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Travelling to Iceland with toddler or baby in tow

Travelling to Iceland with toddler or baby in tow

Thinking about visiting Iceland with toddler or baby in tow? In this guide we will walk you through everything you need to know about travelling to Iceland travel with baby or toddlers from booking to the best things to do in Iceland with toddlers – no matter what time of year you go!  

Top Tips for Visiting Iceland with with Toddler or baby

How to Cut Costs on Iceland travel with baby or toddlers 

Important Note: This post may contain affiliate links which means if you click through and make a purchase I will make a small commission at no extra cost to you!

Iceland is notoriously expensive but you need not worry with our money saving tips for traveling with babies or toddlers in Iceland!

  • Consider bringing some food with out! You can bring up to 3kg with you
  • Consider bringing diapers and other baby stuffs with you
  • Book a hotel or accommodation with a kitchenette so you don’t have to eat out for every meal!

Toddler on Black Beach Iceland - iceland with a baby or toddler

For more inspiration on the best city breaks with toddlers in Europe check out this post. 

What is the best time to go to Iceland with toddlers and babies

What is the best time to go to Iceland? This is a really hard question to answer as I think Iceland has something to offer what every time of year you visit! We decided on visiting Iceland in March as we felt it was the best compromise on everything we wanted to see and do as it offers some of the best things about visiting Iceland in both summer and winter!

On our Iceland bucket list was trying to see the Northern Lights which is definitely an Iceland Winter activity. We also wanted to try and save money by not travelling in peak times as accommodations and even flights and car rental in Iceland can be cheaper by visiting in the Iceland off peak Winter season.  

The difficulty about visiting Iceland in Winter with baby or toddler is that it is cold. VERY Cold! I think as long as you pack for the weather this isn’t really the problem. We didn’t find that the cold had any adverse effect on us, our toddler and enjoyment of the place. 

The only small issue about travelling to Iceland in with with a toddler or a baby is that there is a lot of wrapping and unwrapping as you dress/undress them at each of the tourist sites.  It wasn’t a big issue but it is definitely something you should consider when travelling to Iceland with toddlers or baby.  

We were really glad we decided to travel to Iceland in Winter however summer has advantages too. For instance you will have a lot more daylight which can extend your travels during the day and if you are not a confident driver or you want to go onto smaller roads the driving conditions in summer are better. The only downside to travelling to Iceland with a baby in Summer is that there are far more crowds. 

Iceland Travel Tip: If you have a toddler who doesn’t sleep well with light (And the days are long in the summer) I would advise travelling with a portable black out blind like this one

Overall I think it really depends on what side of Iceland you want to see as to whether summer or winter is better but overall I don’t think there is a right or more importantly a wrong time to visit Iceland with toddlers and babies. 

Where to Stay in Iceland with baby or toddler

Where to stay in Iceland with baby or toddler

This is another really important factor wherever you travel with a baby or toddler! I think one of the biggest things for us when we went to Iceland was wanting to have a kitchenette!  This saved us money by not having to eat out (this was definitely the most expensive part of Iceland travel in my opinion) and meant we could cater for our little one more easily! 

You could book an Airbnb to get accommodation with a kitchenette and there are plenty of options for AirBnBs in Iceland – click here to see the selection – however we wanted to stay in a hotel as we really wanted to stay somewhere with a northern lights alarm! This way we stood a chance of seeing the lights without having to drag our little one out into the cold night just for the chance of seeing a show!

A hotel that fitted both of these requirements was the Hotel stracta – which is where we ended up staying! We really liked this hotel location in Hella as it was close to both the Golden Circle and the town of Vik which meant we had really easy access to some of Iceland’s best attractions and we also in a location that was dark enough to see the Northern Lights. 

Alternatively why not check out our guide where to stay in Iceland for every budget and traveller!

