The Best Iceland Itinerary with a Toddler

This Iceland Itinerary with a Toddler will share the best way to do the southern part of Iceland. This itinerary can be done in 7 days, but you can also expand it to 10 or 11 days if you have more time and want to take longer in each destination. Iceland is AMAZING, and Iceland with a toddler was just the best. I hope you have a phenomenal trip, and I hope this post enhances your time in this incredible place.

We took our almost 2 year old to Iceland for 11 days, and I think our itinerary was almost perfect. We spent a lot of time outside, we hit all the awesome waterfalls, and the whole family had a great time on our first international trip with our toddler. I’ll tell you what parts of the trip I’d recommend you skip and what parts I would have made time for if I could do it again.

Toddlers, though. They’re all different. Even ours is different just depending on the time of day. You know your toddler best. You know if your child can nap in the car or adjust to time changes. So you may need/want to modify this itinerary for what works best for your family.

This is the best Iceland itinerary with a toddler for those who want to enjoy the southern part of Iceland and not rush from place to place. I include all the highlights of these areas, places to stay, and list Must Dos and Optional Stops for each town/drive.

Best Iceland Itinerary with a Toddler jump to:

Tips for Visiting Iceland with a Toddler

• The most important tip is to just do it. It can seem like a lot to travel internationally with a toddler, and you might think you should wait until your kiddo is older. Nope. I was very stressed before our trip, but it was all so worth it. Iceland is very kid-friendly, crime is almost nonexistent, and you will be so happy to have these memories with your toddler.
• Read my 20 Helpful Toddler Travel Tips to make all toddler travel more enjoyable.
• Iceland can be expensive. To keep costs lower, try to pack food & diapers, get accommodations with kitchenettes to cook yourselves, and keep activity costs low. Iceland is a (mostly) free outdoor playground, so we had to leave almost no room in our budget for tours, entry fees, etc.
• I highly recommend renting a car and making your own schedule rather than signing up for tours. You can see more, you can keep a flexible schedule (who knows how your toddler will do with the time change), and you don’t have to worry about your kiddo throwing a tantrum on a full tour bus.
• Pack tons of layers. Iceland weather can change by the hour, and you want your little one to be comfortable.
• 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.
• Try to get airbnbs if possible. Having a separate bedroom gives you space to hang out once your toddler goes to sleep.
• Go in the summer! The Midnight Sun equals outdoor time at all hours of the day, which is incredible for bad sleepers. You can be outside seeing waterfalls or the Blue Lagoon at any time.
• Use this Packing List to make sure you bring everything you need.
• If you go in the summer, bring a slumber pod to put over your kiddo’s pack n play to keep it dark. * I do earn a commission if you buy from this link, thank you!*

Read Next: 20 Tips for Iceland Travel with a Toddler and How Travel Changes When You Have A Baby. For all things Iceland with a Toddler, head here. 

How to Plan the Best Iceland Itinerary with a Toddler

Just use this post!

Ha, but really. If you’re spending time in the southern area of Iceland, this post covers all the awesome spots to see and places to stay.

While I vote that you visit in the summer if you are taking children, I dive deep into The Best Time to Visit Iceland in another post.

To plan your Iceland itinerary with a toddler: Google the best things to see in Iceland, plug them in to Google Maps, look up accommodations near the things you want to see, and go from there!

I booked AirBnbs and then wrote out options for things to do each day. I recommend writing out “must sees” and “optionals.” Your toddler might not be up for 7 waterfall stops in one day, so prioritize the things you really want to see. Let the other options go. Make sure you organize your stops by where you will be driving each day.

Try to stick to your kiddo’s routine while keeping the time change in mind. For us, Iceland was 6 hours ahead. Our little one never switched to Iceland time and instead was closer to 4 hours ahead. This drastically changed when she typically goes to bed (from 7pm to 11pm) and when she woke up (from 6ish am to 10am), but we just adjusted our plans and rolled with it. If your kiddo normally takes a nap 5ish hours after waking and then goes to bed 5-6 hours after that, be flexible but try to continue that on the trip.

Book a car and a wifi device ahead of time as well.

