Visiting Iceland with family: Best experiences from Reykjavik for kids

In Iceland's capital, Reykjavik, you'll find a wide variety of activities to enjoy and many of them, you can do with children. It's a city with colourful streets, beautiful scenery, lots of parks and hot spring pools that the little ones will love. The key is to get organised and take note of some tips to make the most of your trip.

You'll find lots of fun for the little ones and attractions for the whole family. My first tip is to consider guided tours for children, which are much more convenient and you won't have to worry about organisation. You can also visit museums, where the little ones will have fun learning, and do outdoor activities for the whole family.

One of the best ways to enjoy Reykjavik as a family is to take advantage of guided tours of the city. This way, you'll make sure that the kids can be comfortable and enjoy the activity and get to know and explore the city at the same time.

You'll have plenty of options to choose from, but to add a little extra fun to the tour, I recommend some that are particularly ideal for families, such as a bike tour of Reykjavík or a whale watching excursion from the city's old harbour.

On either tour, children must be accompanied by an adult. And note that on the whale watching tour you can take the pram. These options will allow you to get to know the city in a different way and will be a great plan for the whole family.

The National Museum of Iceland is located in the city of Reykjavik and offers a unique place for children to visit.

Here the little ones can let their imaginations run wild and dress up in fun Viking costumes, with swords and shields, play with historical objects and even enjoy listening to stories or reading books.

It is important to note that this space is suitable for children between 5 and 12 years of age. In addition, the place is adapted so that you can go through it with a pram. And best of all, it is a free activity for children under the age of 18.

Interesting information

• Where: Suðurgata, 101 Reykjavík.
• Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm. Closed on Mondays.
• Price: about 10 euros per person and children under 18 are free.

Another great attraction to visit with children is the Reykjavík Botanical Garden. This is an open-air museum with educational and recreational activities for the whole family, where you will see a huge diversity of vegetation spread over 8 sections with more than 3,000 species of plants.

Every week there are different activities taking place there, so I recommend that you check before you go to see what activities will be available so you can prepare for the occasion.

There are guided tours that include lunch, and others that do not. In the latter case, it's best to be cautious and take some snacks for the little ones and something to drink in your backpack.

Note that admission to the Botanical Garden is free and it is open between 10am and 3pm in winter and from 10am to 10pm in summer.

Interesting facts

• Where: Hverfisgata 105, Hverfisgata 105, 101 Reykjavík.
• Opening hours: Monday to Sunday from 10am to 10pm in summer, 3pm in winter.
• Price: Free admission.

At the Árbær Open Air Museum, children and adults alike will have fun learning about Reykjavík's customs, traditions and architecture, and be transported back in time to the way of life of years gone by.

It is very entertaining for children, as they can see domestic animals and participate in exhibitions and events that tell the history of the city. This site has more than 20 buildings that make up a square, a village and a farm. I recommend you check the calendar of activities before you go.

Note that in the summer you can access this open-air museum between 10am and 5pm and in the winter from 1pm to 5pm. It's another good activity to visit with children, as it's fun and free for children under 17.

Useful information

• Where: 4, 110, Kistuhylur, Reykjavík.
• Opening hours: between 10am and 5pm and in winter from 1pm to 5pm.
• Price: about 12 euros per person and free admission for children under 17.

At Laugardalslaug swimming pools you will find a complex of pools and thermal baths that is ideal for the whole family to enjoy.

It is the largest pool in Reykjavík and has extensive new facilities for the little ones, such as slides, which your kids will love, some hot tubs, steam baths, gym, mini-golf, you name it!

Interesting facts

• Where: Sundlaugavegur 105, 105, Reykjavík.
• Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 6.30am to 10pm and on Saturdays and Sundays from 8am to 10pm.
• Price: for adults, about 7 euros per person and for children under 17, 1 euro per person.

Nauthólsvík geothermal beach is relatively new. It was established in 2001 and attracts about 550,000 visitors a year.

Its main feature is that it consists of hot and cold water melting together in a unique lagoon, with a temperature reaching 38 °C.

It is the perfect place for a family day out. The children can do outdoor activities such as sailing or playing in the paddling pool, while you can sunbathe, use the steam baths or swim in the sea to counteract the heat of the pool, as the water there is around 15°C in summer.

You can access the spa all year round and you'll find changing rooms, showers, restaurants for a bite to eat and even a barbecue area.

Interesting facts

• Where: In the south of the city, near Reykjavík airport.
• Opening hours: daily from 11am to 7pm, except Sundays when it is closed.
• Price: about 5.50 euros per person.

The Perlan building is a must-see in Reykjavík and an ideal place to visit with the whole family.

It is a 25-metre high building, which houses a revolving restaurant, a viewing platform on the fourth floor and the Perlan Museum.

In the museum, your children will be able to learn a lot about **Iceland'**s glaciers, their history, how they are shaped, and what the future holds for them. But the most fun part is that everyone will be able to travel through an ice cave.

Without a doubt, it is a very complete and entertaining experience for the whole family to enjoy. Both adults and children will have fun learning and appreciating the best views in this futuristic building.

