Iceland With Kids – Why an Iceland Family Holiday is a Great Choice!

Iceland is one of the most beautiful countries we’ve visited so far! This trip was the perfect Iceland Family Vacation.  As soon as we arrived and stepped out of the airport it was like we were on another planet, we didn’t see any trees for miles, the land was just covered in rocks and moss. From beautiful waterfalls, to black sand beaches and glaciers, Iceland is a truly unique place to visit. I will share our tips and favorite spots to visit with kids below. We spent a total of 3 full days in Iceland and found this to be the perfect itinerary. We visited Iceland in June. Skip to the bottom of the post to read about our tips for saving money in Iceland. (click here to read about what to pack for Iceland in June)

Renting a Car in Iceland

After landing we picked up our rental car from SAD cars at the airport. We did a lot of research between companies and ended up using them because their rates are the absolute best. They also offer a lot of different packages for insurance and additional items like car seats and GPS. (Read more about flying and traveling with car seats here).

Where to Stay in Iceland

We started our trip in Reykjavik with the kids after a red eye flight and settled into our Home Exchange rental to catch up on some sleep. This was our first time staying in a Home Exchange property and we had such an amazing experience with them. We felt like we got to fully immerse ourselves in the Icelandic culture and the family whose home we stayed in was so incredibly kind and really went above and beyond to help make our trip great. Home exchange differs from typical vacation rentals because you are generally swapping primary homes with another family for your vacation. It just felt more fun and ‘real’ and we loved it! It’s essential to us to stay in homes when traveling because we need a kitchen to cook in due to food allergies. Another bonus of Home Exchange is that it helps to significantly reduce costs while traveling because they only charge a minimal yearly fee to use their website and find home exchanges. Also be sure to look into GuesttoGuest, which is another home exchange company with additional homes to increase your chances of finding one. Clicking this link gets you 100 free guest points which is enough for a free 1 night stay in many homes; I encourage every family to give it a try!

There are plenty of hotels to choose from in the Reykjavik area which are surprisingly affordable, check the deal finder below for the best deals!


Booking.com

What to do in Reykjavik with Kids

Once we finally caught up on some sleep we headed into the heart of Reykjavik to explore. Fun fact: Reykjavik is the northernmost capital in the world! Here were our favorite places to visit in the city:

1. Hallgrímskirkja Church

This stunning church can be seen from everywhere in Reykjavik and taking the elevator ride to the top is a must, the views are beautiful. I suggest doing this first so you can get your bearings before heading out to see the rest of the city.

2. Tjörnin Lake

This is a well known lake in the middle of the city. It freezes over in the winter but during the warmer months you’ll find ducks and geese as well as plenty of little fish swimming along the shorelines.

3. Explore the Playgrounds in Reykjavik

We found several cute little parks scattered throughout Reykjavik. They were perfect to let the kids unwind at for a bit and each one was so clean.

It’s also so much fun to walk around Reykjavik. Yes, they have an abundance of expensive tourist shops but they also have some really unique, authentic Icelandic restaurants and shops selling local goods.  Here is another great post with things to do in Reykjavik with kids. 

Driving the Golden Circle in Iceland

On our first full day in Iceland we road tripped around the Golden Circle and saw the 3 main sites plus Kerid Crater and Secret Lagoon. It was easily doable in 1 day, especially during the summer months when it does not get dark at night. Although we completed our road trip in about 9 hours it can be done in much less time or you can take more time, whichever your preference! There were bathrooms and a small selection of food at each of the sites except Kerid Crater. We also surprisingly had cell phone service the whole time. We use Verizon and added on the $10 a day travel international plan, it worked great the whole trip and it was easy to navigate the circle using Google Maps.

Stop 1. Thingvellir National Park

This is where you can see the Silfra fissure and if you’d like, dive or snorkel between the tectonic plates of North America and Europe. There is plenty of hiking and sightseeing to do here besides Silfra. As it was our first stop we only spent about 1 hour walking around but you can certainly spend a lot more if you choose to.

Stop 2. Geysir

The Geysir hot spring area is the next stop on the Golden Circle. Here you will see several geysers and most famously the Strokkur geyser which erupts every few minutes sending water about 100 feet into the air. It’s exciting to watch!