Make sure your passport is valid for 3 months after the day you return.

Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach in Vik – a must see!

Day #1: Arrive in Keflavik and spend the night nearby.

A lot of flights to Iceland are red-eyes, and you have no idea how well your toddler will sleep. We got almost no sleep on our flight, so we were grateful to have not planned much for this day. The first thing we did after landing in Iceland was take a 2.5 hour nap in the rental car parking lot (we’re just pretending no one saw us).

So please do yourself a future favor and do not fill this day with things to do. You’re going to need to pick up your rental car, adjust, nap, and go to the grocery store.

Of note, international flights land in Keflavik, not Reykjavik. The city of Reykjavik is around 45 mins from the airport.

Must Dos in Keflavik:

Grocery shop at Bonus grocery store. Have a list ready in your phone, so your sleep-deprived mind is not trying to figure out what you need for your family for the next few days.

Visit the Blue Lagoon. It’s around 20 mins away from the airport. You can reserve a spot/pay to go in and swim; it is a very cool experience. But if your kiddo is not yet two, you can’t bring them in. Luckily, you can hike near it for free 24/7. It is pricey, 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. This post is all about visiting for free.

Optional Things to Do in Keflavik, Iceland with a toddler:

Holmsberg Lighthouse. A cool orange lighthouse near ocean cliffs. Free.

Giantess Cave. A creative cave geared toward kiddos. On the way to/from the lighthouse. Free.

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

** A note about Iceland pools. 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. I will include different pools in the itinerary. You obviously don’t need to visit all of them, but if you have extra time you have the option.

Spend the night in/around Keflavik.

There are plenty of guesthouses, hotels, and Airbnbs in Keflavik. If you can find a place to yourselves, that is ideal, because your child will have NO IDEA that you changed time zones. Our girl took a 2 hour nap at 8pm and was ready to party from 10pm-2am. We were at a guesthouse and knew we were keeping everyone awake, so we loaded her up in the car. It’s now one of my favorite memories of the trip because we took a midnight hike at the Blue Lagoon.

We stayed at South West Guesthouse. It had a kitchen area, was near the airport, and the hosts were lovely. Shared bathroom.

Day #2: Drive to Vik and spend 2 nights in Vik.

It’s around 3 hours from Keflavik to Vik. There are TONS of places to stop on the way. You can hit some of the stops on your way to the Golden Circle too; I’ll specify which ones. That way, if you really need to get to Vik, you can skip them knowing you’ll see them in a couple days.

I highly recommend stopping at Kökulist Bakery for a pastry and a coffee before starting your drive.

Stops on the Drive (In order from Keflavik to Vik):

Kleifarvatn Lake. This black beach lake is BEAUTIFUL, and there were almost no tourists around. Our toddler loved the black sand and rocks. It’s a large enough beach and a calm lake, so you can let them run free a little bit. There are also scenic overlooks for photos (I wouldn’t let a toddler run free at these spots). It’s around 45 mins from Keflavik, but be sure to enter it in your GPS. Googlemaps won’t take you past it unless you specify. It’s definitely worth driving this different way to stop here.

Krýsuvík (optional). A geothermal area right off the road after Kleifarvatn Lake. Bathrooms. Free.

**The following can be done on the drive up to the Golden Circle from Vik if you want to save them for then. You’ll stop at them in opposite order if you do it that way.

Aegissidufoss Waterfall (optional). It’s not too far off the road and worth a stop. It’s blue, it’s surrounded by grass, and different from the other waterfalls we saw on the trip.

Seljalandsfoss Waterfall. 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.

Gljufrabui Waterfall. Walk over to it from Seljalandsfoss, no parking near it. We skipped this one because our kiddo was in desperate need of a car nap. Probably worth the walk, though.

Seljavallalaug Pool (optional). I struggled with this one. It’s a 20 minute hike to a natural geothermal pool that would typically be a must-do, but if you read about it, it’s been ruined by tourists. From what I read online, it’s extremely dirty and there isn’t a good place to change your clothes. We skipped it, but I’m still intrigued by it.