Travelling to Iceland with a Baby – where to Buy Baby Supplies

When we were considering Iceland travel with a baby one of the first things I thought about was where to buy baby supplies.  As you may have heard Iceland is an expensive place so you have two options, if you are staying for a short time and have enough luggage you can bring the required baby supplies with you! But don’t worry if you can’t! There are a few chain supermarket stores in Reykjavik where you can get all the baby supplies you need. We recommend that the first port of call on your Iceland with baby itinerary should be the supermarket in Reykjavik. The supermarkets in Reykjavik we recommend trying to find are Bonus or a Netto. WE recommend going as soon as you land to stock up! It is much cheaper buying at one of the big stores in Reykjavik rather than buying once you are out of the city!

For more tips on travelling with formula fed babies check out this post! 

Getting Around Iceland – Self Drive or Excursions in Iceland with a baby or toddler

Renting a Car in Iceland with baby a good idea?

Renting a Car in Iceland with baby a good idea?

Self Drive or Excursion is perhaps the biggest question to answer when traveling with in Iceland with toddlers or babies! We opted for a self drive for several reasons –

  • we could control our own schedule and go at our own pace!
  • During the inevitable car naps we could tag team at the major attractions rather than one of us having to miss out like we might have done if we were doing group travel.
  • we could tailor the time at each attraction to our toddler and her interest
  • we could opt to do hikes that were suitable for our little one. 

However, if you are not a confident driver or worried about driving in Winter then a tour might be a good option for you! If so I recommend doing a private excursion as it means you can still work around your baby. I personally would not recommend taking your toddler or baby on a group excursion around Iceland. In fact in doing my research it seems that many of the group tours do not allow children under 2 on them. 

Best things to do in Iceland with toddler or baby 

Waterfall Chasing

Iceland has some of the most spectacular waterfalls in the world! While Gulfoss is perhaps the largest, our favourite was the rainbow ridden Selfoss! There were plenty of opportunities for getting photographs and my toddler loved feeling the spray of the waterfall on her dace. 

Top Iceland with toddler tip: Gulfoss is perhaps the waterfall with most amenities as there is a visitors centre, cafe and toilet. If you have a potty trained toddler be sure to stop here. 

See Icelandic Horses – one of the best things to do in Iceland with toddlers

Iceland has some of the most iconic horses in the world! One of things I love about Icelandic horses is how docile they are! There are some great experiences you can have with Icelandic horses that are suitable for littles!

For a Icelandic Horse experience for the whole family then check out this Icelandic Horse Experience! 

Visit a Black Sand Beach – one of the best things in Iceland for toddlers

If you are looking doe things to do in Iceland for toddlers I really recommend heading to one of the many black sand beaches in Iceland. Kids love beaches whatever color the sand! The Black Sand Beaches at Vik are one of the most child friendly excursions you can do in Iceland!

Top Iceland with Baby Tip:Although the beach at Vik is amazing please keep your child close to you and don’t venture too close to the sea. The waves and current at Vik are infamous and it is not safe to head to the shoreline. 

I would also pick a day in your Iceland with baby itinerary that is due to have better weather as in inclement weather the beaches can become dangerous. The waves and currents become more dangerous and in high winds the sand gets whipped up which can hurt the skin and eyes of adults let alone children. 

Hike the Kerid Crater

Best Things to Do In Iceland with a toddler

Best Things to Do In Iceland with a toddler

In the summer the Crater is filled with beautiful aquamarine water which in winter freezes into the perfect ice lake like you see in the picture.  While most of the routes down to the lake are steep there is one path that gentle winds down so you can reach the lake itself and can even be done with children in tow!

Tip for Kerid Crater Iceland with toddlers: If you want to do this hike with toddlers or babies I recommend wearing shoes with a good sole and taking a baby/toddler hiking carrier with you or reins for your toddler if they are going to walk.

For a full Iceland Packing List Click here!  

Whale Watching in Husavik

Whale watching is one of the most popular activities in Iceland. And while most visitors to Iceland spend their time in Reykjavik and the surrounding area, if you really want to have the best whale-watching experience in Iceland, you must make your way to the far north of Iceland.and head to a bay outside of Husavik to experience the best whale watching that the country has on offer!

