Iceland Family Adventure: Wild Landscapes and Viking History

The world’s northernmost capital, Reykjavik can seem like it’s in the middle of nowhere. In some ways, it is. Iceland’s capital city is arranged around Faxaflói Bay and is divided by Tjornin Lake. Streets with museums, upscale restaurants and colourful houses are surrounded by volcanoes, glaciers and lava fields. 

This sense of remoteness, and proximity to nature, makes this a particularly fun first stop on your Iceland family trip. Your three days here will be packed with Viking history, ethereal scenery and marine adventures. 

In the city centre, hike up Öskjuhlíð, a hill with woodland trails. See across Reykjavik and its wild surroundings. On clear days, you might see Snæfellsjökull glacier and the volcanic peaks of Mount Esja.

Travelling through the Icelandic Highlands is like landing on a different planet. Iceland’s interior is starkly beautiful. During your stay, you’ll engage in exclusive, unforgettable family adventures. Delve into ethereal landscapes of black lava fields, geothermal areas and glacial rivers that rush through mountain ridges.

Orange and grey peaks dominate the landscape, occasionally brightened by startling pops of colour from green meadows and electric blue crater lakes. Vikings traditionally crossed this land once a year, for law-making sessions at Thigvellir, and it remains a playground for the adventurous.

Be guided through winterscapes by snowmobile or on snowshoes. Tour on e-mountain bikes, making the wild landscapes more accessible, or embark on a bespoke family adventure, hiking through the sci-fi scenery of Hveradalir (Valley of Hot Springs) – and hearing fascinating tales about the land.

Southern Iceland will overload your senses in all the best ways. This is a land of waterfalls framed by rainbows and geysers that erupt on cue. See the basalt black sand beaches of Reynisfjara and Víkurfjara, or gaze at Skogafoos Waterfall from above, following a relatively easy climb from the roadside. At Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon, gaze out at the icebergs that decorate the water’s surface. 

During your time here, you’ll visit some of the most incredible scenery of Iceland’s famed Golden Circle loop. Stand way back at Geysir Geothermal Area, watching as Strokkur erupts boiling water into the air. See (and hear) thundering Gullfoss, whose broad twin cascades empty into a canyon. Its name, translating as ‘Golden Falls’, refers to its gilded appearance in the sunshine.

In Selfoss, considered the area’s culinary hub, restaurants draw from the wild, fertile surroundings. Taste dishes made with Icelandic lamb, fresh seafood like Arctic char and potatoes grown in volcanic soil.

Looping back to Reykjavik, you’ll have a final day to explore the city’s cool neighbourhoods, museums and galleries.  Wander down pretty streets lined with houses painted blue, yellow and burgundy, browse clothing and pick up souvenirs in Miðborg, the city’s compact downtown, or go swimming in pools fed by a geothermal spring in Laugardalur, an outdoorsy district. 

Learn more about the country’s history and wildlife at family-friendly museums like the National Museum of Iceland, Whales of Iceland and Perlan, where you can see a simulated Northern Lights show. Don’t forget to take in the surrounding views, searching for peaks and glaciers you explored on your family adventure.