As you research and plan your Iceland itinerary with your family, you will certainly wonder: can we visit Reykjavik with a toddler and have a good time? Is Reykjavik a toddler-friendly city, or are we going to hate it and regret it?
Good news: Reykjavik is a great city to visit with a toddler, and you can see all the highlights easily! Keep reading to find out what to do in Reykjavik with a toddler in one or two days: how to see Reykjavik with your child and discover the capital of Iceland so that neither of you gets bored 🙂
Tips on visiting Reykjavik with a toddler
When we went to Iceland for a week, our son Alexander had just turned 2. Looking back, I think most of these tips would apply also to a family with a younger child or a baby.
- Is Reykjavik a good, safe destination for a toddler? Yes, we think so. Reykjavik is very easy to explore on foot, with colorful houses to look at; drivers are polite and careful, so I didn’t freak out whenever our rebellious Alex would wriggle out of my hands.
- Is Reykjavik an expensive destination for a toddler? Well, that depends on you. Yes, in general Iceland is an expensive destination. But you can still save some money by staying at apartments, cooking instead of eating out (make sure you stop at the large “Bonus” supermarkets and similar), bringing diapers from your own country, and drinking the tasty, safe and FREE tap water everywhere. Also, using the Multi-Currency Wise Card helps save on exchange fees and bank transactions – we use it on every trip and every purchase in a different currency! Get yours now or read more of our experiences.
- Apartments or hotels with a toddler in Iceland? In Reykjavik we stayed at the artistic and unique Art Centrum Apartments and at one hotel, and we enjoyed both accommodation styles. In general, apartments were cheaper than hotels, BUT the breakfast we had at the Center Hotel Laugavegur in Reykjavik was amazing. We did not cook any meals at home (we never know what Alex wants anyway, and we want to treat ourselves to the local food when we travel), but we enjoyed having a slow breakfast with coffee, cookies and “skyr” yogurt. The one BIG difference I noticed was that after helping Alex fall asleep, in an apartment we had a living room to hang out, while in the hotel room we didn’t have anywhere else to go: dark room, no tv, hushed voices and early night in. So, just for this reason, I think apartments are the better choice for travelling to Iceland with a toddler.
I hope I answered some of your doubts! More questions? Here’s what we did with our energetic toddler – and hopefully it can help you out:
- Routines: we tried to respect our daily routine from home: wake up at 7ish, breakfast, busy morning, lunch at 12ish, nap in the stroller or at home, some more activities, dinner at 7ish, sleep at 9ish latest. Even though in May it was (almost) dark just from 11 pm to 4-5ish am, following our routine helped us give structure to the days and avoided tiredness tantrums.
- Food: we gave him food whenever he wanted it. We brought his favourite cookies from home, we kept crackers, a banana and an apple in his backpack under the pram, we bought milk and chocolate milk for the evenings. When eating out, fish and chips were almost always accepted, and for breakfast the local yogurt “skyr” was a massive success.
- Moving around: stroller, of course! We were NOT going to carry his lovely 14 kg of cuteness on our backs. We packed our GB Pockit+ All-City (it was loaded in the hold on the way there, allowed as hand luggage on the way back) and used it all the time in Reykjavik.
- Planning: we knew our child: activities were supposed to last approximately 1 hour and require limited walking, because he gets bored/tired/hungry after that, and guess whose mood is affected too? Ours. So, no point in planning art museum visits if we were all going to suffer.
By the way, here are all my posts about Iceland, so you can plan the perfect trip for yourself: our complete 1-week itinerary in Iceland, then of course how to visit Snaefellsnes peninsula with a toddler, and finally what to see in the Golden Circle with a toddler.
What to see in Reykjavik with a toddler
If you are anything like us, you aim to entertain both grown-ups and toddler in a balanced way: when everyone is enjoying some aspect of the place we are visiting, then the whole family is happy.
That’s what you will find in the itinerary: for each place, I highlighted what’s nice for grown-ups and for a toddler. I hope you find it useful!
Day 1 in Reykjavik with a toddler
On our 1-week trip to Iceland, we landed late and arrived in Reykjavik just in time to go to sleep.
We spent our first day in Iceland exploring Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland. It’s a very toddler- and stroller-friendly city, with good sidewalks and slow traffic.
In short, in 1 day in Reykjavik we visited:
- Ingolfur Square
- Austurvollur Square
- The Tjornin Pond
- Hallgrimskirkja Church
- Skolavordustigur street and Rainbow street
- The harbour
- The Cathedral of Christ the King
- Harpa Concert Hall
- The Sun Voyager sculpture
- Arnarholl park
Basically, in just 1 day we managed to visit many of the most famous landmarks of Reykjavik, without rushing or stressing.
Reykjavik center
After a first breakfast at home with delicious skyr yogurt and a second breakfast at Kaffe Ole with coffee and croissants, we began our stroll at 9.15, with the help of Google Maps (thank you pocket wifi from Iceland Car Rental!) and a guide book to tell us what we were looking at.
