All Iceland With Kids Posts

All Iceland With Kids Posts

• A memorable Þórsmörk Superjeep tour with Midgard Adventures (and their dog!)
  We like to use and recommend local tour companies for your Iceland trip. It seems more sustainable, with more of the money you spend staying in the [read more…]
• Iceland ProCruises: A comprehensive review of a wonderful small ship cruise around Iceland!
  Last update: January 18, 2024. Iceland ProCruises is currently running one of the best sales I’ve ever seen on a small ship Iceland cruise, [read more…]
• Cell Phones in Iceland: The definitive guide for your 2024 or 2025 trip
  For more help planning your Iceland vacation with kids, check out our travel guide book, Iceland With Kids, or our fully customized Iceland trip [read more…]
• Visiting Iceland from the United States in 2022: Covid testing and vaccination rules
  You live in the United States. You’re vaccinated (but your younger kids are probably not!) And you want to visit Iceland. Do you need a Covid [read more…]
• Iceland Erupts! What the new volcano means to tourists in Iceland.
  Update November 12, 2023: This post is now a mismash of several volcanic eruptions in Iceland over the last couple of years. None of the information [read more…]
• A Comprehensive Guide to Covid-19 rules and testing in Iceland
  Iceland COVID-19 and Tourism, UPDATED June 10, 2022 Can I visit Iceland? Will I have to take a COVID-19 test? Will I have to quarantine? Do I need to [read more…]
• Iceland June 2020 update: Re-opening to tourists!
  We’ve said this before, and we’ll say this again: Iceland has done an incredible job of handling the coronavirus. Here’s a graph of [read more…]
• Iceland and Coronavirus: Should you visit this summer?
  When we published our last Coronavirus (Covid-19) in Iceland post in mid-March, the situation was so bad that things were pretty clear. Travel bans [read more…]
• Coronavirus and Iceland: Should you still visit Iceland?
  UPDATE April 23, 2020: Iceland has announced a 14-day quarantine for ALL travelers, including tourists. The quarantine is in effect from April 24 [read more…]
• Iceland Update, March 2020: Coronavirus, frequent winter storms, new caves, restaurants and more!
  Hi everyone! Spring is getting here slowly, but you wouldn’t know it from the recent weather! Let’s dive in to what’s new in [read more…]
• Seeing puffins in Iceland
  This is a modified excerpt from the new edition of our book, Iceland With Kids. Here’s the new edition, published in 2020. Buy either the book [read more…]
• Iceland Update: December 2019. A one-stop safety map for Iceland?
  Quick offer: If you’re heading to Iceland soon, check out our Driving in Iceland course. You’ll be a better and more confident driver as [read more…]
• Iceland update: November 2019. WOW Air? WAB? Play Airline!
  Happy November everyone! We’re heading into winter in Iceland, which means colder weather, snowier roads, and the Northern Lights! Let’s [read more…]
• Puffin Express boat ride with Special Tours
  Puffin Express is the wonderfully descriptive name of a boat tour from Special Tours. You’ll see puffins, and you’ll get to see them [read more…]
• Krauma Thermal Baths in West Iceland
  Krauma Thermal Baths are in West Iceland, near the town of Reykholt. Note that there are 2 towns named Reykholt in Iceland: the other one is in the [read more…]
• GeoSea Thermal Baths in Húsavík, North Iceland
  GeoSea opened in September 2018, making it one of the newer premium thermal baths in Iceland. There do seem to be a couple of new thermal baths [read more…]
• Seal watching boat trip with the Icelandic Seal Center
  If you’re driving around Ring Road, when you’re up north you’ll pass very close to the town of Hvammstangi. There aren’t a [read more…]
• Seeing the Westman Islands with Eyja Tours
  Most everything you’ll find on this web site or in our book are things we have seen or done during one of our Iceland trips. Eyja Tours on the [read more…]
• Ingólfshöfði Puffin Tour on Iceland’s South Coast
  There’s an inherent conflict in seeing puffins, in Iceland or anywhere else. On the one hand, tourists want to get as close as possible to [read more…]
• Visiting the wonderful Sólvangur Icelandic Horse Center
  Sólvangur Icelandic Horse Center is about as authentic an experience as you can get while seeing Icelandic horses. This is a serious horse breeding [read more…]
• Iceland Update: October 2019
  There’s a lot going on in Iceland these days– there are fewer tourists around in October, but there’s still a lot to talk about! A [read more…]
• Inside The Volcano Tour.