Interesting facts

• Where: 105 Reykjavík.
• Opening hours: daily from 9am to 9pm.
• Price: about 32 euros for adults, 17 euros for children aged 6-16 and free admission for children under 6.

If you're planning a trip to Reykjavik in autumn or winter, seeing the Northern Lights is something you can't leave out of your itinerary, especially if you're travelling with children. These dates are the best time to see the Northern Lights in Iceland.

Your kids will love this natural masterpiece and it's a great time to enjoy it as a family. You will find several options to see the northern lights from Reykjavik, but if you plan to go with children I recommend a guided tour, as it will be the most comfortable way to get there and the most entertaining for the little ones.

Remember that it is very important to choose the right clothing for this type of excursion, as temperatures can be very cold. In fact, the colder it gets, the brighter the auroras will appear in the sky.

The best times to see them are from 6 p.m. to 4 a.m., as long as the sky is clear.

A walk around Lake Tjörn is definitely one of the best things to do as a family. Your children will have plenty of green space to play and have fun.

This lake is located right in the historic centre of Reykjavík and makes a beautiful landscape with the colourful houses that border it, making it one of the most picturesque and photographable places in the city.

It is an emblematic place in Reykjavík, as it was the first place where the settlers who arrived in Iceland in the 9th century disembarked.
Today it is a very quiet area, where families go to spend the day, enjoy a stroll or watch their children playing and feeding the ducks, swans and geese that inhabit the waters of the lake.

Interesting facts

• Where: in the Old Town of Reykjavík
• Opening hours: all day
• Price: Free admission.

Food is not a minor detail if you plan to visit Reykjavik with children. It is important that you have a list of restaurants and shops where you can stop for a meal that both children and adults will enjoy.

Here are a few places for you to consider.

• Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur: the most classic place to start and a never-fail option. This is an Icelandic chain of hot dog stands and they have a reputation for being the best in town. Plus, the prices are affordable so you can grab a bite to eat and still be able to wander around the city. The stall is located a few metres from Reykjavik harbour.
• Café Laundromat: this is not just another place in the city, it is a unique experience and the ideal place for the youngest members of the family. It's a mix of good coffee with delicious food options and a laundromat. Yes, you can wash your clothes while having a coffee. But, as if that wasn't exotic enough, it has an exclusive play area to entertain the little ones - an oasis for families!
• Valdís: yes, in Reykjavík you can have ice cream no matter the temperature and this ice cream parlour has the best for the whole family to enjoy. It is located a few streets away from the city's cathedral and is a good place to rest and recharge your batteries for more strolling.
• Reykjavik Fish: This is another excellent option to enjoy lunch or dinner with the family overlooking the harbour. They have a variety of dishes for all tastes and the best and most popular Fish and Chip in Reykjavik.

Travelling to Reykjavík with children can be very economical if you know how to take advantage of reduced rates at attractions and plan ahead for activities.

As you can see, it's just a matter of good organisation. There are many activities, such as guided tours of the Botanical Gardens, which are free to the general public, but these are few and far between.

At many others, such as the National Museum of Iceland, you only have to pay for adult admission, as children under 18 are free. And in some others, children pay a lower fee, such as the Laugardalslaug swimming pools.

So, before you buy tickets for the various activities, I recommend that you find out which ones are free for children or have a reduced rate. This way you can make a list of attractions, keeping in mind the budget you will spend on each activity and assessing whether it is worth it.

You've probably heard that it's cold in Iceland and yes, it's true. However, there are activities to do all year round and each season has its own charm.

If you are planning to visit Reykjavík with children, you should take into account which are the months when you can do more activities and get to know the city better without them freezing in the attempt. In principle, here is a guide to the best time to visit Reykjavík so that you can decide when you prefer to travel.

In Iceland you'll find plenty of activities to do in summer and winter. But personally, if you want to travel with children, I recommend the intermediate seasons (autumn and spring) or summer, although as it is high season, it tends to be more expensive. It's up to you.

In addition, I recommend that beyond the temperature, you take into account the length of the days. In winter, the days are shorter and the attractions tend to open later and close earlier, so you'll have to organise yourself well to see what you want to see with the little ones.

Many times the Reykjavík sightseeing bus can be a great ally and on a family trip, I assure you it can be an excellent choice.

It all depends on what you want to do and how much time you have to visit the city, but without a doubt this alternative is comfortable for the little ones and very profitable.

The Reykjavík sightseeing bus ticket costs about 26 € per adult and 13 € for children between 6 and 15 years old and allows you to visit all the essential points of the city in 24 or 48 hours, depending on your choice, along 15 stops.

On the tour you'll find places like Hallgrímur Church, Perlan, the National Gallery of Iceland, Laugardalur Park, the National Museum of Iceland, the Víkin Maritime Museum, Kringlan Mall, Whales of Iceland, and much more.

You can also use it as a means of transport to get around Reykjavík, which is very economical if you are travelling as a family, as buying a ticket for this bus means you don't have to use public transport.