One of the most important things a parent can do when traveling with kids is keeping them entertained. Iceland is the perfect destination for that. It’s not only a winter wonderland playground for kids but also for adults who adventure like kids.
Known as the land of fire and ice, Iceland is truly the place to excite your sense of wonder and adventure. And what not better a country to experience than with kids.
Whether you enjoy speeding across a glacier top, floating amongst the icebergs, scaling a glacier wall, or just exploring all the beautiful nature Iceland offers, this country does not disappoint! Plus, the kids will think you are pretty cool parents once they experience Iceland with you.
It took us many years to finally book our trip to Iceland. Summer or winter is usually the best time for us to travel, based on our kids’ school breaks. But we couldn’t decide which season would be better. In summer, we knew it wouldn’t be as cold, and as I am not a cold-weather fan, this timeframe worked well for me. However, traveling in the winter, we would have a better chance of seeing the Northern Lights. Decisions, decisions! Yet all it took was a cheap airfare deal to pop up, and the decision was made for us. Bags packed, and in late August, we left on our adventure to Iceland.
Traveling to Iceland is very popular in the summer and with good reason. I was somewhat hesitant to travel then for fear of seeing crowds of tourists rather than the beautiful sights. I set our expectations, and though there were many tourists at some of the sites, Iceland’s beauty was unsurpassable.
Iceland is an adventure lover’s paradise for kids and adults alike. Here are the top 8 things I would do in Iceland with kids:
Ride a Snowmobile on a Glacier
Grab your gloves, hat, and warmest clothes, and get ready to take off on an exhilarating ride to the most magical place! We chose to do this at Langjökull Glacier because it was the one tour where you could combine a snowmobile tour with a walk inside of a glacier. (Note: In the summer, this is your only option of going inside an ice cave as it’s man-made. The natural ice caves are only open in the winter as they are not safe to visit in the summer as the conditions are not cold enough.)
We booked a tour with Into the Glacier. They outfit you with a helmet, gloves, snowsuit, and waterproof shoe covers. You have a quick 5-min lesson (yes, really that quick), and then you are off. It was the first time I had ridden a snowmobile, and I was a bit nervous, but it was quite easy. The snowmobile ride itself is about 1 hour, with a stop at the ice cave along the way.
Soaring along the expansive glacier top was exhilarating. It felt like we were in another world. About halfway up, we parked the snowmobiles, put on some crampons, and then embarked on an adventure inside the glacier. This black tube led us into the ice cave, where we explored the labyrinth of tunnels completely surrounded by ice. Exploring both above and below the glacier allowed us to gain two different perspectives of this natural phenomenon.
Kids ages 17 and above can ride on their own, provided they have a driver’s license. Kids ages 8 and above need to ride with an adult.
It’s about a 2-hour drive from Reykjavik to the Húsafell Information Center, where you will pick up the shuttle if you don’t have a 4×4 car. It’s then an additional 40-minute drive to the Klaki base camp, where you will embark on the snowmobile adventure. Definitely plan to make this an all-day outing.
Visit Iceland’s Impressive Waterfalls
Iceland is known for having spectacular waterfalls. And a visit to this country would not be complete if you haven’t explored some of them. Plus, what kid doesn’t love the thrill of being on the rim of a pounding waterfall or playing behind one. Some of our favorites:
Gulfoss
Above the falls: Gullfoss is that one waterfall everyone mentions. It’s part of the Golden Circle route, so expect crowds. But witnessing the power of this waterfall, plunging 32 meters (105 feet) over two drops is heart-pounding.
Looking over the rim, you will feel the mist of the falls on your face, and the ground will reverberate beneath you from the powerful force of the fall.
Seljalandsfoss
Behind the falls: Seljalandsfoss is the waterfall in southern Iceland you can walk behind. Make sure you walk slowly as it might be slippery, and bring a waterproof jacket as you will get wet. But standing behind this waterfall and having the water pour down all around you is mesmerizing.
Located along the south coast and at 65 meters high, this waterfall is stunning whether you choose to walk behind it or view it from a distance.