From Ingolfur Square, we reached the spacious and institutional Austurvollur Square, where the Parliament is on the southern side. We walked by the Tjornin pond and had a peek inside the city hall, where a supposedly impressive 3-D map of Iceland was unfortunately not yet put together.
- Good for grown-ups: historical landmarks, interesting
- Good for toddler: green, open, lake with ducks and swans
We made our way slowly up the gentle incline until the iconic Hallgrimskirkja, on top of the hill. All along are cute, colourful houses with timber frames, many clad with traditional corrugated metal (yes, I learnt the word “corrugated” on this occasion 🙂 )
- Good for grown-ups: picturesque, easy to push the stroller
- Good for toddler: colorful, potential for a short nap
Right before reaching the top of the hill and the Hallgrimskirkja Church, we explored quickly the park of the Einar Jonsson Museum. This small area is beautifully decorated with very dramatic statues, representing human feelings, stages of life and many more events in an elegant and intense way.
- Good for grown-ups: fascinating for art aficionados, nice for everyone else
- Good for toddler: easy and safe to walk around, explore, point at figures
Even if you don’t like it at first, Hallgrimskirkja is somehow fascinating. The facade is inspired by the natural shape of the rocks on the cliffs beaten by the sea (as you can see at Arnarstapi). We took lots of pictures outside and let Alex run around a bit before going in. While the interior is extremely bare (and a bit boring, in my opinion), the organ is absolutely stunning: 15 meters of height and 5275 pipes are simply impressive.
- Good for grown-ups: historical and architectural landmark
- Good for toddler: jump and run and explore
Coffee break at Café Loki (super cute, great view of Hallgrimskirkja, and the rye bread ice-cream was very tasty!) and then we made our way downhill along Skolavordustigur street (Skólavörðustígur) towards the harbour. On May 16th they were almost done refreshing the paint of Rainbow street! This section of Skolavordustigur street before it joins Laugavegur street is super colorful and beautiful to walk along (map here).
- Good for grown-ups: cute houses and shops
- Good for toddler: lots of things to point at, fun colorful paint on the street
We arrived at the harbor at around 12.50, which means that in just 3,5 hours we were able to see many of the sights in Reykjavik.
We had a delicious lunch at Seabaron (or Saegreifinn in Icelandic, map here): very flavourful lobster soup and soft wolffish skewer. Alex had fallen asleep in the stroller, so it was a very peaceful lunch.
- Good for grown-ups: tasty, traditional, picturesque
- Good for toddler: tasty, safe (both downstairs and upstairs), small children’s corner with toys downstairs
We took the occasion to head to the apartment and rest a bit. After a diaper change, we were ready to continue.
At 15.30, we set off for the Cathedral of Christ the King, another interesting example of Icelandic Neo-Gothic – although what Alex enjoyed the most was ringing a massive bell displayed in front of the entrance.
- Good for grown-ups: historical and architectural landmark
- Good for toddler: green area and bell to ring
We continued along the seafront. The way to the Þúfa hill seemed too long, so we walked to the stunning Harpa concert hall and conference center. What a gorgeous building! We spent 25 minutes admiring it from the outside and exploring a couple of floors inside.
- Good for grown-ups: stunning building, architectural modern landmark
- Good for toddler: interesting shape, reflections, sea waves, warm inside
Last but not least, we reached the Sun Voyager sculpture, a landmark in Reykjavik. Nothing too special in my opinion, but the promenade is nice, and Alex had fun walking up and down the steps around the sculpture.
- Good for grown-ups: famous landmark, sea view
- Good for toddler: climbing and exploring
At this point, it was 5.30 pm and we were done with all my plans for the day. We had seen the sights, and Alex had found a way to have fun everywhere 🙂
We walked up the hill until Hallgrimskirkja again (a gentle incline) and this time, illuminated by the sun going west, it was much more beautiful. While Alex walked and jumped and explored the nearby area, we looked at the beautiful street art and at the colorful houses.
Finally, we sat at the outside tables of 101 Reykjavik Street Food on Rainbow street for a very tasty dinner of fish and chips, mashed fish and fish soup. On the way home, we stopped at the green hill Arnarholl and at the playground. Bedtime at 9 pm for Alex: a very successful first day in Iceland!
Day 2 in Reykjavik with a toddler: Perlan museum and Nautholsvik beach
Our second day in Reykjavik was actually our last in Iceland. After making our way to Husavik in the north and back, we had one last evening and a full day before our departure (here’s our full itinerary in Iceland).
On our last dinner in Iceland, we headed to Islenski Barinn to taste the famous rotten shark. It was a disgusting but fun experience that I recommend! After this very weird bite of rotten shark that still makes me shiver as I write this, the rest of the meal was delicious.
In short, on the second day in Reykjavik, we visited:
- The Perlan Science Museum
- The Nautholsvik Geothermal Beach
- The Blue Lagoon trail near the lakes
Perlan Science Museum
What is Perlan? It’s a science museum about Iceland, a nature exploratorium with an observation deck and restaurant. It is built between enormous heating tanks and protected on top by a revolving glass dome. It is located on a hill south of Reykjavik center, 5 minutes away by car or 25 on foot.
