Iceland is one of the most exciting destinations in the world for a family camping trip. A land of fire and ice, your family will love exploring this magical landscape of volcanos, glaciers, waterfalls and puffins.
We have been to Iceland with kids twice now, and we can tell you that there is no better way to see Iceland with kids than on a family camping trip. Our latest visit was on a 21 day family camping trip around the Iceland Ring Road. Based on our actual camping experiences, we are excited to share with you the ten most kid-friendly campgrounds in Iceland.

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Kid-Friendly Iceland Campgrounds
Camping is one of the most popular and affordable ways of traveling around Iceland, and as a result there are a huge amount of campgrounds in Iceland. Most of the campgrounds in Iceland have pretty basic facilities. At a typical Iceland campground you will find toilets, fresh water and a place to wash your dishes.
Some of the better family-friendly campsites in Iceland will include facilities such as hot water, showers, kitchen facilities, power outlets for charging devices and even washing machines.
Kids tend to love the excitement of camping in Iceland no matter where you stay. But if you’d like your campground to have some facilities for the kids, here are our favorite family-friendly campgrounds in Iceland we stayed at during our 3-week family camping trip around the ring road. They are listed in order of preference, starting with our favorite campgrounds in Iceland.
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If you are currently planning your family trip to Iceland, don’t miss my Top 10 Tips for Camping in Iceland with Kids and my Best Tips for Visiting Iceland on a Budget.
1. Vestmannaeyjar Camp Site
Region: South Iceland
This amazing family-friendly Iceland campsite is located on the incredible Heimaey Island, one of our favourite places in Iceland.
The setting for the Vestmannaeyjar campground is so incredible it’s hard to believe it’s real. The campsite is actually located at the bottom of an ancient volcanic caldera. From your campsite, the upper rim of the volcano surrounds you for 180 degrees.
Its dramatic volcanic location aside, this Iceland campground has some great facilities too. It has brand new showers with on-demand hot water (meaning it never runs out of hot water like at most Iceland campgrounds).
There’s also a large indoor dining area with a well-stocked kitchen, allowing you to cook your family meals indoors for a change instead of inside your cramped camper-van. As a huge bonus, there are a ton of electrical outlets to charge all of your family electronics while you cook and eat your family meals.
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Finding kid-friendly meals to feed your kids while camping in Iceland can be a bit tricky sometimes. Don’t miss our list of Kid-Approved Meal Ideas for Camping in Iceland.
Kids get messy while camping, so parents will love there is a washer and dryer available as well!
What makes the Vestmannaeyjar Camp Site a kid-friendly Iceland campground is the nearby playground. This fun playground has a zip line, a swing and a climbing area.
There’s also an incredible family hike you can do up to the rim of the volcanic caldera. The views from the top are spectacular. As a bonus, halfway up there is a colony of cute puffins which you can sit and watch from a close, yet respectful distance.
Vestmannaeyjar Camp Site – Google Maps
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You may be interested to know the very best puffin viewing location in Iceland is on Heimaey Island. Get all the details in the Best Places to See Puffins in Iceland.
2. Campsite Þorlákshöfn
Region: South Island (very close to the Reykjanes Peninsula)
Located not too far from Reykjavik, this was our first campsite on our 3-week family road trip around the Iceland Ring Road. It was a good campsite with hot showers available.
There are two features which make Campsite Þorlákshöfn a kid-friendly campsite in Iceland.
Firstly, there is a large indoor/outdoor geothermal swimming pool located right next door.
Secondly, there is a school next to the campground which has one of the largest playgrounds we found anywhere in Iceland. On our family travels around the world, we have found that kids need time to play, even when on a fun family trip to Iceland. It’s good for their mental and physical health, so we always try to find time to let them play on a family vacation.
Campsite Þorlákshöfn is a participating location in the Iceland camping card.
Campsite Þorlákshöfn – Google Maps
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The geothermal swimming pool near this campground is one of the many around the country enjoyed by locals. If you’d like to try one of the more famous Iceland attractions, check out these family-friendly Iceland geothermal pools.
3. Melanes Campsite
Region: Westjords
Located on Rauðisandur Red Sand Beach on the very western peninsula in Iceland’s majestic Westfjords, the Melanes campsite could be one of the most scenic family-friendly campgrounds in Iceland. The famous red beach is on one side and a towering cliff and waterfall on the other.
There’s a small playground in this campground, but what really makes it a kid-friendly Iceland campground is its proximity to Rauðisandur Red Sand Beach.
It’s a short walk from the campsite to the famous red sand beach. The sand here is real sand (whereas it’s muddy in the day use area), so your kids can have fun playing in the sand without becoming a giant muddy mess. For some good family laughs, try having your kids stand in the chilly North Atlantic Ocean and see how long they can handle the icy waters!
Melanes Campsite – Google Maps
4. Ásbyrgi Campground
Region: North Iceland
Located in Vatnajökull National Park, the super large Ásbyrgi campground has all the facilities a family camping in Iceland would want. There’s hot water showers, a washing machine and plenty of sinks and toilets.
For the kids, this family-friendly campground has a huge playground. Plus, being such a large campsite in a national park, there’s no shortage of new kids to play with. Even if they don’t speak the same language, kids always know how to play with each other.
