Iceland with kids

[Newnormal99]

Looking at going to Iceland this summer with 2 kids age 14 and 10.

There are so many excursions and a limited amount of days - anyone been with this age and can say which were the biggest hits.

I'm thinking puffins and whales.....also thinking they would like a volcano.

[Workyticket]

Did you book op.

We're looking at going in Feb half term and wondering about taking our 12 year old?!

[RomComPhooey]

@PuffinShop

Driving in the Icelandic countryside is sooo much easier than in the UK, honestly. Assuming you are going in summer so you won't have to think about snow and ice and storms, and that you are sticking to the main roads. No motorways, no massive confusing roundabouts, hardly any towns even, nothing to obstruct your view. You'd have to try really hard to miss a turn because there aren't many and everything is well signposted in my experience. This pic is just off google images but it's mostly like this. The distances between things can be long, but it's so beautiful.

All of this. The ring road is like an A road in the Yorkshire Dales of Lake District, where there is a single carriageway going in each direction and the paved surface merges into moorland at each side. I can’t think of a single bit with poor visibility (unless you are unlucky enough to get fog, as we did one day) and everyone goes at a sensible speed. It was dead easy driving, especially if you hire an automatic. Hiring a car also means you’d be able to pop to local swimming pools, many of which have slides and ‘hot pots’ as well as laned swimming.

[Newnormal99]

@RomComPhooey

Thanks. I do desperately want to see that but I'm going to park it for another trip. I think it will just be too long a day and it seems there is a lot more I could do in that area.

I feel like I could fill 2 weeks with that I would like to see!

[RomComPhooey]

Jökulsárlón is well worth the trip and definitely with the boat ride. It was one of the stand out activities during our trip. There were seals in the lagoon in amongst the icebergs when we visited, so your kids would enjoy that if it’s the same when you visit. We were touring and stayed in Vik the night before. Even from Vik it was a hell of a trek. Another consideration is that if you are late for your self-booked slot, it’s unlikely you can be slotted into a later one during high season as the boats are fully booked. There may be more leeway with a booked tour.

We were lucky with whale watching as we saw humpbacks and had flat calm ocean and no swell. I’ve heard horror stories from people that have gone out in choppy seas. 🤢🤮

The puffins migrate south in early-mid August. Check dates if that’s an important draw for you.

[Newnormal99]

@PuffinShop

Maybe I just need to plan another trip by myself another time as well and park some of these things for then. That's my only concern with the south coast it's 14 hour trips which I am worried they will find too much.

[PuffinShop]

Have you seen a geyser before, at Yellowstone or something? Strokkur is apparently not as impressive as some of the North American geysers. But if not, do not miss it! It is just a cool phenomenon and Iceland is one of the very few places you can see one. The only person I've known to not like seeing Strokkur erupt was my 3 year old, who was terrified by it.

Gullfoss is also a stunning thing to see. Personally I would not miss it.

A day trip to Jökulsárlón will be a looooong day and you won't have much time at all the wonderful things there are to see along the way, if you have time to stop at all. The south coast from Selfoss to Jökulsárlón deserves at least 2 days. Stay a night in Vík or take the ferry to Vestmannaeyjar on the way, or both! I really cannot recommend Vestmannaeyjar highly enough. So many people skip it out but it has some of the most stunning cliffs in the whole of Iceland and so much to do for such a tiny island. The volcano museum is one of the best museums I have ever been to.

Don't come to Iceland and rush it! It's going to cost you a lot so make the most of it.

[PuffinShop]

The picture was too big to post. Put Iceland ring road into google images and ignore the snowy, icy pictures because it won't be like that in the summer.

[PuffinShop]

Driving in the Icelandic countryside is sooo much easier than in the UK, honestly. Assuming you are going in summer so you won't have to think about snow and ice and storms, and that you are sticking to the main roads. No motorways, no massive confusing roundabouts, hardly any towns even, nothing to obstruct your view. You'd have to try really hard to miss a turn because there aren't many and everything is well signposted in my experience. This pic is just off google images but it's mostly like this. The distances between things can be long, but it's so beautiful.

[ODFOx]

Is golden circle the trip with Gulfoss and Strokkur? If so don't miss it out.

[Newnormal99]

@RedToothBrush

Thank you.
I think driving is not an option. I have never driven abroad and as a single parent if I decide I hate it I won't be able to get anyone else to take over! I also don't want to spend all the time driving and not seeing anything. As kids seem to be half price on most of the trips I have looked at it is not as bad as if there was another full price adult in the mix.

I am thinking of doing 2 'big' day trips - this is a replacement for a big birthday fairly pricey trip to NY which I am cancelling because of the vaccination requirements for youngest so I have a bit of budget to play with.

