Travel With Your Young Kids to Iceland

Iceland, the land of fire and ice, is an amazing destination for anyone who enjoys unique and majestic landscapes and activities.  Instagram is full of incredible photos and videos from the country, which is what drew me to move it toward the top of my bucket list.  The question I had before I planned my adventure was: Should I go with my kids?  After doing some research and talking to others who have been to Iceland I decided that, yes, Iceland is a good destination to bring kids.

The great thing about Iceland is that while you can certainly find plenty of off-the-beaten-path activities that take you to remote areas, there is also a plethora of endeavors that are easy to reach and enjoyable for even the youngest member of your family.  My kids were 6 and 3 (almost 4) when we went to Iceland in June.  We had 7 days budgeted for our trip.  While that is enough time to do the entire ring road, it isn't recommended, especially with kids.  So we opted instead to stay on the south side of the island where we were able to pack in a lot in a short amount of time.

One of the biggest items to know when bringing your kids is to prepare them for the weather conditions.  As you probably know, if you've done any research into Iceland, the weather is not for the faint of heart and can change quickly. We experienced all 4 seasons during our trip.  We had some sunny summer days, but we also had downpours, pelting sleet and gale force winds.  Luckily we are from Minnesota and are used to dealing with nearly every weather condition known, so my kids weren't phased by Iceland.  We just made sure to carry sweatshirts and heavy raincoats with us everywhere we went.

Another thing you'll want to do when preparing to go out for the day is to make sure you have plenty of snacks with you.  Iceland is overall a very remote destination.  The island is only home to about 380,000 people.  And there are numerous parts of the country that are completely unbuildable due to the terrain.  So you will not have many, if any options to get food, even close to some popular attractions.  Even the grocery stores in some of the smaller towns such as Vik or Selfoss don't have a ton of options.  We stocked up on as many snacks as we could at the grocery store in Reykjavik when we first arrived.  Bonus and Kronan are some of the most common grocery stores you'll want to look out for to find reasonably priced snacks.

Once you've gotten your snacks and outfits packed you're ready to have your adventure in the Icleandic countryside.  The golden circle route is an excellent option if you are traveling with kids.  We actually stayed in Laugarvatn, along the golden circle, for a couple of nights.  This was a really great option for our first stop in Iceland.  We were able to relax from the flight at Laugarvatn Fontana thermal pools/spa as well as enjoy some delicious rye bread that was cooked from the geothermal heat.  Then for dinner that first night we ate at Hlöðuloftið restaurant.  The restaurant here was connected to the barn so you could watch the cows through a window.  My daughters were thoroughly amused by this.

While the golden circle can be done in one day, if you have kids it's better to split it up into a couple of days.  Thingvellir National Park is a must stop for a few hours.  Your kids will enjoy walking between the continents and looking at all of the rock formations.  And Oxarafoss is a nice little waterfall to give you a taste of what you might see later on in your trip.

Other stops on the golden circle route that are good for kids are Bruarfoss, Gullfoss, Geysir, the Fridheimar tomato farm and Kerid Crater.  All of these sites are right off the main road, with the exception of, Bruarfoss which is an 8-10 minute drive down a very bumpy dirt road then another 5-10 minute walk to the falls.  If you want to stop for lunch at the Fridheimar tomato farm restaurant for lunch you'll want to make a reservation well in advance.  Otherwise, the wine bar is kid-friendly with food options and was fairly empty when we went in the early evening.

After your couple of days in the Golden Circle you'll be ready to head east along Icleand's southern coast.  This is where there will be longer drive times between stops and very few places to stop for bathroom breaks or snacks.  This is especially true after you get beyond the town of Selfoss.  Traveling from the Golden Circle and going east you'll want to find somewhere around Vik to make your next stop. We found a really great cabin rental about 30 minutes beyond Vik.  You'll want to book your accommodation here well in advance as there are limited options and they get expensive as you get closer to your travel days.

