Iceland with Kids: A 6-Day Family Itinerary That Actually Works
You've decided Iceland is happening. Good. Now the question everyone asks me next is: what does a real family itinerary actually look like?
Not the highlight reel. Not the "best of Iceland in 10 days" listicle that tries to cram in every corner of the island. The kind of trip where you're not white-knuckling it through a packed schedule, where the kids aren't melting down by day three, and where you actually get to be somewhere instead of just passing through it.
This is the itinerary I recommend most for families: six days, two home bases, a road trip through the South Coast, and one very good cinnamon roll. Here's how it goes.
Faxi Waterfall
Days 1–2: Reykjavik
Stay in the city center or along the harbour. You'll want to be walkable to everything, and in Reykjavik, that's entirely possible.
The first thing you'll notice, and I mean this, is the playgrounds. There are playgrounds on practically every block in Reykjavik, and no two are quite the same. Some are a simple set of swings tucked between buildings. Others are full climbing structures with slides and rope courses. It sounds like a small thing, but for families with younger kids, it's a revelation. Any time someone needs to burn off energy between stops, there's somewhere to go within a two-minute walk.
Hallgrímskirkja, the big church on the hill, is worth the visit and the elevator ride to the top. The view over the city and the harbour is one of those moments that earns its spot in the photo roll.
The Perlan is a must, especially if you're traveling with kids who have any curiosity about science or nature. It's a museum built inside a series of geothermal hot water tanks, and it does an exceptional job of putting Iceland's landscape into context: the glaciers, the volcanoes, the Northern Lights, the geography of the island. Go here early in the trip and everything you see afterward makes more sense.
For food, don't overthink it. Get in line at Brauð & Co for a cinnamon roll. They're gooey and enormous and worth every minute of the wait. Pick up a coffee from Reykjavik Roasters and walk the Rainbow Road, a stretch of road painted in rainbow colors that's become one of the city's most photographed spots. It's cheerful and very Reykjavik, and kids get a kick out of it.
If you have little ones, carve out a couple of hours for the Whales of Iceland museum. The whale exhibits are massive, genuinely impressive in scale, and there's a small indoor playground that younger kids love. It's a great rainy afternoon option, and in Iceland, a rainy afternoon is always a possibility.
Whales of Iceland self guided walk-through and playtime
Day 3: Drive to Selfoss + Þingvellir National Park
Today you pick up your rental car and shift gears entirely.
Head toward Selfoss, about 45 minutes southeast of Reykjavik. For the rest of the trip, I'd strongly recommend a rental home over a hotel. Somewhere with laundry, a hot tub, and ideally a sauna. After long days of walking and outdoor exploring, being able to throw clothes in the wash and soak in a hot tub before bed is not a luxury. It's a necessity.
Selfoss itself is a quiet, likeable little city. It has a trendy food hall worth a stop, and more importantly, it has a Bónus, Iceland's grocery chain, recognizable by its cheerful pink pig logo. Stock up here. Get breakfast food, snacks for the car, whatever you need for the rental. The grocery situation gets thinner the further you drive from Selfoss, so don't skip this stop.
After you've settled into the rental, head out on the Golden Circle toward Þingvellir National Park. This is where Iceland held its first parliament in 930 AD, the oldest parliament in the world, and it's also where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet. You can see the rift between them. The water running through it is some of the clearest you'll ever see in your life.
The trails here are a mix of worn dirt path and wooden boardwalk, which makes it accessible for all ages and most mobility levels. It's not strenuous. It's just stunning. Go in the late afternoon when the light is good and the tour buses have thinned out.
Crystal clear waters at Þingvellir National Park
Day 4: Friðheimar + Geysir + Gullfoss
Make a reservation at Friðheimar well before your trip. This is not optional. It books out, and it's worth it.
Friðheimar is a working tomato farm inside a greenhouse, and lunch is served right in the middle of it. Long communal tables surrounded by tomato plants growing in every direction. Order the tomato soup and the bread. Everything on the menu is good, but the soup is what people talk about for years. There's also an extensive Bloody Mary menu if that's your thing, and the waitstaff will walk you through the history of tomato farming in Iceland: why it exists here, how it works, what role geothermal energy plays in making it possible. They're genuinely wonderful, and the whole experience feels warm in a way that's hard to manufacture.
