Family holidays are supposed to be enjoyable experiences filled with memories that you’ll look back on for many years to come.
But it’s not always that easy! It can be stressful traveling with children if you are unsure what to expect.
To help reduce stress and worries, Your Friend in Reykjavik is here with a few tips on what to bring and what to do in Reykjavik as a family.
Most of our day tours in Iceland are family-friendly, so check out our range after you’ve finished reading and find the perfect fit for you and your kids.
If you have any questions about tours and activities that are suitable for children, please get in touch.
What to Bring When Traveling to Reykjavik with Children
While traveling with children in Reykjavik, you probably want to walk around and get to know the city. Bring a stroller with a rain cover if traveling with a small child. It just makes everything easier.
Then you have to make sure the children are always warm. The best way to do this is to dress them in layers. That also goes for grown-ups! Even during summer, it can get a bit cold.
When it comes to layering, we highly recommend wool base layers, regular clothes, and overcoats according to the weather.
There are many outdoor activity stores to buy warm clothes, and one of the better options is Ullarkistan in Skeifan.
It is a bit out of the city center but worth the visit. Here, you can find soft Merino wool for both children and adults.
We also recommend you bring swimwear for the whole family as there are many geothermal pools to visit!
If this sounds like your idea of perfect relaxation, we think you’ll love our geothermal pool tours in Iceland.
Plan Food Stops When Traveling with Kids in Reykjavik
Reykjavik has a variety of food and snack stops that are perfect when traveling with children.
Restaurants, cafés, small shops, bakeries, and supermarkets are on every corner where you can pick up bread, yogurts, fruits, and other snacks.
If you are looking for baby food, familiar supermarkets like Bonus and Kronan have everything you need from brands like Ella’s Kitchen, Hipp, and Semper.
You won’t find any McDonald’s in Iceland, but we have KFC and Taco Bell.
But we must recommend Icelandic fast food options as well, such as Búllan (Burger Joint), Hamborgarafabrikkan, and Steikhúsið to name only a few.
Restaurants and cafés in Reykjavík are generally very child-friendly. If you are traveling with a small child, you can be sure that the restaurant has a high chair for your baby.
We like Laundromat Café, which has a great play area on their ground floor where you can also get food service.
Kaffi Laugalækur, close to Laugardalslaug, is a very family-friendly coffeehouse with food options, which we also recommend.
If you want to choose your restaurant based on food rather than toys, you’re in luck! Most restaurants here claim to be family-friendly and should be able to cater to your needs.
There are at least three to four vegan restaurants around our main street Laugavegur, including one called Mama Reykjavik.
For mothers breastfeeding, you can breastfeed anywhere, anytime, as breastfeeding in public is very much accepted.
So please feel comfortable feeding your little one without any worries about your surroundings.
For even more food inspiration, check out our guide to food halls in Reykjavik.
Things to Do When Traveling with Children in Reykjavik
For activity, we love going to the public swimming pools in Reykjavik, which are suitable for all ages. When we first brought our baby boy, he was just a few months old.
Laugardalslaug is the largest and most popular, with many hot tubs, a good swimming pool, a large play area, and a few slides for both the smallest and older kids.
The pools are heated, so don’t let bad weather stop you; we go all year round.
Another pool we want to recommend is the Vesturbæjarlaug on the west side of Reykjavik.
There are many pools scattered around the city, so you can even go to more than one. Check out our guide to swimming pools in Iceland for more information.
Entrance typically only costs around 9 USD for parents and 1 USD for 6-17 years olds. It’s free of charge for children five years old and under
Most pools are generally open between 8 am and 10 pm, so you will almost certainly find a place to visit when you want.
The late closing time also makes them an excellent option after a day of sightseeing. Finishing the day by enjoying the geothermally heated hot tubs is a true joy!
Just by Laugardalslaug, you have The Reykjavik Zoo, which is home to domestic animals, seals, and arctic foxes.
There is also a great family park here with a play area and rides. The coffee shop is open all year long.
The zoo is popular, especially during the summer holidays, so it’s often better to arrive early.
Public libraries are a great place to catch your breath. The Reykjavik City Library downtown is popular among the locals who bring their children to play in a small but lovely play area, look at picture books, try on costumes, or just read books.
