Approximate flight time: 3 hours 8 minutes | Find a hotel in Reykjavik
Did you know? Reykjavik is small enough to criss-cross on foot (don’t worry, there’s an excellent bus service too). Whether you are visiting Reykjavik with a toddler, a tween, or a teen, in good or bad weather, the whole family will find lots to see and do.
Start with a visit to Hallgrímskirkja, the Lutheran church that dominates the skyline, and take the lift to the top for sweeping views of the city. Then take a walk along the scenic waterfront to the impressive Sun Voyages sculpture. The promenade is sheltered from the traffic, so that kids can run around and you can push a stroller safely.
Reykjavík boasts many green spaces and parks with play areas for children. Little ones will be excited on a trip to Reykjavik Family Park where there’s play equipment, rides and lots of green space. There’s also a small zoo with farm animals as well as arctic foxes and reindeer.
Right in the city centre is the Tjörnin pond. Kids will enjoy having a walk or run in the surrounding gardens. It is the perfect location to feed the ducks with your children or to spot some local birdlife.
Your kids and you may want to learn about Iceland’s seafaring history at the seaside Maritime Museum; wear Viking costumes at the Saga Museum; or enjoy the augmented reality interactive exhibition at the Perlan, showcasing the natural wonders of Iceland such as the volcanoes, northern lights, and geothermal energy.
When in Reykjavik you will, of course, want to sample the geothermal pools. There are nearly 20 of them in the city, and visits to the pools are something of a national pastime. Laugardalslaug pool is very family-friendly. It has two water slides, hot tubs, kiddie pools, and more. It also has little baby baths and high chairs in the change rooms.
Many say that the famous Blue Lagoon spa is a must-see. This geothermal spa has superheated milky blue waters, which are rich in algae, mineral salts, and silica mud. The minimum age for using the Blue Lagoon is two years old, because babies and toddlers are highly sensitive to the water’s elevated mineral content.
When visiting Reykjavik with kids, you may want to go on a boat tour to spot whales and puffins. Cruises are available from the old harbour, located only a 10-minute walk away from the city centre. Or take the Golden Circle route, ideal to do in one day. You can opt for a guided tour, or drive yourself. You will see the Thingvellir National Park, where tectonic plates are pulling apart and creating a rugged rip in the landscape. Then there is the Geysir geothermal area, where one of the geysers ejects columns of water into the air every six to ten minutes. The Gullfoss, one of Iceland’s most famous waterfalls, is also on the Golden Circle route.
If you head to Reykjavik between September and April, you can experience the northern lights on clear nights. Take a tour outside Reykjavik to see them, or search the city for the best spots for viewing aurora borealis. Dark spaces without light pollution, such as parks, work best.
Pack layers for a trip to Iceland as the weather can be variable, even in summer. The average temperature in July is around 11 to 14 degrees centigrade.
Great for
Young explorers
Nature lovers
Children of all ages
Those who hate the heat
History buffs
What Mumsnet users say
“We went in June last year with kids (10 & 8) and had a fab trip. We hired a car and drove to Vik on the south coast, which was a pretty coastal village great as a base for diamond beach/jokulsarlon glacier lagoon, and some waterfalls. We did the golden circle, finishing in Reykjavik. It was a great trip all round, and v child friendly.” SheriffCallie