Arrive in Reykjavik, pick up your pre-booked rental car, and head to the Blue Lagoon, where you can soak away the aches and pains of air travel. Set in a vast lava field on Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula, the popular Blue Lagoon is the perfect way to kick off this family adventure. Milky-blue geothermal waters rise from deep within the earth, rich with silica and minerals, swirling gently against black volcanic rock. Steam drifts across the surface, blurring the line between land, water, and sky.

Make your way downtown to your hotel for the next two nights. Your afternoon is free to spend at leisure.

Enjoy a morning city walk of Reykjavik with a Viking, which is perfectly paced for families, with compact, colorful, and full of small discoveries that invite curiosity at every turn. With a small group, get your bearings in the capital city and make the most of your stay in Iceland. Visit all the highlights of Reykjavik city center and also some hidden spots, like a visit to an Elf home and other local gems. Families will enjoy exploring the Icelandic capital on foot, where storytelling, culture, and play naturally blend. Strolling through the city center, children are often drawn to the bright corrugated houses and whimsical street art, while parents appreciate the ease of car-free exploration. Along the way, your guide will bring Reykjavík to life with tales of Vikings, elves, and modern Icelandic innovation, stories that feel right at home in a city where folklore and contemporary life coexist.

Spend the afternoon exploring at your own pace.

Today, you will explore The Golden Circle, a popular journey in southern Iceland covering approximately 200 miles. From waterfalls to hot springs, you’ll be in awe of the undisturbed, otherworldly landscape. Begin with a visit to Thingvellir National Park, once the site of Iceland’s parliament from the 10^th to 18^th centuries. While exploring the park, you’ll find the ruins of churches and old stone shelters throughout. One major highlight is walking through the Almannagia rift, a geologically impressive gorge which marks the end of the North American tectonic plate and contains the iconic Öxarárfoss waterfall.

Later, make your way to the Lava Tunnel Tour, which allows you to explore the tunnel in an easy and enjoyable manner with a small group. Step into the Lava Tunnel Tour and discover an underground world shaped by fire and the passage of time. This guided route invites you to explore the tunnel comfortably and at your own pace, even through areas once buried beneath massive rocks and uneven lava flows. Cleverly designed footbridges and walkways carry you across the roughest sections, making the experience accessible and enjoyable for most visitors. As you move deeper inside, dramatic lighting brings the tunnel to life, revealing shifting colors in the rock and vividly showcasing the immense volcanic forces that carved this remarkable passage beneath the earth.

Next, you’ll continue driving about an hour to the Geysir hot spring area, featuring boiling mud pits, exploding geysers, and the highly active Strokkur, which spouts water 100 feet into the air every few minutes. Your next stop on the circle is Gullfoss, one of Iceland’s most famous waterfalls, located just a few miles away from the hot spring. Admire the power and beauty of the falls before either wrapping up your day and heading home to the hotel, or if you have the energy, we recommend a visit to the nearby village, Fludir, where you can take a swim in the “Secret Lagoon”. The total drive time today is approximately 2 hours.

Hit the road again today with a lot of interesting stops to choose from as you make your way to the Westman Islands.

You can drive approximately 1.5  hours to either Seljalandsfoss or Skogafoss, both iconic waterfalls. Neither will disappoint! Seljalandsfoss is unique because it can be fully encircled, so you could start your morning with a nice walk around it. Alternatively, Skogafoss is impressive just by the sheer volume of the falls. In fact, these falls give off so much spray that a rainbow can normally be seen around it in sunny weather!

Take the ferry to the Westman Islands, also known as Vestmannaeyjar. The islands are a small archipelago of 15 islands, off Iceland’s south coast, known for dramatic volcanic landscapes, rich wildlife, and a resilient island community. The Westman Islands are one of the best places in the world to see Atlantic puffins, especially in summer. The cliffs also host guillemots, kittiwakes, fulmars, and other seabirds. Spend the day exploring this remote yet lively community.

During the day, enjoy a boat tour of the islands. Do you like to have an adventure and have a blast in Iceland? Then this speedboat tour is perfect for your family. You will enjoy riding fast on the waves, but in between, you will stop and check out some sea caves, which some can only be entered on a Rib Boat. During your stops, you will also be told stories about the islands, nature, and history, and you will also visit the Elephant Rock. During the ride, you will see a lot of wildlife, including seabirds such as fulmars, kittiwakes, gannets, and puffins. Sometimes whales and seals are also spotted during the ride. (minimum age is 6 years old)

Return ferry to the mainland. Rest of the day at leisure.

Head west today to Borgarnes. Borgarnes is a small but historically rich town in west Iceland, set on a peninsula along Borgarfjörður. Surrounded by fjords, mountains, lava fields, and rivers, Borgarnes offers wide views across the bay and into the Borgarfjörður region.

In the town of Borgarnes, you will have the opportunity to visit educational centers, including The Settlement Center, showing a series of exhibitions on Icelandic settlement, as well as the island nation’s most famous Viking and first poet, Egill Skallagrimsson. For those interested in Norse mythology and history, Reykholt Medieval Center is a must. Reykholt was once home to Snorri Sturluson, perhaps the most influential Icelandic figure of all time. He was a Saga writer, politician, historiographer, and poet.

