From towering glaciers and cascading waterfalls to rugged lava fields and steaming geysers, Iceland is a land of breathtaking landscapes. But beyond its natural beauty, it’s also an incredible destination for families seeking adventure. We loved all of these amazing kid-friendly tours in Iceland, and are excited to share them with your family!
If your kids love adventure, Iceland is the perfect place to make some epic family memories. Imagine spotting whales in the wild, riding a friendly Icelandic horse through stunning landscapes, or zooming across a glacier on a snowmobile—it’s all possible here! Iceland is packed with incredible kid-friendly tours that mix excitement, nature, and a little bit of learning, making it a dream destination for families.
From cruising past towering icebergs on a boat, to exploring lava caves, these kid-friendly tours let you experience Iceland’s natural wonders up close in a safe and fun way. Whether your family is up for an adrenaline rush like white-water rafting or prefers a laid-back whale-watching boat tour, there’s something for everyone.
Keep reading to find the best kid-friendly tours in Iceland that will make your your family trip unforgettable!
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Are you planning on staying in a campervan during your family trip to Iceland? If so, don’t miss my tips on camping in Iceland with kids.
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1. Skalafellsjökull Glacier Snowmobile Tour
Region: South Iceland
Covering nearly 8% of the country, Iceland’s Vatnajökull Glacier is one of the largest glaciers in the world. In order to properly appreciate its vast size and beauty, we knew we had to find a kid-friendly tour which let us get out on it. We were super excited to come across a family-friendly snowmobile tour! This snowmobile tour explores the Skalafellsjökull Glacier, which is a tongue of the main glacier which extends south towards the coast.
Upon checking in at the glacier tour offices, we were each given rain-proof and wind-proof overalls, a crash helmet, gloves and a souvenir buff (which we got to keep!)
Once we were properly geared up for the conditions up on the Vatnajökull Glacier, we hopped into the adventure van with massive wheels. Just seeing our transportation, we knew we were in for an awesome family adventure!!
After a short drive on the highway, our monster truck-looking van turned off onto an infamous Iceland “F road”. If you’ve ever rented a car in Iceland, you’ll know what an F road is. Your car rental company will make it very clear that you cannot drive on them – F Roads are for big 4×4 vehicles only.
Over the next 30 minutes, our adventure van gained 900 m in elevation over a very exciting mountain road. There were big bumps, hairpin turns and epic scenery all along the way.
When we finally reached the top, a lineup of snowmobiles were waiting for us. After a good safety briefing and driving instructions, we were on our way!
For this family-friendly snowmobile tour on the Skalafellsjökull Glacier, each adult had their own snowmobile. There was a second seat on each snowmobile for each kid behind the adult, raised up higher, so they could see better. The kids had their own handles to grab onto for safety as we made our way on our Skalafellsjökull Glacier adventure!
As it was a snowmobile tour for beginners, we took it slow for the first 10 minutes or so, which I was grateful for as I had no idea what I was doing!
The first stop in our kid-friendly snowmobile tour was in a scenic spot with several massive rocks protruding out of the glacial snow nearby. Our guide said at this point that we were standing on top of 150 m / 500 feet of snow and ice. Incredible!
After some family pictures and fun snowball fights we were back on our snowmobiles. This time we drove a lot longer, at higher speeds. At this stage, we were all more comfortable operating a snowmobile on a glacier, so it was a ton of fun. Our kids had a blast hanging on in the back, soaking in the scenery and the epic adventure of it all.
Our second stop was at the furthest point of our Skalafellsjökull Glacier snowmoblile tour. It was at the edge of a very high cliff, with truly incredible vistas of Icelandic mountains across a deep ravine. Looking back, you could really appreciate the size & magnitude of this enormous Icelandic glacier with even more snow-capped mountains in the distance.
Due to our blue sky day, we could even see all the way to the Atlantic Ocean – which is something they rarely get to see from that viewpoint. Before heading back, our guide gave us a very interesting talk about glaciers and how they work. He did a great job making it interesting at a level that the kids could understand too.
