Travelling with an Infant in Iceland

We have been travelling with our little Whitney since she was four months old. Whitney is currently nineteen months old and she has been to 15 countries! We have loved experiencing the world through her eyes as we’ve travelled to new destinations. Travelling with a baby is a challenge at times but we think that the joy that comes from travelling as a family far outweigh those challenges!

Iceland is a beautiful country filled with volcanoes, glaciers, waterfalls, black sand beaches, cliffs, mountaintops, and more! Prior to visiting Iceland we had heard that the country was very accessible to families travelling with young children and because of this we couldn’t wait to experience it for ourselves.

Our trip was a total of 10 days. We booked a campervan for the first 7 days and then stayed in an Airbnb for the final 3 days. While in the campervan for a week we travelled the Ring Road route, the main highway that goes around the entire island. We are so glad that we chose to do Ring Road because it took us to some of Iceland's most iconic locations! We had heard that you should plan for 5-10 days on Ring Road to give you enough time for the drive and the sites. All of the sites that we visited were only a short walking distance from the parking lots at each location, amazing! Waterfalls, beaches, and canyons were all completely accessible with a one year old! If the destination was not stroller accessible then we often used our LittleLife backpack carrier and it worked out perfectly. Here are some of our top recommended places for family travel in Iceland on the Ring Road Route. Not only are all of these locations incredibly beautiful but they are very safe and accessible for families travelling with young children.

Kirkjufellsfoss Waterfall - Gorgeous falls with a path that goes up and around the falls. Parking lot is just a five minute walk from the falls and it is stroller accessible!

Godafoss Waterfall - Massive falls with tons of walking paths on both sides of the falls. Parking lot is a 5-15 minute walk to view the falls depending on which side you choose to see. These falls are a must see in our opinion! They are spectacular!

Geothermal Spot Hverir- This is a geothermal area with bubbling pools of mud and steaming holes. It is a quick stop and is so fascinating! Think Yellowstone but much smaller and less crowded. The smell is the only downside to this incredible site...

Dettifoss Waterfall - The most powerful waterfall in Europe and completely worth the short detour off of Ring Road! The falls are a 10-15 minute walk from the parking lot if you visit the East side of the falls. There were fewer people here than the other falls. They are absolutely amazing and have breathtaking views. These were our favourite falls in Iceland! They could be considered dangerous as there are no guard rails so we kept Whitney in the carrier at these falls.

Stokksnes Black Sand Beach - Beautiful and colorful black sand beach with incredible mountain in the background! There is a small admission fee that you pay at an office before getting access to the beach. There is a small parking lot right at the beach. There are also other sites in the area including an awesome lighthouse.

Diamond Beach - This beach has chunks of glacier scattered along the shore and floating along in the water. We camped right at the beach and woke up to spectacular views. This is a very busy place so get there first thing in the morning!

Jokulsarlon Glacial Lagoon - Amazing views of the Jokulsarlon Glacier. You also have access here to companies that do Glacier hiking treks. The lagoon is filled with large Glacier pieces floating out into the ocean which is such an incredible site! There is a parking lot right at the lagoon.

Fjadrargljufur Canyon - This gorgeous green canyon looked like it belonged in a movie! You can hike up to the top of the mountain for gorgeous views down into the canyon. Beautiful hiking and incredible scenery. Parking lot nearby and the hike to the top takes around 15 - 20 minutes with several platforms along the way.

Skogafoss Waterfall - Very famous and iconic Iceland waterfall. You can view the waterfall from the bottom as well as the top. This is one of the busiest waterfalls in Iceland so we spent time there at night and early in the morning! Parking lot just 5 minutes from the falls. If you get really close to the falls there are fewer people which make for great photo opportunities!

Seljalandsfoos Waterfall - Another incredible and iconic Iceland Waterfall! This is one of the waterfalls that you can walk behind and it is beautiful. Parking lot just a 5 minute walk to the falls.

As you can see Iceland is not short of places to visit with a family or young children. There is so much to do! We suggest that travelling Iceland in a campervan is the way to go! We were able to visit all of these places during less busy times because we were in the campervan and had more flexibility. Campervans vary in size, we rented a campervan that seated 4 and slept 2 (our baby snuggled with us) and it worked great for us! We were able to cook all of our meals in the van and there was a great heater so we slept very well. Travelling in a campervan gets you closest to the sites you want to see and allows you so much freedom and flexibility to travel at your own pace! We were able to stay at campsites every night and had access to bathrooms, showers, and kitchens. Campervan travel is so great for families!

Travelling in Iceland with an eighteen month old was totally doable and so much fun. We always love having Whitney along for these outdoor adventures, and now can’t imagine what it would be like without her. There are people that told us before we had Whitney that we would have to stop going on adventures and travelling once we started having kids! Well... we have discovered and believe that the greatest adventures in life are just beginning when you start having kids! Travelling with an infant has given us the opportunity to connect with new cultures in a way that wouldn’t be possible otherwise. Travelling with a baby has helped us come even closer as a couple and a family and has honestly made us better people! Our experiences, both the happy and the hard, are ones that we will treasure for a lifetime! Our Iceland experience was no exception and we would recommend it as an ideal place for family travel to anyone.