Reykjavik, Iceland Family Trip (with a Toddler)
This past April I turned 30. To celebrate I wanted to check off one of my top places to visit off of my bucket list. Reykjavik, Iceland. A family trip with a toddler.
Reykjavik, Iceland Family Trip (with a Toddler)
To say this was an amazing and magical trip is truly an understatement. Reykjavik has been one of the most unique and beautiful places I have visited my entire life. Everywhere you go there are breathtaking views, the locals are so nice, and the air is simply so fresh to take in. There are so many landmarks and natural sights to see. What made this trip that much more special is that I got to share it with my little family.
Going on this trip to celebrate reaching the big 30 meant my daughter would be coming along. I knew that brining a child to Iceland would have it’s challenges but I was willing to take them on. I can’t imagine traveling anywhere without my Emma. It just wouldn’t be the same without her. I also love making these amazing memories along with her.
It turns out visiting Reykjavik with a toddler is not as hard as I thought it would be. Everywhere you go is pretty much kid friendly and they make accommodations to make sure you and your little ones are comfortable and enjoy yourselves. Here are some of the top things I would consider and recommend looking into if you’re planning on traveling to Reykjavik with a toddler.
Budgeting for Iceland:
First thing to do if you’re traveling to Iceland with your family is to budget. You pretty much need to do this any time you travel. Even if you are fortunate enough to have unlimited funds for your trip; it is always good to have an idea how much you will be spending to make sure you bring enough cash or have enough available in your bank account if you’re using a card. Although everywhere in Reykjavik they accept cards so you don’t really need to exchange your currency. Iceland is a very expensive country to visit so planning ahead your finances is important.
When I booked our trip I booked our flight, hotel, airport pick-up and tours all at the same time and through the same booking site. I saved a good amount on everything, especially the tours. I booked two tours and a day at the Blue Lagoon. Two of these trips didn’t charge for children two and under.
Where to Stay:
Reykjavik has many hotels all around. Of course, the closer you are to downtown the more expensive it is. Also, make a note that their hotels are more like small apartments for the most part. I found this to be extremely convenient since they are equipped with small kitchenettes. It comes really handy when traveling with a toddler.
We stayed in Kópavogur which is a city right in the south of Reykjavik. The guesthouse we booked had small luxury apartments that were perfect for our family of three. We had a king size bed, small sofa bed and they provided us with a crib for Emma. Well it was more of a play pen so she ended up sleeping with us the whole time. I still appreciated that they had the option to provide a crib for her.
The bathroom was very spacious as well and the kitchenette was perfect. It had a sink, microwave, plates, cups, glasses, silverware, Keurig, small fridge and more. This allowed me to plan ahead the food I brought with us and think ahead of meals to make to not have to eat out as much.
The guesthouse was walking distance from restaurants, grocery and corner stores, a museum, and bus stations. It is located at a 15 minute drive from downtown Reykjavik. It was a great price and convenient for us. We also had our own space and gave us a lot of privacy. This was great since we were staying there with a toddler who can get very loud!
Packing the Essentials:
Like I mention, Iceland is very expensive. Especially food! Food in Iceland is extremely expensive. I did my research ahead of time so I stocked up on snacks and some essentials before we left. I bought some nuts, dried fruits, rolled oats, chia seeds, tuna cans, energy bars, rice thin crackers, peanut butter, etc. We went shopping the first day we got there at a local grocery store (Bonus, they’re everywhere). I purchased some almond milk, fruits, vegetables, bread, and water. I then was able to fix up breakfasts (overnight oats for the most part) and some lunches for us. We also had plenty of snacks to take on our tours.
This was a great way to maintain our food spending down and more importantly on the healthy side. We went out for dinner every night and enjoyed a lot of their delicious foods. My favorite restaurant by far was Old Iceland right in the heart of downtown Reykjavik. The food was amazing, flavorful and fresh! Stopping there is a must! (Ps. You have to let them know ahead you will be leaving a tip if paying with a card).
I also made sure I had enough of Emma’s essentials. I bought extra diapers, wipes, diaper cream, etc. Our toiletries were also bought here in America and I made sure I brought more than enough with me. Emma loves chocolate milk so I took plenty of coconut chocolate milk with us. Anything you use on a daily basis try brining with you.
