Take Hawaii + a little Mars + a dash of Canada=name it Iceland. Read on to see why we compare Iceland to this equation & for the best family adventure guide to this exciting country!
Why Iceland?
Iceland has been on our family bucket list since before we had kids. On our radar even before traveling to Iceland was cool…
My husband and I had always imagined that flying into Reykjavik and spending a long weekend would be enough for a visit to Iceland. We had no idea that spending time only in the capital city would do a visit to Iceland a complete disservice. There is So.Much.More to see than just Reykjavik, friends, and I’m going to show you why in my family adventure guide to Iceland!
Getting There
We booked the easy 5.5 hour overnight flight from MSP—>Reykjavik for 10 days at the end of June. We thought this would be our best shot at getting great weather. Great weather is all relative here. Iceland is a tsunami of crazy weather patterns! We wanted to visit when we’d experience almost 24-hour daylight (or at least some light most of the day) and during the summer school break so we didn’t have to take them out of school again. Flights were very inexpensive-around $550/person and even slightly less for the kids.
Tip: Purchasing the flights is where the economical portion of visiting Iceland ends. Everything is expensive once you get there.
Once we touched down in Reykjavik the next morning and claimed our luggage and rental car, we were off like a herd of turtles!
No, seriously. We had to rent a car big enough for all of us + luggage and without renting a large 4 X 4 this is what we got…
She did the job. Got us from here to there with only 1 flat tire in the middle of nowhere. What this little white car lacked in height off the ground (read: ground clearance of a pocket gopher), she made up for in great gas mileage and comfort.
Our first stop was driving to the house we rented through HomeAway.com, near Borgarnes, about 1 hour north of Reykjavik. We picked this region as a launch pad for the first half of our trip because we wanted to check out the area’s abundant waterfalls, geysirs, streams and the famed Snaefellsnes Peninsula (which Icelanders call ‘Iceland in Miniature’). From the Borgarnes area, one can easily reach many of the area’s sites within just an hour of driving.
Family Adventure Guide to Iceland Tip #1:
Snaefellsnes Peninsula & the Snaefellsjokull National Park
The Snaefellsnes peninsula is often referred to as ‘Iceland in Miniature.’ This very small peninsula offers a taste of everything the whole island has to offer: volcanoes, hiking, climbing, fishing, bird-watching, seal watching, beaches, basalt cliffs, and a rich historical background.
We opted to drive the peninsula in one day. We drove clockwise from Borgarnes: out to the tip of the peninsula in Hellissandur, and back around to the top near Stykkisholmur, and then back down to Borgarnes. One could spend a lifetime exploring this area, but we decided to hit the main stops that we researched ahead of time while allowing a little time for spontaneous stops along the way for whatever looked really interesting. Which, let me be clear, everything is amazing to stop and look at in Iceland! You just have to make choices as time permits.
Gerduberg Basalt Columns
Gerduberg can easily be reached off of Highway 54, shortly after entering the Snaefellsnes Peninsula outer road. As you approach the area from the main road, the basalt columns may not appear that impressive. Do not let this fool you! I promise it’s worth the stop.
The cliff is about 500 meters long and consists of hundreds of basalt columns standing side by side in a long row. The columns themselves are about 12-14 meters high and as you approach them from the walking path below, you can see the grandeur of these natural geological structures.
Do not be in a hurry to take the path to the top of the cliff. There really is nothing at the top except to say that you got there! The greatest view is from the bottom of the columns looking up.
Ytri Tunga Beach & Seal Colony
This beach is spectacular! It’s a wonderful area for photo opportunities as well as spotting seals!
What makes this area so unique is that the sand is a golden yellow hue instead of the traditional black volcanic sand found almost everywhere else on the island. And, if you’re lucky enough to visit in June or July, you’ll probably spot seals sunbathing out on the rocks! This presents a fun photo opportunity.
My kids absolutely loved being able to get out of the car and run around on the yellow sand beach along with climbing on the giant black volcanic rocks heading out to sea. The tide was out while we visited, so much of the volcanic rocks weren’t covered in water. And, with rain/mud boots, it made it all the more fun to run around!
Rauðfeldsgjá Ravine
Just before the town of Arnistapi, you’ll reach Rauðfeldsgjá. It is a deep, high & very narrow ravine, that from the road, looks like a small slit on the side of the cliffs. It is located just to the south of the Snæfellsjökull glacier.
