Best Outdoor Activities for Iceland with Toddlers

Ready for the Best Outdoor Activities for Iceland with Toddlers? There are A LOT of options. Iceland is a beautiful country full of stunning nature views, waterfalls, black sand beaches, and more. You will want to spend most of your time outside. I’m going to share some of the best outdoor things to do with toddlers and include photos and tips. All of these are within a few hours of Reykjavik. And all of these are things adults will enjoy too!

We visited Iceland with our almost 2 year old in July and had a phenomenal time. I highly recommend Iceland as a first international trip with a toddler. Almost everyone speaks English, it’s super safe, and there are so many free outdoor things to do!

Tips for Visiting the Best Outdoor Activities for Iceland with Toddlers

• Pack appropriately. The weather can change quickly, so make sure you have layers and warm clothing. Use my Iceland Toddler Packing List to ensure you bring everything you need.
• I highly recommend renting a car. You can more freely visit where you want to go, it’s cheaper than a bunch of tours, and you have more flexibility for your toddler’s eating/nap schedule.
• Don’t fill your schedule. Leave time to enjoy each destination. Rushing with a toddler never goes well, and you want to be able to savor Iceland and all its beauty.
• Go in the summer! The Midnight Sun equals outdoor time at all hours of the day, which is incredible. The weather is much more pleasant for being outside.
• Have a list of options for each day. Some Must Dos and some Optional Things. If your toddler is having a rough time, skip the optional things.
• Always guarantee your toddler’s safety above everything else.

These outdoor activities in Iceland are all worth visiting. I put optional next to the couple that are more meh than the others. Those are just ideas for if you have extra time. I’ll include a map at the end so you can see where they are in proximity to each other. The majority of these activities are free. If you want an itinerary that includes most/all of these activities, read this post.

Best Outdoor Activities for Iceland with Toddlers jump to:

The Blue Lagoon for Free

Visit the Blue Lagoon. It’s around 20 mins away from the airport. You can reserve a spot/pay to go in and swim, which is a very cool experience. But if your kiddo is not yet 2 years old, they aren’t old enough to visit. Luckily, you can hike near it for free 24/7, and I have a whole post about this here. It is pricey to visit the resort, so the walk is a good option if you don’t want to pay to go. It’s beautiful, and our little one loved walking around.

No swimming at the free walk. Make sure your toddler stays on the path. Visit at sunrise or sunset for the prettiest sky colors.

Skogafoss Waterfall

Skogafoss Waterfall. Free. This massive waterfall is stunning. There’s a little flat walk up to the waterfall with allll the rocks; your toddler will love this. You might see a rainbow. You can walk up a ton of stairs (kiddo in the carrier or hold their hands for this part, please), but it’s not necessary. The view from the bottom is really the best view.

I highly recommend putting your kiddo in rain clothes for this one so you can get closer to the falls.

Bounce Pads

These bounce pads, or bounce pillows, are in random spots all over Iceland. They are a PERFECT thing to do in Iceland with toddlers. The ones we encountered were in free playgrounds. Apparently, there are over 100 of them around the country. Our toddler absolutely loved running and jumping on them. A GREAT way to burn energy, especially if you’re doing a lot of car seat time.

I cannot get this map to load in English, but here’s the only map I could find of them. 

Read Next: The Best Time to Visit Iceland, How Travel Changes When You Have A Baby, How to Visit The Golden Circle Iceland with a Toddler or 20 Tips for Iceland Travel with a Toddler.

Swimming Pools

Iceland swimming pools are phenomenal. If you’re in Iceland with a toddler, you MUST visit one of their pools. It is one of the main things that Icelanders do with their free time, and almost every town has one. They are super clean, inexpensive, and just so so great. You also MUST take a full, naked shower before going in their water. They don’t put a bunch of chemicals in their pools, so they require everyone to be clean before going in. Please respect that and embrace the nakedness. They usually have little shower chairs to place your toddler in during the shower.

A lot of their pools have outdoor areas that are lovely in winter or summer.

Waterworld. An awesome-looking typical Icelandic pool with a kiddie pool in Keflavik. Around $9 per adult, toddlers are free.

The Pool in Selfoss was awesome for little ones. It had a great outdoor kiddie pool.

Vik’s Black Sand Beach

Reynisfjara / Black Sand Beach in Vik. Free. This famous beach is beautiful, there are rocks galore for a toddler, and the stacked rocks are so very cool. There’s a little parking lot near the beach. Keep a close eye on kiddos because they warn of “sneaker waves” that come out of nowhere onto the beach.

Geysers

Strokkur Geyser in the Golden Circle. Free. A geyser that erupts every 6-10 minutes. It’s so cool, and our toddler was so excited to see it erupt. We actually went back here a second time because our daughter loved it so much.

