Þingvellir National Park

Þingvellir National Park occupies the rift valley where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates are pulling apart, visible as a network of fissures, ridges, and canyons cutting across the lava plain. The Almannagjá gorge, the most accessible fissure, has a walking path running along its floor with rock walls rising several meters on either side. The park is also the site of the Alþingi, Iceland's parliament founded here in 930 AD and held on this plain until 1798; the Lögberg (Law Rock), where laws were recited, is marked along the main trail with an Icelandic flag. Öxarárfoss, a modest waterfall fed by the Öxará river, drops into the gorge partway along the walk. Þingvallavatn, Iceland's largest natural lake, borders the park and feeds the Silfra fissure, where the crystal-clear glacial water filtered through lava allows snorkeling and diving between the two continental plates. A visitor center above the gorge has interpretive exhibits and the best panoramic view over the entire rift valley and lake. A relaxed visit covering the gorge walk, Lögberg, and Öxarárfoss takes two to three hours; adding a Silfra tour extends this to most of a day. As the first stop on the Golden Circle, the main gorge path is busiest from mid-morning through early afternoon in summer.