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  • Iceland’s Golden Circle With Kids

    Iceland’s Golden Circle With Kids

    Iceland’s Golden Circle is a popular tourist route in southwest Iceland that consists of a 180 mile loop with several of the country’s most striking natural wonders.  Our family toured the Golden Circle on a day trip from Reykjavik at the end of our 10-day trip.  We were fortunate to pick an unusually dry day with blue skies.  While the loop takes about 3.5 hours of driving, there were plenty of amazing stops along the way, including Thingvellir National Park, Geysir and Stokkur, Gulfoss waterfall and Kerid Crater.  Our Golden Circle self drive with kids was one of the highlights of our trip to Iceland.

    Thingvellir National Park With Kids

    Our first stop on the Golden Circle was Thingvellir National Park, a beautiful national park that is also an important historical landmark near Thingvallavatn, the largest lake in  Iceland.  The country’s first Parliament convened here in 930.  Thingvellir is located in a rift valley caused by the separation of the North American and Eurasian Plates.  However, there are no obvious demarcations of the divide similar to the Bridge Between Two Continents in Reykjanes.

    Thingvellir

    After arriving at Thingvellir, we paid the 500 kr parking fee (pay and display) and headed toward the Visitor’s Center.  We picked up a free map but found it confusing at best.  So, we took a trail toward Thingvallabaer and Thingvallakirkja and enjoyed the beautiful vistas, rocky cliffs and fissures along the way. Thingvallabaer, a farm house with five gables that serves as the Prime Minister’s summer house and the park warden’s office, is a short walk. Thingvallabaer was constructed in 1930 on the 1,000th anniversary of the parliamentary assembly.  The residence is definitely not palatial by any means, but certainly charming, and the Prime Minister entertains foreign dignitaries here. We met a park ranger here who had coincidentally lived near us in Cleveland’s Little Italy during the late 1980s and early 1990s in a building where a high school friend of mine lived at the same time.  It is a small world.

    Next to Thingvallabaer is Thingvallakirkja, a tiny church that seats about 35 and coordinates with Thingvallabaer’s cream with black and green trim color scheme.  We saw many very small churches throughout Iceland, and the kids were especially excited to peek inside of this one.

    Thingvallakirkja

    The kids explored the cemetery between Thingvallabaer and Thingvallakirkja before we head back to the car. 

    Thingvellir is also the site of the Silfra fissure where divers snorkel between the North American and Eurasian continents.  This is one of the best fresh water dive spots.  Appropriate gear, included wetsuits, is necessary, and many tour companies offer snorkeling tours even to inexperienced divers.

    • Kid Facts: Thingvellir was the site of Iceland’s parliament from the 10th to 18th centuries. In 1930, it became Iceland’s first national park.
    • Kid Moment: Our kids (particularly our daughter) enjoyed following a family of ducks on the trail. 

     

    Geysir Hot Spring Area With Kids

    Our next stop visiting the Golden Circle with kids was the Geysir Hot Spring Area.  Geysir, which is also known as the Great Geysir, is the geyser for which all geysers are named.  Geysir derives from the Icelandic verb meaning “to gush.”   While Geysir erupted over 500 feet in the air in the 19th century, its eruptions became infrequent.  People found that if they threw rocks into Geysir, they could force an eruption. Unfortunately, this practice ultimately led to Geysir’s demise, and Geysir is currently dormant and just bubbles steam.  64°18′39″N 20°18′14″W

    While Geysir no longer erupts, visitors looking for an active geyser will Strokkur just a short walk from Geysir. Strokkur is not as high as Geysir once was, but it a perfect tourist destination because it erupts every few minutes at varying heights up to 125 feet. We stayed for at least six or seven eruptions and really enjoyed it even though it was one of the buggiest locations on our trips. While none of us were actually bitten, but we felt constantly swarmed.

    • Kid Facts: Geyers are temporary geological features that are usually found in volcanic terrain. Geysers erupt because ground water comes into contact with hot bedrock and heats up. When the water reaches peak temperature and pressure, a tall column of superheated water and steam are sent up into the air.
    • Kid Moment: This is a good place to talk about the importance of leaving no trace when you visit nature and the destruction that human interference can cause.
    • Kid Caution: Because the erupting water is super hot, children need to be reminded to stay back behind the rope

     