Information: Some of these excursions are around 3 hours long.

For more information on  whale watching in Husavik CLICK HERE 

Can you Go to the Blue Lagoon with a baby or toddler?

This is perhaps one of the biggest questions asked when traveling to Iceland with a baby!

Children must be at least two to enter the lagoon! If you are travelling with children smaller than this you will have to take turns to enter the lagoon! For more information about visiting the blue lagoon with kids – check out this post!

One of the downsides to visiting the Blue Lagoon can be the crowds. The Blue Lagoon is not the only geothermal bath you can visit in Iceland. An alternative to the Blue Lagoon of you are worried about crowds is the Secret Lagoon – you can make your reservations here! 

Can you see the Iceland northern lights with toddler or baby?

Seeing the Iceland Northern Lights with toddler or baby really depends on the time of year you are travelling. The main Northern Lights Season in Iceland is from late September to late March. We travelled to Iceland in March with our toddler and unfortunately the lights never made appearance. But how easy is it to see the Iceland Northern lights with toddler? 

I personally would’t advise taking a group Northern lights tour with a toddler. The tours are quite late in the evening (giving you a better chance to see the lights) and on top of that you need to be somewhere remote without light pollution to stand a better chance so your toddler might not be happy to be dragged into the cold night for a chance to see the lights. 

You could consider taking a private northern lights tour as at least that way you can work round your baby or toddler. These can be quite expensive however. For more information on private Iceland Northern Lights Tours click HERE! 

As we wanted to try and see the lights we opted to stay at a hotel with a Northern Lights alarm (we stayed at ). This meant that if the lights made an appearance at anytime during our stay an alarm would go off in our room and we could go and see them. I think this was a perfect way of trying to see the Northern Lights with toddler as it meant we had chance to see them every night of our stay and we didn’t have to take a little one out into the cold for a no show! For more information on hotels with a northern lights alarm click here!

What to Pack for visiting Iceland with a baby or toddler

Waterfall - iceland with toddler or baby

Waterfall – iceland with toddler or baby

iceland with a baby

Dressing warmly is important in Iceland whatever time of year you visit! A good jacket that is waterproof is an essential as there are plenty of places you will get wet even when it’s not raining! Also having good waterproof hiking boots with a good sole is another essential for Iceland at any time of year!

For traveling with littles we also recommend taking some toddler reins! These are so important for keeping baby restrained near sheer drops and geothermal areas!

FAQs About Iceland with a baby itinerary

Looking for more Iceland Inspiration? Then Check out our other posts:

Iceland with a baby or toddler

Best Things to Do in Iceland with kids 

Iceland in March

How to Save Money in Iceland 

Best Northern Lights Hotel 

Best Places to Stay in Iceland for Every Budget

Best Waterfalls in Iceland

Best Black Sand Beaches 

Iceland with a baby or toddler #iceland #familytravel

Donatas

Tuesday 22nd of August 2023

Hey, great article, thank you for your pieces of advice and sharing all the experiences. We are going in October with a 1,5yr toddler and planning to sleep in a van. Do you find it reasonable to do ring road in 11 days while driving and staying in campsites? I guess the weather will be similar with lots of rain, wind and some roads covered in snow?

Wandermust Daddy

Wednesday 6th of September 2023

I'm afraid we didn't do it in a van. I'll have a think if I can find some info for u

Marie

Thursday 23rd of March 2023

Would you recommend a stroller for Reykjavík or other parts Iceland? If so, what kind?

Wandermust Daddy

Thursday 20th of April 2023

Hi Marie,

Reykjavik is lovely and easy to do day trips from. However we really liked Hella for those with a shorter period of time. It is easy to get to the national park, the waterfalls, Geyser and the black sand beaches of Vik from here. But to be honest I don't think there is really a bad place to go in Iceland