Ohhh mama, this is going to be a long one 😀 We did it, we visited Iceland with a 4 year and a 6 year old! It was definitely more of an “adventure” trip than a “relaxing” trip, but it was really great. Our kids are at ages where they’re very interested in facts about nature, and Iceland is a perfect place for that!
We decided we’d explore Reykjavik, the Golden Circle, and the South Coast during our weeklong trip. My plan was to make a list of the stops I definitely wanted to see, as well as a list of the second-tier things I wanted to see if time [and patience] allowed. This worked well! It gave us structure without an overwhelming amount of commitment.
The monster list of everything we saw on our adventure can be found in this post (or you can use the links below to skip around!) If this is too intense of a starting point, you can browse Our South Coast Itinerary first.
Blue Lagoon
After we were all settled in our rental car and got the GPS cranking, our first stop was the Blue Lagoon. We had booked tickets online ahead of time, since it sounded refreshing after a long travel day (aaaaand we needed to kill some time before we could check into our Airbnb).
We checked in and received our wristbands, then headed to the locker rooms, where we showered and changed into our swimsuits. Everyone tells you how badly the Blue Lagoon water can mess with your hair, so naturally I forgot all of my hair ties in the car (ugh). If that happens to you, don’t be afraid to ask one of the attendants! They have some elastics on hand and they gave me one. Before tying up my hair, I slathered it in conditioner to protect it as well.
We then headed to the water. My daughter had a broken wrist at the time, so I put the cast cover on her, then grabbed a pair of the required arm floaties for her too. I know it’s basically a tourist factory, but we enjoyed the Lagoon! The water is so warm and such a neat color. We did the face mask, then got a drink each from the bar (included with our package), and just kinda floated around and explored. It did help us fight off the travel tiredness too.
After the Lagoon, we grabbed a few thing from a grocery store, got settled in our Airbnb, took a little walk to explore our area and get dinner, then got some much-needed shut-eye.
Reykjavik
FlyOver Iceland
After 11ish hours of sleep, we were ready to tackle Reykjavik! Our first stop was FlyOver Iceland. If you’ve been to the Soarin’ Around the World ride at EPCOT, this is very similar!
After checking in, you take a touristy photo in front of a green screen, before the group goes into the first of two rooms where you watch videos about the history/folklore of Iceland.
In the third room, you’re seated in front of a big screen. The screen shows aerial views of places all over Iceland, and the seats move (along with effects like wind and scent) to make you feel like you’re really flying above the landscape. It’s not a wild ride, but for some reason I got SO motion sick on this part. The kids loved it though!
The whole thing was 30-40 minutes total. I bought tickets for this online and was able to use a coupon from visitorsguide.is (I think it saved 10%)
Hot Dog Stand
After the show, we decided to drive over to the Baejarins Beztu Pylsur hot dog stand. (Quick note: make sure to download the Parka app! I preferred it over using kiosks to pay for parking throughout the trip.)
*Back to the hotdogs*
My in-laws had been to Iceland and talked up the hot dogs, so I knew we had to try them! I got a dog with the traditional toppings – raw and fried onions, remoulade, sweet brown mustard, and ketchup – it was different, but tasty! It was the first, but definitely not the last hot dog we each ate on the trip, haha.
Rainbow Street
After our food stop, we walked over to the Rainbow Street, which we kept accidentally calling “Rainbow Road”, as any true Mario Kart fans would. On the way, we enjoyed the sites, passing through parks and ogling the outside of Phallological Museum. We also popped into some of the little shops, since our kids were on a mission to find the perfect puffin and arctic fox stuffies (mission: accomplished!).
From the Rainbow Street, we could see Hallgrímskirkja Church as well. We snapped a few family pictures, then the kids started grumping, so we headed back toward our car, taking a different route to see more of the city.
Perlan Museum
After a little rest back at our apartment, we ventured back out, this time to the Perlan Museum. I had read mixed reviews about how kid-friendly this museum was, but we all really liked it! We especially enjoyed the Ice Cave and the Volcano Show, as well as the Aurora show (though we all took a nap near the end of it – guess we weren’t totally caught up on sleep just yet). We also learned a lot about Icelandic animals, which we’re all about.
Our favorite fact of the trip: polar bears aren’t native to Iceland, but sometimes float over to it from Greenland on pieces of ice. Crazy, right??
After we were done with exhibits, we tried the observation deck, hoping to enjoy the panoramic view, but it was still gloomy and rainy so we didn’t see much. However, we capped off the visit by grabbing some ice cream at the cafe, so it ended on a great note!
Reykjavik – Overall Thoughts
I feel like we could’ve made better use of our short time in Reykjavik, but honestly? We were dealing with a delayed flight, jet lag, and rain, all while getting our bearings, so I’m still happy with how it went. We had a good time! And that’s what matters 🙂
Golden Circle
After checking out of our Reykjavik Airbnb, we began the drive around the Golden Circle. (If you’re not familiar with it, the Golden Circle is so named because there are a number of notable sites close together, making it easy to see multiple cool stops while driving the loop.) We started the journey later than most people probably do – around 11 am – but it worked out fine for us, since we had so many hours of summer daylight!
