Iceland Vacation With Kids
Iceland may seem like a crazy place to take kids, but I’m here to tell you it’s the best family vacation in the world. Iceland is a great place to visit if you’re looking for an amazing vacation. The thing about Iceland is that you can come to Iceland as a backpacker and not spend too much money, or you can spend all your money and have the time of your life.
If you’re looking for an unforgettable Iceland vacation, you’ll want to see this! Iceland is one of the most incredible countries in the world. You need to visit this country at least once in your lifetime. Lava fields, glaciers, hot springs and geysers, beautiful waterfalls that are taller than Niagara Falls, and panoramic views of the ocean make this a country like no other. Our vacation in Iceland was unbelievable and we can’t wait to go back! Check out some of these photos from our trip: Gone are the days when Iceland was only suitable for adventurous travelers. Nowadays, all kinds of tourists visit this island country in the North Atlantic – even families with children. In fact, those with kids are often pleasantly surprised at how family-friendly Iceland is.
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Iceland Vacation With Kids
Iceland is an inspirational destination, with spectacular landscapes that recall the Scandinavian and Dutch masters, but with a wilder, wild-blue-yonder majesty all its own. With panoramic views of volcanoes, glaciers, waterfalls and huge inland lakes, Iceland pleases the eye across its breadth and length.
Family vacations to Iceland have become one of the most popular destinations for adventurous families. And as someone who has explored a huge part of Iceland with my children, I can totally understand why.
Iceland is the land of fire and ice. It’s a jaw-droppingly beautiful destination filled with towering waterfalls, a strong belief in fairytale creatures, wide-open landscapes to explore, and skies that dance with colorful lights. It’s a destination that appeals to adults and children alike.
Iceland Itinerary 5 Days
Visiting Iceland with kids means exploring one of the safest countries in the world. And there are few other places where you can hike a glacier, bask in the spray of waterfalls, ride Icelandic horses down the coast, or take a super-jeep tour to the rim of an active volcano. It’s practically impossible for kids in Iceland not to find something that blows their little minds.
Iceland is also a place where the warmth of the locals is almost as powerful as the volcanoes that fuel the geothermal baths that dot the country. The Icelandic people are generally quiet and reserved, but many have a deep love for children. And exploring the picturesque fishing towns in Iceland with your kids will often open up a chance to connect that many adult travelers might miss. No matter what your Iceland itinerary looks like, you’re going to be planning a trip back very soon after you get home.
You’ll also find that many restaurants, cottages, and hotels cater to families. Many places have entertainment areas specifically for children. Hotels and motels often have cots and cribs, high chairs, and play areas. You’ll also find many restaurants that have children’s menus with kid-friendly versions of local foods, not just chicken nuggets and fries.
Is Iceland Child Friendly?
Iceland is one of the safest countries in the world. The crime rate is exceptionally low, the education rate is among the highest in the world, and Iceland is consistently rated in the top 5 on the World Happiness Report.
While you’re traveling Iceland with kids, you’ll also learn about Iceland’s tremendous Viking heritage. From the explorers to the Viking legends, the myth and history in Icelandic tales offer stories for kids to get lost in. They are filled with adventure, passion, and mythical creatures.
Iceland Vacation With Kids
Combine these things with the wide-open landscapes, great roads, amazing restaurants, and access to incredible wildlife experiences such as whales, puffins, and reindeer, and family travel to Iceland becomes positively brilliant.
Is It Easy To Travel Iceland With Kids?
Iceland has an absolutely rock-solid tourism industry. This north-Atlantic country sees a massive influx of visitors who are focused on Iceland summer vacations and winter northern lights tours.
Because family travel in Iceland is so safe, one of the best ways to explore the country is via a self-drive tour. Many families opt to tour the Ring Road or self-drive popular attractions such as the famous Golden Circle.
Rental companies in Iceland cater well to families. Whether you’re looking to book directly with a car rental company in Iceland such as Hertz or Budget, or, as I like to do, go through an aggregator such as Auto Europe, you’ll find rental companies that are able to source important things such as car seats, booster seats, and more.
The roads in Iceland are fantastic. And, unless you are looking to explore the Icelandic Highlands that are found on the rough F-Roads (which certain rentals will not be allowed to travel on), you’ll be just fine with a two-wheel drive vehicle. But, if you want to truly get off-the-beaten-path, you’ll want something with 4-wheel-drive.