We spent a couple of hours between the exhibitions, plus 45 minutes having a snack/lunch. We watched a video about vulcanic eruptions, read about the history of Iceland, learned about the animals that live there, watched a video of northern lights on a dome-sized screen; we put our jackets back on inside the tunnels of an ice cave, and then played with an interactive wall screen on glaciers and water. It was really fun and interesting!
The view from the observation deck was lovely, we could even see the glacier of Snaefellsnes peninsula in the distance, and it was safe for Alex to run around. After a quick snack/lunch, we were ready to go to our next stop.
- Good for grown-ups: lots to learn, very beautiful and interesting
- Good for toddler: lots to touch and point at and ask questions about, including the snow in the ice cave, stuffed animals and real fish in tanks, volcano eruption videos…
Nautholsvik Geothermal Beach
Next, we went to the Nautholsvik Geothermal Beach, just 5 minutes away by car from Perlan. We got there at 1.30 pm, so we knew we had to be quick before Alex’s nap.
What is Nautholsvik? It is a small, free beach of yellow sand south of Reykjavik, where you can experience the cold sea water as well as two hot tubs of geothermal water. Basic services like changing rooms and toilets are available.
On a warm Sunday in May, it was full of locals! It was a very cool Icelandic experience! Kids were running and playing, adults were reading and relaxing, and people were swimming in the cold sea as well as sitting in the hot tubs. Clothing ranged from swimsuits and flip-flops to rain boots and sweaters.
A long, rectangular hot tub is built right in front of the showers and changing rooms, full of people sitting and chatting. Closer to the sea is a round hot tub, slightly colder because the cold waves of the sea can reach it and mix with the hot water.
Since we were worried Alex would get tired and throw a tantrum, I decided to skip the queue for the lockers and the shower: Darek held a towel around me and I changed into my swimsuit on the beach. I ran to feel the temperature of the sea with my feet: it was freezing! Luckily, the round hot tub was very warm and pleasant: with the warm sun on my skin, it actually felt pretty good. Just for comparison, I tried the temperature of the rectangular hot tub: warmer but still pleasant. I think I spent 15 minutes in my swimsuit: the wind was chilly so I got dressed quickly. ***I found out later that showering thoroughly naked is required in order to access the pools, and this is what I recommend.***
We had a quick walk on the nearby meadows near the cliffs. Overall, we stayed a little over 1 hour at Nautholsvik, enough for a taste in the spring or autumn.
- Good for adults: beautiful and unique spot
- Good for toddler: sensory experience of sand, cold sea, hot tub, lots of kids
Is Nautholsvik beach in Reykjavik good for a toddler? Yes, I think so! It must have been 18 degrees and Alex was happy with his clothes on, but many other toddlers were enjoying some sun on their skin. Brave toddlers could touch the cold sea water or the warm hot tub water, and energetic toddlers have space to play with a ball or with other kids.
A walk around the Blue Lagoon
At 2.30 in the afternoon, it was time for Alex to nap and for us to head to the Blue Lagoon, before heading to the airport. We had decided we did not want/have time to go inside and swim, but we noticed on Google Maps a viewpoint: why not check it out, since we had a little time left?
Darek and I went first, while my parents waited in the car with Alex. From the parking lot of the Blue Lagoon, we took the path left of the luggage storage. The scenery was out of this world: light-blue, milky water surrounded by dark lava rocks covered with a light layer of moss. Even though it was windy, the surface of the water was perfectly calm, with small crystals forming by the edges of the rocks.
The path leads by a larger lake and then to the main entrance of the Blue Lagoon complex: it’s possible to go inside, look at the lakes and swimmers from the windows, eat at the restaurants and buy the special lotions and beauty treatments at the shop. Finally, the path goes back to the parking lot between higher walls of black lava rocks: very scenic and dramatic. It took us 30 minutes to walk along this path, and then my parents went too.
- Good for grown-ups: amazing Icelandic scenery
- Good for toddler: wide path (still need to hold them by hand), beautiful and unusual place
Other attractions in Reykjavik to visit with a toddler
If we did not have a car to go to the Blue Lagoon, these are some of the places I would have visited in Reykjavik that look fun and interesting for both grown-ups and toddlers:
- Whales of Iceland exhibition
- Reykjavik Maritime Museum
- The harbour in general and the Þúfa hill
- The Recycled House
- More city center and murals
Final thoughts on visiting Reykjavik with a toddler
We had a lot of fun in Reykjavik as a family with a 2 year old child. It was a great city to explore at a slower pace, interesting and safe. I highly recommend it!
We spent a week in Iceland and it was wonderful, but I would recommend travelling to Reykjavik even for just 3 or 4 days: a couple of days in Reykjavik and a day trip to the Golden Circle make for an excellent taste of Iceland.
