What do you do when you’ve got a great deal on airfare to Iceland, a cozy Airbnb just outside of Reykjavík, a rental car, two kids, and one week to explore? Read on to discover our one week Iceland itinerary with kids (on a semi-budget)!
There is so much to see in Iceland. We knew we would want to be on the go the entire week. Whether or not the weather would cooperate would be one question we’d just have to wait to answer. We decided to visit Iceland in early October. This meant several things for us. We would have ample daylight to be able to see the sights. There would also be a good chance to see the Northern Lights, especially since we would be there during a new moon. Rental car companies in Iceland generally don’t put snow tires on the cars until November, so we wouldn’t have to deal with that. And finally, we hoped crowds would be less than peak season. Since we homeschool, October is a good a time as any to travel!
Semi-Budget Travel
Besides the fantastic deal we got on airfare, we wanted to maintain our goal of semi-budget travel…budget-conscious travel, with a splurge here and there. This one week Iceland itinerary is semi-budget travel to the max! Click HERE to find out exactly how we made it happen, including exactly how much we spent on the entire trip.
One Week Iceland Itinerary (with Kids)
We had never been to Iceland before, never rented a car in a foreign country before, and never had to wear cold weather gear for an entire week before! I wanted to incorporate geothermal, cultural, local, Blue Lagoon, Golden Circle, and more…on a semi-budget! Guess what? It worked! Here’s our one week Iceland itinerary, focusing on the southwest part of the island.
Days 1 & 2 – Getting There, Exploring Reykjavík, & Grocery Shopping
Our 8-9 hour non-stop flight left from LAX on a Thursday. We arrived in Iceland on Friday morning, claimed our luggage, put on our heavy coats (!), and picked-up our rental car (Blue Car Rental for the win!). We leisurely drove into Reykjavík and checked into our Airbnb ($40 travel credit for new Airbnb guests!). Our only plan for the rest of the day was to go grocery shopping, especially since grocery stores seem to close rather early in Iceland.
The weather, however, was fabulous (meaning here: clear skies). So, we decided to drive into downtown Reykjavík and see some of the main places on our list. These included the Sun Voyager and Þúfa.
We then went grocery shopping at a Bónus location near our Airbnb (we made it there before closing time!).
Day 3 – Costco, Harpa, Settlement Exhibition
Saturday – This morning was the only one of the trip that allowed for a late start and a little relaxation. It was a rainy, blustery day. We were very glad we had the time the day before to see the outdoor sights in downtown Reykjavík.
Visiting Costco Iceland was the main goal this morning. Why? Well, why not? Just for kicks!
A cultural experience was pre-booked for this day. We attended a symphony concert for children at Harpa Concert Hall in downtown Reykjavík. It was fantastic!
The heavy rain continued, so we ended up at the Settlement Exhibition.
Day 4 – Golden Circle, (Northern Lights!)
Sunday – Golden Circle day! We would’ve liked to attend a service at Hallgrímskirkja, but their one Sunday service is at 11:00 a.m. Unfortunately, that wouldn’t work with our tight schedule.
Our stops on the Golden Circle were as follows:
- Þingvellir
- Efstidalur
- Gullfoss
- Friðheimar Greenhouse Restaurant
- feeding an Icelandic horse
- Geysir/Strokkur Geothermal Area
- Skálholt
- Kerið Crater
We so hoped we would see the Northern Lights as part of our one week Iceland itinerary. It happened! This was the one night we saw the Northern Lights. We literally stepped outside to check the night sky at just the right time. It was gone 10 minutes later!
Day 5 – Waterfalls, Black Sand Beach
Monday
- Keldur (just walked around, buildings not open – out of season)
- Seljalandsfoss
- Skógafoss
- Reynisfjara black sand beach and basalt stacks – The sneaker waves are no joke. Thankfully, nothing tragic occurred, but we did see a group of people get caught off-guard by a wave that soaked them up to their knees.
Day 6 – Blue Lagoon, Bridge Between Continents, Geothermal Areas
Tuesday – The main event today was visiting the Blue Lagoon, although we had more site visits planned for the afternoon. Read our extensive Blue Lagoon review HERE.
After lunch, we visited:
- Bridge Between Continents
- Gunnuhver Geothermal Area
- Seltún Geothermal Area
Day 7 – Hallgrímskirkja, Scenic Viewpoint, Viking World, Local Pool
Wednesday – As it turns out, Hallgrímskirkja also has a Wednesday morning service at 8:00 a.m. It is a more intimate gathering of a couple dozen congregants. Although the service was in Icelandic, one of the hymn tunes was familiar to us. We were even invited to have “coffee” (translation = second breakfast) with them afterwards in a private meeting room. Everyone was so welcoming. We had a fabulous time!
After “coffee,” we took the small (6-person) elevator to the church’s tower to see the amazing views from up there. Colorful rooftops and Leif Eriksson (well, his statue) are seen from a bird’s eye view.
After spending the good part of our morning at Hallgrímskirkja, we drove north out of Reykjavík and stopped across the bay at a roadside turnout for some scenic views of the water and downtown at a distance. Simply gorgeous!
Viking World was our afternoon, and after dark, we decided to try out one of the famous local pools. We chose to visit Laugardalslaug to cap off our one week Iceland itinerary.
Day 8 – Returning Home
Thursday – Well, we did not want to leave Iceland. Alas, we had return tickets with our names on them. So, we headed to the airport, dropped off the rental car, ran to the terminal through pouring rain with all our luggage, checked-in, spent the rest of our Icelandic króna at the duty-free store, and made it to the gate, where they were already boarding.
We definitely packed our one week Iceland itinerary full of great experiences. We can’t wait to return to Iceland someday soon!
Have you been to Iceland (with or without kids)? Please share in the comments below!
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