Thingvellir National Park
I’ll be honest: Thingvellir was not a winner for our fam. LOL. We did the walk up to the viewpoint and… the kids did not care about it at all, it was tough to explain the concept of tectonic plates to a 4 and 6 year old, the walk was long and boring for them, etc etc.
I get it – it didn’t blow my mind either (maybe because the complaining wore me down, though).
Laugarvatn Fontana
Next we stopped at the Laugarvatn Fontana. I had originally hoped to catch the bread tour, where they show you how they bake their signature rye bread in the ground from the geothermal heating.
We decided to pivot and just buy some bread at the cafe for a taste (so yummy with a nice pat of butter), and take a dip in the pools instead!
The kids loved this place since most of the pools were shallow enough that they didn’t have to wear floaties! We all hopped into and out of the different temperature pools, husband and I tried out the sauna, and he and the kids had fun occasionally popping under the cold water bucket (not my thing!)
We enjoyed our time here – it had a nice view, with the pools looking out onto the water, and the kids had fun being maniacs. It wouldn’t be my top recommendation because I did think it was pretty expensive, but it was a good stop.
Efstidalur Dairy Farm
For lunch, we stopped at Efstidalur, a family-run dairy farm with a restaurant and ice cream shop. We shared a couple of burgers, which were very tasty but left me feeling a bit guilty as we gazed down at some of the cattle from our table. The kids, with their more limited understanding of where food comes from, had a great time seeing the cows, so overall it was a good stop.
The ice cream was delicious too! We made sure to grab a couple of scoops before we headed out.
Bruarfoss Waterfall
I hadn’t read a ton about Bruarfoss, but after hearing that the water “looked like blue Gatorade”, I had to see it for myself. I guess that Bruarfoss had previously only been accessible by embarking on a 4 mile round-trip hike, but in recent years a new parking lot was constructed that made it possible to get there with just a short walk.
It was beautiful! Truly an amazing color and you’re able to get pretty close to it. I know there’s a ton of waterfalls to see in Iceland, but this one felt unique to me and is super easy to get to, so I’d definitely include it in your itinerary!
Geysir
The Geysir geothermal area is where you can view Strokkur, an active geyser that erupts every 10ish minutes. On the walk up, there are other signs of the geothermal activity, with steam and bubbling water coming out of the ground along the way.
Having never seen a geyser in real life, this was really cool! The walk up to the geyser was easy and interesting. Also, there’s a visitors’ center next to the parking lot, making it a good bathroom stop as well.
Gullfoss Waterfall
I was tempted to skip Gullfoss, because it was nearing 9 pm when we left Geysir (We truly had lost track of time because it was still so bright out!). But my husband wanted to check it out, so we headed over, parked, and put on our rain gear just in case. The walk is a little tricky with kids, lots of stairs (from the upper lot, at least), but our littles behaved well enough to make it to the falls, thankfully.
I hate to admit when my husband is right, but it’s good we didn’t skip Gulfoss! The falls are huge and thunderous and you’re able to get so close – it’s really cool and a little surreal to see!
Selfoss Old Dairy Food Hall
We actually visited the Selfoss Old Dairy Food Hall on our way toward the KEF airport, not on our Golden Circle day, but it still fits the best here 🙂
The Old Dairy Food Hall is in a cute area with outdoor seating, hopscotch, a set-up for live music, etc. The food hall itself is pretty cramped and chaotic, so it’s probably easiest to order your food and then enjoy it outside. We shared a main course and then enjoyed some ice cream and wandering around.
We didn’t spend a ton of time here, since we were wrapping up a long day but it was a good, tasty stop.
Golden Circle – Overall Thoughts
Our Golden Circle day was long – close to 12 hours between leaving one Airbnb and checking into the next – but with the long summer daylight and so many stops to make, it was definitely manageable and didn’t feel overwhelming.
Vik
Vik Lava Show
During the Vik Lava Show, the host teaches you a bit about lava and volcanoes in Iceland, shows a video with a first-hand account of what it was like during a volcanic eruption, and then you get to see some real lava!
I wasn’t sure how boring the first half of the show would be for our 4 and 6 year old, but they did fine and seemed to find it [mostly] interesting! As far as the lava, it’s really neat to see how it moves, watch how it changes as it cools, and to feel the intense heat of it as it rolled in.
I bought the tickets for the show online beforehand, and was able to use a coupon from visitorsguide.is to save 10% on them.
The Vik Lava Show shares a building with The Soup Company. After the show, we tried a couple of them, which were very tasty (and expensive… but so is everything in Iceland).
Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach
Our trip to Iceland was when our kids learned what puffins were, and they quickly became obsessed. Because of this, we made it our mission to see some in person. I had read that Reynisfjara was a good place to find puffins, and it was! We visited in the evening (around 8ish, I think) and had the joy of seeing a bunch of little puffers flying around. Morning and evening sound like the best times to look for them, as the cuties return to their nests after being active during the day.