Skógafoss
Below the falls: Skógafoss, you can walk right up and stand practically beneath it. You can get so close and might get wet, so make sure to protect that camera. Standing at the base of a waterfall and looking up to the massive work of nature flowing down is awe-inspiring.
And many times, a colorful rainbow will shine through the mist, making the experience even that more spectacular. There is also the option to hike 500+ steps to the top of the falls (which we didn’t do).
Take a Zodiac Boat Tour on The Glacier Lagoon
Want to get up close and personal with an iceberg? Well, a zodiac boat tour is your best mode of transport then to experience this. Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon is simply spectacular. At 250 meters deep, it is the deepest lake in Iceland. Once you see it, you’ll want to float across it – trust me!
You have two options for boat tours (zodiac or amphibian boats). If your child is 10 years of age or older, I highly recommend the zodiac tour. We booked with Glacier Lagoon, and after putting on the provided floatation suits and life vests, we were whisked away on a breathtaking one-hour glacier lagoon tour. You will zip past glistening icebergs floating out to sea and even get extremely close to the glacier wall.
Not to mention you might come across an Icelandic seal along your journey. If you prefer not to be as close to the water, you can book the amphibian tour available for kids of all ages.
If your child is 10 years of age or older, I highly recommend the zodiac excursion. This one hour tour brings you as close as possible to the icebergs breaking off the glacier wall and floating out to sea.
For kids ages 10 and younger, or for anyone not comfortable riding on a zodiac boat, the amphibian tour will best suit you. Regardless of which excursion you choose, make sure you do this. Being able to witness the wonder of the glacier wall from sea level is sure to be a memorable experience for all.
Unwind in the Blue Lagoon
Who’s heard of the Blue Lagoon? I don’t know about you, but this was the one place I kept hearing about when I would bring up Iceland. Sure, it’s touristy. Sure it’s expensive (well, anything for that matter is in Iceland). But what a way to kick off our trip!
The Blue Lagoon is a geothermal seawater spa located amongst a lava field. It’s not a natural spring as many think, but rather its water is supplied by a geothermal power station. Regardless, it’s still pretty impressive. Many people recommend visiting on either your arrival or departure day as it’s only a 45-minute drive from the airport. As our flight landed mid-morning, we decided to go on our first day in Iceland. Not a bad way to calm any sore muscles from flying and start the trip off in a relaxed mood!
It was the first time the kids experienced a spa-like setting (sort of). I’m talking spa in the sense of lockers and showers. If you want to add in a bathrobe and slippers, there is an extra cost for that. So make sure you plan ahead and pack some flip flops or similar.
Kids will love wading through the 100°F turquoise-colored water. And while your little ones might not love rubbing the silica mud mask all over their face for the soothing beauty relief we adults love – it surely makes for some memorable photos!
Whether you choose to visit the infamous Blue Lagoon or search out another geothermal spa, make sure you experience this once on your trip.
Hike a Glacier
What not better a way to get that restless energy out of your kids than by hiking a glacier. Not to mention it’s an insanely cool experience too! Most of the tours require kids to be 8 years of age or older. We booked with Artic Adventures and hiked a portion of the Falljökull Glacier in South Iceland.
Falljökull is a huge outlet glacier that rests on the edge of Vatnajökull Glacier National Park, the largest ice cap in Europe. The hike takes approximately 3.5 hours, and for the first 30 minutes, you hike along a trail (reasonably flat) to where you will begin your ascent along the glacier wall. While you must dress warm, your tour operator provides crampons, helmets, a harness, and an ice axe (that’s the fun part for the kids!!). Hiking up the glacier, we witnessed beautiful landscapes from vibrant green hills on one side to the gleaming glacier descending into the lagoon below. I think the kids enjoyed trying to use their ice axe and attempting to drink the fresh water in one of the glacier crevasses.
Explore the Black Sand Beach in Vic
I’m guessing if your kid has seen a beach, most likely it’s of the warm tan colored sand. But what kid has seen a black sand beach? Besides being a beautiful sight to see, it’s a great stopping point on your driving tour. As Vik is located about 2.5 hours from Reykjavik, if your kids are getting restless, this is a great stopping point to let them get out and run around. There is a market in town to buy any necessary goodies to keep those kids entertained as the driving distances can be quite long.
