Worthy of more than a 1-day stopover, we guarantee that Iceland won’t disappoint.
Is it overtouristed? No.
Let’s start by addressing a common question that I hear from would-be travelers: is Iceland overtouristed? The answer is emphatically “no,” especially if you know where and when to go. Iceland’s rise to a tourist hot spot has less to do with its 130-plus volcanoes, shooting geysers, and bubbling hot springs, and more to do with a business gamble that Icelandair made back in the 1960s when it offered passengers a free, 3-day stopover when traveling through Reykjavík between North America and Europe. Now, that freebie has been extended to seven days, encouraging travelers to plan full-blown vacations to Iceland in addition to their other travels. Icelandair has further capitalized on the increased tourism by building an entire Icelandair-branded chain of hotels.
Should I do a stopover? Yes.
So should you book your next European (or North American, if you’re on the other side of the pond) vacation on Icelandair with a multi-day stop in Iceland? Yes, absolutely. You’ll be getting two destinations for the price of one airline ticket. Truth be told, you may end up enjoying the Iceland portion of your itinerary even more than your original destination, which was the case for my family on our recent Ireland-Iceland vacation.
Note: We booked the tickets on Icelandair through a KidTripster partner called AirTreks. Each ticket was $450 cheaper than booking directly through the airline! If you book through this link, KidTripster gets some coffee money from AirTreks at no additional cost to you. Thanks in advance for your support!
When should I visit? That depends.
When to go? The most common time to explore Iceland is summer. The weather is more reliable, and you’ll have nearly 24 hours of daylight to see this spectacularly beautiful country. But for more intrepid travelers, winter has some appeal, as well. Shorter days mean more opportunities to see the Northern Lights. And some activities like ice caving are only doable in the winter. But overall, you’ll likely cover far less ground during the winter.
How long should I stay? As long as you can.
How long should you stay? My advice – don’t shortchange yourself. I always feel badly when a friend says that her family is only spending 24 hours in Reykjavík on a quick stopover. While Reykjavík is a charming city, it’s not the reason to visit Iceland. The real Iceland is beyond the city limits (and beyond the famed Golden Circle) and too vast to explore in one or two days. At a minimum, I’d recommend planning for five days/four nights. However, after spending that amount of time in Iceland with my family, I wish that we’d have done the full week, allowing us to get to some of Iceland’s far-flung regions.
Is it expensive? Kinda.
How much will it cost me? I’m not going to lie, Iceland is pricey. In fact, according to Statistics Iceland, prices are on average 66% higher than in other European countries. A hostel (not hotel) room that can accommodate a family of four will run you $250/night during high season! Based on my firsthand experience and extensive research of accommodations, I strongly recommend renting an Airbnb-type apartment when visiting with a family. You also can check out our list of affordable (by Reykjavík standards) hotels that can fit a family in a single room. As for food, avoid white table cloth restaurants in Reykjavík and instead opt for cheap eats. Look here for a list of the best options.
That being said, there’s one place where I would spend some money – that is, on a multi-day tour. To understand the reasons why, click here. I highly recommend a company called Hidden Iceland. The two-day tour of southern Iceland that my son and I took with co-founder Ryan Connolly was probably the best-lead tour that we’ve ever been on.
What should I do in Iceland? As much as possible.
In the following pages, I detail a road-tested, family-friendly itinerary of Iceland for five days/four nights during the summer. I also make suggestions for add-ons to extend your trip to a full week. If you just can’t swing that many days, you can cherry-pick activities to build a one or two-day itinerary.
Day One starts in the city of Reykjavík. Keep reading by clicking below to advance to the next page.