Stop 3. Gullfoss Waterfall

The third stop on the Golden Circle tour brings you to Gullfoss, perhaps the most famous waterfall in all of Iceland. A powerful waterfall that drops into what appears to be a crevice in the Earth, and on a sunny day you can see a rainbow above it. It is a beautiful site to see. Be prepared to get wet as the mist from the falls carries quite far, especially on a windy day.

Stop 4. The Secret Lagoon (Gamla Laugin)

This is the oldest swimming pool in Iceland and a definite must stop on the Golden Circle. It’s a great break from driving and walking around for the kids. You can definitely skip the Blue Lagoon and go for this more authentic, less expensive, Icelandic experience. You can stay in the pool for as long as you’d like and after you can take a quick walk around the grounds and see the hot springs that warm the swimming pool. They do offer snacks and drinks and on certain days they have fish and chips as well as other sandwiches.  If you’re still set on visiting the Blue Lagoon you can still do both!  Try to go to the Blue Lagoon when you head back to the airport. Read this post, which has me inspired to visit some of the hot springs in the Western US like Montana.

Stop 5. Kerid Crater

Kerid is a gorgeous volcanic crater worthy of a quick stop on your drive back to Reykjavik. There is a 400k entrance fee (kids are free) but it is well worth it. The water in the crater is a turquoise blue and the crater is lined with a variety of beautiful, bright colors. It actually took my breath away when I walked to the edge and caught my first glimpse. I wasn’t expecting it to be so huge and colorful. Pictures do not do it justice!

After driving the Golden Circle it was easy to understand why it is such a popular tourist attractions, especially for those who aren’t in Iceland long enough to drive the Ring Road. We were eager to explore South Iceland the next day and make the drive from Reykjavik to the small oceanfront town of Vik. Along the way were several waterfalls, caves and beaches to explore. Here is where we stopped:

Driving the South Coast of Iceland

1. Seljalandsfoss

This is the iconic Iceland waterfall you’ve no doubt heard about. You can walk behind the water during summertime and also along a path which leads to several smaller waterfalls. Our favorite, and a total surprise at the end of the path was a waterfall which can only be seen by walking across the stream and into what felt like a cave. Be sure to bring tall rainboots and a raincoat no matter what the weather is, you’ll need it when visiting all of Iceland’s waterfalls.

2. Roadside Cave

Shortly after leaving Seljalandsfoss we came across a little cave on the side of the road and decided to stop in. We learned that it was a natural cave that was expanded just a little bit to provide a shelter for cattle. The kids had a lot of fun checking it out and sure enough while we were there several sheep came and hung out around us for a bit. I don’t think it has a name to lookup on Google Maps but it’s just a few miles from the waterfall and you really can’t miss it if you’re looking for it.

3. Skógafoss Waterfall

The second stop on the drive is this stunning waterfall loved for its sheer power and beauty. You can walk right up to the falls or follow a staircase to the top of the falls. This is where we found the most affordable souvenirs on our trip, so if you want to purchase a gift for anyone, this is the place to do it.

4. Dyrhólaey

We were so excited to come here! I had seen the gorgeous pictures online of the rock with the arch in it and even on a cloudy day the view did not disappoint. This area on the southern coast of Iceland is truly unique. You also get a great view of the black sand beach and basalt columns (our next stop) and to witness the power of the Northern Atlantic waves was truly breathtaking. Also note, that this was the only stop along the way that did not offer food and you had to pay to use the restrooms. But, your next stop is just right next door with free restrooms and plenty of food to purchase.

This isn’t officially #5 on the list but as you drive out of Dyrhólaey you’ll pass these amazing rock/sand structures and it’s a great stop to just pull over and let the kids climb on for a little bit. Most of Iceland, at least around the tourist site, prohibit you from walking off of the trails, but here you are allowed to.  We ended up playing here for about 40 minutes, it was like a natural playground and the kids had a blast.

5. Black Sand Beach (Reynisfjara)

This stunning beach was the real highlight of our drive to Vik. Everything from the black sand (which is actually very tiny black rocks), the basalt stacks and the powerful waves were amazing to see. The kids had a blast playing on the beach and collecting different rocks. Our luggage weighed a good 5-10 pounds more on the way home from all of the rocks and sand they collected here. One word of caution is to stay far away from the ocean as their have been many tourist deaths here due to sneaker waves which appear to come out of nowhere. We spent a good while sitting on the basalt columns just starting at the ocean here, it was just so powerful and the waves were even bigger than the ones we had seen in Hawaii.

