Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Iceland for families: Reykjavik, the South Coast and Snaefellsnes
7 days from Reykjavik for families with children 7 and up: whale watching and Perlan, the Golden Circle and a horse ride, two nights on the South Coast and two on Snaefellsnes for puffins, a lava cave and Kirkjufell.
7 days · Round trip from Reykjavik · up to 12 guests
The church above Vik, on the South Coast, here in winter Photo: Jeremy Bishop tidesinourveins, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vik,_Iceland_(Unsplash_KFIjzXYg1RM).jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 7 days, 6 nights
- Start and end
- Round trip from Reykjavik
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Longest drive
- 3.5 h on day 5No drive day is longer than 4 hours.
- Activity level
Easy
Walks of 1 to 3 km at most stops, on gravel paths, sand and uneven lava, with some steps; about 3 to 5 km on foot on the busiest days. The horse ride is about an hour at a walk and tolt, suitable for beginners. Vatnshellir means about an hour underground on spiral stairs and an uneven cave floor. The Skogafoss steps and the glacier walk are optional. Drives are about 3 to 3.5 hours a day with a stop at least every hour, and anyone can stay with the minibus at a stop.
- Meals included
- 6 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 1 dinner
- Room of your own
- + CAD 1,020 (estimated price)
- Season
- June to August
Highlights
Why this trip
- Whale watching on Faxafloi from Reykjavik's Old Harbour, looking for minke and humpback whales and dolphins
- Perlan's ice cave and planetarium, then a classic Icelandic hot dog for lunch
- Strokkur erupting every few minutes, and Gullfoss roaring into its canyon
- A ride on a gentle Icelandic horse in the farm country around Hella
- The black sand of Reynisfjara before the coaches, and walking behind Seljalandsfoss
- Puffins on the islands of Breidafjordur, by boat from Stykkisholmur
- An hour underground in the Vatnshellir lava cave, and Kirkjufell in the afternoon light
What makes this trip different
Short drives, all published
Every drive is listed day by day, and none is longer than 4 hours.
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 1,020 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
The longest drive is 3.5 h, on day 5.
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Reykjavik
Keflavik International Airport to your hotel in Reykjavik, then Laugardalslaug and the city centre
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Reykjavik
- Drive about 45 min
Fly into Keflavik International Airport (KEF), about 50 km from Reykjavik across the lava fields of the Reykjanes Peninsula.
Morning
Many flights from North America land early in the morning, so a private transfer takes your family straight to the hotel, which holds your bags until your room is ready; early check-in is something we request but cannot promise. Rest, find breakfast, and at 2 pm your See Sight Tours guide meets the group at the hotel. The first stop is the best cure for an overnight flight: Laugardalslaug, the city's largest geothermal pool, with hot tubs, a waterslide and Icelandic families in the water in any weather. Afterwards a short walk in the centre: up to Hallgrimskirkja, whose tower lift gives children their first view over the coloured roofs, and down to the pond at Tjornin to feed the ducks.
Evening
A short briefing on the week, then a welcome dinner together in the centre and an early night.
Included
- Private transfer from Keflavik International Airport (KEF)
- Laugardalslaug geothermal pool, entry included
- Short guided walk: Hallgrimskirkja and the pond at Tjornin
- Welcome briefing and welcome dinner
Optional experiences
- Hallgrimskirkja tower lift (small fee, paid on the day)
Easier option: Skip the pool and rest at the hotel; join the group for the walk at about 4:30 pm.
Free time: Free until 2 pm
Activity: If you land after about 1 pm, the guide meets you at the hotel when you arrive and you join the group at dinner; you can visit the pool on day 2's free afternoon. Hallgrimskirkja tower lift hours are something we confirm for your date. Bring swimsuits and towels in your hand luggage.
Whales and Perlan
Reykjavik's Old Harbour, out on Faxafloi bay, then Perlan
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Reykjavik
- Drive about 30 min
A Reykjavik day for children.
Morning
We walk to the Old Harbour for the morning sailing, about three hours out on Faxafloi bay, where minke whales, white-beaked dolphins and harbour porpoises are the usual sightings and humpbacks come in often. Morning sailings are usually calmer, and the boat has a warm indoor deck and overalls to borrow. Sightings are never certain; the guide on board will explain the rules if a sailing sees no whales.
