r/VisitingIceland • u/yassin6868 • 7d ago
Visiting Iceland with 5 year old boy
Hello, we are planning on visiting iceland this September and deciding to either bring our 5 year old son with us or just leave him with the grandparents. For those of you who travelled to iceland with kids. Did you find it difficult to do the activities with small kids… is the hiking trails difficult? We are planning on renting a campervan for 10-14 days and stay at campsites to go through the ring circle
Thank you
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u/Law-of-Poe 7d ago
We took our three year old earlier this year. He absolutely loved it.
But we did Airbnb, not camper vans.
Edit: our full write up
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7d ago
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u/GraceOfTheNorth Ég tala íslensku 7d ago
As a local I agree. Sure it's a nice family vacation but this is a unique chance for mom and dad to experience Iceland for its benefits, not its limitations.
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u/Ancient-Space1260 7d ago
Iceland is very child friendly. Almost all restaurants (except the super fancy ones) will be accommodating and many restaurants have a play area where kids can hang out while parents eat. All towns have playgrounds and pools. The pools all have an area with shallow water, some with slides. Jumping pillows are really fun (with a 5-year-old they will need a parent with them to supervise).
You likely won't be able to do real hikes, unless the kid's into hiking, but many sites are accessible via short walk/hike. There's a lot of car time traveling from one site to the next so consider whether your kid can handle longer drives.
With kids no matter where you go you have to limit the activities to one or two per day and take it slower, so that's also a consideration.
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u/Beltrix_Travel 7d ago
When my son was 2 we took him to Iceland for 10 days and also rented a campervan. It was a fantastic trip and I can't say there were any moments of regret or second-guessing the trip. Of course you have to be mindful that there's a lot of beaches/sand to walk through, hiking, and you're guaranteed to get wet at some point. The hiking trails are as difficult as you make them - some are very easy and others are treacherous, so it's important to do some research about which specific trails or sites you want to hike on. You can also get some inspiration or ideas from here - https://www.visiticeland.com/article/iceland-for-kids
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u/puffin-net 6d ago
September is not hiking season, with kids or without. Short walks around sites with parking, so you can turn back if the weather gets rough, sure. Hiking in Iceland is not for people without experience and proper gear. Many trails are closed by September anyway.
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u/wonderwyzard 7d ago
We just got back with a five year old and she loved it. Like all travel with kids, manage expectations. We definitely had to skip the last stop a couple of days because she was too burnt out. Also playgrounds and kids stuff (including the water park) really does refresh them, so stop at literally any playground you see. With my kiddo at least she likes to be comfortable so offer changes of clothes, shoes, etc. We could have used a second pair of waterproof hiking boots.
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u/doomysmartypants 6d ago
Search for ærslabelgur (jumping pillow) along your route. They were a lifesaver for our 4.5 year old on our recent trip. Playgrounds in Iceland felt very safe and accessible for her age. It was also usually an opportunity to chat with other parents/travelers.
Edit to add: our kid has talked about Iceland every day since we got back. It was such an enriching experience for all of us. It depends on the goals of your trip of course, but I'm so grateful we got to bring her.