Search for the Northern Lights
There are no words to explain the feeling of seeing the Northern Lights. It’s truly a remarkable sight. They are one of the world’s most spectacular natural wonders, but to see the northern lights, you have to have tons of patience and be willing to drive long distances to search. Many visitors that come to Iceland will hire tour companies to take them to search for the lights. While this might help secure the best viewing option, it’s still not 100% guaranteed you will see them. We knew that if we had to take the kids on a 4-hour tour in the middle of the night, it might not be the most pleasant experience. So we opted to self-drive when it worked for us and hoped that we might get lucky to see them.
Usually, the northern lights make their appearance from September to April. However, we know many people who have visited in the winter and didn’t see them. My advice is not to plan your trip around when you might see the northern lights, but go when suits you best. If you are one of the fortunate ones to see them, then lucky you!
If you plan to search for them on a self-drive, then check the aurora forecast before visiting, to see when the best viewing nights might be. For optimal viewing, the skies must be as dark as possible, clear, and with little cloud cover. Try to find an area with little to no artificial light. And with all that said, you still need to have a little bit of luck on your side.
We spent a week in Iceland, and the last two nights were the best to search for the lights. The first night we drove aimlessly around, searching endlessly but couldn’t find them. But wouldn’t you know it, on our last night in Iceland, as we were outside our Airbnb, they graced us with their beautiful presence, dancing in the sky like no one was watching.
Wander the Streets of Reykjavik
If there was one area of Iceland we failed to explore, this was it. We ended up visiting Reykjavik on the day of their city-wide marathon, so traffic and parking were difficult. And as this was our last stop before heading to the airport for our flight home, our time was limited. But I think it’s important to visit Reykjavik even if you only have a short amount of time. It’s a quaint, colorful town filled with shops and restaurants. And even though our time there was brief, the upbeat vibe was evident.
Unfortunately, we did not make it to see Hallgrimskirkja Church up close due to our time constraints. While it is the tallest building in Reykjavik, and you can see it from most parts of town, I think this will be a worthwhile place to visit next time we return.
What Else Can You Do?
Things we missed that I’d like to return to do:
Dog sledding – I have to be honest, this was probably one of the things I wanted to do most. But after extensive research, if you travel in the summertime, the only way to go dog sledding is on dry land. My hopes of floating over the glacier led by a team of dogs quickly faded when I imagined it over the barren ground versus snow. It might have still been a fantastic experience, but we opted not to do it. It gives us a reason to return now!
Silfra Fissure – this is the only place in the world where you can dive between two tectonic plates. The water here is so clear that its visibility can extend to over 100 meters (328 ft). While most people come to dive, there are snorkeling excursions as well. The minimum age to snorkel is 12 years of age.
Descend into a Volcano – That’s right – you can descend 120 meters (400 feet) into the Þríhnúkagígur volcano, one of the 100+ volcanos on Iceland. This one is dormant, though, lucky for you! Or, at least it has been for the past 4,000 years. I have no idea why we didn’t do this tour. Maybe I thought the kids weren’t old enough, or quite possibly, I imagined that we’d be descending into boiling hot lava. Whatever the reason, we didn’t do this activity. But you can bet we’ll be sure to try this next time we visit Iceland.
The tour takes approximately 5-6 hours with a 45-50 minute hike to reach the crater. You then descend into the magma chamber in an open cable lift. You need some good walking shoes to hike, dress appropriately, and some bravery to make the descent! Kids ages 8 and above are allowed.
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While there is so much to do for kids of all ages if you are only going to visit Iceland once, I would recommend going when they are ages 8 years old and above. There are so many more activities they can participate in once they hit that age. And remember, go when suits you best. I know it’s tempting to plan to visit when the Northern Lights are easiest to see, but remember, that doesn’t guarantee you will see them. Iceland is more than just the northern lights. Visit to see the thick glacier walls, the black sand beach, vast lava fields, bubbling geothermal hot springs, and gushing waterfalls dotted around the countryside. Trust me; you won’t be disappointed.
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