6. Village of Vik

Just a few miles beyond the Black Sand Beach lies the village of Vik which is a very tiny town and is the southernmost town in Iceland. There are a few hotels and diners in the town, and the beach here is much safer to play in the water at than the neighboring black sand beach. If we had more time we would have stayed here for 1 night and continued on the next day to FJAÐRÁRGLJÚFUR canyon. I’m having major sadness over the fact that we didn’t push through and just keep driving and pull an all-nighter to see it. It’s about 50 minutes from Vik and is one of the most stunning landscapes in all of Iceland. It’s also a well-kept secret so most people don’t even know about it.

Iceland Packing Essentials

THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU VISIT ICELAND

What to wear in Iceland in June

FOOD ALLERGIES IN ICELAND

As I mentioned in the beginning it’s easiest to stay in a house with a kitchen for cooking meals at. We shopped at Bonus and while some ingredients were in English there were a lot that weren’t. We stayed safe by sticking to fresh meats, fruits and veggies during our trip. Most of the restaurants had English speaking workers but despite that it appeared most were unsure about cross contamination and for that reason we did not eat at any restaurants. Once you leave Reykjavik things are quiet and isolated in the rest of Iceland so we worried about not being able to get to a hospital quick enough should something happen. See our WOW air review below for an allergy friendly airline.

DO THEY SPEAK ENGLISH IN ICELAND?

The short answer is yes, every single person we came across spoke English. Some better than others but we had no trouble communicating with anyone while in Iceland.

CELL PHONE SERVICE IN ICELAND

I was surprised to discover that our $10 a day Travel Pass through Verizon worked perfectly in Iceland. I thought for sure we would be without Google Maps and cell service as we drove away from Reykjavik but that was not the case at all! I’ve heard equally good things about T-Mobile and Sprint as well.

IS IT REALLY THAT EXPENSIVE IN ICELAND?

Iceland is known for being expensive and it sure is! BUT, it can be made to be an affordable family vacation with a few adjustments. Because we stayed in a home and had access to a kitchen we saved a lot of money on food by cooking our own. The best grocery store to shop at is the Bonus food stores. To give you an idea of pricing (all usd) we got 1 dozen eggs for $6, 1 mango was $4.59, frozen pizza was $3.89, an avocado was $5 and 1 pound of ground beef was $15. My husband and younger son did each try a famous Icelandic hot dog and they were $5 each at one of the waterfalls. Gas came out to about $7 per gallon, thankfully our rental from SAD cars was very efficient and we only spent about $100 total on fuel.

WOW AIR REVIEW

Update: as of April 2019 Wow air has sadly gone out of business. 
I was very impressed with our flights on WOW air. I typically don’t love budget airlines but was really impressed with them. We did upgrade to XL legroom and that was well worth it, we also paid to carry on 2 bags and purchased water on the flight (nothing is free on the flight!). With all of that our tickets were still a very reasonable $1,200 for 4 of us from New York to Reykjavik. Since we have nut allergies in our family we made sure to alert them at the gate and as soon as we walked onto the plane. The flight attendants were incredibly friendly and made several announcements to alert fellow passengers and ask them to avoid eating nut products. Read more about flying with food allergies here.

WEATHER IN ICELAND

During the summertime you can expect 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s important to dress in layers and be ready for anything though. We wish we had brought our winter jackets (we forgot them in the car at the airport!). Definitely bring your rain jacket too, the rain has been pretty constant in Iceland lately and besides rain you’ll want it to stay dry while visiting the many waterfalls. You can read more about what to pack for summer in Iceland here.

I hope this guide helps you plan your own Iceland trip. We really had an amazing time and hope to go again, perhaps on a stopover to Europe with WOW air. Leave a comment if you know of any hidden gems or tips to share with other travelers!

KEEP EXPLORING

If you’ll be in Iceland for more than a few days, you should consider driving the Ring Road and seeing the entire country.  Here is a great post with more information about 8 days on the Ring Road.