  Edited April 2021: This is not the volcano that is currently erupting in Iceland. See information about that new Iceland volcanic eruption here. This [read more…]
• Raufarhólshellir Lava Cave Tour
  Raufarhólshellir is one of the most popular lava caves in Iceland. It’s about 40 minutes from Reykjavik. But even better, if you’re [read more…]
• Iceland Update: September 2019
  Summer is ending, and the temperatures are cooling. And there’s enough darkness to have a chance to see the Northern Lights! (Those are some [read more…]
• The Reykjadalur hot river hike near Hveragerði: A review and guide
  I find hikes to be more satisfying if there’s a destination. Hike to a glacier, or a waterfall, or … another waterfall. The Reykjadalur [read more…]
• Iceland Update: August 2019
  We’re in Iceland now, gathering tons of new information for the book and the web site. Here’s just a small summary of what’s new [read more…]
• The brand new Vök Baths in Egilsstaðir
  We’re making our way through Iceland right now, to update our web site and book. We knew we would be in Egilsstaðir in East Iceland on July [read more…]
• The Brand New Sea Life Trust on the Westman Islands
  The Westman Islands might be my favorite place in Iceland. A 35 minute ferry ride gets you to the largest inhabited island in Iceland. You can learn [read more…]
• Iceland Update: July 2019
  There’s lots happening in Iceland right now! New whales, new museums, new spas, and much more! We’re heading to Iceland in 2 weeks to [read more…]
• Iceland update: June 2019
  Here are some updates from Iceland during the month of May. Lots of seasonal changes as the weather warms up! Let us know if we missed anything! Oh, [read more…]
• Iceland cell phone giveaway!
  [Update: Congratulations to our winner, Jessica!] Thanks to reader DK, we’re hosting a giveaway! One lucky reader will win our Iceland cell [read more…]
• The current state of flying to Iceland
  Update for 2021: Covid-19 has of course changed the information below dramatically. Things are changing quickly; find the latest Icelandair schedule [read more…]
• Our book, Iceland With Kids, is published!
  The second edition of our book, Iceland With Kids, was published in February 2020. You can find it on Amazon: Iceland With Kids paperpack Iceland [read more…]
• WOW Air: Will the Icelandic Airline Survive? (Probably) Update: Nope.
  (Photo by Eric Salard used under CC by 2.0 license.) Even more important update, March 28, 2019: WOW Air has ceased all operations. Looks like the [read more…]
• Seeing the Northern Lights in Iceland
  (While this post is specific to Iceland, much of the advice applies to seeing the Northern Lights in other countries as well: Finland, Norway, [read more…]
• Winter driving tips for Iceland: Snow, safety, and studded tires
  Photo by Bailey Zindel on Unsplash If you’re renting a car in Iceland in the winter, you may be worried about road and weather conditions. Most [read more…]
• South Coast of Iceland Touring Plan
  Outside of Reykjavik and the Golden Circle, the South Coast of Iceland is often the next area that people recommend for tourists. (And I’m one [read more…]
• Icelandic Horses: How to see them and where to ride them
  Last update: May 16, 2022 Icelandic horses are unique, and their history is amazing. Here’s a quick summary. In the year 982 (yes, nine [read more…]
• Icelandic words and phrases to learn (or not!)
  If you’re planning to go to Iceland, you really don’t need to know any Icelandic– Nearly all Icelanders speak fluent English. But a few [read more…]
• Clothing in Iceland: What to pack and what to wear
  There was a point in our trip planning where we realized we had no idea what we needed to pack. We had plane tickets and lodging figured out. But [read more…]
• Thursday, July 28 update: Icelandic Sagas– The Greatest Hits in 75 minutes
  [Note: It looks like I forgot to post this! And I lost most of the pictures. Ignore all of that– it’s a good show!] Icelandic [read more…]
• South Coast Tours with Arcanum in Iceland- Glaciers, Snowmobiles, and ATVs!