Grocery stores in Iceland are well stocked with supplies such as formula, milk, diapers, pureed, food and more. You’ll find two types of milk on the shelves. One is shelf-safe and can be stored, refrigerated for a few days. Ask the helpful staff which is best for your travel itinerary.
Purchase your supplies from larger grocery stores such as Bonus, Kronan, and Netto, and in Reykjavik, you’ll find a Costco. You’ll find prices at these locations to be significantly cheaper than smaller stores and even the well-stocked gas stations.
How to Get to Iceland With Kids
Iceland is very conveniently located right between Europe and North America. In fact, it is literally the dividing point between the two countries. You can actually swim, snorkel or even SCUBA dive between the two tectonic plates in an area of Thingvellir National Park called the Silfra Fissure.
Because of this and a large tourism push in the country, flying into Iceland is relatively inexpensive from countries such as Canada, the United States, and most of Europe.
Our flight from Toronto to Keflavik on Iceland Air only took about five hours and was one of the easiest International family travel trips that we’ve taken. Flights from within Europe are even less expensive than those coming from North America with rates that can fall below $100 USD each way.
7 Day Family Itinerary Iceland
What is it like traveling to Iceland with kids? What tours, activities, and adventures are you able to bring your children on? What are the most exciting activities for your Icelandic family holiday? Read on for all the information needed to plan the perfect family trip to Iceland.
As a travel destination, Iceland stands out as one of the most family-friendly places you can visit. The local culture offers an attitude of general safety, and it is common for local kids to play outside, even after dark, when the cold winter months provide only limited sunlight each day.
Boasting a relatively low-crime rate, Iceland even topped the Global Peace Index (GPI) report ten consecutive years in a row. This societal feeling of safeness is so integrated that some Icelandic customs might appear strange—or even reckless—to visitors not used to the cultures mentality towards safety.
An example of this laid-back mentality would be the standard practice of infants being left, seemingly unattended, in their strollers and buggies outside cafés and restaurants, often on a busy shopping street and in cold weather. No need to be alarmed when you spot an unattended baby; the parent is most likely right inside keeping a watchful eye on their young one.
The reason for this has to do with the purity of the air in Iceland; it is commonly believed that it is healthiest for children to nap out in the open, breathing the healthiest air possible. Icelandic parents are also well aware of how cold it can get, meaning they have certainly properly dressed their child to keep them comfortable from the elements.
When you begin planning your family holiday to Iceland it will immediately become clear just how many exciting activities Iceland has to offer. However, you might have some questions: Can you bring your kids on a volcano tour? Are they able to do a glacier hike? Or go on a whale-watching vessel? Do tours have age restrictions?
In this article, we have gathered some useful information on things like age limits for specific tours and top recommendations to keep both you and your children entertained and safe during your travels around the island of ice and fire, no matter the season.
Read on to discover how to plan an unforgettable family holiday in Iceland!
Where to Stay
When traveling with family, it is sometimes preferable to rent an entire apartment or home. This gives everyone space to spread out, whereas a single hotel room might get a bit tight for larger families. There are cabins, apartments, and houses of all shapes, sizes, and prices available for rental all over the country, some of them sleeping up to 16 people and allowing everyone on the trip to stay together in one palace. This also usually gives you access to a full kitchen, meaning mealtime with kids can be a lot easier.
If you prefer booking hotels, look for those that designate themselves as family-friendly and check reviews to see what other parents have to say. You certainly don’t want to find yourself in a youth hostel where the sounds of partying keeps your kids up all night!
Go Sightseeing
One of the easiest ways to take the whole family around Iceland’s renowned natural attractions is to book a self-driving tour or package, where you are in full control of the pace of your journey and which sites to visit. When you book a self-drive, your transport, accommodation and excursions are all organized before your arrival, along with a personalized travel itinerary prepared by local experts.
A self-drive tour allows you a much richer experience than you might have on a typical sightseeing tour and tends to be much more comfortable for young children. The possible array of activities available to your family are sure to excite and provide a myriad of memorable and educational adventures.
Visit the Golden Circle
The Golden Circle is Iceland’s most popular and famous sightseeing route for good reason; the views and attractions are simply awe-inspiring. These views include the erupting geysers of Haukadalur Geothermal Valley, the mighty cascade of Gullfoss Waterfall, and the stunning continental rift valley of Þingvellir—filled to the brim with Viking history.