Afternoon
Back on land, lunch is the Icelandic classic, a hot dog with crunchy onions, or a soup if you prefer. In the afternoon the minibus takes us up the hill to Perlan, built on top of the city's hot-water tanks: walk through a man-made ice cave, see how glaciers and volcanoes shaped the island, watch the planetarium show on the Northern Lights, and look out over the city from the viewing deck.
Evening
We are back at the hotel by about 4 pm, and the evening is free for your family.
Included
- Whale watching from the Old Harbour on Faxafloi, about 3 hours
- Lunch in the harbour area
- Perlan: the ice cave, the exhibitions, the planetarium show and the viewing deck
Optional experiences
- Sky Lagoon in Kopavogur in the evening (price shown at booking)
Easier option: If a child is prone to seasickness, spend the morning at the Whales of Iceland exhibition or the Saga Museum instead and meet the group for lunch.
More active option: Walk back from Perlan to the centre through the Oskjuhlid woods, about 2.5 km downhill.
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free
Activity: Mostly standing on the boat, which can roll; take seasickness tablets before you sail if you need them. About 3 km on foot across the day.
The Golden Circle and a horse ride
Reykjavik to Thingvellir, Geysir and Gullfoss, then Reykholt and south to Hella
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Hella
- Drive about 3 h
We leave Reykjavik at 8 am and reach Thingvellir National Park, about 45 minutes away, before most of the day coaches. Iceland's parliament, the Althing, first met here in 930, and the park is listed by UNESCO. Children can walk down the Almannagja rift with one hand on the edge of the North American plate. About an hour on, at the Geysir field, Strokkur erupts every few minutes, often 15 to 20 m high, so nobody waits long; ten minutes more and Gullfoss drops in two steps into a narrow canyon.
Afternoon
Lunch is at a greenhouse farm near Reykholt, where tomatoes grow under lights all year. Then an easy hour south through Fludir to Hella, home for two nights, in time for the afternoon ride: about an hour on gentle Icelandic horses, led by the farm's guides, with a turn at the tolt, the smooth gait only these horses have.
Evening
The evening is free.
Included
- Thingvellir National Park with your guide: the Almannagja rift and the Law Rock
- Geysir geothermal field and Strokkur
- Gullfoss
- Lunch at a greenhouse farm near Reykholt
- Horse ride near Hella, about 1 hour, with helmets and the farm's guides
Easier option: Instead of riding, meet the horses in the paddock and watch from the farm while the others ride.
More active option: Walk the full length of Almannagja to the Oxararfoss waterfall, about 2 km, and meet the minibus there.
Free time: Evening free in Hella
Activity: About 3 km on foot on good paths, with some steps at Gullfoss. Riders wear long trousers and closed shoes; the farm sets its own weight limit.
Black sand and waterfalls
Hella east to Vik and Reynisfjara, then back west by Dyrholaey, Solheimajokull, Skogafoss and Seljalandsfoss
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Hella
- Drive about 3.5 h
The reason for two nights in Hella: a whole day on the coast without moving hotel.
Morning
We leave at 8 am and drive to the far end first, about an hour and a quarter to Vik, so we reach Reynisfjara by about 9:30, before the day coaches: black sand, basalt columns to climb on the cliff, and the sea stacks the story says are trolls caught by the sunrise. The waves are dangerous here, so the guide sets a line well back from the water. Then Dyrholaey, where puffins nest in summer; access to the headland is limited in the nesting season, into late June, so early in the summer the guide takes us to the lower viewpoint over the arch. Then the snout of Solheimajokull, a tongue of the Myrdalsjokull ice cap.
Afternoon
Lunch is at Skogar, below Skogafoss, a 60 m fall with a legend of a Viking's chest of gold behind it. We finish at Seljalandsfoss, which faces west and glows in the afternoon light; when the path is free of ice, children can walk right behind the falling water. Back in Hella by about 5 pm.
