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Ultimate Iceland 7-Day Ring Road Itinerary With Kids

We just left our 7-day trip to Iceland and I have to say… we are all sad to be leaving.  We’ve now visited 35 countries around the world with five kids in tow. Iceland quickly shot to one of our top three favorite countries in just one week!

What makes Iceland so special?  How could it command our hearts when it’s our 35th country with kids?

Honestly, you just have to see it to believe it!  From the incredible waterfalls, a gorgeous landscape that is ever-changing, the delicious food, and the fun European feel, Iceland will likely steal your hearts also.

Disclaimer: This itinerary is really more than you can do or see in seven days, even if you have crazy FOMO like me.  Pick and choose what works for you and your family!  Or use this list and extend your Icelandic vacation to 10-14 days.

*Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. Opinions shared are my own, and I only endorse products I support. By clicking on any of the links below, I may get a small commission if you purchase at absolutely no additional charge to you. I appreciate your support.

Day One: Arrive in Reykjavik

Most flights into Reykjavik arrive in the early morning.  We landed at 7:30 am. This gives you the full arrival day to get a head start on your adventure.

Blue Lagoon

After getting our rental car, we headed straight for the Blue Lagoon!  You’ll find the lagoon just a 40-minute drive from the airport. The lagoon opens at 8 am, and many tourists follow this pattern, making The Blue Lagoon quite busy.

The Blue Lagoon has been on my bucket list for years.  We heard some mixed reviews, but we loved it. This is a great, relaxing first stop in Iceland.

See my post about visiting with kids and what you need to know before you go.

Explore Reykjavik

Reykjavik offers many things to do and see.  Surrounding towns are also rich with options!

• Museums.  There are lots of museums in Reykjavik. The Whale Museum, Viking Museum, and the grand Perlan.  We opted for the Perlan and loved the ice cave, planetarium, and zip-lining!

• Walk around downtown.  The city is small and very walkable.  There are playgrounds, the massive Hallgrimskirkja church, ice cream shops and restaurants and fun shopping.

• Grab a hot dog (an Icelandic favorite) and explore the shops.

• Take a gorgeous flight tour with Circle Air!  With the current volcano eruption in Iceland, take a flight to experience a unique and breathtaking perspective from above.  The little airport that Circle Air fly’s out of is very close to downtown, even walkable.  They also fly up north and offer a few air tours by helicopter or small plane.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CSKJyQWgxlJ

Hike To Fagradalsfjall Volcano

If you are lucky enough to visit when a volcano is erupting in Iceland, you cannot miss it!  We hiked to the Fagradalsfjall Volcano with all of the kids and hit the jackpot! I’ve never seen anything more breathtaking in my entire life.

Tips for hiking to the volcano with kids:

• Check out the live camera feed to see how visibility is. If it’s foggy, you won’t see anything and it’s not worth the trip.
• It took us about an hour to hike to the top viewing point. It’s steep, but quick.
• There was a porta-potty in the parking lot, but it was overflowing and not really useable. Find a restroom elsewhere before beginning your hike.
• We LOVED visiting around sunset. We arrived around 10 pm, watched the volcano for a couple of hours and then headed back. It made for a late night, but we were able to watch the eruption in both the daylight and the darkness.
• Take layers as it got chilly!
• Drone footage is truly amazing here, but be careful. There were several flying at the same time and you don’t want to drop them into the volcano!
• The smoking lava fields are an amazing sight to see. Be careful not the walk out onto them.
• Take some water and sunscreen if you’re hiking during the day.
• Remember to charge all of your cameras and phones ahead of time. You’ll want them to capture this stunning phenomenon!

Other Options

• Take a ferry to the Westman Islands.

• Visit Thingvellir National Park where you can snorkel or scuba between continental plates!

• Lava tube in Raufarhólshellir. Guided tours are available- Book your tour here now.

• You must go to Braud & Co for breakfast In Reykjavik. It is spectacular! You can read about other must-try foods throughout Iceland here.

Suggested Lodgings:

• Reykjavik Residences. Find rates here.

• Hotel 201. Book your room here.

Days Two and Three: Southern Side

This geothermal area is also packed with things to see and do.  I wish we had spent two days here, but instead, we pushed through one really long day and stayed up until 4 am!  Learn from us and spend two days in the south of Iceland in order to fully enjoy the area!

Golden Circle

This little loop is a common tourist path and many tours offer this from Reykjavik.  There is tons to see here.  For more info on the route, check out this blog.

Golden Circle Tour

• Kerid Crater. Short walk down into a crater with crystal clear water.

