Iceland is solely wonderful. Rugged landscapes. Pure magnificence. Limitless out of doors adventures. Sharing this land of ice and hearth with youngsters is like exposing them to a fantasy land of fairies, Vikings, and mythology. Really a bucket list-worthy household journey vacation spot. However the query I’m usually requested is, what’s the proper age to go to Iceland with children? The reply is…it relies upon.
It relies on 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 once you need to go. The beauty of visiting Iceland with children is that so many sights supply free or discounted admission for kids under sure ages.
The onerous half is, sure excursions and journey actions have minimal age limits. So whereas technically you possibly can 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 could need to wait till everybody can take part within the forms of actions you want to do.
That can assist you resolve when the perfect 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” checklist, you possibly can resolve when the perfect time for your loved ones could be to go to Iceland.
Is Iceland Child-Pleasant?
For a lot of, Iceland is a really kid-friendly nation. There’s loads of lovely out of doors landscapes to discover free of charge and enjoyable wildlife to watch on an Iceland street journey. It’s a particularly secure nation with a low crime price, good roads, excessive literacy and training charges, and English is extensively spoken all through the nation.
But others will discover Iceland difficult to go to with children for the next causes:
- It’s costly
- The meals is proscribed and onerous to please choosy eaters
- Most resort rooms aren’t designed for households
- You want to spend so much of time within the automotive, which isn’t at all times straightforward for kids
- There are usually not numerous security rails or different protections across the pure sights in Iceland
So similar to deciding the fitting age to go to Iceland with children, whether or not or not Iceland is true for your loved ones could be very a lot based mostly on private preferences.
What to do in Iceland with Youngsters By Age
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In case you are visiting Iceland with children, here’s a information to what actions are finest suited relying on age. Additionally, take note, not all actions can be found year-round, so do your analysis. Icelandic roads might be difficult to drive within the winter so should you aren’t snug driving in snow, doing a self-driving journey with younger youngsters turns into much more difficult.
Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers
In case you are 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.
As soon as your children begin to attain the preschool years, they’ll grow to be a bit extra fascinated by Vikings, fairies, and wildlife. Some age-appropriate actions embody:
- Go to 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 exterior (youngsters beneath 14 are free)
- Go to a few of Reykjavik’s public swimming pools resembling Laugardalur or the geothermal seaside at Nauthólsvík
- Have enjoyable climbing on and operating across the Solar Voyager sculpture in downtown Reykjavik
- Discover Reykjavik for a day, together with a whale-watching or puffin tour in the harbor with Particular Excursions the place children beneath the age of six are free
- Hire a automotive 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. Cease on the black sand seaside of Vík and see the basalt columns and caves at close by Reynisfjara
- Drive by means 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 big 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!)
- Go to locations on an Iceland street journey to seek for puffins
- Simply driving by means of the panorama might be enjoyable in case your children are good within the automotive. You’ll be able to pull off the facet of the street and get a more in-depth have a look at the Icelandic horses and sheep
- Go to the Icelandic Lava Present in Vik (beneath 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 (youngsters beneath 6 are free, and 6-12 are extremely discounted)
- Within the West, cease at Erpsstadir, a dairy farm providing selfmade ice cream, Skyr, cheeses, and different merchandise. This family-run enterprise is a good pit cease alongside your drive, providing entry to a playground and livestock (for a payment), loos, and scrumptious dairy merchandise. For those who take a farm tour it’s also possible to see child cows, simply double examine on their open hours and in case you are visiting exterior of the summer season, you’ll want to name forward to make an appointment
- Go to the Arctic Fox Centre in Sudavík, which is a rescue and academic heart for rehabilitating wild arctic foxes
Elementary College Age Youngsters
Elementary school-age youngsters are usually sponges that take in new experiences and like to find out about new locations. This age could be a implausible time to take children to Iceland, because it opens the door for a lot of new actions too. Households with school-age youngsters can take part in the entire above actions plus the next:
- In Reykjavik, go to the reveals 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, youngsters 7-14 are discounted)
- Go to the Lava tunnel (minimal age 3, beneath 12 is free)
- Take a household tremendous jeep tour out onto the glacier (youngsters beneath 12 are discounted)
- Go Into the Glacier to see a artifical ice tunnel
- Within 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 Purple and Leif the Fortunate provides excursions by guides in conventional Viking clothes
Energetic Tweens
The tween years are a wonderful 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 take pleasure in lots 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 under Gullfoss waterfall within the Golden Circle (have to be 8 years or older)
- Discover ice caves (winter solely, have to be 7 or older, 7-15 are discounted)
Adventurous Teenagers
Energetic and adventurous teenagers can do virtually something that adults can do in Iceland. The one restrictions are round working motor automobiles resembling ATVs, buggies, or snow mobiles. Along with 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)
That is only a pattern of among 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” checklist, I’d counsel ready till your children are sufficiently old to participate.
We went when our daughter was 11 and located it to be a virtually excellent 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.
Suggestions for Visiting Iceland with Youngsters
As a lot as I really like Iceland, it does have its challenges too. Another issues to bear in mind embody:
- In Iceland becoming a household of 4 or extra into one resort 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. Make sure you examine my information on the place to remain for households. Typically the most suitable choice can be to lease an condominium or cabin.
- In case you are doing an Iceland street journey, you’ll want to change accommodations 5 to seven occasions in the middle of per week to 10 days. That may be rather a lot for youths to deal with and numerous packing and unpacking.
- Doing a protracted day journey or street journey additionally means numerous time within the automotive, which is one thing to contemplate in case your children have hassle sitting for too lengthy or preserving themselves entertained. We predict there may be a lot to have a look at however from the automotive seat within the again, the view is probably not as spectacular.
- Iceland is pricey. It’s nice should you can go when the children are younger sufficient to reap the benefits of among the reductions and probably squeeze right into a household room. However you’ll nonetheless be spending rather a lot on meals, fuel, automotive rental insurance coverage, and actions. Be sure that to plan your Iceland price range fastidiously.
- Coping with choosy eaters might be difficult. Even a easy dish of buttered noodles can value over $20. Yow will discover loads of locations with scorching canines (however they’re lamb-based), hamburgers, and pizza however the primary staples are fish and lamb. Rooster (and particularly one thing resembling hen nuggets) is tougher to search out. See my information on the place to eat in Reykjavik.
- In case you are visiting within the winter and need to see the Northern Lights, understand that it will get darkish by 3-4 pm and the solar gained’t rise till round 10 am. That isn’t numerous time to squeeze in sightseeing within the chilly and numerous time to kill with younger children that need to fall asleep earlier than the Northern Lights come out to play. This can be the type of journey you need to save for when the children are older.
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