Transportation in Iceland:
To get around in Iceland you can either rent a car, take the bus, or take taxis. Please avoid taking a taxi at all cost! We took a taxi once and we paid almost $40 for a less than three mile ride. Yes I wasn’t kidding when I said Iceland is an expensive country!
We didn’t rent a car because we didn’t want the hassle of having to park and not really knowing where we were going. I’m not sure how much a car rental is there but they do have car seats available to rent as well. Renting a car can be very convenient but consider that you will have to pay for gas. Which when we were there came out to $7-$8 per gallon!
We chose to go with riding the bus. When I booked our hotel I saw they had a bus station at a walking distance. We also wanted to explore so we didn’t mind walking a lot. Kids 6< ride for free and 20 tickets for adults are about $9. You can buy a one day pass for about $17 or three day pass for $40. I wish I would’ve known about the passes when we got there. I would’ve definitely gone with this option.
If you’re going with the bus option buy enough tickets ahead. You can get them online, their app, library or corner stores. The buses themselves or bus stops don’t sell them. You can only pay cash when you board the bus if you don’t have a ticket. The good thing is they have plenty of open space for strollers on the bus.
Tours in Iceland:
I booked a total of two tours to go on plus a day at the Blue Lagoon. This was the part that intimidated me the most about visiting with a toddler. I wasn’t sure how it was going to workout with Emma and how she would act. She actually did pretty good and enjoyed herself very much. The tours we went on in addition to the Blue Lagoon were the Northern Lights Tour, and the Geysir Tour.
The Northern Lights:
The Northern Lights tour was the first tour we took and was the one I was the most concerned about. We were picked up from the bus station (BSI) at 10 PM. This is way passed her bed time but technically it was only 6 PM back home so she was still pretty much on our time. I made sure I bundled her with lot’s of layers and a snow suit since we were going to be outside for a while. She got a little tired towards the end and asked to go back on the bus. Luckily, it was the very end and everyone started heading back on the bus too.
The bus drove us one hour away from the city where there were no street lights. On our way there the tour guide told us many history facts about Iceland and the Northern Lights. It was very interesting and it was one of the reasons why I prefer taking a tour ride than driving ourselves. They provided us with a car seat for Emma and installed it too.
We arrived at our destination at 11 pm and had to wait almost two hours for the lights to finally show up. It was only for a few seconds but it was so worth it! There is nothing else like it and no words to describe the beauty and feeling from seeing that amazing phenomenon. The lights are very unpredictable and they can’t guarantee that you will actually see them. The company we booked the tour with allows you to rebook another day if you are not able to see the lights the first time.
These tours run from I believe September-October through mid April. This is their winter season and is when the lights are able to be seen. The last tour day was April 15 so I booked our trip to be able to catch the end of their tours. My birthday is the 21st and I initially wanted to spend my birthday there but I ended up scheduling the trip a week before to be able to see the Aurora Lights. I can’t be any more happy with my decision!
Geysir and Gullfoss Waterfall:
The second tour was the very next day after the Northern Lights. We were picked up at the same bus station as we did for the first tour. This tour lasted six hours and we learned so much history and interesting facts about Iceland and their geographical structure. It was so much fun! They again provided us and installed a car seat for Emma.
Our first stop was at the geothermal hot springs where you can find the Geysir. The Geysir or Golden Circle erupts about every 10 minutes. It is a fantastic natural landmark to see and if you visit Iceland you have to make it here. The Geysir is just absolutely beautiful and stunning to see. It was a little tough to be here with Emma since the whole place is covered with hot springs that can’t be touched. She wanted to wander off and run around. Obviously that was dangerous and we had to keep a close eye on her. Luckily my husband took over and kept her distracted while I took pictures since this after all was a trip for my birthday! (lol).
We were here for about an hour and then headed to the Gulfoss Waterfall. This was another gorgeous place to see. It was extremely windy and pretty cold there. Emma did great but she was a little cold.