• Reykjadalur Hot Spring Thermal River.  Short hike to a beautiful hot spring stream.

• Hveragerði Geothermal Park. Boil some eggs in the hot water!

• Bruarfoss Waterfall. Fantastic photo op.

• Gullfoss Falls.  Stunning, massive waterfall with a short walk.

• Strokurr Gyser. One of many geysers in this geothermal area that is quite predictable and goes off every few minutes.

Other Things To See And Do

• Gluggafoss.   This stunning waterfall rolls off the mountain into a small pool in the middle.  Walk up the stairs to the pool area and take a look around.

• Seljalandsfoss.   My personal favorite waterfall!! You can even walk behind the waterfall, hidden behind a water curtain, for an especially pretty view!

• Seljavallalaug Swimming Pool.  Hot springs pool.

• Skógafoss.  Massive waterfall.  Take the stairs up the side to see an additional waterfall at the top.

• Explore Vik.  Charming little town!  We loved our quick stop into Icewear, which is a great place for gear and souvenirs. The church is also darling and there is a swimming pool (like most towns in Iceland!).

• Dyrhólaey. Penninsula overlooking black sand beaches and rock formations.

• Reynisfjara Beach.  Black sand beach with basalt columns to climb on and admire.  Do not get too close to the waves as we were told they can be quite strong.

• Solheimasandur Plane Wreck.  We didn’t do this because a few people told me it’s not great with kids.  It’s a long 4 hour, boring walk with not much to do along the way.  However, it is quite iconic and another amazing photo op!

• Svartifoss.  Short, steep hike to another gorgeous waterfall.

Suggested Lodging

• Minniborgir Cottages

• Hotel Vik i Myrdal

Day Four: Southeastern Side

• Jokulsarion Glacier Lagoon.  Watch the seals and take a boat ride among the glaciers.

• Black Diamond Beach.  One of my top memories from Iceland. We arrived right around sunset (11 pm) and it was pure magic. Pieces of ice glitter like diamonds on the black sand beach.  Right next to the lagoon.

• Stokksnes. Gorgeous black sand beach and mountains.  Visit the Viking Village set on the way.

• East Iceland Reindeer Museum. Recommended by a follower of ours and looks darling.

Suggested Lodging

• Hildibrand Apartments

• Adventura in Djupivogur

Day Five: Eastern Side

• Vok Baths.  Another beautiful outdoor natural hot spring in Iceland.

• Studagil Canyon.  You have two options here. You can opt to go straight to the overlook, which is what we did, or walk about 2 km in to reach the other side of the canyon.

• Godafoss.  Very lovely waterfall and short walk from the parking lot.  My kids loved playing on the gentle hills around it as well.

• Husavik.  This darling Icelandic seaside town is famous for it’s wonderful whale watching!  We went out with North Sailing and absolutely loved it.  We saw a humpback whale, enjoyed the incredible views and loved the hot chocolate and cinnamon at the end.

Click here to schedule your trip with North Sailing.

Suggested Lodging

• Fosshotel Husavik.  Very comfortable hotel with fantastic breakfast.

• Soti Lodge. We stayed at this lodge in Iceland and LOVED it.  The accommodations include breakfast and dinner.  There is also a local hot springs pool next door which opens in the afternoon. 
  Even better: there is a spring river outside has geothermal heated water.  My kids spent hours playing in it!

Day Six: Northern Side

• Myvatn Nature Baths.  Recommended by this family and looks great!

• Akueryri.  Darling town with a great pool (with water slides) and dogsledding in the winter.

• Hofsos Hot Springs Pool.  Infinity hot springs over the ocean.

• Kirkjufellsfoss.  Gorgeous waterfall.

• Erikson Viking Longhouse.  Restored viking longhouse with short tour.  Super fun with kids!

Suggested Lodging

• Hotel Laugarbakki.  Large hotel with nice restaurant, small playground and hot tubs.

Day Seven: Heading Back To Reykjavik

• Snaefellsjokull National Park.  Spot some puffins and explore the old lava flows.

• Budir Black Church.  Iconic wooden church.  One of the oldest in Iceland and gorgeous for photos.

• Into the Glacier Ice Cave.  We ran out of time for this, but it looks amazing!

https://www.instagram.com/p/CSSDSejlnUg

Suggested Lodging

• Hotel Budir

Click below to download a printable version of this itinerary to save for your next Iceland vacation!

Additional Reading

THE 11 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE VISITING ICELAND

For more tips on Iceland, check out my other posts!

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