Family self-drive in Iceland

1. Be prepared to be flexible

Icelandic Landscapes are stunning, but the weather can change quickly. Wind, snow, icy roads and even the occasional earthquake or volcanic activity can all affect driving conditions and planned routes.

• Build flexibility into your itinerary so you can swap days around or shorten a drive if needed.
• Check the official weather and road condition websites daily.
• Download the recommended local apps before you travel so you can get up to date alerts and guidance even when you are on the road.  Use the journey tracker!
• If you’re not comfortable with the above, consider basing yourself in Reykjavik and taking tours to the areas you want to visit.

If a road closes or conditions worsen, treat it as part of the adventure: a cosy afternoon in a café or an extra dip in a hot pool can be just as memorable as a waterfall stop.

2. Choose clever bases for your accommodation

In winter particularly, where you stay matters just as much as what you see. Rather than choosing remote spots that look beautiful on a map but need long drives on smaller roads, look for accommodation on or close to the main routes.

Pick towns and villages that work as “springboards”, so you have several sightseeing options in different directions, depending on the weather on the day. For example, places like Hella and other small towns along the south coast sit on the main roads and give you easy access to a mix of waterfalls, black sand beaches and other key sights.

This style of planning means:

• You are not committed to long out‑and‑back drives in poor conditions.
• You can change plans at breakfast based on the forecast.
• You spend less time driving stressful roads in the dark with tired children.

A few well-chosen bases that you use for 2 or 3 nights each can work much better than changing hotel every day, especially for families.

3. Keep journeys short and stop often

For families, especially with younger children, shorter driving days make the trip far more enjoyable.

• Aim for modest daily distances rather than long hauls.
• Plan regular stops for viewpoints, short walks and photo breaks.

Iceland’s landscapes change constantly, so there is always something new to see.

Lots of little pauses make it easier to keep kids looking out of the window instead of at a screen. Spotting waterfalls, horses, lava fields and black sand beaches together turns the journey itself into part of the holiday, not just “getting from A to B”.

4. Dress for the Weather: warm clothes are essential (and take spares for the kids)

With the exception of the height of summer Iceland means proper winter conditions. The right clothing can be the difference between everyone loving it and everyone wanting to get back indoors.

• Think layers: a thermal base layer, a warm mid layer (like fleece or wool) and a waterproof, windproof outer layer.
• Warm, waterproof boots with good grip are a must, plus thick socks.
• Hats, scarves, gloves (ideally waterproof or ski style gloves) and neck warmers or balaclavas for children will make time outside much more comfortable.
• Pack spare gloves and socks for the kids. Once those get wet, the fun disappears quickly.  We had a grab bag in the boot full of spares for when they decided to dive into piles of snow!

With the right kit, standing in waterfall spray, walking on crunchy snow or watching for the Northern Lights becomes exciting rather than uncomfortable.

5. Think beyond the Blue Lagoon with kids

The Blue Lagoon is the big name that appears on every Iceland brochure, but it may not be the best fit for younger families, especially with children under 8.

Children under 8 are required to wear armbands for safety. It is absolutely for a good reason, but it may not go down well with confident swimmers. My own strong swimmer children were not impressed, and overall, the experience felt quite busy and commercial, more like an “over‑touristed” box to tick than a relaxing family soak.

The good news: Iceland is full of fantastic, family friendly swimming pools and hot baths heated by geothermal energy. Many towns have lovely local pools with:

• Warm outdoor and indoor pools
• Hot tubs at different temperatures
• Often small slides or play areas for children
• A much more relaxed, local atmosphere

These can feel more authentic, less crowded and much better value for families. If you are travelling with children, especially younger ones, it is well worth considering skipping the Blue Lagoon and instead building in stops at a couple of local geothermal pools along your route.

6. Save on food: Book Bed &Breakfast and stock up on supermarket snacks

Iceland is famously expensive, and this really shows when you are feeding a family.

Even simple meals can easily cost well over £100 per meal* for a family of four. A few smart choices can help:

• Bed and breakfast style accommodation works brilliantly. A hearty included breakfast sets everyone up for the day.
• Use local supermarkets to buy snacks, fruit, pastries and bits for a picnic style lunch.
• Then you can save your main spend for one hot meal a day in a restaurant or café.

Having snacks handy in the car is also invaluable for keeping children happy between stops, especially if weather or road conditions delay you.

7. Enjoy it (and remember to look up from the phone)

It is natural to want to capture every moment, but Iceland is one of those places where the real magic is in simply standing still and taking it all in.

• Take your pictures, then put the phone back in your pocket.
• Watch your children’s faces as they see a glacier or a geyser erupt for the first time.
• Let the sound of the wind, the crash of the waves and the silence of the snowy landscapes sink in.

You only get to experience that sense of amazement live once. The scenery feels very different when seen through your own eyes rather than a lens. The photos will be lovely to look back on, but the real memories are made in those quiet, present moments together.

Our family’s self drive itinerary

Here is the itinerary we followed as a family, which worked well with children and offered great flexibility if needed.

Day 1: Arrival and first taste of Reykjavik

Arrive at Keflavik Airport and collect your hire car, then drive to Reykjavik. We stayed at the Thingholt Apartments, with a breakfast option available at the hotel just across the road.

Spend the afternoon immersing yourself in the city centre:

• Visit the iconic church, Hallgrímskirkja, and take in the views.
• Wander down to the harbour area.
• Stroll up Rainbow Street and try some famous Icelandic hot dogs.

It is a gentle first day that lets everyone stretch their legs, adjust to the cold and get a feel for the city.