I am trying to find a mix of 'doing' rather than just scenery to interest children which is why the ice cave appealed.

Guess I need to spend weekend online.

[RedToothBrush]

It depends on what is on the itinerary of some of these trips. Check the details of a couple which on the surface look the same. Many will offer stops enroute which may cover some of the other things you might want to do.

Jökulsárlón is a long way down the ring road, but you have to go past many of the beautiful waterfalls and Vik to get there. There may be brief stops at them on the itinerary.

The same goes for the ice cave trip.

I've done Into the Glacier and Jökulsárlón with boat trip and both are amazing. (Separate trips to Iceland). You can't go wrong with either. But yes one or the other is enough. I can't comment on the other offroad trip because i haven't done.

You may find that one trip will tick multiple boxes.

We've done one organised trip plus hired a car for a day or two before from the city airport (which is walkable if you are based in Reykjavik), so we could self drive and do all the other bits we wanted. Then spent the rest of our time in Reykjavik. We've been a few times!

We actually self drove to Jökulsárlón and got on the boat there when we did it, which cut the cost overall and let us do other things on the way. But you have to be careful on booking the boat time as you don't want to late (plan stops you can do either on way there or back and see how you are doing for timing). The same goes for Into the Glacier - there is an option to get a coach that goes from Reykjavik or you can self drive to the meeting point and then get on the bus from there and obviously there is a difference in price to reflect this.

Obviously one of you has to drive - which depending on the time of year, can be interesting. Also distance and time to drive in Iceland is different to the uk. It takes much longer to get places than you think for the distance. The roads have improved a lot since we first went but its still hard going.

The self drive option does increase your options on what you can do though.

I echo sentiments about Pingveller being something you really should try and see if you can (Gulfoss and geysers get the publicity).

To give you an idea we done a day trip to vik, doing a self walk up a glacier (not too far) with an 18month old stopping at waterfalls on the way. A day trip around the golden circle at own pace, including Gulfoss, Pingveller and Geyser and a not prebooked stop at one of the hotsprings. I believe the new volcanic fields is a day trip - its very close to the city but the hike is pretty heavy going.

Honestly do your research. It is an expensive place to go. However you can squeeze more for your money if you are canny.

[Newnormal99]

a lot say all ages but everything does seem to be long 6-14 hour) days so I guess it may be hard going.

@Squiffy01

[Newnormal99]

@RedToothBrush

Ok. Hoping you can nail things down for me!

Have identified a couple of options but cannot afford them all:

14 hours trip to glacier lagoon (with / without boat tour)
Standard golden circle trip
Golden circle trip in jeep with glacier visit (on top not inside) (very expensive!)
Langjokull Glacier and ice cave trip

Of all of them I'm actually more in longed to skip golden circle element and just do the lagoon and glacier? Will I regret missing golden circle. It does appeal least......
Is it worth choosing a lagoon trip with the boat ride?

[Squiffy01]

Jumping on this thread for ideas as well. Would love to do Iceland!
What puts me off is I assume there are age limits to a lot of the things I would love to do. We have a three year old so assume he is not old enough for most things?

[horseymum]

You need to go horse riding. Icelandic horses ( never call them ponies) are a unique breed. You will find treks suitable for beginners or experienced. You'll also probably see herds loose whilst driving around. We mostly did walking and hot pools. The municipal swimming pools are great, different temperatures of pools, and hot pools at the side. Some natural saunas too.

[PuffinShop]

Snap!

[PuffinShop]

Bungalo.is is the main site for all the summer houses that are available for private renting.

[emmathedilemma]

I still have my bookings emails and got the Reykjavik apartment through booking.com and the Selfoss chalet through Bungalo bungalo.com/

[Newnormal99]

Where is the best place to look for self catering - I would usually just head to booking.com?

[Newnormal99]

Thanks @PuffinShop @RedToothBrush (and everyone else)

That's really helpful. There just seems to be so much to choose from but as it's pricey it's deciding which to go for. I really like the sound of the glacier lagoon and I am wondering whether to do an overnight trip. My only question would be - how challenging is the glacier walk? It says 8ip but my 10 go is very clumsy and uncordinated. Could she manage it so you think? Or do many people not do that bit?

[emmathedilemma]

I would hire a car, once you're out of Reykjavik driving is pretty easy on the main roads. Another vote for summer houses, we rented a chalet on a "summer house estate" for a few nights and it worked out really well as a base - we were around the Selfoss area and did day trips from there then a couple of nights in Reykjavik.
I never actually made it to one of the baths although friends who'd arrived earlier somewhat put me off with their stories of naked showers. I was also a bit wary as I had a horrendous eczema outbreak after going to the thermal spa in Budapest! But then only I could be allergic to something that's meant to be good for you ;)

[PuffinShop]

Obviously you can't see northern lights between mid May and early August. Late August you might see them.

