Upcountry Árnessýsla

Upcountry Árnessýsla, or Uppsveitir Árnessýslu in Icelandic, is a rural area in South Iceland, home to many of the country's most famous attractions.

Understand
Upcountry Árnessýsla is one of the few places where arable land in Iceland reaches up to 50 km inland. As a result, it's one of the most important agricultural areas in Iceland. There are no major towns, however. The total population numbers a few thousand but only a few hundred live in the villages scattered around the area.

The entire area lies in a geologically active belt with many interesting sights such as volcanoes, and geysers. As a result of this and the proximity to Reykjavík it's one of the most popular tourist destinations in Iceland.

Get in
The area is about a hour and a half from the capital and you can get there by car or bus. From Reykjavik there are several tour operators offering guided "Golden Circle" bus tours that include Gullfoss, Geysir, and Thingvellir. Such a tour will cost you around 10,000 kr per person as of August 2014 and is a fairly convenient way to get in, around and out if you don't have a car.

By bus
Reykjavik Excursions Phone: +354 580 5400. Routes 6/6a and 610/610a run from the BSI terminal in Reykjavik to Gullfoss and Geysir.
 * Route 6 bus leaves Reykjavik at 10:00 and reaches Gullfoss at about 15:00. The bus stops at three locations in Thingvellir for a 15 - 30 minutes before continuing to Laugarvatn at noon.  The bus stops at Geysir for about one hour and 20 minutes.  When you want to return to Reykjavik, take the 6a bus.  This bus leaves the Gullfoss at 16:00.  The 6a also waits in Thingvellir for 15-20 minutes.
 * Route 610/610a runs from the middle of June until the middle of September daily. The bus leaves Reykjavik at 08:00, travels to Hveragerði, Selfoss and Laugarvatn and then arrives at Gullfoss at 11:10. The bus leaves Gullfoss at 15:50 and arrives at Reykjavik at 18:30PM. This route does not go to Thingvellir nor does it linger at the stops like the 6/6a bus.

See
Some of the most famous sights in Iceland are dotted around Upcountry Árnessýsla.