Included
- Vik and Reynisfjara with the Reynisdrangar sea stacks
- Dyrholaey headland and sea arch
- Walk to the snout of Solheimajokull with your guide
- Skogafoss
- Seljalandsfoss and the path behind the falls
- Lunch at Skogar
Optional experiences
- Guided glacier walk on Solheimajokull with crampons and a certified glacier guide, about 3 hours, for children 10 and up and adults (price shown at booking)
Easier option: See Skogafoss from the flat ground at its foot, and Seljalandsfoss from the front, without the wet, slippery path behind it.
More active option: Older children and parents take the glacier walk on Solheimajokull while the rest of the group walks to the snout and on to Skogafoss; we meet for a late lunch at Skogar.
Free time: Early evening free in Hella
Activity: About 4 km on foot: sand and pebbles at Reynisfjara, a gravel path of about 1 km each way to the glacier, and spray at Seljalandsfoss, so everyone needs waterproofs. Parts of Dyrholaey can be closed in May and June for nesting birds; we use the lower viewpoint when they are.
To Snaefellsnes and the puffin islands
Hella to Borgarnes and the basalt columns of Gerduberg, then Stykkisholmur and a boat on Breidafjordur
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Stykkisholmur
- Drive about 3.5 h
Today is the longest drive, about three and a half hours in all, so we split it into three short legs. We leave Hella at 8 am, skirt the edge of Reykjavik and pass under Hvalfjordur by tunnel to Borgarnes for a stretch and a snack by the water. On the road out to the peninsula we stop at Gerduberg, a long wall of six-sided basalt columns that children can walk along and count.
Afternoon
Lunch is in Stykkisholmur, a fishing town of old wooden houses at the edge of Breidafjordur, our base for two nights. In the afternoon we board a boat among the bay's small islands to look for puffins on the grassy cliffs, with fulmars, shags and, if we are lucky, a white-tailed eagle; the crew shows how the basalt islands formed.
Evening
Back on land, the evening is free: the town pool has hot tubs and a slide, and the short climb up Helgafell comes with a legend of three wishes.
Included
- Stop in Borgarnes
- Gerduberg basalt columns
- Lunch in Stykkisholmur
- Boat trip among the Breidafjordur islands to see puffins and seabirds, about 2 hours
Optional experiences
- Settlement Centre in Borgarnes (price shown at booking)
Easier option: Stay on deck in the boat's sheltered area, or skip the boat and spend the afternoon at the Stykkisholmur pool.
More active option: Climb Helgafell after dinner: a 73 m hill, about 30 minutes up and down, with the old rule that you climb in silence and do not look back.
Free time: Evening free in Stykkisholmur
Activity: Three legs of about an hour to an hour and a quarter in the minibus. The boat can be cold in the wind; bring hats and gloves.
Kirkjufell and the Vatnshellir lava cave
Stykkisholmur to Kirkjufell and Olafsvik, round the tip to Vatnshellir, Djupalonssandur and Arnarstapi, and back to Stykkisholmur
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Stykkisholmur
- Drive about 3.5 h
A loop round the peninsula below Snaefellsjokull, the glacier-capped volcano where Jules Verne began his Journey to the Centre of the Earth. We leave at 9 am, a gentler start, and reach Kirkjufell in about 45 minutes: a 463 m peak with a small waterfall in front of it. Past the fishing town of Olafsvik we round the tip into Snaefellsjokull National Park for the guided tour of Vatnshellir, a lava tube about 8,000 years old: spiral stairs take you down into the dark, and helmets and torches are provided.
Afternoon
Lunch is nearby. At Djupalonssandur a path through lava leads to a black pebble beach, iron from a trawler wrecked in 1948 and four old lifting stones that fishermen once tested themselves on. At Arnarstapi, children meet the stone statue of Bardur, the half-troll guardian of the peninsula, above cliffs full of nesting birds.
Evening
We drive back across the mountains for a farewell dinner together.
Included
- Kirkjufell and Kirkjufellsfoss
- Snaefellsjokull National Park
- Vatnshellir lava cave, guided tour of about 1 hour, helmets and torches included
- Djupalonssandur and the lifting stones
- Arnarstapi cliffs and the statue of Bardur
- Lunch on the peninsula
- Farewell dinner in Stykkisholmur
Easier option: Skip the cave and walk the short lava trail around its entrance with the guide, or wait in the minibus.