Some whale watching companies will provide a big warm waterproof all-in-one so you don't necessarily have to think about that. But definitely bring hats and gloves and good waterproofs anyway - Iceland is indeed all about being outside in the incredible landscape and being warm and dry can make all the difference. The weather can be cool, wet and windy even in the summer (though it can also be glorious).

There are lots of summer houses in the countryside. I'd recommend hiring those for accommodation rather than staying in Reykjavik, preferably ones with a hot tub and a barbecue. Then you can self cater and live on crisps, hot dogs and ice cream, which I can testify is an authentic Icelandic experience.

Personally I think the golden circle is unmissable and is popular for good reasons. Maybe I would miss Gullfoss if I was seeing a lot of other waterfalls (probably not, though, it is absolutely stunning) and maybe the geysers if I'd seen geysers before elsewhere. But do not miss Þingvellir. It's such an incredible and unique place, for the history and the geology. Blue Lagoon is rubbish.

Summer in Iceland is the best, you'll have a brilliant time! The midnight sun and the birds, it's the most beautiful place on earth.

[RedToothBrush]

Whale watching is not the fun you might expect!

It is the single most cold thing you can do! (may be exaggerating but do take my point about needing proper warm clothing suitable for the wet conditions and knowing how to layer your clothes - don't buy cheap gear and think it will do - it wont).

Its actually not something I put at the top of my list to do and its seasonal anyway so definitely check the time of year you are going.

Generally speaking, you do need to be aware of what time of year you are going because so much is seasonal in Iceland.

The Golden Circle is ok. But its utterly rammed with tourists these days. You are better exploring it yourself and making sure you get up early and leave Reykjavik before the coaches do! (I'm serious).

But I do think there are better things to do than simply the beaten track for tourists tbh.

Forget the Blue Lagoon too for the same reasons. It was excellent 20 years ago. There are a couple of other natural hot springs which are better now. I think the Hidden or Secret Lagoon (on the gold circle route). I also rate the swimming pools in the city as good fun.

Jökulsárlón was a highlight for me, but its a fair trek from Reykjavik. You can do it in a day but its a long drive. Its better if you can find an overnight stop nearby (easier said than done!) to make the most of it.

The waterfalls along the southern ring road are amazing for all ages.

What I would recommend is doing an organised trip for something a bit out of the ordinary. There are so many different ones available but depend on the time of year you go.

You can go into a glacier (with off road coach to get there), lava tunnel tours where you go in a volcano, kayaking tours, climbing tours, glacier walk tours, tours to the interior (again involving off road transport), snorkeling tours, horse riding tours... They can be pricey but honestly worth the money and 100 times better than the standard golden circle tours (which are better in your own time and on your own power). Try and pick at least one as your main event for your trip if you can (our budget has never managed more as eating out is pricey). The vast majority will cater for kids the right age for you.

It depends on whether your kids might get bored if you are thinking about aurora tours. Not sure all kids will appreciate and be patient enough for it.

In terms of saving money, rent an apartment and self cater as much as you can. Iceland is great for eating out but expensive - do your research on where you want to eat out and book in advance (can't stress this enough especially for the best places). Make sure you eat lamb or fish out (or both!) at least once.

Its a place you go to walk and be outdoors more than anything. If your kids are good with this, they will have a blast. If they would rather do anything but go for a walk it might be a lot more challenging as you can't escape it really.

[Petrarkanian]

I love Iceland, its my favourite place.
Last time we went we hired a car and did The Golden Circle ourselves, it was so much cheaper we picked it up at the airport then dropped it back. We swam everyday, tried the different public pools as they are brilliant. We shopped at the supermarket and lived on pasta and rice.

[PuffinShop]

Yes you have to shower naked before getting in the pool. The showers are single sex though. It would be a shame to miss the lovely pools out of squeamishness but some do have a few 'tourist' showers with curtains. I think Vesturbæjarlaug and Laugardalslaug do in the capital. You'll still see other people naked but you might be able to hide yourself a bit.

I would definitely get a car if you can afford it. It gives you so much more freedom and you can see much more. Summer driving in Iceland is very easy and not at all stressful outside the city. Not much traffic, most of the roads are just two lane, travelling through beautiful scenery. I don't generally like driving but even I think driving the south Icelandic ring road in summer is quite nice. There is always the possibility of a storm but it's not very likely in June and July.