There is a parking lot right off the road where I encourage you to park in. Then, you’ll take the 5-10 minute walk up to the ravine. The hike and view is spectacular!
If it interests you, once you reach the entrance of the crack, follow the water if possible. During the summer season water will be flowing and you should be able to enter this area. This will lead you to a rope where you can pull yourself up a small waterfall to go further into the ravine. After that, there will be a very narrow path with cliffs all around you and a view high up to the open air.
Londrangar Overlook & Malarrif
By the town of Malarrif, you can find the Lóndrangar sea stacks. These stacks are the remains of a crater that has been eroded to its present form by the sea.
There are two sea stacks: the taller one measures 75 meters in height, and the lower stack rises to 61 meters. Icelandic sea birds settle on these cliffs to make their nests during the summer. Legend has it that the cliffs belong to the elves living in the area. Seen from a long distance, it looks like an enormous castle has emerged from the sea.
Saxhóll Volcanic Crater
This is a great little hike for people of all ages, especially for families with young children!
The crater is approximately 100 ft. high with a path of steps leading to the top around the outside of the crater. This is a great alternative to visiting Eldborg crater on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula which requires a two and a half hour hike to visit.
Saxhóll is actually comprised of two craters, although most guests will only summit the first due to its close proximity to the road, Útnesvegur (Nr. 574). Once you reach the top of the crater, you’ll be blessed with incredible views over the Atlantic Ocean and an expansive view of the dried lava fields of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula.
Kirkjufell Mountain & Kirkjufellsfoss
As you approach this beautiful 1519 ft. high mountain on the north coast of Iceland’s Snaefellsness peninsula, near the town of Grundarfjörður, one can easily see why it’s the most photographed mountain in Iceland. Kirkjufell was one of the filming locations for Game of Thrones season 6 and 7. It is featured as the “arrowhead mountain.” I’m not a Game of Thrones fan, but I thought that was a pretty cool side note! It’s conical structure and waterfall, Kirkjufellsfoss below, make for a beautiful backdrop. It’s an easy place to set up a camera and take a photo!
If you’re interested in hiking, you can climb Kirkjufell Mountain. Depending on your speed, it can take anywhere between 2-3 hours to climb to the top. The same goes for coming back down. Keep in mind, it’s not for the faint of heart (or anyone with vertigo). I’ve heard the path is narrow and treacherous in areas, so it’s best to use caution if attempting this hike.
Bjarnarhöfn Shark Museum
The Bjarnarhöfn Shark Museum is a great spot to visit, especially with children who may be interested in fishing or nature! The museum explains a rich history of shark fishing & processing and if you’re brave, your visit includes shark tasting! After the museum, be sure to visit the drying house where the sharks hang to dry.
Family Adventure Guide to Iceland Tip #2:
Waterfalls & Hotsprings from Borgarnes
Just a short drive Northeast of Borgarnes are two of the most beautiful water falls in the world! They are connected together and are just a short drive from the Deildartunguhver, Europe’s highest flowing & most powerful hot spring. All three of these attractions make for an exciting afternoon in nature!
Deildartunguhver
If you’re traveling around Western Iceland near the Borgarnes area, Deildartunguhver should be on your radar! Located on a little farm, Deildartunguhver is the fastest flowing & most powerful hot spring in all of Europe, emerging from the ground at 50 gallons of water/second with a blazing temperature of 200 F! Its heat provides energy for many neighboring towns nearby! The kids will love watching the gushing hot water emerge from the ground at a very fast rate! Also, there’s a hot spring hot pool up on the hill near the restaurant, and if you’d like to take a dip in the natural hot spring water, this is your perfect opportunity!
Barnafoss & Hraunfossar Waterfalls
These two beautiful waterfalls are somewhat of a hidden gem. They are not difficult to get to, but most people visiting Iceland for a short period of time choose to visit the capital and The Golden Circle. They leave some of the most treasured sites unseen. These two waterfalls in Western Iceland are about a 1.5 hour drive from Reykjavik. This drive time makes them a destination all on their own & certainly a sight to behold!
Barnafoss
Barnafoss, translates to “Children’s Waterfall.” The name comes from a rather tragic legend of two children wandering off on Christmas Eve from a farm nearby. The children fell into the waterfalls never to be seen again. This waterfall is the very powerful, rapidly moving section of water to the side of Hraunfossar. It is sometimes viewed as a dazzling turquoise blue or a milky white, depending on the sunshine or clouds above. Either way, the waterfall makes for a great photo opportunity and can be viewed from several different platforms around.