There is so much to see between the Golden Circle Route and Vik that you'll easily be able to fill up a day or two.  We filled up one day on the way east to Vik and one day on the way back toward Reykjavik.  The first thing to see is the waterfalls.  We made it to 4 waterfalls along this route, Seljalandsfoss, Gljufrabui, Skogafoss and Kvernufoss.  Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss are right off the ring road and the parking lots are right by the falls so the kids will not have to walk far to see them.  Gjubfrabui is about 1 km walk from Seljalandsfoss.  The dirt path is flat to get there so if your kid can walk or you carry them it is fairly easy to do.  Kvernufoss is about a 10 minute walk from the parking lot.  The walk is beautiful, almost like a fairy tale, and should hold your child's attention.

Skogafoss has a large cafe so if you do happen to run out of snacks or just need a break to sit somewhere other than the car, this is the spot.  Skogafoss also has a stairway you can take to the top of the waterfall where the path continues along the river.  My kids were not up for this, so I climbed while my wife took the kids to the cafe.

The next stops you'll want to visit with your kids are Dyrholaey and Reynisfjara Beach (Black Sand Beach).  When you get to Dyrholaey, stay to the left and go to the lower parking lot.  This is close to where the Puffins are.  You'll also get some incredible views of Reynisfjara Beach and the coastline from atop the cliffs.  The walking areas are well marked off and we didn't have to worry about our kids getting too close to the edge here.  The parking lot is right near the edge of the cliffs so there isn't much walking involved.

Reynisfjara Beach and the sneaker waves might be the most memorable experience my kids had in Iceland.  Yes, the waves have the potential to be dangerous but as long you are paying attention you should be ok.  There were several times when the waves snuck up and people got quite wet and ran up shore.  My kids thought that was pretty funny.  And they always talk about the "sneaky wave" beach whenever we bring up Iceland.

There are other stops to make between the Golden Circle Route and Vik like the Keldur farm, Caves of Hella and Soheimajokull Glacier that kids might like, but the items I have highlighted are the one's mine enjoyed the most.

We did actually drive further west after Vik for one day and made it to the Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon and Diamond Beach.  This is another easy stop for kids as the parking lot is right near the beach and lagoon.  My kids really enjoyed picking up the ice chunks that were left on the shore.  Unfortunately, my youngest wasn't old enough to go on a boat tour of the lagoon (minimum age is 6) so we didn't do that.  This was a bit of a long drive from near Vik for just the day.  If you really want to see the Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon, I would recommend staying a night near Hofn, then you'll have a chance to see places like Vestrahorn.

When you get to Iceland with your kids you'll want to spend some time in and around Reykjavik.  The city is mostly walkable, safe and very kid friendly.  The Perlan Museum and Lava Show were the highlights for my kids.  At the Perlan Museum there are numerous interactive exhibits for kids to learn about the natural beauty that is Iceland.  They'll learn about lava, the northern lights and get a chance to explore an ice cave.  The Lava Show is a great experience for all ages but it was another experience my kids still talk about.  The length of the show is about an hour and held my kids attention the entire time.

One unexpected place we happened to come across in Reykjavik that my kids really enjoyed was the Reykjavik Park and Zoo.  Calling it a zoo was a little questionable.  There are some animals but it wasn't like a traditional zoo where you would expect monkeys, giraffes and leopards.  There are a couple of seals, some birds, pigs and sheep.  What made this place fun for my kids were the rides and playground.  The rides are included in the admission price and your kids can go on them as many times as they want.  So if your kids just need to do something to burn off some energy it's a great place.  And it honestly had the best playground we found in Reykjavik.

The last place I'll mention to bring your kids in Iceland is the Blue Lagoon.  It's one of the few geothermal pools that allows kids. And with its modern amenities, cafe and restaurant, it is a great place to take the kids for a relaxing afternoon.  Plus kids under 14 get free entry.  They do require kids age 8 and under to wear floaties or water wings while in the pool and they have plenty on hand there of all sizes.  The kids will need them as the pool is close to 4 ft deep in some places.  But there are other parts of the pool with zero entry so the kids can sit in shallower waters.

So there you have it.  Iceland may not seem like a place you would want to take your kids.  And while we did miss out on some activities because of our kids, we still had an amazing time and will almost certainly be back!