The total drive time for this day should be approximately 2 hours.

Make your way today to Skagafjorður, a broad, fertile fjord and valley region in northern Iceland, celebrated for its strong cultural traditions, horse breeding, and deep ties to Icelandic history.

En route, and for more outdoorsy adventures, visit Deildartunguhver, Europe’s most powerful hot spring, where you can learn how the water from the spring is used to heat local homes. If the water looks too inviting, make a stop at nearby Krauma Geothermal Baths for a dip in it! These baths are usually less busy than the Blue Lagoon, so you can look forward to a more serene experience.

Later, head deeper into the valley toward Hraunfossar Waterfalls, a series of falls formed by small streams over a distance of about a half a mile, originating from a lava field which flowed from an eruption of a nearby volcano located under the glacier Langjökull. This is a great spot for photo ops, as it’s amazing to see the clear, blue water fall from the dark lava.

In the afternoon, you have the option of taking a tour of the Langjökull Glacier to see just where this crystal clear water is coming from. The tour begins in Husafell, where you will climb into a monster truck, head to the glacier, and travel through the manmade 2,000ft tunnel.

Should your family have a bit more energy, there is also a playground and outdoor swimming pool in Husafell.

Total drive time is approximately 4 hours.

The Skagafjorður region is often called the heartland of the Icelandic horse. Horse breeding, riding tours, and annual competitions are central to local identity here.

For first-time riders to fanatical horse enthusiasts, we have a horseback riding excursion planned today. With experienced guides at your side, you might be crossing rivers, climbing up and down steep mountains, tölting over smooth fields, or visiting the scenic waterfall “Reykjafoss” (depending on your level of riding experience). There is no better way to explore the beautiful landscape of Skagafjörður than on horseback.

The rest of the day, you are free to explore the area.

This morning, make your way to Tröllaskagi, which is an extremely beautiful area in Northern Iceland. Tröllaskagi, meaning “the Troll Peninsula,” is a dramatic and rugged region known for its towering mountains, deep valleys, and strong ties to Icelandic folklore. Jutting out between Skagafjörður and Eyjafjörður, the peninsula is dominated by sharp peaks and alpine terrain that feel strikingly different from Iceland’s more commonly visited lowlands and lava fields.

A small fishing village, Siglufjörður, once the herring capital of the North Atlantic, is home to the herring museum which you can also visit.

Or if you prefer a nice soak, you could visit Hofsós Swimming Pool, or there are hot tubs down by the ocean in Hauganes that are very popular with kids.

Then make your way to Akureyri. Known as the “Capital of the North,” it is small in size but expansive in spirit—a colorful, culture-rich town set against a backdrop of snow-draped peaks, steaming geothermal fields, and a sea alive with whales.

Enjoy a whale watching excursion from Akureyri, which combines breathtaking fjord scenery, expert local guides, and the chance to see majestic marine giants in their natural habitat. As you venture into the fjord, the search for the famous Eyjafjord Humpback Whales begins. These gentle giants, along with minke whales, white-beaked dolphins, and harbor porpoises, are frequently spotted in these waters. Our expert marine biologists will provide insights into the behavior of these incredible creatures, enhancing your understanding and appreciation of their natural environment.

After the tour, you have the option to add on other site visit in Akureyri, such as:

Goðafoss Waterfall: One of Iceland’s most iconic waterfalls, Goðafoss is an easy must-stop. The falls form a perfect horseshoe cascade, powerful yet graceful, with walking paths on both sides. Visit both the east and west banks for different perspectives.

Mývatn Nature Baths: Often called “the Blue Lagoon of the North.” Sit in warm mineral water surrounded by mountains and volcanic landscapes.

Lake Mývatn: Famous for its stunning volcanic landscapes, rich birdlife (especially ducks), geothermal areas like Hverarönd, and unique lava formations such as Dimmuborgir.

In the morning, you’ll make your way back toward Reykjavik by a flight with Icelandic Air (not included in the overland price). For your family’s final day in Iceland, perhaps you’d like to enjoy exploring the country’s unique capital on foot, an ideal way to see this quaint town. Some of the city center highlights include a visit to Church Hallgrímskirkja, the parliament building, the city hall, the old harbor, and, of course, strolling down the main streets of Laugavegur, Bankastræti, and Skólavörðustígur.

Alternatively, there are a number of fascinating museums to check out, including “Harbour House” Hafnarhús at the Reykjavík Art Museum, the National Gallery near the Lake Tjörnin, the National Museum, as well as the Maritime Museum Víkin. If your family is curious about the northern lights, you can find an exhibition about them just around the corner from the harbor. For architecture buffs, we highly recommend a visit to the recently built music and congress hall, Harpa, one of Iceland’s most distinguished landmarks. Concerts are often held here in the afternoons and evenings.

Family Tip: If you want something more overtly family-friendly, the Laugardalur valley is popular among local families with children as it has a small zoo, amusement park, and sporting facilities, such as an indoor ice skating venue and a public geothermal swimming pool.

Your Icelandic family adventure has come to an end. Depart for the airport to catch your flight onward.