    Gullfoss With Kids

    Gullfoss is my all-time was my favorite waterfall – even tops Niagara Falls. The water was crystal blue, and there were great views of both sets of falls and plenty of rainbows when we visited. While Gullfoss is not as wide, as steep or as powerful as Niagara Falls, I immediately made the comparison in terms of beauty.  What made Gullfoss so special was that it was so much more untouched than Niagara.   The tourist center, located right off the parking lot, was well developed with a restaurant and tourist shops, but it was the only building visible from the falls in any direction.  The 360 degree view was simply breathtaking.  64°19′34″N 20°07′16″W

    • Kid Facts:  Different investors in the 20th century wanted to use Gullfoss to generate electricity, but it was eventually sold to Iceland and protected.
    • Kid Moments:  Look for rainbows from every viewpoint.  Talk about protecting natural wonders.
    • Kid Caution:  Paths at Gullfoss are more developed than many other sites, but because the view is from the top, it is necessary to hold hands with little ones and keep them well back from the roped off areas or edges.

     

    Kerið With Kids

    Kerið is a volcanic crater lake on the Golden Circle route and easy for families to explore. Landowners charge an entrance fee (400 kr or $3.75). 64°02′28″N 20°53′06″W / 64.041°N 20.885°W

    On our way to Kerið, we turned too soon and ended up on an unpaved road we believed would take us to Kerið.  We did realize our mistake but found the mystery crater adjacent to Kerið pretty fascinating in the meantime.

    Why We Loved the Golden Circle With Kids

    The Golden Circle is a fantastic day trip from Reykjavik, particularly in the summer when daylight is not a scarce commodity.  We were fortunate to have several days in Reykjavik at the end of our Ring Road trip and chose to visit the Golden Circle on the day with the best weather forecast and actually had no rain whatsoever.  The Golden Circle highlights some of Iceland’s most beautiful natural wonders and a bit of history, too.

    Interested in finding out more about Iceland with kids?  Check out our listing of all Iceland posts or join our Facebook group We Go To Iceland With Kids, which is a forum to ask questions and share ideas about family travel to Iceland.

  • Iceland Packing List With Kids

    Iceland Packing List With Kids

    Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, We Go With Kids will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Opinions are the author’s.

    Packing for Iceland’s potentially very cold, wet and windy weather has challenges, especially when traveling on Iceland’s budget airline, WOW air, which charges additional baggage fees for bags larger than a personal item (e.g. a small backpack).  We are often asked what to pack for Iceland.  It’s further complicated by the fact that clothing and gear in Iceland can cost many times the average for similar items in the US, so it’s not wise to plan to pick up needed items upon arrival.  However, we were able to fit the luggage for our family’s 10-day trip into one large checked suitcase and five small backpacks.  We packed most of our clothes in our individual backpacks that we carried as our free personal items.  This method kept our clothes separate and organized.  We packed all our gear and large items in the suitcase, which almost exactly hit WOW air’s size and weight limits.  If I went back, I would definitely be even more efficient in terms of packing.  Note:  The link to the links to our Iceland packing list is at the bottom of the post : ).

    Iceland Packing List – Rain Gear

    It is essential to bring layers and good rain gear to Iceland.  None of us had ever owned rain pants, and I was a bit skeptical about whether or not they were really necessary when I purchased a pair for each of us.  (Toddler sized rain gear was hard to find, so we brought a pair of light snow pants for our two year old instead.)  We chose Mountain Warehouse Pakka for the boys and Swisswell for my husband.  I even left the tags on to return if they ended up not being needed.  However, we discovered in the first few hours in Iceland that rain pants were definitely necessary and served as great protection from both the rain and the wind.  Don’t head to Iceland without a rain jacket and rain pants for everyone traveling to Iceland.  These are not optional items, but feel free to leave the tags on the pants just in case.  Due to high winds, I don’t think we ever found umbrellas to be helpful, but we probably brought one or two in hopes that any rain we experienced would not be accompanied by crazy wind.

    Iceland Packing List – Layers

    Layering is key in Iceland.  We purchased base layers from 32 Degrees Heat (check out women’s top and pants and kids’ set).  On cold/wet days, we wore hats, gloves, base layers, shirts, fleeces, rain jacket and rain pants. On warmer and sunnier days, long-sleeved shirts were sufficient, but we generally needed to have a light jacket available.  Even during our trip in June, we wore our heavier coats on occasion when temperatures were in the low 40s with high winds.  With a fleece, rain jacket and heavier coat for each of us, that was a lot of luggage space dedicated to jackets.  The perfect fleece/rain jacket combo could have replaced the heavier coats, but especially after heavy rains, we were very happy to have a dry alternatives.

