Best Places to See, Stay and Visit in Iceland with a Toddler.
Iceland has been high on River’s list for a long time, long before Mila came into our lives actually and we didn’t want to hold off any longer so decided to plan the trip now, as a family. We opted to visit in Spring to avoid the intense cold winters which we felt could be too harsh a climate for a 14 month old but other than that only adapted our trip slightly and here’s how it went.
We partnered with Hertz rental cars Iceland and spent two weeks tailor making a trip to show how families can see the well-known sights, lesser-known locations and stay in amazing child-friendly yet adult-inviting accommodation along the way.
We loosely planned our route prior to visiting. We had key places we wanted to see and show Mila and found accommodation nearby to that that worked for us as a family. We had been advised that Iceland can be very expensive so we planned to stay in mainly self-catering accommodation to keep control of our costs. It also worked out better as we could make lunch, have plenty of snacks to hand during our days out and in the evenings we could prepare her dinner and ours at times that worked for us.
The Places We Saw And The Places We Stayed Vs How They Rated On The Kid-Friendly Chart (✔️ or ❌ )
Gulfoss - Main Attraction ✔️ Free to enter ✔️ Variety of viewing platforms and areas to walk around, view the waterfall and play nearby ✔️
The 5 million Star Hotel aka Bubble hotel - Kids find it exciting ✔️ Bucket list stay ✔️ Heaps of space to play in the forest and in nature ✔️ Shower and Toilets provided ✔️
No cots or z beds provided for smaller children ❌ No cooking facilities / fridges / onsite eateries ❌
Seljalandsfoss Horizons - 2 Bedrooms over 2 floors - sleeps 4 ✔️ Fully stocked kitchen ✔️ Incredible location ✔️ Expansive and safe field to play in ✔️ Views of waterfalls from the lodge windows ✔️ Walking distance to Seljalandsfoss waterfall ✔️
Seljalandsfoss Waterfall - Main Attraction ✔️ Lots of paths leading up close and around the waterfall if you don’t mind getting wet ✔️ Caution: the walk around the waterfall is quite slippery, narrow in parts and rocky so be careful with small children ❌ Close to two other waterfalls inc. Gljufrabui Waterfall ✔️
Jökulsarlon Glacier - Incredible place to witness - Glacier and gigantic floating icebergs ✔️ Seals swimming in the water ✔️ Option to kayak around the icebergs and Glacier ✔️
Diamond Beach - Very interactive and multi-sensory for kids ✔️ Unique black sand beach with boulders of ice ✔️ Great for a family walk and interactive play ✔️
Skógafoss Waterfall - Can get close to the base of the waterfall ✔️ Skim stones along the river ✔️ Easy / Intermediate climb to the the top of the waterfall and beyond if you wish. There is a purpose build staircase to the top ✔️
Gluggafoss - Can walk behind and to the foot of the falls ✔️ Picnic benches near by ✔️ Option to climb to the top but more of an intermediate / advance hike ✔️ Lesser well known and much quieter ✔️
Hotel Ranga - Great for kids ✔️ Lots of activities in and around the grounds ✔️ Lots to see and do nearby and the staff are extremely helpful ✔️ Colouring books at breakfast / dinner which is always a plus ✔️ 3 outdoor hot tubs ✔️ River flowing through their backyard ✔️ Sky Observatory open in the winter months to see and learn about the incredible northern lights ✔️
Keriø Crater - Short drive from Ranga ✔️ Easy to walk around ✔️ Great if you just want a small walk but filled with history and beauty ✔️
Afternoon Cottages - Located out in much rural Iceland with views of Hekla Volcano ✔️ Huge grounds / safe spce for kids to play ✔️ small waterfalls within 10 minute walk ✔️ Fantastic place to see the northern lights ✔️ Great self catering amenities ✔️
Doesn’t provide cots or Z bed ❌
The Commonwealth Farm - Interesting place to visit and learn about the history ✔️ Much more interactive during the summer months when it is opened and displayed as a museum ✔️ Very scenic drive to the location ✔️
Hrunalung - Natural hot spring that is very hot and a firm favourite amongst locals ✔️ Very unique and fun ✔️ 3 pools and river all heated ✔️ Changing hut ✔️ Grab a picnic and some drinks and make a long afternoon of it ✔️
Exeter Hotel - Young, trendy, popular hotel in the heart of Reykjavik ✔️ Colouring books provided ✔️ Outdoor terraces ✔️ Very affordable, tasty and busy Bagel bar downstairs ✔️ Saunas and Gym for adults-only.
Laugarvatn Fontana Geothermal Baths - One of the only commercial hot springs that allow kids under 12 ✔️ Geothermal bakery and baths ✔️ Learn about the tradition of baking bread underground and have a tasting session before hitting the baths ✔️ Natural and man made pools with access to an Laugarvatn freezing lake to cool off in. Plus saunas and steam rooms. ✔️
Snæfellness Peninsula - A very scenic drive but quite long so best not to attempt in one day if you have children. Only 2.5 hours drive from Reykjavik (the furthest we went) is a well known place to spot seals and visit the iconic small black church with the option to walk down to the beach - great few hours and very interactive for kids ✔️
Konsulat Hotel Curio Collection by Hilton - Great location in the heart of Reykjavik ✔️ Pool / hot baths in the basement ✔️
Reykjavík - Parks ✔️ Playgrounds ✔️ Cafes ✔️ Colourful streets ✔️ Iconic Hallgrimskirkja Church ✔️ Ice cream parlours ✔️ and heaps more! A must on your Iceland adventure.
I hope you find this article useful when planning your trip around Iceland. Reykjavik was the last stop on our trip. We returned our car rental to Keflavik airport and headed home.