Iceland

Iceland family holidays

Discover a world of fire and ice on an exciting, action-packed Iceland family holiday. With live volcanoes, explosive geysers, and dazzling glaciers, a holiday to Iceland with children is a living geography lesson. A short three-hour flight from the UK will bring you to a world of stunning waterfalls, black-sand beaches, and subterranean ice caverns. Children will love cooking bread in a natural thermal oven, parents can enjoy a good soak in the hot springs and all ages can have fun watching puffins, seals, and whales on wildlife cruises.

Mother and son in geothermal lagoon on Iceland family holiday

Soak in the warm waters of the Blue Lagoon all-year-round

Self-drive offers the ultimate flexibility on an Iceland family holiday. Spend a week exploring the highlights of the southern coast or take an epic road trip around the entire island. A holiday to Iceland with children can be enjoyed all year round. Spring and summer offer 24hr daylight so you can maximise your time. Winter and autumn bring the thrill and mystery of the Northern Lights.

Iceland family holidays are all about being active in this utterly spectacular natural environment. Hike lush, green hills, explore stark lava fields, and immerse yourself in blue/white ice formations on a glacier tour. And who is brave enough to take on the ultimate ‘bushtucker trial’ tasting fermented shark – the infamous Hakarl?!!!

Family holidays in Iceland - Children enjoying the eruption of Strokkur Geysir in Iceland

Snap a photo of the Strokkur Geyser as it erupts, roughly every 7 minutes or so

Why take the kids?

These are some of our favourite activities you can enjoy with the kids on an Iceland family holiday:

Hike to the mighty Gullfoss and Dettifoss waterfalls
Don crampons on the Sólheimajökull Glacier
Gasp at the erupting Strokkur geyser
Walk between two continents in Thingvellir National Park
Soak in the hot waters of the Blue Lagoon – bliss!
Explore the fairy-tale landscape of Gjain Gorge
Spot whales, seals, and puffins on a wildlife cruise
Live volcanoes, rugged lava fields and immense ice caps

Iceland family holidays - girl paddling kayak on scenic Laugarvatn lake.

In Iceland’s summer months, you can kayak, canoe, mountain bike, snorkel, go caving, and much more

For active and curious children, an Iceland family holiday will be a non-stop, fun-filled adventure. Journey to the Centre of the Earth at the glacier-topped Snæfellsjökull volcano. Hike in the lava labyrinth of Dimmuborgir. Snorkel between two continents at Silfra. Hold your nose at the sulphur mud pools of Myvatn. Take a crystal ice cave tour at Vatnajokull. A ghost centre and an elves museum are sure to intrigue the kids. And no one minds being woken at 2 am to see the magical, surreal spectacle that is the Northern Lights.

Thingvellir National Park - young women at entrance to the Silfra Snorkeling site - Iceland family holidays

Entrance to the Silfra snorkelling site in Thingvellir National Park – it’s the only place in the world where you can snorkel between tectonic plates (Eurasian and North American)

Snorkelling in a dry suit in Iceland where the tectonic plates join

Example Iceland family itineraries

All of our Iceland family holidays are bespoke which means that they are tailor-made for your own specific family, taking into account the ages of your children, your interests, and so on. Please be aware that Iceland is an expensive destination – we will provide realistic budget advice.

To give you an idea of what you could do on a family holiday in Iceland, have a look at our sample itineraries, Iceland in Summer and Iceland in Winter.

Also, check out some of the other places that you might like to visit on an Iceland family holiday and if you need further inspiration, have a look at our photo gallery (top right).

See our When to go to Iceland overview to find out more about the weather and what it will be like at the time that you want to travel. Simply give us a ring, or use our contact page, and we’ll be delighted to advise you on the best holiday to Iceland for you and your family.