A Summer Vacation in Iceland with Kids

iceland-blue-lagoon

Blue Lagoon

A Kid-Friendly Summer Itinerary in Iceland

Our kids, ages 2 and 6, are content as long as we are outdoors. Where could we go on a vacation would love, yet inspire us as well? Iceland! Most people associate Iceland with cold temperatures. In fact, summers are mild; we went in June when the weather is sunny with temperatures in the 50-60’s (Fahrenheit).

Reykjavik

Our trip started when we landed in Keflavik airport at midnight and still twilight. Both kids still wide awake, of course. As we made our way to Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland (a 45 minute drive), we could already see that we were in a different world. There were no trees as far as you could see, volcanic mountains in the background. Did I mention that it was still light outside?

Home base for the next 5 days was in Reykjavik. Not only can you explore the city but also see many important landmarks from here. We rented a car and with one major highway (Rt-1) that goes around the entire country, Iceland is fairly easy to navigate. There are also many tour companies that can take you to these sights as well. The golden triangle, which consists of the Blue Lagoon, Geyser, and Gulfoss, are all short drives away from the city.

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We started with the Blue Lagoon, a manmade geothermal heated spa. For the kids it was a giant swimming pool. Under 5, they were even required to wear floaties, which they provided. For the adults it was a giant hot tub with massaging waterfalls and mud masks. Most of the lagoon was a perfect warmth-with a few areas that were much hotter. Not only was this a relaxing way to start off our trip, but our skin felt incredible afterwards due to the mineral content of the water. They even offer medi-spa services to treat many conditions such as psoriasis.

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Gulfoss Waterfall

Then the next day we went to Geyser and Gulfoss. Geyser is a geothermal spring of water and vapor. There is a strong sulphuric smell, which our son persistently reminded us smelled like rotten eggs. Geyser last erupted in 2000, but its neighbor Strokkur, puts on a show every 8 minutes.

Gulfoss, a massive waterfall, incredible. We hiked to get better views while getting sprayed with mist from the waterfall. The rocks can get a bit slippery as well, so one needs to be careful. The following day we took a day trip to Thingvillir national park  a UNESCO World Heritage site. There we hiked along the tectonic plates that separate North America from Europe.  On our way back we also stopped by Kerid Crater, a volcanic crater lake which displays some dazzling colors in the water.

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Hallgrimskirkja Church, the “rocket ship” church

In Reykjavik itself we went up the “rocket ship” church, took a Puffin Tour, and went to one of Iceland’s many public swimming pools (laugardalslaug).  The pools are also geothermally heated and most have water slides and kid-friendly areas as swimming is a year round popular activity for Icelandic families.

Our favorite parent activity was strolling along the streets and window shopping, taking in the culture. We were lucky enough to be there during the Icelandic Independence Day, during which they had a huge street fair. Usually people do not associate incredible food with Iceland, but we ate many amazing meals at some wonderful restaurants in Reykjavik where we tried specialties such as the super fresh arctic char and lamb dishes.

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Vatnajokull Glacier

Countryside Excursion to Vik, Jokulsartan, and VatnaJokull National Park

For the last 3 days of our trip we drove to the southeast area to see some of the countryside. We visited the black sand beaches in Vik. We also went to Jokulsartan, the ice lagoon, where we took a Duck Boat Tour through the lagoon, and our sons ate 1,000-year-old ice from the glaciers. We also went hiking in VatnaJokull National Park, alongside the largest glacier in Europe.

We highly recommend Iceland as a perfect destination for families looking for adventure. But even if you are not the adventurous type, there is still phenomenal scenery and culture to enjoy. There are many other activities that we could not do with a 2-year-old, but adventurous families would love including hiking on glaciers, snowmobiling, 8×8 glacier tours, and horse riding on the famous Icelandic ponies to name a few. All are reasons we will return!

black-sand-beaches-vik-iceland
Black sand beaches of Vik

This is a guest post from a Ciao Bambino reader who is kind enough to share details of her tremendous experience last summer in Iceland with kids. Ruchira Chandra is a physician, wife and mother of two boisterous sons, Ethan and Jai. The whole family is passionate about travel and Ruchira hopes to spread the word that all families with young children can happily explore the world together.

Relevant Links:

Browse all family-friendly accommodations and things to do in Iceland

An epic 7-day tour of Iceland with kids

A great 5-day itinerary in Iceland with kids

Natural hot springs and northern lights at Iceland’s Frost and Fire Hotel

Editor’s Note: Photos by Ruchira Chandra.

