A Helpful Age-based Guide to When to do Iceland with Kids

Iceland is just superb. Rugged landscapes. Natural magnificence. Unlimited outside adventures. Sharing this land of ice and hearth with kids is like exposing them to a fantasy land of fairies, Vikings, and mythology. Truly a bucket list-worthy household journey vacation spot. But the query I’m typically requested is, what’s the proper age to go to Iceland with children? The reply is…it relies upon.

It is determined by what actions you need to do, how a lot you need to see, how adventurous you might be, how a lot vitality your children have, and while you need to go. The beauty of visiting Iceland with children is that so many points of interest supply free or discounted admission for youngsters under sure ages.

The onerous half is, sure excursions and journey actions have minimal age limits. So whereas technically you may go and benefit from the panorama and waterfalls as a household at any age, if that is your once-in-a-lifetime household journey, chances are you’ll need to wait till everybody can take part within the kinds of actions you want to do.

To aid you resolve when the very best time to go to Iceland is for your loved ones, I put collectively this information of issues to do in Iceland at numerous ages. Now, relying on what actions are in your “must-do” record, you may resolve when the very best time for your loved ones can be to go to Iceland. 

Is Iceland Kid-Friendly?

For many, Iceland is a really kid-friendly nation. There is loads of lovely outside landscapes to discover at no cost and enjoyable wildlife to look at on an Iceland highway journey. It is a particularly secure nation with a low crime price, good roads, excessive literacy and training charges, and English is broadly spoken all through the nation.

Yet others will discover Iceland difficult to go to with children for the next causes:

• It is dear
• The meals is restricted and onerous to please choosy eaters
• Most lodge rooms aren’t designed for households
• You want to spend so much of time within the automobile, which isn’t all the time straightforward for youngsters
• There should not a number of security rails or different protections across the pure points of interest in Iceland

So similar to deciding the appropriate age to go to Iceland with children, whether or not or not Iceland is true for your loved ones may be very a lot primarily based on private preferences.

What to do in Iceland with Kids By Age

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If you might be visiting Iceland with children, here’s a information to what actions are greatest suited relying on age. Also, have in mind, not all actions can be found year-round, so do your analysis. Icelandic roads might be difficult to drive within the winter so in case you aren’t comfy driving in snow, doing a self-driving journey with younger kids turns into much more difficult.

Babies, Toddlers, and Preschoolers

If you might be visiting Iceland with a child or toddler, you’ll want to strap them right into a sturdy child service or child backpack and exit and discover lots of the lovely waterfalls, black sand seashores, and rock formations.

Once your children begin to attain the preschool years, they’ll turn out to be a bit extra fascinated by Vikings, fairies, and wildlife. Some age-appropriate actions embody:

• Visit the Viking World Museum close to the airport the place children can climb on board a duplicate Viking ship and ensure to cease on the petting zoo and Viking playground outdoors (kids underneath 14 are free)
• Visit a few of Reykjavik’s public swimming pools corresponding to Laugardalur or the geothermal seashore at Nauthólsvík
• Have enjoyable climbing on and working across the Sun Voyager sculpture in downtown Reykjavik
• Explore Reykjavik for a day, together with a whale-watching or puffin tour in the harbor with Special Tours the place children underneath the age of six are free
• Rent a automobile and take a drive out to Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss, strap on a child service, cowl up in waterproof gear and take a look at the waterfalls. Stop on the black sand seashore of Vík and see the basalt columns and caves at close by Reynisfjara
• Drive by way of the Golden Circle with stops at Geysir and the Gullfoss waterfall
• Take a day journey to drive across the Snaefellsness peninsula and see the Bardur large man rock sculpture in Arnastapi and take a stroll alongside the Arnarstapi cliffs (simply not close to the sting)
• Toddlers over two are additionally permitted on the Blue Lagoon, they are going to simply must put on arm floats when within the water (plus they’re free!)
• Visit locations on an Iceland highway journey to seek for puffins
• Just driving by way of the panorama might be enjoyable in case your children are good within the automobile. You can pull off the aspect of the highway and get a better take a look at the Icelandic horses and sheep
• Visit the Icelandic Lava Show in Vik (underneath 2 are free and should sit on an grownup lap, ages 2-12 have discounted admission)
• Take an amphibian boat tour of the Jökulsárlón iceberg lagoon (kids underneath 6 are free, and 6-12 are extremely discounted)
• In the West, cease at Erpsstadir, a dairy farm providing selfmade ice cream, Skyr, cheeses, and different merchandise. This family-run enterprise is a superb pit cease alongside your drive, providing entry to a playground and cattle (for a charge), loos, and scrumptious dairy merchandise. If you are taking a farm tour you can too see child cows, simply double test on their open hours and in case you are visiting outdoors of the summer time, make sure you name forward to make an appointment
• Visit the Arctic Fox Centre in Sudavík, which is a rescue and academic heart for rehabilitating wild arctic foxes