Skalafellsjökull Glacier Snowmobile Tour
Although it was our most expensive tour of our family vacation, the Skalafellsjökull Glacier Snowmobile Tour was also our favorite kid-friendly tour in Iceland. It’s worth every penny!
2. White Water Rafting
Region: North Iceland
We had recently tried white water rafting on a family trip to Bovec, Slovenia, and we loved it. When we discovered this family-friendly white water rafting tour in Iceland, it looked too good to pass up!
Shortly after arrival we were given our white water rafting gear. We were each given a dry suit, which was designed to keep the frigid glacial water off our skin. The dry suits had integrated rubber feet, and tight rubber seals around the arms and neck to keep water out. Optional gloves and hats were also provided.
Once everyone was properly geared up, we all piled into the big bus and drove to the starting point of our kid-friendly white water rafting tour. Here, at the edge of the river, we were given white water rafting instructions, along with a thorough safety briefing.
Before long, we were in our boats and on the river! This kid-friendly white water rafting tour takes you through Class II+ rapids, and we started out with a bang! Almost immediately we hit a big wave and all got soaked! We all shared a good laugh and did a group high-five with our oars, before tacking the next challenge in the river.
Class II+ rapids are perfect for kids and for people who are new to white water rafting. They are just scary enough to give everyone genuine thrill, but not so bad that anyone is in any real danger of falling out of the boat.
After we successfully navigated through several sets of rapids, we made our first stop a natural hot spring on the shore of the river. We were each given a coffee mug with cocoa powder, so we could enjoy hot chocolate made from the natural hot spring water. What a fun idea!
Back in the water, the white water rafting tour took us through a beautiful canyon, with really interesting scenery. At times it was lush and green, while others you could see the many layers of sediment from past volcanic eruptions.
Our final stop of the day was at a spot where we could jump off a cliff into the water. It was roughly 10-15 feet high, but the biggest thrill was trying to swim ashore in the strong rapids after plunging into the water. Both of our kids mustered up the courage to do the jump – they were very proud of themselves, and we were proud of them too!
Recommended White Water Rafting Tour
We had an awesome time on this family-friendly white water rafting tour in North Iceland!!
3. Fjallsárlón Iceberg Boat Tours
Region: South Iceland
Iceberg boat tours are yet another way to enjoy the amazing size and natural beauty of the Vatnajökull Glacier and its tongues. There are several tour operators offer iceberg boat tours, but most of them have minimum age and/or size requirements. Fjallsárlón Iceberg Boat Tours was the only one who offered a kid-friendly iceberg tour on a zodiac boat for kids as young as five.
The Fjallsjökull glacier is jaw-dropping beautiful, even from the road as you drive in. And as you get closer, you see the lake at its base is filled with giant, icy blue icebergs which have calved from the glacier into the icy waters below.
After getting fitted into our water and windproof jackets, we made our way to our zodiac boat. Being in a small, nimble zodiac meant our tour guide could get us nice and close to the icebergs, so we could admire their enormous size and icy beauty.
He even fished out a small iceberg from the water, so we could hold it and admire how crystal clear it was.
After gliding through a cluster of beautiful icebergs, we made our way towards the edge of the Fjallsjökull glacier. As our guide was talking, something incredible happened! First, we heard an almost deafening “CRACK!!!”. We all turned in the direction of the sound, but nothing happened at first.
But then, moments later, a massive chunk of the iceberg started to crumble and fell into the icy lake below. Based on its height of 30 m / 100 feet, I’d guess the length of the chunk that broke off was at least 120 m / 400 feet long. It was a truly incredible sight that I’m sure none of us will ever forget!!
Recommended Iceberg Lagoon Tour
An Iceberg lagoon boat tour is a true Iceland family adventure without much effort!
4. Whale Watching Tour
Region: North Iceland (near Húsavík)
Húsavík is widely known as the Whale Watching Capital of Iceland. Whales are one of our favorite creatures, so when our family camping trip around Iceland took us through Húsavík, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to go look for some humpbacks.
Shortly after checking in with our whale watching tour operator, we were boarding the large oak boat, and were each given overalls for warmth and a big orange rain jacket to keep us dry.