  The South Coast of Iceland is one of the most popular areas for tourist to visit when they venture out of Reykjavik. There’s a lot to see and [read more…]
• Fakasel: The Icelandic Horse Park
  UPDATE August 2017: Fakasel’s web site is now more or less blank. Sadly, please treat the information below as nostalgia only, since you [read more…]
• Buggy tour with 4X4 Adventures Iceland
  The Blue Lagoon seems to overshadow all of the other things you can do in Grindavik, or on the Reykjanes Peninsula. It feels like I’m on a bit [read more…]
• Road conditions in Iceland during different times of year
  A common question people ask is, “What will the roads be like when I will be in Iceland?” This is a difficult question to answer. [read more…]
• Using a GPS in Iceland
  Icelanders have been having fun recently laughing at tourists who are misled by their GPS devices. One guy drove 5 hours up to Siglufjörður instead [read more…]
• Rescuing Pufflings on the Westman Islands
  (Update in 2020: We’ve written a children’s book about this amazing true story!) I think this is one of the greatest things in Iceland. [read more…]
• Whale Watching in Iceland– Tips and Tricks for Families
  We spent nearly 3 months in Iceland; when I ask the kids what their favorite thing was, the answer is immediate. “Whale watching!” Well, [read more…]
• Daily update: Keflavik Fire Museum, Settlement Zoo, Kópavogur museums
  During our last couple of days in Iceland, we went to a couple of lesser-known museums between Reykjavik and the Keflavik airport. Let’s start [read more…]
• The Blue Lagoon- visiting with kids
  The Blue Lagoon was one of the last places we visited in Iceland. By that time, we’d already been to many pools and spas all over the country. [read more…]
• Thursday, August 4 update, Part 2: Mt. Esja and Mosfellsbær
  The city of Reykjavik seems to be guarded by Mt. Esja. The mountain is visible from most parts of the city: Esja is about a 25 minute drive from [read more…]
• Thursday, August 4 update: Þúfa sculpture, Seltjarnarnes: Grótta lighthouse, Nesstofa Pharmacy Museum
  We spent some time today (and yesterday) visiting some less popular attractions in and around Reykjavik. The first is one that I’ve seen from a [read more…]
• Our Detailed Golden Circle tour with kids– 1 day or more!
  Today we decided to test out our Golden Circle Itinerary. We’ve been to all of these places before, but this was the day to see how the touring [read more…]
• Monday, August 1 update, Part 2: Árbær Open Air Museum
  After a morning trip to Viðey Island, we headed to another Reykjavik City Museum, Árbær Open Air Museum. Here, they’ve taken a lot of old [read more…]
• Monday, August 1 update, part 1: Viðey Island
  In our quest to visit as many museums in Reykjavik as we can, this morning we took the short boat ride to Viðey Island. It seems strange to call an [read more…]
• Sunday, July 31 update: Nauthólsvík Geothermal Beach, Nordic House, The Volcano House
  This morning I headed to Nauthólsvík Geothermal Beach in Reykjavik.  Let’s cut to the chase: It’s free, and I think your kids will love [read more…]
• Saturday, July 30 update: Reykjanes Geopark, Kleifarvatn Lake, Seltún, Gunnuhver, Bridge between Continents
  We spent the day today in Reykjanes Geopark.  Haven’t heard of it? Me neither, and I have no idea why. In my opinion, this area should be [read more…]
• Friday, July 29 update: Reykjavik Art Museums, National Gallery of Iceland, Volcano Show, Hljómskálagarður park
  Today was a day to hit some lesser-known museums in Reykjavik. In particular, these are museums that you might have free admission to, if you bought [read more…]
• Tour experience: Reykjavik Viking Adventure
  One morning in July, we headed to the old harbor in Reykjavik to ride on a replica viking ship with Reykjavik Viking Adventure. “Replica viking [read more…]
• Why Iceland is the Best Starter Destination for Families
  What makes a destination family-friendly? And what makes a destination easy for first-time international travelers? A short list of factors we think [read more…]
• Wednesday, July 27 Update Part 2: Sea Angling with Special Tours