Hraunfossar
Hraunfossar, which translates to the “lava falls,” is a collection of several little rivers and smaller cascading waterfalls that flow over the giant lava rocks formed here eons ago. It is spread out over a section of almost 3,000 feet! It’s long, expansive footwork can be viewed from several different viewing platforms and a bridge in between both waterfalls!
Glymur Falls
Until recently (in 2007, Morsarfoss was discovered), Glymur Falls was considered to be the highest waterfall in Iceland with a drop of 650 feet! This waterfall isn’t visible from the road. You need to follow the signs for where to park and the hike up to the viewing of the waterfall is strenuous. I would even say it’s a little dangerous at the end with young children. You’ll need to decide if crossing the river to view the falls is worth the risk. With that being said, the hike up to the river was beautiful and allowed us time to stretch our legs before our lengthy car ride traversing Thingvellir National Park.
We didn’t make it all the way to view the Glymur Falls as it included crossing a very powerful and fast-flowing river over a wet, slippery log only holding onto a wire. But, we did climb the hills surrounding it, descended through a really cool cave and got some pretty awesome views along the way!
Family Adventure Guide to Iceland Tip #3:
The Golden Circle
Thingvellir + Geysir + Gullfoss
If you’re coming to Iceland with just a few days to see the major sites, the Golden Circle is the most visited area because of its close proximity to Reykjavik. This area has many attractions to offer. And, even if you have 10 days as we did, I wouldn’t suggest skipping it! This area is beautiful & boasts some of Iceland’s finest nature sites.
Thingvellir National Park
Many roads lead in and out of Thingvellir Park. This is the largest National park in Iceland. It includes many beautiful hiking trails, camping, horseback riding, fishing, diving & the Thingvellir Church. You can easily explore this area in a day or as long as a few weeks.
Geysir & Strokkur
Geysir & Strokkur are the famed geysir spouts in The Golden Circle which claim the view of many thousands of tourists each year. Great Geysir, which started erupting in 1294 and used to reach a height of 200 ft, only erupts a couple of times per day now to varying heights.
If you don’t happen to catch Geysir erupting during your visit since it’s timing is so sporadic, the smaller & more reliable geysir, Strokkur, will catch your eye erupting about every 5 minutes to the height of about 66 feet. The entire geysir area is geothermically active. It includes walking trails marked among the steaming vents. There are even markations including steam temperatures, which is really cool! And, of course, there are glistening multi-colored mud formations which are absolutely stunning!
Gullfoss
Just six short miles past Geysir is perhaps the biggest attraction of The Golden Circle. It is probably Iceland’s most famous natural wonder–Gullfoss Waterfall.
Gullfoss, translated to “Golden Falls,” is located in the Hvita river canyon, where the River Hvita tumbles 105 feet into a 1.5 mile ravine. The walkway climbs past the waterfall’s north face. This allows you to get within an arm’s length of its powerful, amazing flow.
Tip: Wear waterproof everything. All the waterproof you can find-put.it.on. You will get wet if you take the walkway up to the north part of the waterfall! This walkway is well worth the trek!
Family Adventure Guide to Iceland Tip #4:
Drive Southeast: Skogafoss, Vik, Vatnajokull & Jokulsarlon Lagoon
If you have just one day during your time in Iceland where you feel like taking a road trip-OR-you are traveling with a rather adventurous crowd that does well in the car (or in our case, we brought our nanny with so we could enjoy just 1 day completely to ourselves, because let’s just be honest, ‘family trips’ are different than ‘vacations’)…then taking a drive Southeast, along the ring road from Thingvellir to the Vatnajokull Icecap & the Jokulsarlon Glacial Lagoon is a PERFECT way to spend that day!
Skogafoss
Skogafoss waterfall is one of the most spectacular waterfalls in all of Iceland! Its close proximity to the road makes it an easy & fairly quick stop-off while traveling the ring road. With an enormous height of over 200 ft tall and over 80 feet wide, its expansive size makes for not only an exquisite sight but also a very powerful sound!
If you’re up for it, there are steps alongside the waterfall that lead to a viewing platform above. If you choose to climb, you’ll get a bird’s eye view of the very vast waterfall.
Vik
This small town of around 300 inhabitants is set along a dramatic stretch of black sand coastline in Southern Iceland. It’s a great little town to stop off and grab the essentials or an incredible meal! There are several great restaurants in this area, including Sudur Vik. This is where we ate one of the most enjoyable meals on our trip.
