ostensively closer to it with a better views on the face of it looks like that but not only can we see that we can also see them and the car parking facility and The Visitor
Center sure and we have the added bonus of no protective barrier so it keeps it alive and jangly now I'm really you pleased we were inic copter it would have been weird not to have traveled by helicopter why doesn't everyone do it what do you feel Richard do you feel I feel pretty cold that's what I
feel yeah it's a cracking display of Nature and words like Vitality vivacity water those sorts of words Sonia I'm thinking of words like inside heating tea
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