As our whale watching boat left the Húsavík harbour, we kept ourselves busy looking at all the cute little puffins floating in the water!
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Puffins are one of the highlights for nature lovers in Iceland. If you’d like to see these adorable birds up close, check out my post on Where to See Puffins in Iceland.
We were all busy looking for whales in the Atlantic, but the scenery around was very distracting. The snow-capped mountains across Skjálfandi Bay were spectacular, as were the many waterfalls flowing off their slopes into the ocean.
After about an hour of seeking, our capable guides spotted a group of humpback whales. They were in the center of the bay, feeding on krill about 40 m / 130 feet below the surface.
As the humpbacks were actively feeding we got to see a lot of action. They would surface nearby and spout as they exhaled their breath. They’d bob on the surface for a while, before descending for another feed, with their gigantic tails emerging from the water on their way into the depths.
We watched a single humpback for quite a while, but then we switched off to watch another before heading back to the harbour.
We had tried whale watching with our kids once before, but that attempt was pretty unsuccessful. This time, with all the humpback action, the kids got to see what the excitement about whale watching is all about!
Recommended Whale Watching Tour
If your family loves wildlife and nature as much as we do, we highly recommend a whale watching tour during your family trip to Iceland!
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After your whale watching tour, try a soak in the nearby GeoSea Geothermal Sea Baths. Get full details in our post on Kid-Friendly Geothermal Pools in Iceland.
5. Húsey Horseback Riding Tour
Region: East Iceland
Our daughter has been an animal lover her entire life, and she has wanted to try riding horses for nearly as long. Given that Iceland is home to some of the most beautiful horses in the world, and our kids are finally old enough that we could trust them on a horse, we decided to try a family-friendly horseback riding tour.
Upon arrival at the Húsey Horse Farm, we were fitted with riding helmets, then were directed to the stable to meet our horses. Given the kids were both first-time horseback riders, they were given the most docile horses to ride on.
As neither of our kids had ever ridden a horse before, our kids’ horses were each tethered to a guide’s horse. Amazingly, each of our kids had a dedicated guide the entire time.
The horseback riding tour was a lot of fun. The horses never progressed beyond a walking pace, but that was just perfect for our kids. The Húsey Horse Farm is in the middle of a vast meadow, filled with wild grasses and many wildflowers, including thousands of Mountain Avens, Iceland’s national flower.
The kids had a great time on their first horseback riding tour. I’m glad they got to try horseback riding for the first time in a place as special as Iceland, on an animal as beautiful as an Icelandic horse.
Recommended Iceland Horseback Riding Tour
The location of our Húsey Horse Farm horseback riding tour was pretty remote. If you’d like to find a Iceland horseback riding tour in a more accessible location, click the button to see more options.
6. Vatnshellir Cave Tour
Region: Snaefellsnes Peninsula
We wanted to do this exciting cave tour on our first family trip to the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, but our kids were too young. When we returned with them a second time, we were excited to give it a go!
After we checked in for the tour, we were all given hard hats and a flashlight. Before long, we were descending a long spiral staircase deep into the earth.
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The Snaefellsnes Peninsula is often described as a miniature Iceland, as it has a little of everything. Learn more in our post on visiting the Snaefellsnes Peninsula with kids.
We visited three chambers of a massive lava tunnel in our Vatnshellir Cave Tour. It was a ton of fun seeing all the stalactites and stalagmites, the layers of hardened flowing lava flow and the many different colors of the lava rock.
We reached the third and lowest chamber of the lava tube via a second spiral staircase. At our lowest point, we were 35m / 115 feet below the surface!
At just 45 minutes long, our Vatnshellir Cave Tour was pretty quick, but it was very enjoyable and educational too!
Recommended Lava Cave Tour
If your family trip takes you to Snaefellsnes Peninsula, we recommend the very enjoyable Vatnshellir Cave Tour.
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Looking for more fun things to do on your once-in-a-lifetime trip to Iceland? Don’t miss our post on the Best Things to do in Iceland with Kids.
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).