They have two sections where you can see the waterfall from. They have a top section and then a lower one. To get to the lower part you have to go down a huge set of stairs. Since we had the stroller we used the jogging string it comes with to tie it to a pole and headed down low. It was so beautiful to see from both sections and to make things more amazing a rainbow came out while we were there. Pure magic!
Our last stop on this tour was at Thingvellir National Park. By the time we got here Emma was a little fuzzy. She had fallen asleep on the bus and woke up in a bad mood. She was very tired by then and was not having walking around another park. We still got to take in the fresh air and see a lot of the stunning views here. We headed back to the bus rather quickly but it was still fun.
Blue Lagoon:
The last activity I booked was the blue lagoon. This had to be Emma’s favorite! She loves anything that has to do with her being in the water. I was afraid the temperature would be too hot for her but she enjoyed it just fine.
It was so relaxing just to be in there. With your booking you get a complimentary drink of choice, and a face mask. We stayed there the whole day. Took a break from the water to have lunch. Then went back and stayed there for another couple of hours. They also gave Emma arm floaties which they have at your disposal for children.
Kid Friendly Places in Iceland:
There are many kid friendly places in Reykjavik where toddlers can have fun. Sadly we weren’t able to visit most of them since our stay was short and I had booked the other activities ahead of time. They have many museums all throughout the cities with a wide variety of exhibits. Right near us they had the Natural History Museum and Perlan Museum which has glaciers and an Ice cave tour.
Walking distance was also a library which is so great for toddlers. We had a playground too and most restaurants around us had a play area with toys, books, puzzles and more for kids to entertain themselves. I loved this idea and strongly feel like they should start that here too in America. There are also many pools which are heated and open to the public.
The place we did get to visit and Emma loved was the Reykjavik Zoo. It is a pretty small zoo but perfect for toddlers. They have cute farm animals you can pet and feed. They have a train ride and carousel too. Our favorite part was the horse ride they have available for kids to take. It was Emma’s first time riding a horse and her smile couldn’t fit in her face! She was so excited. They also have a playground next to the zoo.
So to recap:
- Iceland is an expensive place to visit so Budget!
- Pack essentials; toiletries, diapers, food, snacks, etc.
- Taxis and gas are expensive. The bus is easy to take, had open space for strollers, most locals ride it.
- Book tours ahead of time. They accommodate those with kids. Bring enough snacks for everyone!
- Many fun places for toddlers/kids; museums, pools, zoo.
Reykjavik is a beautiful place to visit. There is no doubt anyone who goes there has a wonderful time. There is plenty to do, sights to see, landmarks to visit. You will have a lot of fun and enjoy your trip with your whole family. Bringing a toddler is not as hard as it may seem. It is the same amount of work as it is anywhere else. Just stock up on snacks and toys for them. They will enjoy the trip just as much as you. And how awesome will it be for them to see pictures of themselves in this stunning and amazing country at such a young age?
What an incredible trip! I would never have thought of Iceland, but now it’s on my bucket list 😁👌🏽👌🏽
It was such a dream come true for me! Definitely a bucket list must have!
Seeing the northern lights seems like it would be pretty amazing! Looks like a good trip 😁
Omg it’s such an amazing experience! Nothing like it!
Oh my goodness, I LOVE that you brought all this food with you!!! Back before 9/11, before airlines nickel-and-diming you on food, my parents ALWAYS did this when we went on family vacations, so we wouldn’t have to eat out all the time!!! Even as recently as college, I can remember (as a by then pseudo-adult, coming from a different city than the rest of my family) us divvying up the grocery list ahead of time and each bringing some stuff in our checked luggage to save on grocery store and restaurant expenses when we got there! 🙂 Thanks for the little trip down memory lane, Angie! 🙂
er, nickel-and-diming you on checked baggage, that is!
Yes I love doing this. It’s good to save on food expenses while on vacation but even more important is being able to eat healthy and not rely on eating out everyday while on vacation.
What an amazing trip!! The Blue Lagoon looks like heaven!
It was amazing! So relaxing!
I know this post is a few years old but I stumbled upon it researching Iceland. We are heading there next week with my newly turned 3 year old. I just messaged all the tour groups regarding a car seat. Is it a problem to take public transport from the airport without a car seat? How did that work?
From our experience, all public transportation had car seats available for passengers to use.