This makes it a great place to meet other children and parents. And best of all, it’s totally free.
Playgrounds in Reykjavik
There are several open playgrounds in Reykjavik, including one at Arnarhóll, the hill overlooking the concert house Harpa. It’s hidden behind trees and bushes, perfectly located, and well-maintained.
Then there is Hljómskálagarður, the park on the opposite side of the pond (Tjörnin) from City Hall. This is great for running around and playing ball, There is a small playground here as well.
A bit further out by the art museum Kjarvalsstaðir, you have Klambratún, a charming park with a fantastic play area, frisbee golf, basket and volleyball courts, the museum, and a coffee shop.
With all this packed into one spot, it’s a great place to visit on sunny days.
There is also a playground for slightly older children and teenagers on the harbor, in front of Kolaportið flea market, with basketball hoops and a skate park.
You can also use scooters, roller skates, and other wheeled contraptions at the latter.
Toys and Books for Kids in Reykjavik
Iceland does not have a toy or book rental (apart from libraries, of course, but you need a library card for that).
However, Reykjavik has quite a few second-hand markets where you might find toys and books for just a few krónur.
Góði Hirðirinn is the biggest such market. It is located both on Hverfisgata in downtown Reykjavik and near the Skeifan shopping district a few minutes from the center by car.
Then we have a few Red Cross second-hand stores, but they do not all carry books. The Red Cross store by Hlemmur has toys and books as well as the one in Mjódd (Reykjavik suburbs).
You can also check out Kolaportið Flea Market as they sometimes have toys and books.
When you have finished using the books and toys, you can donate them back again by going to Sorpa near Grandi.
Opening times for Góði Hirðirinn:
It’s moving houses at the moment and will be closed for a few weeks.
Opening times for the Red Cross:
Hlemmur (Laugavegur 116, 101 Reykjavik)
Mondays: 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm | Tuesdays: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm | Wednesdays: 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm | Thursdays: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm | Fridays: 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm | Saturdays: 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Mjódd, 110 Reykjavik
Weekdays: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm | Saturdays: 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Opening times for Kolaportið Flea Market:
Tryggvagata 19, 101 Reykjavik
Weekends: 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Reykjavik City Museums
Another fun activity is to visit the Open Air Museum called Árbæjarsafn. It is a small village with more than 20 buildings which form a town square, a village, and a farm.
It was an established farm well into the 20th century. You can learn about life in Iceland, meet the animals, see the artwork, relax with a coffee and a traditional Icelandic pastry, or shop in the two museum shops.
Read about our own visit to Árbær Open Air Museum!
This is a great place for children to run around and play and even learn some history on the way.
Other Reykjavik City Museums, such as the Maritime Museum and the Settlement Exhibition, are family-friendly and have play areas.
They are, of course, great to learn about the history of Iceland as well.
Do you want more amazing museum recommendations? Check out our tips for the best museums in downtown Reykjavik.
Reykjavik City Card
When traveling with children in Reykjavik, the Reykjavik City Card is an option worth checking out.
You get free access to some of Reykjavik’s museums, swimming pools, Reykjavik Zoo, the public bus system, and discounts at many other places.
Discover more about the various card options:
Please note that admission to the museums is free of charge for children under 18, so there isn’t much need to buy a City Card for anyone under 18.
However, depending on the child’s age, you might have to pay a small fee to access the city bus services as well as get a discount at the thermal pools and the Reykjavik Family Park and Zoo.
Wonders of Iceland
The Wonders of Iceland in Perlan is another highly recommended experience.
You can find everything from a glacier cave (made from real glacier ice) to a VR of Europe’s largest bird cliff and a planetarium where you can experience the Northern Lights.
All of the exhibitions are interactive. There is also a café, a restaurant, and a 360° viewing deck at the Pearl to see Reykjavik and the capital area.
Join Our Family-Friendly Tours in Iceland!
Our Iceland day trips and tours are a fantastic way to keep the whole family entertained, and all while connecting with our country’s culture, history, heritage.
We’re always happy to answer questions about all the adventures we provide, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch for all the information you need.
[…] Traveling with kids is not a problem in Reykjavik! Especially on a private tour with Your Friend in Reykjavik. Our guides can enthrall children of all ages with their stories and will make sure to include stops that both parents and little ones enjoy. […]