Iceland · Golden Circle · Location guide

Þingvellir Wedding & Elopement

Þingvellir National Park is where Iceland’s parliament first met in the year 930, and where the North American and Eurasian plates are slowly pulling apart. Moss-covered lava rifts, a small white church, the waterfall Öxarárfoss and the huge lake Þingvallavatn are all less than an hour from Reykjavík. I have filmed weddings here and at Þórufoss waterfall nearby since 2017 – it is the best choice if you want dramatic Icelandic landscape without a long drive.

Two grooms exchanging vows in a lava rift at Þingvellir National Park

Where: Golden Circle – about 45 minutes from Reykjavík
Best for: Elopements and weddings with guests staying in Reykjavík
When: All year; autumn colours in September, snow in winter
Good to know: UNESCO World Heritage site with its own rules for filming and drones

Getting married in the national park

Þingvellir has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2004, and the park is protected for both its history and its nature. Most of the ceremonies I film here take place in the lava landscape around the rift valley – there are quiet corners among the rocks and birch trees only a short walk from the busy paths – while for a church wedding there is Þingvallakirkja.

A couple walking down the aisle between their guests in the lava fields of Þingvellir

Brendan and Matt said their vows among the lava rocks in front of their families, under an arch of flowers, and celebrated with champagne straight afterwards. Before the ceremony, the two of them had a quiet moment alone in front of Þórufoss waterfall.

Wedding guests walking through the Almannagjá rift at Þingvellir — Walking through Almannagjá, the rift between the plates, after the ceremony.

Þingvallakirkja

The little church in the park dates from 1859, with a tower added in 1907, and stands by the river next to the old farmhouse of the park. Ceremonies can be booked through the national park office, and the parish priest can lead the service. Inside it is small and simple, so it suits elopements and small groups.

Filming and drones

The park has clear rules for commercial filming and photography: larger productions need approval in advance, but a single camera operator carrying their own equipment does not need a permit, which covers how I usually film an elopement. Drones are allowed, but in the central part of the park – around Almannagjá, Lögberg, the church and Silfra – only before nine in the morning and after six in the evening, and the park asks pilots to let them know beforehand. I plan aerial shots around these hours.

Aerial view of the fissures where the tectonic plates pull apart at Þingvellir

The Icelandic flag at Lögberg, the Law Rock, in Þingvellir — The Icelandic flag at Lögberg, the Law Rock, where the parliament once met.

Þórufoss

About twenty minutes north-west of the park, on the road down into Kjós, Þórufoss is an eighteen-metre waterfall in a small canyon – you may recognise it from Game of Thrones. It is a short walk from the road, far quieter than the waterfalls on the South Coast, and it makes a beautiful place for vows or for portraits on the way between Reykjavík and Þingvellir.

Two grooms holding hands in front of Þórufoss waterfall

Þingvallavatn, Nesjavellir and the Hengill area

South of the rift lies Þingvallavatn, Iceland’s largest natural lake, and beyond it the steaming hills of Hengill. Jasmine and Aaron got married on the lakeshore, with an arch on the grass and the water behind them, on a day that began with a helicopter flight; the evening ended at ION Adventure Hotel near the Nesjavellir geothermal area, about 45 minutes from Reykjavík. On clear autumn nights the northern lights often appear over the lake.

A wedding ceremony with an arch on the shore of Þingvallavatn lake

ION Adventure Hotel on the lava fields near Nesjavellir

A couple under the northern lights near Þingvellir

Practical notes

Crowds: the paths through Almannagjá are busy from mid-morning to late afternoon, especially in summer. Mornings and evenings are calm.
Parking: the park charges a parking fee at its car parks.
Combine: Þingvellir is part of the Golden Circle with Geysir and Gullfoss, and close to Þórufoss and the Hengill area.
Silfra: the famous crystal-clear fissure can only be entered with a licensed diving or snorkelling operator – the water is two to four degrees.

Aerial view of Þingvallavatn lake from the edge of the national park

For the legal side and the documents you need, see my guide on how to elope in Iceland.

Planning your elopement at Þingvellir?

Tell me your date and place – I’ll let you know if I’m free.

Check your date

Questions about weddings at Þingvellir

Can we get married in Þingvellir National Park?

Yes. Ceremonies take place both in the landscape of the park and in Þingvallakirkja, the small church in the park, which can be booked through the national park office.

Can you fly a drone at Þingvellir?

Yes, but in the central part of the park – around Almannagjá, Lögberg, the church and Silfra – only before nine in the morning and after six in the evening, and the park asks pilots to let them know beforehand.

How far is Þingvellir from Reykjavík?

About 45 minutes by car, which makes it ideal for weddings with guests staying in the city.