Day 2: Museums, Ice caves and Lava

In preparation for leaving the city and heading into Iceland’s wilder landscapes, we dedicated this day to learning.

• Start at the Perlan Museum, where the kids could experience an ice cave in safety and learn about Iceland’s geological wonders and wildlife. It is a brilliant, hands‑on way to understand the natural forces that shape the country.
• We had a lovely lunch there before heading back towards the harbour for the Lava Show. Here the children learned about Iceland’s volcanic nature and then watched how real lava behaves as it flows and cools.

It was fantastic preparation for visiting real lava fields later in the trip, giving them a clear sense of why safety matters in those environments.

We finished the day with ice cream from Omnom, which went down extremely well despite the freezing temperatures outside. (Challenge: can you finish your ice cream outside?)

Day 3: Golden Circle highlights and the Secret Lagoon

On Day 3 we tackled the “top half” of the Golden Circle, then moved on to our next base.

• Stop at Þingvellir National Park (Thingvellir), where you can see the rift between the tectonic plates.
• Continue to Geysir to watch the geysers erupt and see bubbling thermal pools that smell like egg!
• Visit Gullfoss, one of Iceland’s most famous waterfalls.

In the late afternoon we headed to the Secret Lagoon, Iceland’s oldest swimming pool. The children absolutely loved this and it was a real highlight of the trip. They were able to play and splash, enjoy the hot tubs and even take on a “cold‑plunge challenge” as they called it! There is also a path around the back of the pool where you can walk past the geothermal pools that feed hot water into the swimming area.

Afterwards we drove on and checked in at Hotel Laekur, just outside Hella. It is a small, family‑owned property that offers a Northern Lights wake up service. We were lucky enough to get the call and saw the lights both outside and from the little cottage we had booked.

Day 4: South coast, waterfalls and black sand beaches

The weather was kind to us, so we used the day to explore the south coast.

• We drove to Vík for “lava pizza” at the Black Crust Pizzeria, which the children loved.
• On the way back towards Hella we stopped at the famous Reynisfjara black sand beach.
• We also visited the waterfalls of Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss.

Rainbows over Skógafoss caused quite a stir, and the viewing point at the top of the falls was another big moment, especially being able to look through the grid below your feet down to the bottom of the waterfall.

It was a full but manageable day, helped by having a comfortable base to return to near Hella rather than a very long onward drive.

Day 5: Craters, Geothermal Power and the Blue Lagoon

On our final full day we completed the “bottom half” of what is dubbed the extended Golden Circle route, ending near the airport.

• We drove towards Grindavík, passing newly formed lava fields on the way.
• We stopped at the Kerið crater, which is a striking and very photogenic stop.
• Then we visited the Hellisheiði Geothermal Exhibition, where we learned how Iceland harnesses the power of its volcanoes to generate electricity and provide hot water for the city. There are no boilers here: the hot water really does come straight from the earth.

From there we continued towards Grindavík. A note of caution: always check the current status of the town and nearby volcanoes, as this is a very active volcanic ridge and conditions can change.

We finished the day with a visit to the Blue Lagoon for Iceland’s most famous “wonder”. While it is iconic, for us with children we found it less relaxing and more of a one‑off, tick‑the‑box experience compared to the local pools and the Secret Lagoon. It is helpful to set expectations, especially with younger kids and the armband rules.

We spent our final night in a hotel in Keflavik, close to the airport, which made the early flight home the next morning much easier.

Day 6: Early flight home

An early start for the flight home. Thanks to staying in Keflavik the night before, the journey to the airport was short and stress free, which is exactly what you want at the end of a self drive adventure.

Safety first: car kit, connectivity and setting expectations

A self drive trip in Iceland is incredibly rewarding, but it is also a destination where you need to treat safety very seriously, especially in Autumn or winter.

• Have a “grab bag” in the car: Pack warm layers, hats and gloves, a torch, snacks, water, a power bank and any essential medication. If you are delayed or need to wait out bad weather, you will be grateful you did.
• Stay connected: Make sure you have reliable GPS and data. Buying an e‑SIM in advance or hiring a Wi‑Fi dongle from your car hire company can make a huge difference on the road.
• Follow the Safe Iceland guidance: Pay particular attention to the advice around beaches, craters and road conditions. Places like black sand beaches and cliff edges can be far more dangerous than they look, especially in high winds. 
• Tell someone your plans: Use the Safe Iceland tracker where appropriate and always make sure someone knows where you are going each day and roughly when you expect to be back.
• Do not push beyond your capabilities: If you do not feel confident driving in heavy snow, strong winds or on icy roads, turn back or change the plan. No sight is worth risking your family’s safety.
• Prepare children for changes: Iceland will sometimes force you to change plans at the last minute. This can be especially important for neurodivergent children who like predictability. For example, we did not promise things like seeing the Northern Lights. We framed it as a “maybe” or a bonus surprise. It is much better to be delighted by seeing something by chance than to be disappointed because you were expecting it.
• Know your Car and what roads you can use: There are restrictions with some hire cars on what roads you can use, including F roads which are not paved.  Make sure you hire the right car for your intended trip.
• Stick to the main roads in winter: For most families, especially in February, it is safest to stay on the main numbered roads and avoid “F‑roads” and highland tracks altogether. These routes are often closed, unpaved or only suitable for experienced drivers with specialist vehicles, so keeping to the main roads keeps the adventure enjoyable rather than stressful.

Planning for the worst but hoping for the best means that when everything goes smoothly, it feels even more magical.

Ready to start planning your own Iceland family adventure? Contact me and I will design a personalised, fully protected itinerary that fits your style, dates, budget and children’s ages.

*Prices based on a trip in February 2026