Despite these incredible views making you feel like you’re on another planet, the route is conveniently located close to the capital of Reykjavík and can easily be traversed within a single day. Driving between the sites does not take long at all, and you don’t have to drive backtrack. The circular route boasts a manageable distance of approximately 140 miles (230 kilometers).
If you are staying in Reykjavík City with your family, and renting a car or booking a self-drive doesn’t adhere to your travel plans, you can also enjoy the Golden Circle via a bus tour. While bus tours usually have no age limit, they differ in length and extra activities, so for families with very young children, we recommend shorter versions to better fit the stamina of the young ones’ sightseeing abilities, such as this six-hour option.
Top Golden Circle Tours
Bathe in Hot Springs and Geothermal Pools
Basking in the heated geothermal pools that Iceland is famous for has been a popular family activity ever since the Age of Settlement, where the heat from the volcanic activity beneath the island’s surface has offered welcome warmth to the dwellers of this icy nation.
Today, public swimming pools and geothermal springs are found in nearly every town and village across the country. Most of these include facilities for children, such as wading pools and small water slides.
Travelers of all ages love visiting the myriad of Iceland’s natural hot pools. These can easily be located yourself when renting a car or embarking on a self-drive tour. If, for instance, you are traversing the Golden Circle route, you can stop at the geothermal valley Reykjadalur by Hveragerði and hike up to the natural hot springs that dot the area. You can also take a tour to this site.
For the ultimate luxury hot spring experience, establishments across the country offer geothermally heated nature baths, often built right into their natural surroundings. The most popular of these would be the world-famous Blue Lagoon, a geothermal spa located in between Reykjavík City and Keflavík Airport, where children as young as two-years-old can enter.
The lagoon is an immensely popular option, but is far from the only one boasting the acclaimed benefits of tranquility and relaxation. The Fontana Geothermal Baths in Laugarvatn have no age limit, as well as offering free entry for children under thirteen—the same goes for the Mývatn Nature Baths in North Iceland. The stunning Secret Lagoon at Flúðir Village also provides free admission for kids under the age of fourteen.
Iceland might not be the first place that comes to mind when seeking a beach holiday, but if the weather is nice you can pack up the sunscreen and volleyball and head to Nauthólsvík, a man-made resort where geothermal heating is used to warm the Atlantic Ocean within a barricaded bay. You’ll find outdoor hot tubs and changing-rooms amongst sunbathing locals on a fair-coloured strip of sand situated by the Reykjavík University.
With such a wide selection of options, wherever you are basing your travels, your whole family can enjoy doing what Icelanders love best—which is to soak, swim, play, relax and renew—outdoors together in warm and restorative waters.
Get to Know the Animals of Iceland
Nothing gives children joy like animals do! Luckily, Iceland doesn’t have any particularly dangerous wildlife so kids can safely view these magnificent creatures in the wild (from a distance of course; never pet or feed wild animals!).
In Iceland, the animal life ranges from whales to seals, horses to puffins, and everything in between! Children can enjoy educational and exciting excursions to see or interact with these animals and make memories that last a lifetime. Read on for our top recommendations for adventures to satisfy animal lovers of all ages.
Whale and Puffin Watching
On a whale watching adventure, spectators of all ages can witness majestic sea mammals roaming wild and free in their natural habitat. The different species of whale that inhabit Iceland’s shores are most commonly alluring minke whales, followed by acrobatic humpbacks, playful white-beaked dolphins, timid harbour porpoises and majestic orcas. After a successful tour, your child will surely have picked out their favorite of the bunch.
Whale watching tours on traditional vessels don’t have a particular age limit and are available throughout the year from the Old Harbour of the capital city of Reykjavík, as well as Akureyri and Húsavík in the North, and the Snæfellsnes Peninsula in the West. As long as the waters are calm, you are free to bring even the very youngest onboard.
As if whale watching wasn’t already exciting enough, during the summer whale watching tours often include puffin watching. These are usually conducted onboard a RIB boat, where the age-limit is ten-years-old. If your child hasn’t reached that age, don’t worry—puffins can still be found on self-drive tours of the South Coast or Westfjords, from April through August.
Having the chance to see these beautiful creatures in their natural habitat is an experience children will remember for life, placing whale and puffin watching tours amongst the most ideal family-friendly adventures available in Iceland.