Ásbyrgi Campground – Google Maps
5. Tjaldsvæði Bolungarvíkur
Region: Westjords
This was our first campsite in the Westfjords of Iceland. It’s a nice, big campsite in Bolungarvík, just minutes north of the popular town of Ísafjörður.
This family-friendly campsite has a washer and dryer, indoor kitchen facilities and a shower.
It’s on the same property as a swimming pool complex, and campers get a 25% discount. They have an indoor swimming pool, an outdoor water slide and several outdoor hot tubs with astounding views of the surrounding mountains. There’s a big playground nearby too.
Tjaldsvæði Bolungarvíkur – Google Maps
6. Siglufjörður Campsite (Outside of Town)
Region: North Iceland
This incredibly scenic campsite is near Siglufjörður on the Tröllaskagi Peninsula (the Peninsula of the Trolls). Perched up high on a hill, the views of the surrounding fjord and towering mountains are breathtaking.
This is a simple campground with limited facilities, but it does have hot water and an area to clean dishes. We’ve included it in our list of family-friendly Iceland campgrounds as there is a natural swimming hole nearby.
The water in the swimming hole is fed by a stream from the mountain, and is therefore freezing. But there were lots of local kids splashing around, and that inspired our kids to give it a try too!
Siglufjörður Campsite (Outside of Town) – Google Maps
7. Campground Grundarfjörður
Region: Snaefellsnes Peninsula
This scenic campground on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula is just a few minutes away from the very popular Kirkjufellsfoss Waterfall.
Campground Grundarfjörður is a pretty basic campground, but it’s got some good facilities for kids. It’s right next door to a swimming complex and there’s also a big hoppudýna (bouncy pad) next door as well.
Campground Grundarfjörður – Google Maps
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We spent also visited the Snaefellsnes Peninsula on our first family trip to Iceland. See how we spent 3 days in the Snaefellsnes Peninsula with kids.
8. Hauganes Camping Area
Region: North Iceland
This nice little campground is just minutes from the ferry to Hrisey – Iceland’s second biggest island. We enjoyed the nice ocean and snow-capped mountain views from our campsite.
We’ve included the Hauganes Camping Area in our list of kids-friendly Iceland campgrounds due to the excellent playground right across the street. There’s an awesome large, inflatable bounce pillow, which are quite common in Iceland playgrounds. Our kids never left the bounce pillow, but there is traditional playground equipment too.
Hauganes Camping Area – Google Maps
9. Tjaldsvæðið Kleifar Campground
Region: South Iceland
We stayed at the Tjaldsvæðið Kleifar after visiting the black sand beach in Vik, Iceland. This isn’t the best campground in the world – we found it was too busy to only have two toilets.
But it does have a few kid-friendly amenities worth mentioning. There’s a modest little playground here – it’s not a great playground, but kids don’t care.
Even better than the playground is the nearby Stjórnarfoss waterfall. Just a five minute walk from the campground, kids can have some riverside fun throwing rocks in the river, etc.
Tjaldsvæðið Kleifar Campground – Google Maps
10. Husavik Campground
Region: North Iceland
The Husavik campground is a busy, functional campsite. There’s not much charming about it at all, but if you need a campsite around Husavik for your family camping trip, at least it has a small playground.
Plus the Husavik campground takes the Iceland camping card, so it will help keep your costs down.
Husavik Campground – Google Maps
Need a Family-Friendly Campervan in Iceland?
If you spend some time browsing our Iceland posts, you’ll see that our 3-week family camping trip in Iceland was unforgettable. Having the complete freedom of a family-friendly campervan was a huge reason for the success of our Iceland camping trip.
If you are looking for a kid-friendly campervan in Iceland, we recommend you check out the Go BIG Automatic Campervan from GoCampers.is! With plenty of space, comfy beds, and an easy-to-drive automatic transmission, it gave us total freedom to explore Iceland’s stunning landscapes without the expense or hassles of staying in hotels.
With two levels for sleeping, the Go BIG Automatic Campervan comfortably sleeps up to 4. With all the fresh air and exercise we got on our family camping trip, we had some of the best sleeps of our life in this campervan – I’m not joking!
Restaurant meals in Iceland are incredibly expensive, so with the included fridge and cooking gear, we were able to save a ton of money cooking our own meals. Plus, unlike tent campers, we were grateful to be able to eat indoors on the days the weather wasn’t perfect.
If you’re dreaming of the perfect family-friendly Iceland campervan, book your Go Campers van now!
Get 5% off Your Rental!
If you make your reservation with Go Campers using our link and use the code “familycantravel” at checkout, you’ll get 5% off your rental!
Dan Brewer is an intrepid family travel blogger with a passion for exploring the world's most captivating destinations. With 58 countries under his belt and a sense of wanderlust that knows no bounds, he has made it his life's mission to share his travel experiences and insights with fellow families who love to travel.
When Dan isn't traveling with his wife and kids, he's either out enjoying the Canadian Rockies he calls home or working on one of his three travel sites (Family Can Travel, Travel Banff Canada and Ultimate Sports Road Trip).