    Iceland Packing List – Clothes

    We selected clothing items for versatility and quick dry capabilities.  We only brought casual clothes and did not need more formal attire anywhere we went, and the weather was never warm enough for shorts.  Because we wore rain gear and jackets most of the time, our clothes were rarely visible in pictures.  We found we had more changes of clothes than we really needed, especially because we did laundry every few days.

    Iceland Packing List – Shoes

    I had read that waterproof hiking boots were absolutely necessary in Iceland.  We purchased hiking boots for the boys during our local Stride Rite‘s store going out of business sale but discovered on a practice hike that even with additional waterproofing, they did not repel water adequately and chose not to bring them.  With the relatively high cost for each pair of waterproof boots and no plans to do any serious hikes during our trip, we decided not to invest in waterproof hiking boots but brought two pairs of sturdy shoes each.  Our shoes were sufficient, and we didn’t regret not springing for more appropriate footwear that we would likely not use at home.  While visiting the muddy Hverir near Myvatn, we did wish that we had disposable shoe covers that the tour companies clearly were giving out.  Luckily, none of our shoes were destroyed by the mud, but if someone was selling them by the entrance, I probably would have been willing to pay many times their actual value.

    Iceland Packing List – Swimming Gear

    Iceland is not a beach destination, but geothermal pools should not be missed.  Packing for Iceland’s pools is definitely unique, though.  When swimming outdoors in cold temperatures, pool side lounging is not a thing.  Flip flops are not permitted in changing rooms, and the only geothermal pool we saw them used at was the Blue Lagoon.   Even in June, it was too cold to wear them outdoors, so they are really only usable in hotels and at the Blue Lagoon.  Personally, I wish I left our flip flops and also my pool cover up at home.  Floaties are provided at all pools, and I’m not sure if ones brought from home would be permitted.  Also not needed are beach toys.  The black sand beaches are gorgeous, but not the ideal location for sand play.  We brought suits, pool towels and goggles with us.  It was possible to rent suits and pool towels, but the rental cost was equal to the cost of pool admission (and renting suits was not something I would want to do).  Although not typical “swimming gear”, visitors to the Blue Lagoon who want to take pictures while bathing with their mobile phones will want to bring a waterproof case, such as the Lifeproof case, to avoid shelling out some ridiculous amount on site for something similar to a ziplock bag.  We left our phones in the lockers and brought our waterproof camera instead.

    Iceland Packing List – Medicine

    Over the counter medicine is available in Iceland, but not 24/7.  As usual, we brought both children’s and regular ibuprofen and a thermometer but luckily did not need it.

    Iceland Packing List – Food

    Food is widely available but expensive in Iceland.  It’s helpful to pack snacks for the plane and at least food for breakfast upon arrival as most flights get in before groceries open.  Our favorite grocery stores in Iceland were Bonus, Kronan and Netto.

    Iceland Packing List – Stroller/Carrier

    Iceland is not a place to bring a stroller as there is virtually no use for it outside of the Keflavik Airport where free strollers are available.  The terrain in most of the country is just not conducive to stroller use.  In heavy rain, wind or particularly rocky terrain, I carried our toddler in our Beco Baby Carrier, which worked out great.  The only place we could have used a stroller was during our brief visit to Reykjavik’s mall, Kringlan.

    Iceland Packing List – Car Seats

    WOW air permits a free stroller or a car seat for each child under seven.  Because we were not bringing a stroller, we brought a convertible car seat for our daughter. We knew there was a chance that our LATCH system convertible car seat might not work with ISOFIX.  We brought installation instructions for the seat and its safety clips but were pleased that the seat installed perfectly with ISOFIX.  For each of our boys, we brought an inflatable BubbleBum Travel Booster Seat. These fit into our suitcase easily but needed to be re-inflated frequently.

    Iceland Packing List – Miscellaneous

    When traveling to Iceland in the summer, an eye mask may be helpful if sleeping during day light is an issue.  Also, neck pillows are especially helpful for travel on Wow air as the seats do not recline.  We brought our Garmin GPS, which includes European maps.  It was helpful, but we wished we had a good map of Iceland as soon as we arrived.  Also, there were some complications due to the complexity of the Icelandic alphabet, so we wished we needed to record the GPS coordinates of our destinations in advance.

    Planning your own trip to Iceland with kids?  Check out our listing of all Iceland posts or join our Facebook group We Go To Iceland With Kids, a forum to ask questions and share ideas about family travel to Iceland and our Iceland Trip Packing List (use tally marks to keep track of what is packed).