  We have loved our whale watching trips out of both Húsavík and Reykjavik. But I recently discovered that Special Tours does something that I [read more…]
• Wednesday, July 27 Update Part 1: Gjábakki Cave with Laugarvatn Adventure
  Ever since we ventured into Raufarhólshellir Lava Tube Cave on our own, we have been eager to explore a lava cave with a guide. Today, we got that [read more…]
• Tuesday, July 26 update: Keflavik Museums: Viking World, Rock ‘n’ Roll, Duushús
  In our post about things to do around Keflavik Airport, we mention a lot of museums. We’ve been to the ones in Garður and Sandgerði, but today [read more…]
• Monday, July 25 update: Óðinn ship at the Reykjavik Maritime Museum, Matur og Drykkur lunch
  This afternoon, we headed to Vikin, the Reykjavik Maritime Museum. We’ve already been there, but we didn’t get to tour Óðinn, the Coast [read more…]
• Saturday, July 23 update, Part 2: Reykjavik Sailors Whale Watching, Northern Lights Center
  We’ve been whale watching already on this trip. Twice, actually. The first time was with North Sailing in Húsavík, and it was an incredible [read more…]
• Saturday, July 23 update, Part 1: Kolaportið flea market, fancy food in Reykjavik
  Last weekend we dropped in briefly to see the Reykjavik Flea Market, Kolaportið. Today we headed back for a longer visit. Remember that it’s [read more…]
• Friday, July 22 update: Hiking Helgafell
  We headed out to Hafnarfjörður to do some hiking today. Our destination was Helgafell mountain. “With an accessible and easy trail, walking on [read more…]
• Thursday, July 21 update: Café Loki, Hallgrímskirkja, The Einar Jónsson Museum, and Skólavörðustígur
  Before heading into the famous Hallgrímskirkja (Hallgrím’s Church) today, we stopped for lunch right across the street at Café Loki. [read more…]
• Wednesday, July 20 update, Part 2: Omnom Chocolate
  First, before we get any further, let’s just admit that Omnom Chocolate is a great name for a company. Go ahead and say it out loud. Omnom. [read more…]
• Wednesday, July 20 update, Part 1: CityWalk Reykjavik
  We started our day with a morning (10 AM) walking tour of Reykjavik. CityWalk is the top rated tour on Tripadvisor. Or at least it is right now: [read more…]
• Tuesday, July 19 update: Suðurnes Science and Learning Center, Garður, Straumur
  We headed to the Keflavik airport today, and stopped by a couple of the nearby towns, Suðurnes and Garður. Both places are the “wrong” [read more…]
• Monday, July 18 update: National Gallery, Tjörnin, and Hljómskálagarðurinn
  On Monday, we visited the National Gallery of Iceland. [read more…]
• Saturday, July 16 update: Flóran Café, Reykjaik Botanical Gardens, Ásmundur Sveinsson Sculpture Museum, Laugardalslaug
  Today started with brunch at Flóran Café, which is a restaurant smack in the middle of the Reykjavik Botanical Gardens. It’s inside of a [read more…]
• Our car rental recommendation in Iceland: Blue Car Rental
  Last update: September 1, 2023 We’ve partnered with Blue to provide our readers a 5% discount on their rental. Read below to see why we [read more…]
• Friday, July 15th update: Víkin Reykjavik Maritime Museum, The Sea Baron, Icelandic Printmakers Gallery
  Our main destination for the day was Víkin, The Reykjavik Maritime Museum. This is one of the Reykjavik City Museums. Pictured above is the museum [read more…]
• Swimming with kids in Iceland: Navigating the locker room
  The public pools in Iceland are beautiful and warm and a great place to take your little ones any time of year.  (Swimming outside with snow in your [read more…]
• Wednesday, July 13 update: Culture House, Messinn, and Harpa
  If you’re walking in the city center of Reykjavik, you may have seen the Culture House. You can’t really tell what it is, but it’s [read more…]
• Monday, July 11 update: Art museum and children’s menus in Reykjavik
  The Reykjavik Art Museum is either one museum or three museums, depending upon how you think of it. One the one hand, paying for admission to any one [read more…]
• Saturday, July 9 update: Reykjavik harbor area, City Library, Photography Museum, and Settlement 871 ±2