More active option: Walk the 2.5 km cliff path from Arnarstapi to Hellnar, about an hour past sea arches and nesting birds, and meet the minibus there.
Free time: Late afternoon free before the farewell dinner
Activity: About 3 km on foot. The cave has steep spiral stairs and a cold, uneven floor, so wear warm layers and good shoes; the Djupalonssandur path is rocky.
Back to Reykjavik and home
Stykkisholmur to Borgarnes, central Reykjavik and Keflavik International Airport
- Breakfast
- Drive about 3 h
Morning
A last breakfast by the harbour in Stykkisholmur, then we leave at 8:30 am for the drive back to the capital, about two and a quarter hours, with a stretch stop in Borgarnes and the tunnel under Hvalfjordur. The road runs along the coast below Mount Esja, the mountain you saw from the whale boat on day 2, so it is a good moment for the guide to go over the week with the children, and for them to choose the best moment, which is usually the puffins or the horses.
Afternoon
Families staying on in Reykjavik are dropped in the centre at about 11:15 am; the rest of us go on across the Reykjanes lava fields to Keflavik International Airport, arriving at about 12:15 pm, in time for the afternoon flights to North America. Your guide says goodbye at the airport.
Evening
If your flight leaves in the evening, ask us about a drop at the Blue Lagoon on the way, at a price shown at booking.
Included
- Transfer to central Reykjavik or Keflavik International Airport (KEF)
Optional experiences
- Blue Lagoon on the way to the airport for evening flights (price shown at booking)
Activity: Book a flight leaving after about 3 pm. Lunch today is your choice, at the airport or in Reykjavik.
- Reykjavik2 nights
- Hella2 nights
- Stykkisholmur2 nights
- Reykjavikend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: June to August brings the longest days; in June Reykjavik has about 21 hours of daylight and the nights stay light. Puffins nest on the Breidafjordur islands and at Dyrholaey from about May to mid August, so late August departures may see few, and parts of Dyrholaey can close in the nesting season. Whale watching runs all summer; minke whales, white-beaked dolphins and harbour porpoises are the usual sightings, humpbacks often. Sailings can be cancelled in high wind, and we rebook within the trip where we can. The Northern Lights are not visible in summer.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Families with children aged 7 and up on a first trip to Iceland
- Children who like animals: whales, puffins and horses on one trip
- Parents who do not want to drive Iceland's roads in wind and rain with children in the back
- Families who would rather stay two nights in each place than pack every morning
Not for you if you want
- Children under 7: the minimum age is 7 on every departure
- Pushchairs or step-free access: paths are gravel, sand and lava, and the cave has spiral stairs
- Adults travelling without children (the Golden Circle, Snaefellsnes and South Coast short break or the Ring Road suits you better)
- The Glacier Lagoon, the East Fjords or Lake Myvatn: take the Ring Road trip
- The Northern Lights, which are not visible in summer
Minimum age: 7
Most guests are Families with children aged 7 to 16
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
6 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Reykjavik2 nights
- Hella2 nights
- Stykkisholmur2 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 6 nights: 2 in central Reykjavik, 2 in or near Hella and 2 in Stykkisholmur
- Hotels of a 3-star-plus standard with private bathrooms and family, triple or connecting rooms where available; we name each hotel when we confirm your dates
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Private transfer from Keflavik International Airport (KEF) on day 1, and drop-off in central Reykjavik or at KEF on day 7
- A private minibus and professional driver for the group from day 2 to day 7
- Whale-watching boat on Faxafloi (day 2) and the island boat on Breidafjordur (day 5)
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group from the afternoon of day 1 to the airport on day 7
- Local guides and crews where the activity requires them: the boats, the horse farm and the Vatnshellir cave
Activities
- Reykjavik: Laugardalslaug geothermal pool, Hallgrimskirkja and Tjornin
- Whale watching from Reykjavik's Old Harbour
- Perlan: the ice cave, the exhibitions and the planetarium show
- Thingvellir National Park, Geysir and Gullfoss
- Horse ride near Hella, about 1 hour
- Vik, Reynisfjara, Dyrholaey and the walk to Solheimajokull
- Skogafoss and Seljalandsfoss
- Gerduberg basalt columns
- Puffin and island boat from Stykkisholmur
- Kirkjufell, Djupalonssandur and Arnarstapi in Snaefellsjokull National Park
- Vatnshellir lava cave tour