After lunch, the farm offers greenhouse tours and a stable tour and show featuring Icelandic horses. If you have kids, do not skip the horses. Icelandic horses are a breed found nowhere else in the world, compact, friendly, and famously gentle. Kids are completely charmed by them.
From Friðheimar, continue the Golden Circle to Geysir, where the word "geyser" actually comes from, and watch Strokkur erupt every five to ten minutes. Then on to Gullfoss, a double-tiered waterfall that drops into a canyon and makes you feel genuinely small. Both are accessible, well-signed, and worth the time.
Head back to the rental for the night.
Fresh bread and tomato soup at Friðheimar
Day 5: South Coast — Waterfalls, Plane Wreck, Lighthouse, Vík
Pack your hat and gloves today. Put on your waterproof jacket and pants before you leave the rental. The weather on the South Coast shifts quickly and without much warning. A bright morning can turn cold and sideways by noon. Dress everyone for what might happen, not just what it looks like outside.
Drive the South Coast toward Vík, stopping at the waterfalls along the way. Seljalandsfoss lets you walk behind the falls; get everyone into their waterproofs before you attempt this one. Skógafoss is broader and more dramatic, with a staircase to a lookout above it that's worth the climb.
Pull into the parking lot for the Sólheimasandur plane wreck and take the shuttle out. It's about a 10 to 15 minute ride across the black sand flats to the wreckage of a US Navy plane that went down in 1973. Nobody was seriously hurt, the plane was just left there, and it's become one of Iceland's most visited and most photographed sites. The landscape around it is stark and otherworldly. Kids find it completely fascinating.
Before heading into Vík, take the detour up the winding road to the lighthouse. It's a short drive and the view down over the black sand beach and the basalt sea stacks is one of those things you didn't know you needed to see until you're standing there looking at it.
In Vík, grab lunch at The Soup Company, a small, warm, unpretentious spot that does exactly what the name promises and does it well. Then walk the black sand beach. The waves here are powerful and the beach itself is dramatic, framed by the famous Reynisdrangar basalt columns rising out of the water. Keep kids back from the water's edge (these are not swimming conditions) but as a landscape experience, it doesn't disappoint.
Black Sand Beach in Vik
Day 6: Blue Lagoon + Flight Home
You planned your flight carefully for this day. The Blue Lagoon is your send-off.
Splurge on the ticket tier that includes a robe. I say this without hesitation to every family I send here: the robe is worth it. You'll feel like you've earned it after five days of hiking and driving and coastal wind.
Children aged 2 and up can enjoy the geothermal springs with an adult. The water is warm, the setting is surreal, and little ones do beautifully with a pair of arm floaties. While they splash around, you're soaking in a silica face mask with a juice or a cocktail in hand, surrounded by milky blue water and steam. It's a unique and deeply wonderful way to end a trip.
The facility has full lockers and a shower area, so you can arrive from the rental, spend a few hours in the water, shower, change, and leave clean and relaxed for the airport. It's genuinely one of the best last-day-of-a-trip moves I know of.
Blue Lagoon Hot Springs
Before You Go: Quick Trip Checklist
Book Friðheimar early. It fills up well in advance, especially in summer.
Blue Lagoon tickets: also book ahead. Same-day availability isn’t guaranteed.
Rental car: opt for a 4WD if your itinerary includes any roads off Route 1.
Rental home near Selfoss: look for one with hot tub, sauna, and laundry.
Pack waterproof everything: jacket, pants, and shoes for every person in the family.
Stop at Bónus in Selfoss and stock the rental kitchen before you head out of town.
Arm floaties are available with children’s entry for the Blue Lagoon
American School Bus Cafe located west of Selfoss
Iceland rewards families who show up with a loose plan and an openness to whatever the day brings. This itinerary gives you structure without over-scheduling: two days to settle into the city, four days on the road with a comfortable home base, and a send-off that genuinely sends you home happy.
If you want help putting together your version of this trip, whether that's different ages, a different pace, or a different budget, I'd love to help you build it. Reach out and let's talk Iceland.