  We headed to the main downtown area of Reykjavik, in and around the harbor. This is just a 10 minute or so walk from the museums we went to [read more…]
• Friday, July 8 update: Saga Museum and Whales of Iceland
  As I noted yesterday, the Saga Museum has moved to a new home by the harbor. Similar to the Settlement Center in Borgarnes, admission includes an [read more…]
• Thursday, July 7 update: Ikea, Perlan
  Every good Icelandic vacation includes a trip to Ikea. Okay, not really. But if you find you need to buy something– fabric to cover your [read more…]
• Wednesday, July 6 update: The National Museum of Iceland
  We spent a fair but of time at the National Museum of Iceland today. This is a little off of the beaten path. Okay, that’s an exaggeration, [read more…]
• Sick in Iceland? How to find the medicine you need
  NOTE: This post does not cover COVID-19! For information about Coronavirus in Iceland, see our post about Covid-19 testing in Iceland, or the [read more…]
• Tuesday, July 5 update: Laugavegur
  Laugavegur is one of the main shopping streets in Reykjavik. The word Laugavegur means “wash road”, and you’ll see this root [read more…]
• Monday, July 4 update: Reykjavik Park and Zoo
  We spent today at the Family Park and Zoo. Now, this place won’t compete against some of the large and impressive zoos you may have visited in [read more…]
• Saturday, July 2 update: Solheimar eco-village, Ljósafoss Power Station, and Þingvellir
  We started our day by heading to Sólheimar eco-village. This is a small community centered around organic gardening and including all who want to be [read more…]
• Friday, July 1 update: Heiðmerkur and Engi greenhouses, Iceland Riverjet, Faxi, Hotel Geysir, and Geysir
  One last day in the Golden Circle area! I’d been seeing this sign around Laugarás, but I didn’t know what it was: You can almost make out [read more…]
• Live from Iceland! Read our “as it happened” posts!
• Thursday, June 30 update: Secret Lagoon, Minilik Ethiopian, Bragginn (again!) and Footgolf(!)
  Today we headed to the other “fancy” spa in the Golden Circle area: Secret Lagoon. The Secret Lagoon just opened in 2014 as a spa, [read more…]
• Wednesday, June 29 update: Slakki, Friðheimar, and Skálholt
  Even though I knew that Slakki (Facebook link if the web site doesn’t work) bills itself as a petting zoo, I wasn’t sure what to expect. [read more…]
• Tuesday, June 28 update: Laugarvatn Fontana and the ice cream barn at Efstidalur
  Today we headed to Laugarvatn Fontana, one of the two “fancy” thermal pools in the Golden Circle region. The other is the Secret Lagoon, [read more…]
• Monday, June 27 update – Gullfoss and Geysir
  Today we headed to two of the major attractions in Iceland, both part of the Golden Circle. We started at Gullfoss: That’s taken from the upper [read more…]
• Saturday, June 25 update: Geothermal, lava caves, and Hveragerði
  We left Hafnarfjörður and headed toward the Golden Circle area. Our first stop was the Onpower Geothermal Energy Exhibition. You will see the steam [read more…]
• Friday, June 24 update: More Hafnarfjörður
  We stopped by the Viking Village in Hafnarfjörður, though there wasn’t much going on around lunchtime. The chickens seemed pretty happy, though! [read more…]
• Thursday, June 23 update: Hafnarfjörður
  We’ve taken some time to relax the last few days in Hafnarfjörður, a town about 20 minutes outside of Reykjavik. We spent some time shopping in [read more…]
• Monday, June 20 update
  As we started to head out of the Snæfellsnes peninsula, we saw a sign for an attraction, and a fair number of cars parked. It didn’t look like [read more…]
• Sunday, June 19 update
  Hello! Today was really fun. First we walked around town, and got swooped by a bunch of birds. After we got back to the house, we went on a hike to a [read more…]
• Saturday, June 18 update: Into the Glacier
  Today we headed into a glacier, with the aptly named Into the Glacier. This attraction just opened up a year ago, in June of 2015. As far as I can [read more…]
• Friday, June 17 update
  Lots of travel these days as we make our way out of the Westfjords and down toward Reykjavik. We stayed close to Eiríksstaðir, a museum housed on the [read more…]