Other than puffin-watching, we wandered a bit, exploring the basalt columns and admiring the water from afar. If you’re not familiar with Reynisfjara, be aware that it can be a very dangerous beach! “Sneaker waves” have been known to knock visitors off their feet, so it’s important to never turn your back to the water and to stay at a distance.
There’s a bathroom near the parking lot, if you need one! (With a 4 year old, I became very aware of where the bathrooms are and of what quality.)
Icelandic jumping pillows
These weren’t specific to Vik, but it’s the first place we tried one. The big jumping pillows can be found all over and are a fun outdoor thing for the kiddos to try! The day we went was a little drizzly, which made the pillow slightly slippery (and thus scary for me to watch), but the little ones had a good time burning off energy here!
Vatnajökull Glacier Area
Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon boat tour
There are a few options for boat/kayak tours of the Jokulsarlon Glacier lagoon, but due to the ages of our kids, our best option was the 40ish minute amphibian boat tour. If you haven’t been on one before, an amphibian boat is one that can drive on land as well as the water.
We checked in a few minutes before the tour, hit up the plentiful bathrooms, got some lifejackets, and boarded the boat on shore. The boat then drove into the water, and the tour guide taught us about icebergs and the glacier, pointing out some lazy seals as well! Because it was a super cloudy day, we could barely see the glacier during the tour, but we still enjoyed the ride quite a bit.
After the tour, we grabbed some food from the waiting food trucks, and took some pictures with the lagoon as our backdrop.
Diamond Beach
Diamond Beach is located right across the road from glacier lagoon boat tour. Its name comes from the fact that bits of icebergs wash up on the shore and when the sun hits these ice chunks just right, it looks like they’re sparkling all over the beach!
Unfortunately, since it was overcast on the day we visited, we didn’t get to experience the sparkle, but it was still fun and unique to see the ice up close! I’m sure it’s even more beautiful when it’s clear out.
Svínafellsjökull Viewpoint
Driving back from Diamond Beach, I consulted my Rick Steves Iceland guidebook (seriously, I’m a sucker for a guidebook) and decided to stop at the Svínafellsjökull viewpoint for some extra glacier action.
After a relatively short walk from the parking lot (maybe half a mile?) you can get pretty close to the glacier, which is awesome! We didn’t even get as close as is possible, since our kids were in peak complaint mode and just wanted to skip rocks in the lake. Even so, it’s worth the stop!
Other South Coast Places
Seljalandsfoss Waterfall
Okay, I know, another waterfall?! But they’re all different, I swear. What’s cool about Seljalandsfoss is that you are able to walk behind the falls, getting really up close and personal with it. We all thought it was pretty neat to see/hear/feel what it’s like right next to a waterfall. Oh, on that note, make sure to wear your rain gear – even rain pants – or you’ll get soaked!
This was one of the most crowded sites that we visited on our trip, which was kinda surprising to me. Even so, it didn’t take long to have our turn behind the falls. Parking was easy and close, with bathrooms near the lot (they were kinda disgusting though, tbh, so maybe hit them up just if it’s urgent).
Sundlaugin Hvolsvelli (swimming pool)
The Sundlaugin Hvolsvelli was our first non-touristy pool of the trip, and we looooved it. We also loved how much less expensive it was 🙂 The pool is actually 4 pools in a range of temperatures, as well as a slide that landed in a shallow pool, and an indoor sauna.
Us grown-ups had fun swimming laps in the big pool or relaxing in the smaller, hotter pools while the kids went down the slide probably 50 times. There were floaties and a small number of pool toys, but we didn’t really use any of that.
If you plan on using a neighborhood pool like this, make sure to be mindful of the local norms, such as leaving street shoes in the entryway of the gym and showering nude in the locker room before and after going into the pool. The showering thing was definitely new to me, but I just made it quick and reminded myself I’d never see these people again – it was fine.
Sundlaugin Kirkjubæjarklaustri (swimming pool)
The Sundlaugin Kirkjubæjarklaustri was the second local pool that we tried. Here, there was one large pool with a slide and a couple other small pools in a range of temperatures. One cool thing about this place is that the backdrop for the pool area is a beautiful waterfall in the mountains!
While it was similar to the swimming pool in Hvolsvellur, I preferred that one because the locker room there felt quite a bit cleaner. That said, it was a solid stop for us on the long drive back from Jokulsarlon!
Rútshellir Cave
Our stop at the Rútshellir cave was one of our most random ones of the trip. We saw what looked like a random horse and dog in a field near the road, so I very urgently demanded my husband pull over so we could see them up close.
Upon parking and reading the sign, we learned that we were at a historical man-made cave! We paid the parking fee, entered through the fence, greeted the horse and his boss (the dog) and headed in to explore the cave. It didn’t blow our minds, but it was cool to see. What we actually enjoyed the most was seeing the pupper run up the mountain and try to herd his sheep.
Overall
Going on this trip felt very ambitious and, honestly, kinda stressful. However, looking back, Iceland was a perfect place to visit with small kids. We got to experience long summer days, learn about new animals, see all different kinds of landscapes we wouldn’t see at home, and just kinda slow down a bit and enjoy nature / being together.
Want to plan your own Icelandic adventure? Check out my google map or Packing List for Iceland to get started!
