Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon. All photography is ours.
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Iceland with Kids
If you’re planning Iceland with kids, give it seven days and drive the south coast. We put Iceland off for years and finally went in the summer of 2023. It was everything our friends promised, with glaciers, volcanoes, waterfalls at every turn, puffins on the Westman Islands, great food, and friendly people. Seven days is about the minimum, so stay longer if you can.
Iceland is Andrew’s favorite destination, and it’s one of the easiest countries we’ve traveled. English everywhere, a rental car and one main road, and daylight that never really ends in summer. We know you’ll love it.
Destination guide · Updated November 2026 · Last visited July 2023
Best months
June–August, Feb–March for the northern lights
Fly into
KEF
How long
7 days for the south, 10 to 14 for the Ring Road
Getting around
Rental car, and Highway 1 does the rest
Book ahead
Blue Lagoon · glacier and ice cave tours · south coast hotels in summer
Our first day was on the Reykjanes peninsula. We fought jet lag by getting out of the car, walking between the tectonic plates at the Bridge Between Continents, and stopping at every waterfall we could find. We ventured to the Westman Islands for puffins, spent a morning with the icebergs at Jökulsárlón and walked Diamond Beach and the black sand at Reynisfjara.
On the way back to Reykjavik, with hit the famous Golden Circle for more waterfalls and a national park and finished with two days in the city. The Blue Lagoon was our last stop on the way to the airport.
We even tried to chase down an erupting volcano. The road was closed and the only way in was a 17 kilometer hike, which was a no go. Regardless of what you choose, you really can’t go wrong with Iceland. It’s such a beautiful country and perfect for families who love a good road trip.
Your Iceland guide
Enjoy exploring Iceland with kids!
Keep scrolling for the essentials, three road trips, and where to stay.
Essential Iceland
Why we love Iceland
We think you’ll love it too.
Iceland is where we’d send a family that wants a road trip where every stop feels like a different planet. Where else can kids walk between two continents in the morning and watch icebergs drift out to sea that afternoon? The north and the Westfjords are next for us, so scroll down for the Iceland essentials we’d start with.
Jökulsárlón and Diamond Beach Guide
Icebergs calve off Vatnajökull into the lagoon, then wash up on the black sand of Diamond Beach. Zodiac boat tours get you out among the icebergs, so give it half a day.
The Westman Islands Guide
Take the ferry from the south coast to Heimaey for puffins, the beluga sanctuary, and Eldheimar, a museum built around a house buried in the 1973 eruption. It’s a full day and worth the ferry, and the food is great too!
The Golden Circle Guide
Geysir, Gullfoss, and Thingvellir, where you walk between the continental plates, are crowded for a reason. It’s an easy loop from Reykjavik or on your way back from the south.
And the rest we’d cross the country for
Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss Guide
These are the two big waterfalls on the south coast, one you can walk behind and one you can climb beside. Both are right off Highway 1.
Reynisfjara Guide
Reynisfjara has black sand, basalt columns, and dangerous sneaker waves. Stay well back from the water and keep hold of small kids.
The Bridge Between Continents Guide
This little bridge on the Reykjanes peninsula lets you walk down into the rift between the North American and Eurasian plates. It only takes fifteen minutes and makes a great first stop off the plane.
The Geothermal Park in Hveragerði Guide
We found this one by typing waterfalls into the GPS. It has small geysers and hot springs without the Geysir crowds, plus a greenhouse where you pick grapes off the ceiling.
The Blue Lagoon Guide
The Blue Lagoon is twenty minutes from the airport, which makes it the perfect last stop. Book a time slot weeks ahead in summer, and know that kids under two aren’t allowed in the water.
Vatnajökull National Park Guide
Vatnajökull is Iceland’s biggest glacier, and the national park wraps around the lagoon. Guided glacier walks and winter ice cave tours are both worth booking ahead.
The north and Akureyri
Whale watching in Húsavík, Lake Mývatn, and Goðafoss are all on the half of the Ring Road we haven’t driven yet. The north is next on our list.
The Westfjords
Dynjandi waterfall and the Látrabjarg puffin cliffs sit at the end of a lot of gravel road. Save them for a second trip.
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Routes
Three Iceland road trip itineraries
Iceland makes for three very different trips. Choose the seven day south coast loop we did, the full Ring Road, or a winter long weekend. See all the best stops on a map.
Start
Reykjanes and the south
Pick up the car at KEF and drive the peninsula, then east on Highway 1 to Hella. Stop at the Bridge Between Continents, the geothermal park, and a waterfall or three. Our day by day itinerary has the details.
Then head to
The Westman Islands and Jökulsárlón
Take the ferry to Heimaey for a day, then make the long drive east past Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss to the glacier lagoon. Plan two nights out this way.
