Iceland is solely wonderful. Rugged landscapes. Natural magnificence. Unlimited outside adventures. Sharing this land of ice and fireplace 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 usually requested is, what’s the proper age to go to Iceland with youngsters? The reply is…it relies upon.
It is dependent upon what actions you wish to do, how a lot you wish to see, how adventurous you might be, how a lot power your youngsters have, and whenever you wish to go. The beauty of visiting Iceland with youngsters is that so many sights supply free or discounted admission for kids beneath sure ages.
The exhausting 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, you might wish to wait till everybody can take part within the forms of actions you want to do.
To enable you resolve when one of the best time to go to Iceland is for your loved ones, I put collectively this information of issues to do in Iceland at varied ages. Now, relying on what actions are in your “must-do” checklist, you may resolve when one of the best time for your loved ones could 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 without spending a dime and enjoyable wildlife to look at on an Iceland street journey. It is an especially 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 youngsters for the next causes:
- It is pricey
- The meals is restricted and exhausting to please choosy eaters
- Most resort rooms aren’t designed for households
- You want to spend so much of time within the automobile, which isn’t at all times simple for kids
- There will not be a variety of security rails or different protections across the pure sights in Iceland
So identical to deciding the suitable age to go to Iceland with youngsters, whether or not or not Iceland is correct for your loved ones may be very a lot based mostly on private preferences.
What to do in Iceland with Kids By Age
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If you might be visiting Iceland with youngsters, here’s a information to what actions are finest suited relying on age. Also, take into accout, not all actions can be found year-round, so do your analysis. Icelandic roads will be difficult to drive within the winter so for those who aren’t snug 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, it would be best to strap them right into a sturdy child provider or child backpack and exit and discover most of the lovely waterfalls, black sand seashores, and rock formations.
Once your youngsters begin to attain the preschool years, they’ll develop into 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 youngsters can climb on board a duplicate Viking ship and ensure to cease on the petting zoo and Viking playground outdoors (kids below 14 are free)
- Visit a few of Reykjavik’s public swimming pools resembling Laugardalur or the geothermal seashore at Nauthólsvík
- Have enjoyable climbing on and operating 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 youngsters below the age of six are free
- Rent a automobile and take a drive out to Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss, strap on a child provider, 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 via 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’ll simply must put on arm floats when within the water (plus they’re free!)
- Visit locations on an Iceland street journey to seek for puffins
- Just driving via the panorama will be enjoyable in case your youngsters are good within the automobile. You can pull off the aspect of the street and get a better take a look at the Icelandic horses and sheep
- Visit the Icelandic Lava Show in Vik (below 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 below 6 are free, and 6-12 are extremely discounted)
- In the West, cease at Erpsstadir, a dairy farm providing home made 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 livestock (for a payment), bogs, and scrumptious dairy merchandise. If you are taking a farm tour you may as well see child cows, simply double verify on their open hours and if you’re visiting outdoors of the summer season, you’ll want to 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 usually sponges that take in new experiences and like to study new locations. This age is usually a unbelievable time to take youngsters 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 using tour with Eldhestar (ages 7 and up, kids 7-14 are discounted)
- Visit the Lava tunnel (minimal age 3, below 12 is free)
- Take a household tremendous jeep tour out onto the glacier (kids below 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 study Iceland’s Viking roots at Eiriksstadir. This homestead of Erik the Red and Leif the Lucky affords 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 profiting from discounted charges. Tweens will take pleasure in most of the above, plus the next:
- Go on a three-hour glacier hike (have to be 10 or older, ages 10-11 are discounted)
- Take an ATV tour (passengers have to be eight or older and journey with an grownup)
- Go snowmobiling on a glacier (passengers have to be eight or older to journey with an grownup)
- Take an extended three-hour canine sledding tour (have to be 8 or older, ages 8-11 are discounted)
- Go on a zodiac boat tour on the glacier lagoon (have to be 10 or older, ages 10-12 are half-price)
- Take a white water river jet boat down the Hvita river beneath Gullfoss waterfall within the Golden Circle (have to be 8 years or older)
- Explore ice caves (winter solely, have to be 7 or older, 7-15 are discounted)
Adventurous Teens
Energetic and adventurous teenagers can do nearly something that adults can do in Iceland. The solely restrictions are round working motor automobiles resembling ATVs, buggies, or snow mobiles. In addition to the above, teenagers will take pleasure in the next:
- Go mountain climbing with Icelandic Mountain Guides (have to be 14 years or older)
- Hike up a volcano (have to be 16 years or older)
- Go mountaineering (have to be 16 years or older)
- Take a full-day journey or multi-day horseback using tour (have to 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 youngsters. If a few of these family-friendly actions are in your “must-do” checklist, I’d counsel ready till your youngsters 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 kids’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 bear in mind embody:
- In Iceland becoming a household of 4 or extra into one resort room will be difficult. Most rooms have both a double mattress or two twin beds. A number of motels have household rooms however they’re restricted. Be positive to verify my information on the place to remain for households. Sometimes the most suitable choice shall be to lease an residence or cabin.
- If you might be doing an Iceland street journey, you’ll want to modify motels 5 to seven instances in the midst of per week to 10 days. That is usually a lot for youths to deal with and a variety of packing and unpacking.
- Doing an extended day journey or street journey additionally means a variety of time within the automobile, which is one thing to think about in case your youngsters have hassle sitting for too lengthy or protecting themselves entertained. We suppose there may be a lot to take a look at however from the automobile seat within the again, the view will not be as spectacular.
- Iceland is pricey. It is nice for those who can go when the children are younger sufficient to reap the benefits of a few of the reductions and probably squeeze right into a household room. But you’ll nonetheless be spending rather a lot on meals, gasoline, automobile rental insurance coverage, and actions. Make positive to plan your Iceland funds rigorously.
- Dealing with choosy eaters will be difficult. Even a easy dish of buttered noodles can value over $20. You can discover loads of locations with scorching canine (however they’re lamb-based), hamburgers, and pizza however the principle staples are fish and lamb. Chicken (and particularly one thing resembling hen nuggets) is more durable to seek out. See my information on the place to eat in Reykjavik.
- If you might be visiting within the winter and wish to see the Northern Lights, remember the fact that it’ll get darkish by 3-4 pm and the solar received’t rise till round 10 am. That isn’t a variety of time to squeeze in sightseeing within the chilly and a variety of time to kill with younger youngsters that need to fall asleep earlier than the Northern Lights come out to play. This will be the form of journey you wish to save for when the children are older.
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