Skogafoss Waterfall. This massive waterfall is stunning. There’s a little walk up to the waterfall with allll the rocks. You might see a rainbow. You can walk up a ton of stairs (kiddo in the carrier for this, please), but it’s not necessary. The view from the bottom is the best view.

Spend the night in Vik.

Vik is an adorable town, and there are airbnbs and hotels. We stayed a little outside of downtown Vik at a little farmhouse. It was a 15 minute walk to the black sand beach, and our kiddo LOVED the farm animals. Our room was super clean, and while we didn’t have a whole place to ourselves, it felt pretty secluded in our room. Shared bathroom. Would highly recommend.

Day #3: Vik.

Must Dos in Vik, Iceland with a toddler:

Drive to Dyrholaey Lighthouse. 20ish mins from Vik. The views are exceptional from the top, and you might get lucky and see puffins. Free.

Reynisfjara / Black Sand Beach. This famous beach is beautiful, there are rocks galore for a toddler, and the stacked rocks are so very cool. Free.

Wander around Vik. There’s a cute church, nice restaurants, Black Crust Pizzeria, and the ocean right there.

Optional things to do:

Vik Swimming Pool. See, they’re everywhere. This one has a kiddie pool but does not look as cool as the one in Keflavik. $9 per adult.

Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon. This place is on my bucket list, but we just couldn’t make it work for this trip. It’s 2 hours 20 mins away from Vik. If your toddler naps great in the car, you might want to add this to this day. Or if you can find a place to stay nearby (I couldn’t), you could do 1 night in Vik and 1 night here. I did read that it’s not that exciting/doesn’t take up much time, so we opted to not do the drive with our bad car napper. It does look amazing, though.

**After Vik, we spent 2 nights in Eyrarbakki. If you have extra time in Iceland, it’s not a bad way to spend a couple days, but there wasn’t a lot to do. I feel that the other parts of this trip were much better, and Eyrarbakki does not have enough to fill a couple days. If you do find yourself in Eyrarbakki, though, I recommend visiting the Pool in Selfoss (20 mins away), eating at Krisp in Selfoss, walking along the ocean, driving to Knarrarós Lighthouse – stop at the bounce pad for kids and find some horses to say hi to. There’s also an expensive restaurant with phenomenal views that you could check out.

Enjoying The Best Iceland Itinerary with a Toddler? Check out Be Kind to Iceland and 20 Tips for Iceland Travel with a Toddler!

Day #4: Drive up to the Golden Circle.

This is another part of the trip where you can do what’s best for your family. We spent 3 nights in the Golden Circle. Our Airbnb was lovely, so we enjoyed time hanging out there. We also didn’t feel like we had to rush any of the Golden Circle sights. It’s definitely doable in 2 days, though, if you’re short on time.

Must Dos on the drive up:

Stop at any of the waterfalls you may have missed on the drive to Vik.

Kerid Crater. It’s beautiful, has a short hike around it, and our little one liked climbing all the stairs on our way up from the bottom of the crater. Pay for parking (worth it).

Must Dos while in the Golden Circle area:

The Golden Circle is one of the main draws of Iceland. It’s a bunch of VERY cool outdoor things in a small vicinity. Kerid Crater is part of it, but it’s smart to hit it on the drive up if it’s on the way to your accommodations. Some people do the Golden Circle in one day. You can opt to do this if you want to shorten your trip. It felt like a lot in one day with a toddler; we didn’t want to rush any of these incredible activities.

Gullfoss Waterfall. So huge and beautiful. You might get wet. Probably best to have your kiddo in a carrier.

Strokkur Geyser. A geyser that erupts every 6-10 minutes. It’s so cool, and our toddler LOVED it. Keep kids close on the paths because the water near the geysers can be very hot. We actually went back here again because our daughter loved it so much.

** combine the prior 2 activities because they are right next to each other

Bruarfoss Waterfall. This 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. It 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.

Efstidallur Dairy Farm. A dairy farm with delicious ice cream, farm animals, and a restaurant (with mostly burgers). A must visit when in Iceland with a toddler.