Finish
Golden Circle and Reykjavik
Loop back through Geysir, Gullfoss, and Thingvellir, then two days in the city and the Blue Lagoon before your flight.
Start
The south coast
The same first four days as above, then keep going east past Höfn instead of turning back.
Then head to
The east fjords and Mývatn
Drive fjord after fjord, then explore the lava fields and hot springs around Lake Mývatn. Go whale watching from Húsavík. We haven’t driven this half yet.
Finish
Akureyri and back to Reykjavik
Akureyri is Iceland’s second city, and from there it’s the long drive west and south to the capital. The whole loop takes twelve to fourteen days.
Start
Reykjavik
Fly in for four nights and base in the city. Northern lights tours leave every clear night.
Then head to
The Golden Circle
The Golden Circle is a day trip, with Gullfoss half frozen and the geysers steaming in the cold.
Finish
An ice cave on the south coast
Make it a long day trip or spend one night near Vík for a guided ice cave under Vatnajökull. It’s winter only.
When to go
Time your visits with the weather and the region
We went in summer, when the roads are open, the puffins are home, and it never gets dark. That’s the easiest time with kids. Winter has the northern lights and the ice caves, but short days and closed roads. Iceland is never warm. Pack layers and a rain shell in any month.
Swipe the chart sideways to see the full year.
June – August
This is midnight sun season, with puffins from May to August and every road open. Prices peak, but it’s the time we’d still pick with kids.
September – October
Expect fewer people, fall color on the moss, and the first northern lights. Some highland roads close by October.
November – January
Winter means four to five hours of daylight, ice caves, and northern lights. It’s fine for a Reykjavik long weekend but hard for a road trip with kids.
February – March
The lights are still out, the days are getting longer, and the ice caves are open. The winter window we’d choose.
Where to stay
Pick a good base to start your Iceland adventure
You’ll change hotels every night or two on the south coast, then settle into Reykjavik at the end. Here’s where we’d stay for each.
South coast trips
Hella and Vík
Our first booking was overbooked and we got moved to Landhótel, which turned out to be much nicer. It had a farm to table restaurant, a room with two queens for the four of us, and hot breakfast. Vík is the other natural stop before the glacier lagoon.
- Our Iceland itinerary
- Landhótel if you have the budget
- Book summer nights months ahead
Glacier trips
Near Jökulsárlón
Hotels are scarce between Vík and Höfn and they fill up first. Book this night before anything else, then work backward.
- Höfn for a real town and langoustine
- Guesthouses near the lagoon for an early zodiac
- One night is enough, two is better
City trips
Reykjavik
Downtown puts you within a walk of Harpa, the harbor, and the museums. Apartments are common and good for families. Points hotels exist, mostly chains near the harbor.
- Downtown for walking
- An apartment for the kitchen
- Two nights at the end, then the Blue Lagoon on the way to KEF
Good to know
Questions families ask us about Iceland
Iceland at a glance
The practical stuff families ask us before they book.
Language: Icelandic, English spoken everywhere
Population: About 400,000
Capital: Reykjavík
Currency: Icelandic króna (ISK), cards accepted everywhere
Power outlet: Types C and F, 230 V
Time difference: 5 hours ahead of Central (summer)
Entry for US passports: Visa-free up to 90 days, ETIAS expected late 2026
Driving: On the right, watch for sheep
Emergency number: 112
Tipping: Not expected
Seven is about the minimum, and it’s what we did. That covers the south coast to the glacier lagoon, the Westman Islands, the Golden Circle, and two days in Reykjavik. The full Ring Road needs twelve to fourteen. Our seven day itinerary is a good starting point.
Yes, it is, mostly for food and lodging. Hotel breakfasts help, gas stations sell decent hot dogs and sandwiches, and a car full of snacks goes a long way. The good news is that most of the sights are free, including the waterfalls, the beaches, and the plates.
You don’t need one for the south coast, the Golden Circle, or the Ring Road in summer. A regular car handles all of it. You need a 4×4 for the highland F roads, which are closed most of the year anyway. In winter, get one.
We did it as our last stop before the airport, which is the smart way to time it. Book a slot in advance, bring flip flops, and don’t get the silica in your hair. Kids under two aren’t allowed and under eight need floaties, which they provide.
We think so. The ferry from Landeyjahöfn is short. On Heimaey you’ll find puffins, the Sea Life Trust beluga sanctuary and aquarium, and Eldheimar. That museum is built around a house dug out of the 1973 eruption. It was a full day for us and a different Iceland from the mainland.
No, they don’t. Iceland is in the Schengen area, so a passport gets you 90 days. Europe’s ETIAS authorization is expected to start in late 2026, so check the current rules before you fly.
Map
Essential Iceland, mapped
Keep exploring
Where to go next
United Kingdom with Kids
The UK has London, day trips, and Scotland’s Highlands on the Jacobite steam train. Who’s up for some Harry Potter?