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34 Comments
  • I am interested in taking my family next summer- my children will be 7 and almost 10. They LOVE swimming, so any additional information on the public pools that are around is appreciated. They love the outdoors, would they be too young to do the glacier hike? Any information is appreciated. Thank you.

    • Hi Kristen! I’ll be happy to have a Family Travel Advisor reach out to you to talk more about your questions and other ways we can help. Look for an email message shortly.

  • Hi, we’d like to go this summer with our 2,5 year old and our 5 year old. I’m worrying about the fact that a lot of these places don’t have a fence or something and that they will fall down. are many view places from above, or also from beneath?

    • Hi Catherine – The reality is that safety standards vary considerably and there are some places where you won’t encounter fencing or other barriers. I’ll have a Family Travel Advisor reach out in email with more information about how we can help via our planning service. Thanks for your interest!

  • Hi. Planning a trip to Iceland the first week of July with our twin 15 year olds and 8 year old boys. Would love help deciding whether to make Reykjavik home base for the entire trip or to move from town to town. Would also welcome any thoughts on hotel vs Airbnb for a family of 5.

    • Hi Faina! I’ll have one of our Family Travel Advisors reach out in email to see how we can best help. Thank you for using our site!

  • Hi! Plan to travel to Iceland July 2019 with 3 kids (3, 5, 7) and would love help planning the itinerary!

    • Hi Jenn – Thanks for using our site! We’d be glad to help. I will have a Family Travel Advisor reach out in email to talk about next steps. Happy travels!

  • Hi – I am planning a trip to Iceland in mid September with my family including 4 year old kid. I want to get an idea if this is a good time to travel with a child based on the weather conditions in September.

    • Hi Priy, September is a bit of a shoulder season…it can be rainier than in summer and daylight hours are shorter. However, crowds can also be lower, hence more availability for accommodations. Let us know if you’d like help planning your trip!

  • Hello, traveling with a 20 month old and another couple for 9 days in June. Would love to get some advice too.
    Best
    Brandon

  • In Iceland as we speak with our 2 year old and 5 month old. It’s been great! Lots of outdoor family friendly hiking and small museums for rainy days. Love being here with my babies! Borgarnes is an amazing family friendly town with a top notch swimming facility.

  • Hi Lisa.
    we are going to Iceland with our boys (3 and 5) for 8 days, would love to get some advice too.
    thanks!
    Michael

  • Hi, we will travel with 2 kids (age 8 & 5) to London & Iceland in early August. Tentatively, plan to spend 6-7 days in Iceland. Would love to get some advice in planning for the itinerary. Thank you.
    Anny

      • Hi, we have booked a 10 day trip to Iceland end June but yet to plan itenary. We will be travelling with 2 kids ( 5 and 2). Would be glad to get some advice. Thnaks kaarthik

        • Hi Kaarthik, thanks for using Ciao Bambino. I’ll have our Family Vacation Advisor specializing in Iceland reach out in email to talk about how we can help with this. Enjoy your travels!

    • Hi Tal – We’re glad to help. One of our Family Travel Advisors specializing in Iceland will reach out in email. Thank you for using Ciao Bambino and happy planning!

  • HI All, I would like to know if a trip in Iceland in august (10/12 days around the island) with an infant of 3 months will be safe and nice or it will be better to wait that he/she grown up.
    Thanks a lot.

    • Hi Valentina! Would you like for one of our Family Travel Advisors to follow up in email? Iceland is really better for older children, in our opinion, but we may be able to help with an alternative destination.

  • Hi Mariam,
    I too would love to be in touch with a vacation consultant. We hope to go in the end of July with our 8 year old. Thank you for these tips!
    Liza

    • Hi Liza – Great, this is the perfect time of year to plan for July. We’ll have a Family Vacation Advisor specializing in Iceland reach out via email. Happy planning!

  • Hi Mariam – I am also planning to visit in mid July with my 1 year old and son and 3 year old daughter – would you mind providing your vacation consultant information so that I can plan.
    kishor Chhetri

  • Thank you so much for your post as I have 2 small children and plan on going in April. Can you tell me where you stayed in the countryside? Was it one location you stayed at for the end of your trip to see Vik, Jokulsartan and Vatnajokull or did you stay each night in those places? Thank you again!

    • Thank you for your post! My family ( husband and two boys ages 4 & 5 at the time of our trip in May 2018) and I are looking forward to our trip to Iceland and looking to rent an RV for a week. Would love to hear from a trip advisor for some recommendations! Thx again!

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