** combine the prior 2 activities because they are right next to each other

Thingvellir National Park. This was the least exciting part of the Golden Circle for us. It’s beautiful, has some cool history, and is part of a fissure zone/situated on the tectonic plate boundaries of the Mid-Atlantic ridge. It’s cool but not a lot of things for toddlers to do. We walked around for a bit and did this on the drive to Reykjavik. Pay to park.

Optional Things to Do in the area – Hot Springs:

Hrunalaug Hot Spring. Kind of pricey and can be crowded.

Fontana Spa. Another hot spring. You can bake bread in the ground. Also kind of pricey.

Secret Lagoon. The oldest natural pool in Iceland.

Kualaug Hot Spring. This kind of strange spot only fits a couple people and legitimately looks like a puddle. But the water is warm, only one car can park near it at a time, and it’s free.

Spend the night in the area. We stayed at an Airbnb with a hot tub and beautiful views of the river. It even had a little kids’ house and sand box outside. Highly recommend for Iceland with a toddler.

Day #5: Golden Circle things

Spend one more night (3 total) in this area if you can. There are plenty of outdoor things to do. If you want to just do 2 nights in this area, you can just drive to Reykjavik on day 6 like this itinerary allows for and make sure you hit all the Golden Circle things in a shorter time.

Here’s a whole post on The Golden Circle with a Toddler.

Lake Tjornin – in Reykjavik

Day #6: Drive to Reykjavik.

Stop at Thingvellir if you haven’t already.

Can also stop at Helgufoss and Thorufoss waterfalls on the way to Reykjavik.

Must Dos in Reykjavik, Iceland with a Toddler:

Eat hot dogs at the famous hot dog stand. Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur (The City’s Best Hotdog) is located in Reykjavik, on the corner of Tryggvagata and Pósthússtræti. They’re delicious, trust me.

Visit and go to the top of the Hallgrímskirkja church. The views of the colorful Reykjavik houses are awesome. Pay to visit the tower.

Tjornin Lake. It’s nice to walk around and right in the downtown area. Lots of ducks for toddlers to see.

Visit a pool. There are quite a few options in Reykjavik and the surrounding towns. If you haven’t visited a pool during your trip yet, make sure you do it before you fly home!

Eat some good food! The food in Reykjavik is better than in the countryside, so make sure you have a good meal.

101 Bistro was very kid-friendly and had delicious fish and chips. We didn’t try it, but I read that The Laundromat Cafe has a kids area downstairs.

Arna is og Kaffi was a great coffee shop on the Seltjarnarnes peninsula. It had some kid toys out as well. If you’re on the peninsula, there’s a pretty walk near the ocean.

Optional Things to Do in Reykjavik:

Whale Expedition. This expo has life-sized whale replicas, which I thought our little one would have loved, but we ended up skipping it. Could be worth checking out.

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.

Check out local playgrounds. Iceland with a toddler doesn’t have to mean touristy stops; checking out local kid-friendly places can be just as fun.

Spend the night in Reykjavik.

Day #7: Fly home.

Fit in any other Reykjavik things before you have to fly home. Be sure to arrive to the airport early because it can sometimes be quite busy.

If you have time, you could also extend your time in Reykjavik and spend 2 nights in the city.

One more suggestion – if you and your significant other are going to Iceland with a toddler, I highly recommend picking one thing for each of you to do on your own. We all know there are things we would do differently without a small child around, so while one of you watches your toddler, the other one should go do something epic. When we were in Iceland, my husband did a snorkel excursion at Thingvellir (in the clearest water in the world), and I did an insanely cool hike near Skogafoss called Fimmvorduhals. It’s a 25km one-way hike, but I hiked in 3.5 miles then turned around. It’s beautiful and not necessary to do the whole thing to experience how awesome it is. While we loved doing things with our 2 year old, we also loved getting to do these things on our own.

The Best Iceland Itinerary with a Toddler

I truly hope this Iceland Itinerary with a Toddler post has helped you plan a phenomenal trip. Enjoy the outdoors, cherish watching your kiddo find cool Iceland rocks, and let me know if you visit this wonderful country!

Check out Why You Should Take an Iceland Family Vacation or Best Outdoor Activities for Toddlers in Iceland posts for more advice!

Happy Traveling!

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