- All parking and site fees for included stops
Meals
- 6 breakfasts
- 5 lunches, on days 2 to 6
- 2 dinners: a welcome dinner in Reykjavik and a farewell dinner in Stykkisholmur
Not included
- International flights to and from Keflavik
- Travel insurance
- Any visa or travel authorisation fee, such as ETIAS once it applies
- Lunches on days 1 and 7, and dinners on days 2 to 5
- Drinks
- Tips
- Optional activities, such as the Solheimajokull glacier walk, the Sky Lagoon and the Blue Lagoon
- Towel or swimsuit hire at the pools
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 1,020 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Six nights in hotels with private bathrooms, 6 breakfasts, 5 lunches and 2 dinners, the arrival and departure transfers, a minibus and driver, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, and every activity in the day plan: whale watching, Perlan, a geothermal pool, the horse ride, the puffin boat, the Vatnshellir cave, and all parking and site fees.
What ages is this trip for?
Children must be 7 or older on the first day, and the activities suit children of about 7 to 16; teenagers are welcome. The optional glacier walk is for children 10 and up and adults. For younger children, a private trip lets us change the pace and swap activities that have age limits.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests, counting children, so it is usually three or four families in one minibus. Intrepid's family trip takes up to 16 and the G Adventures family trips up to 20. Twelve fits on one horse ride, at one table at lunch, and close enough to hear the guide.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group from the first afternoon to the airport. A professional driver handles the minibus, so your guide is free to walk with the children and change the order of stops for weather. Boat crews, the horse farm's guides and the cave guides lead their own activities. We name your guide when we confirm your dates.
How much walking and driving is there for children?
About 3 to 5 km on foot on the busiest days, at short stops on gravel, sand and lava. Drives are about 3 to 3.5 hours a day, never more than about four, with a stop at least every hour. Every demanding day has an easy option, and a child can stay in the minibus with a parent at any stop.
I am a single parent. Do I pay a single supplement?
No. A parent sharing a room with one child pays the per-person price with no supplement. The single supplement, CAD 1,020, applies only to a guest who wants a room alone. Tell us your family's make-up and we ask each hotel for the right triple, family or connecting rooms.
Will we definitely see whales and puffins?
Not definitely, but our dates give the best chance. Whale watching from Reykjavik sees minke whales, dolphins or porpoises on most summer sailings, and the boat operator explains its own policy if a trip sees none. Puffins nest on the Breidafjordur islands from about mid May to mid August, so late August departures may see few.
When is the best time to go?
We run this trip from June to August. These months bring the longest days, the mildest weather at about 10 to 15 C, school holidays and the puffin season. June has the most daylight, July is the warmest, and puffins thin out in late August. Rain and wind are possible in any month.
Should we choose this trip or the Iceland Ring Road?
Choose this one for children: seven days, two nights in each base, and animals and activities built in, with Snaefellsnes, which the Ring Road trip leaves out. Choose the nine-day Ring Road for the Glacier Lagoon, the East Fjords and Lake Myvatn, at a pace and length that suit adults and older teenagers better.
Do we need visas or documents for the children?
Canadian and US citizens, children included, do not need a visa for a short stay in Iceland, but every child needs their own passport, valid at least three months beyond the day you leave. A parent travelling alone with a child should carry consent from the other parent. ETIAS is due to start; we confirm whether it applies.
How does booking work?
Pick your start date and request to book; no payment is taken at that point. We check hotels, family rooms, the activities and your guide for that date and confirm within 24 hours. The small group starts from CAD 5,995 per person sharing, children included, taxes included, and the private trip from CAD 10,790 per person.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. Besides the small group, the trip comes as a private trip for your family only, on a date you choose, with your own guide and vehicle; we can adapt it for younger children. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we will quote the same route and hotels.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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