Keep kids close on the paths because the water near the geysers can be very hot. There’s a little visitors center with a cafe across the street.

Kerid Crater

Kerid Crater is such a unique stop. Pay to park. If you’ve never seen a crater like this before, it’s a must see. You can do a little 0.9 mile hike around the top of the crater, and you can also take a bunch of steps to the bottom. I recommend both. We kept our toddler in a hiking carrier for the hike around the rim – there were some steep drops – but we let her walk around at the bottom and climb the steps back up.

Giantess Cave (optional)

We didn’t end up visiting Giantess Cave because it was closed when we wanted to visit. It’s a creative little cave geared toward little ones. It’s free and in Keflavik.

See the Beautiful Horses

Iceland has suchhhh beautiful horses. They’re furry in the winter and lose their fluffy fur in the summer. Either way, they’re worth seeing up close. When you see a bunch of horses and it’s safe to do so, park your car on the side of the road and say hello. They’ll usually come by the fence to see you.

You can also visit a farm or schedule a horseback riding tour if you want to spend more time with these cool animals.

Kleifarvatn Lake

Kleifarvatn Lake doesn’t seem to make a lot of the Iceland lists, but I thought it was incredible. There’s a rocky black beach for your toddler to walk around. Lots of space for them to run free. And as you drive past it, there are some beautiful cliff views. We just loved it. If you’re driving from Keflavik/Reykjavik to Vik, add in this stop. It’s a must do for Iceland with toddlers.

Seljalandsfoss Waterfall

Seljalandsfoss Waterfall is SO PRETTY. If you catch it on a bright day, you’ll likely see a rainbow. You can also walk behind this one, which is just awesome. Would highly recommend putting your toddler in a carrier; the hike behind it is a little dicey. Also, wear all your rain gear. You have the potential to get soaked depending on the wind. Pay to park.

Bruarfoss Waterfall

Bruarfoss was our favorite waterfall of the trip. It’s SO blue. You can do a longer hike and combine it with 2 other waterfalls if you want. We only made it to Midfoss, the middle one. Midfoss was pretty but not as stunning as a lot of the other Iceland waterfalls. Or you can park near Bruarfoss (at the top of the hike) and do a short hike to the falls. Look for a Bruarfoss sign with a picture of Bruarfoss on it that says 3km with an arrow – that’s where you’ll go to park if you want the short hike.

There’s a bridge to get a great view of Bruarfoss, but it’s not toddler-friendly. Keep them in a carrier or hold their hands tight. The path before and after the bridge is toddler-friendly, though, so let them run around.

Gullfoss Waterfall

Gullfoss is one of the highlights of The Golden Circle, but it was one of the least enjoyable stops on this list for our toddler. There are high, steep views of Gullfoss from above, and you can also get closer to it on a walkway. Neither really allow you to let your toddler run free. We kept ours in the carrier the whole time. There is a little cafe and visitors center/shop at this stop. It’s worth seeing because of how massive and pretty it is, but don’t plan on having your toddler burn much energy here.

Efstidallur Dairy Farm – Iceland with Toddlers

Yes, a dairy farm makes the list of best outdoor activities for toddlers in Iceland. Get your ice cream, view the cows, and then spend the rest of the time outdoors. There’s a little playground, a spot to view the chickens, outdoor seating, and one of the cool bounce pads. It’s worth a stop, and it’s right next to Bruarfoss Waterfall.

Tjornin Lake & Walk around Downtown Reykjavik

Tjornin Lake is a central part of downtown Reykjavik and full of ducks and geese for your toddler to see. From here you can wander around downtown Reykjavik, which is very safe for a city. Meander the streets, stop in coffee shops, and find some of the random playgrounds in the area.

Reykjavik Park and Zoo (optional)

Reykjavik Park and Zoo. A little outside of Reykjavik Center. We skipped it and wandered the city instead. If we would have had more time, we would have gone. It has a cool playground and a small zoo/petting zoo. It’s pretty cheap.

Local Playgrounds

Wherever you end up staying in Iceland, I’d almost guarantee that there’s a cool playground nearby. They’re not all plastic slides and monkey bars but more nature-themed. We found multiple playgrounds that were perfect for toddlers. And who knows, maybe you’ll meet some locals to chat with while you’re there.

Map of Best Outdoor Activities for Iceland with Toddlers

Best Outdoor Activities for Iceland with Toddlers

I hope you have the BEST time in this beautiful country. For us, outdoor travel is our favorite kind of travel, and Iceland is the perfect place for it. Please comment below if you have an amazing time or if you have outdoor activities to add! 

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