Top Whale Watching & Puffin Tours
Ride the Icelandic Horse
Horseback riding is a popular activity for all ages all over the world, but a ride in the Icelandic countryside on the calm and unique Icelandic horse is a once in a lifetime experience. These horses (not ponies!) are short in stature but very strong, with a comfortable gait unique to the breed called the Tolt. These horses are famously gentle and friendly, and will provide your child with a safe and unforgettable day.
These amazing horses arrived in the country with the very first settlers, and their lack of predators created a brave breed that spooks at nothing and loves attention from humans. Children as young as seven are typically allowed on riding tours, but the trips vary in length and location, allowing you to pick the ideal adventure for you and your family.
Top Horse Riding Tours
Dog Sledding
A relatively new addition to Iceland’s varied activities, dog sledding is fast becoming a not-to-be-missed experience for animal enthusiasts. On a dog sledding adventure, your kids can encounter Greenland Dogs, as well as Siberian and Alaskan huskies—different species of sled dogs, all equal in their loveliness.
These tours operate all through the year, where the skis of the sled get replaced with wheels as the snow melts away during the summer season. Your guide is called a musher, who will inform you about the basics of dog sledding and introduce your kids to their new best friends, with plentiful opportunities for cuddling before hitting the road.
While most dog sledding tours available have an age limit of six, there are those that allow children as young as two to ride the sleds, as well as some operators offering reduced prices for children under twelve. If your kid loves dogs—and what kid doesn’t—why not make their trip especially memorable by allowing them to shoot across the Icelandic countryside with their new furry friends?
Top Dog Sledding Tours
Seethe Seals
The Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon is one of Iceland’s ultimate attractions, where massive icebergs floating in a deep blue lake share a home with Icelandic seals, many of which are curious enough to greet visitors to their domain. A boat ride of the lagoon has no age limit if the vessel is an amphibian boat, but for the zodiac, passengers must be at least ten years old.
Imagine the memories your kids will take back with them after spotting arctic seals lounging on massive icebergs, up close and all around. Tours of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula in West Iceland also include seal watching, and there is a fair chance of spotting these doe-eyed dogs of the sea on any coastal activity around Iceland.
If your kids are really into these captivating animals, the Icelandic Seal Centre on the Vatnsnes Peninsula is a must-visit. The centre offers a wealth of information on these fascinating creatures, from their anatomy to their place in Icelandic culture and fables. The centre is not only educational and entertaining, but an important research institution that monitors the animals’ populations to help build a sustainable seal-watching industry in Iceland.
Iceland Family Adventure
What To Do In Iceland With Kids
Iceland tourism has exploded in recent years. And more and more families are bringing their kids to Iceland. Each story that gets told just breeds more and more passion for this amazing country. And as more and more people decide to visit Iceland with toddlers, young kids, and teenagers, new and exciting opportunities are popping up for family travel within the country.
Learn About Viking History in Iceland
One of the most fascinating parts about visiting Iceland with kids is learning about the rich Viking history of the country. These epic explorers moved across the Ocean from Norway and eventually discovered the New World long before the rest of Europe jumped on the bandwagon. And it is their fascinating story that makes Iceland what it is today.
If you’re interested in learning about the Viking history in Canada, check out our tour of the Viking Trail in Newfoundland. Some of our favorite places for exploring Viking history within Iceland with kids are:
- The Sun Voyager sculpture in Reykjavik is the perfect place to start your journey through Iceland with kids. This is one of the most iconic pieces of artwork in the country. But it’s also the perfect launching point for piquing kids’ interest in Viking culture! Honestly, some of the most fun photos you can take on a family trip to Iceland are down by the Reykjavik marina.
- Meet a Giant Viking on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula. When I was researching what to do in Iceland for families, I didn’t expect that this site near the bird cliffs of the Snaefellsnes peninsula, would become one of my favorites. Here sits a massive rock depiction of Bardur Snaefellsnes, a descendant of trolls who still exerts their magical influence on the region. The Bardur of Snaefellsenes is a great way to introduce your kids to the Icelandic sagas and the history of the country.
- Visit The Incredible Viking Museums. There are many great kid-friendly museums in Iceland. The Saga Museum is located within Reykjavik and is very popular. Just outside of town (about 40 mins) is Viking World, which has some amazing displays that will capture children’s imagination.
But if you really want to delve into the Viking Saga’s and history, we highly recommend The Settlement Centre in West Iceland. It’s worth the journey if you’re traveling the Ring Road.