Elementary School Age Children

Elementary school-age kids are typically sponges that absorb new experiences and like to find out about new locations. This age generally is a implausible time to take children to Iceland, because it opens the door for a lot of new actions too. Families with school-age kids can take part in all the above actions plus the next:

• In Reykjavik, go to the displays on the Perlan together with an ice cave, lava present, and northern lights present
• Go for a 1.5-hour horseback driving tour with Eldhestar (ages 7 and up, kids 7-14 are discounted)
• Visit the Lava tunnel (minimal age 3, underneath 12 is free)
• Take a household tremendous jeep tour out onto the glacier (kids underneath 12 are discounted)
• Go Into the Glacier to see a artifical ice tunnel
• In the West, go to a recreation of a Viking longhouse and find out about Iceland’s Viking roots at Eiriksstadir. This homestead of Erik the Red and Leif the Lucky presents excursions by guides in conventional Viking clothes

Energetic Tweens

The tween years are a superb time to go to Iceland. You get to reap the benefits of many enjoyable actions that make Iceland particular, whereas nonetheless making the most of discounted charges. Tweens will get pleasure from lots of the above, plus the next:

• Go on a three-hour glacier hike (should be 10 or older, ages 10-11 are discounted)
• Take an ATV tour (passengers should be eight or older and journey with an grownup)
• Go snowmobiling on a glacier (passengers should be eight or older to journey with an grownup)
• Take an extended three-hour canine sledding tour (should be 8 or older, ages 8-11 are discounted)
• Go on a zodiac boat tour on the glacier lagoon (should be 10 or older, ages 10-12 are half-price)
• Take a white water river jet boat down the Hvita river under Gullfoss waterfall within the Golden Circle (should be 8 years or older)
• Explore ice caves (winter solely, should be 7 or older, 7-15 are discounted)

Adventurous Teens

Energetic and adventurous teenagers can do virtually something that adults can do in Iceland. The solely restrictions are round working motor automobiles corresponding to ATVs, buggies, or snow mobiles. In addition to the above, teenagers will get pleasure from the next:

• Go mountaineering with Icelandic Mountain Guides (should be 14 years or older)
• Hike up a volcano (should be 16 years or older)
• Go mountaineering (should be 16 years or older)
• Take a full-day journey or multi-day horseback driving tour (should be 10 years or older)

This is only a pattern of a few of the issues that you are able to do on a visit to Iceland with children. If a few of these family-friendly actions are in your “must-do” record, I’d counsel ready till your children are sufficiently old to participate.

We went when our daughter was 11 and located it to be an almost good age. She was sufficiently old, energetic sufficient, and adventurous sufficient to do a variety of actions, but nonetheless younger sufficient to qualify for youngsters’s reductions.

Tips for Visiting Iceland with Kids

As a lot as I really like Iceland, it does have its challenges too. Some different issues to remember embody:

• In Iceland becoming a household of 4 or extra into one lodge room might be difficult. Most rooms have both a double mattress or two twin beds. A couple of accommodations have household rooms however they’re restricted. Be certain to test my information on the place to remain for households. Sometimes the most suitable choice might be to lease an residence or cabin.

• If you might be doing an Iceland highway journey, you will want to modify accommodations 5 to seven occasions in the midst of per week to 10 days. That generally is a lot for youths to deal with and a number of packing and unpacking.
• Doing an extended day journey or highway journey additionally means a number of time within the automobile, which is one thing to think about in case your children have hassle sitting for too lengthy or retaining themselves entertained. We assume there may be a lot to have a look at however from the automobile seat within the again, the view might not be as spectacular.
• Iceland is dear. It is nice in case you can go when the youngsters are younger sufficient to reap the benefits of a few of the reductions and presumably squeeze right into a household room. But you’ll nonetheless be spending lots on meals, fuel, automobile rental insurance coverage, and actions. Make certain to plan your Iceland finances fastidiously.
• Dealing with choosy eaters might be difficult. Even a easy dish of buttered noodles can price over $20. You can discover loads of locations with sizzling canine (however they’re lamb-based), hamburgers, and pizza however the principle staples are fish and lamb. Chicken (and particularly one thing resembling rooster nuggets) is tougher to search out. See my information on the place to eat in Reykjavik.
• If you might be visiting within the winter and need to see the Northern Lights, remember that it’ll get darkish by 3-4 pm and the solar received’t rise till round 10 am. That shouldn’t be a number of time to squeeze in sightseeing within the chilly and a number of time to kill with younger children that need to fall asleep earlier than the Northern Lights come out to play. This would be the sort of journey you need to save for when the youngsters are older.

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