Once you’ve stopped in town, don’t pass up the opportunity to see the Reynisdrangur. This is the towering fingers of black rock standing out to sea and inhabited by colonies of arctic terns.
Vatnajokull Icecap & Jokulsarlon Glacial Lagoon
If I had to name my favorite attraction in Iceland, it would be the Jokulsarlon Lagoon! Although every place we visited was spectacular, the Jokulsarlon Lagoon tour was my favorite!
The Vatnajokull Icecap (3,300 ft thick in some parts) is Europe’s largest icecap. The enormous glaciers creep down through every crack in the area’s coastal mountains. Driving along the southern tongue of the icecap can take several hours, but the drive offers one of the most memorable parts of a vacation to Iceland!
During our visit, we pre-booked a lagoon tour to visit the Jokulsarlon lagoon. There are a few different boat tour options. These tour guides operate several times per day in the summer. The boat tours weave among the glistening ice formations and stop to view the seals and birds which perch on the giant ice cubes floating in the water. If you’re lucky, you may even get close enough to witness a calving of the glacier into the lagoon!
Diamond Beach
After a boat tour in the Jokulsarlon Lagoon, head across the ring road to the sea where the black sand meets the giant floating icebergs! The contrasting colors of black and blue make for the most exquisite photography! One can easily see why it’s named Diamond Beach!
Reykjavik + The Blue Lagoon
Reykjavik City
The world’s northernmost capital city is a bright & beautiful city rich in cultural attractions. There are many options for parks and wildlife areas very close to its city center.
We only had one full day to tour Reykjavik and the weather was not on our side. It was cold, wet & windy! But, as my dad always says, ‘There is no bad weather, just bad clothing!’ He’s right!
Monuments & Important Attractions
We walked to Iceland’s Government House. It is a beautiful little white building overlooking the Laekjartorg Square. The building was constructed in the mid-1700’s, making it one of Reykjavik’s oldest buildings. It houses the offices of the Prime Minister and also acted as a prison workhouse back in the day.
We also visited the Hallgrimskirkja Church, which is a modernly designed concrete structure. It was built in the nationalistic style to resemble the volcanic basalt columns commonly found in Iceland. If you choose to take the elevator or climb to the top on a clear day, you will be rewarded with the best views of Reykjavik.
Lastly, don’t forget a stop by the Solfar Sun Craft Sculpture, commonly named The Sun Voyager, for a beautiful view of the mountains and quick family photo op! This sculpture was created as a ‘dreamboat’ or ode to the sun. It represents the promise of undiscovered territory and a dream of hope and progress. The sculpture area has a few surrounding benches. This is a great place for kids to run and jump and get the wiggles out!
The Blue Lagoon
No trip to Iceland is complete without the obligatory visit to The Blue Lagoon!
I say ‘obligatory’ in the sense that many people only associate Iceland with The Blue Lagoon. Often times if you’re visiting during a long stop-over, this is the only attraction you have time to see.
However, our family tries to see a mix of good touristy stops and hidden gems while traveling. The Blue Lagoon totally lived up to its hype!
While The Blue Lagoon is expensive to visit, there is no limit to the amount of time you may spend inside the lagoon pool for the day. Young children are free, admission includes one complimentary drink and a spa-like mud mask while bathing/swimming in the pool!
Note: If you are visiting during the busy summer tourist season, the best time to pre-book (and I highly recommend to pre-book right on their website if you want to choose your exact time as they have hourly limits on the quantity of people they allow in the lagoon) is early in the morning or late at night.
Choose What’s Right For Your Group
While one could spend a lifetime exploring Iceland and all of its magnificent natural surroundings, we felt very blessed to have ten days to see as much as we could with our family. I highly recommend seeing Iceland–don’t let the idea of bringing kids daunt you–the above mentioned attractions were a highlight for our boys & can easily be accomplished in a 10-day time frame!
Travel Advisor Services
I offer a full service global travel agency in addition to my blog. I would be honored to help you curate the vacation of your dreams! For more information, please contact:
218-259-7090 or tarahallie@hotmail.com
If you enjoyed reading our Iceland adventure guide, please check out my other adventure travel blog posts–they will be sure to ignite the adventure fire within you! Also, stay connected with all of our travels & recipes by subscribing to our weekly newsletter. We’d love to have you follow along!
Cheers to you & I hope you and your family enjoy Iceland as much as we did!
Until next time…Eat Well. Travel Often. Love Much.
XOXO
