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After just 2.5 months of planning, the day finally arrived for visiting Iceland with kids, of course! We braved the drive to LAX, and did all the things you need to do before actually boarding the plane…parking garage, shuttle to the terminal, check-in, dinner at Earl of Sandwich, security, long walk, find gate, coffee, wait at gate. Phew!
Click here for a handy list to help you prepare for your international travel with kids!
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Visiting Iceland with Kids: Getting There
Our 8-9 hour non-stop flight left from LAX on a Thursday. We arrived in Iceland on Friday morning, claimed our luggage (make sure to AirTag your bags), put on our heavy coats (we stepped out of the airport into cold and wind, y’all!), and picked-up our rental car (Blue Car Rental for the win!).
We drove about 4 miles, to a bakery that I had pre-scouted out. Reviews said it was cheap (according to Icelandic standards) and delicious. Icelandic pastries for all and strong coffee (for my husband and me) sounded like a good lunch.
A cozy seating area inside was perfect for a short respite. There is so much to choose from, and we at least had to try the kleina (plural kleinur). This bakery flavors theirs with cardamom, and it is downright amazing!
We leisurely drove into Reykjavík and checked into our Airbnb ($40 travel credit for new Airbnb guests!). Our children fondly call vacation rentals “the little house.” Here’s a pic of the Ikea-rific kitchen in our Airbnb.
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.
Visiting Iceland with Kids: Clear Skies in Reykjavík
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 (Thufa).
Our kids also had a chance to climb on the waterfront rocks next to Þúfa, as we enjoyed the view on this amazingly clear, crisp day!
We then went grocery shopping at a Bónus location near our Airbnb (we made it there before closing time!). Lest you think I’m joking about the early closing times, at the time we visited Iceland, Bónus grocery stores closed at 6:30 p.m. Monday thru Thursday, 7:30 p.m. Friday, and 6:00 p.m. Saturday/Sunday. So, no midnight runs to the Bónus stores in Iceland. Plan your Icelandic grocery shopping accordingly!
Why Bónus then? Well, we had researched and found that Bónus was one of the most affordable grocery stores in Iceland, with plenty of locations to choose from.
Since we travel the semi-budget way, visiting Iceland with kids would require some creative ways to be budget-conscious. We bought a ton of stuff at the grocery store (including lots of skyr), spent less than $100 US, and had breakfast, some snacks, and “magical drink” or “concoction” ingredients for the week (we had colds!).
Check out this walk-in refrigerator inside the Bónus grocery store. We rarely removed our winter gear the entire trip, and this was no exception. It was FREEZING in here. But, look at all that skyr on the back wall!
After taking the groceries back to our Airbnb, we drove back into Reykjavík and had dinner at Icelandic Fish & Chips, sharing a couple things to save on food costs. Then it was back to the “little house” to sleep off some jetlag and re-energize for our first full day in Iceland.
Check out our One Week Iceland Itinerary, and start planning your trip!
Have you thought about visiting Iceland with kids (or without)? Please share in the comments below!
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