Iceland Family Adventure: Wild Landscapes and Viking History
Your Iceland family adventure travels through starkly beautiful landscapes – and back to the Viking era. In Reykjavik, wander past colourful buildings and learn about the capital’s Norse founders. Explore the Icelandic Highlands' black lava fields and glacial rivers on e-bikes and private family hikes. See geysers, waterfalls and glacial valleys on specially modified jeeps. And take a slow ride on graceful Icelandic horses.
Trip highlights
- Take an immersive tour of Reykjavik’s Viking heritage
- Look for humpback whales and puffins in Faxaflói Bay
- Explore the untamed Icelandic Highlands by snowmobile
- View the dramatic cascades of Gullfoss, the ‘Golden Falls’
- Travel through the ‘Valley of Thor’ by super jeep
- Ride through glacial valleys on Icelandic horses
Our bespoke trips include
We design one-of-a-kind journeys incorporating luxury in all its forms. Our bespoke trips include:
- Luxury accommodation throughout
- Privately guided tours
- Private transfers
- Meticulously selected experiences
- Expertise and support from your Jacada Concierge
Itinerary in detail
Days 1–3
Start your Iceland family adventure in Reykjavik
The world’s northernmost capital, Reykjavik can seem like it’s in the middle of nowhere. In some ways, it is. Iceland’s capital city is arranged around Faxaflói Bay and is divided by Tjornin Lake. Streets with museums, upscale restaurants and colourful houses are surrounded by volcanoes, glaciers and lava fields.
This sense of remoteness, and proximity to nature, makes this a particularly fun first stop on your Iceland family trip. Your three days here will be packed with Viking history, ethereal scenery and marine adventures.
In the city centre, hike up Öskjuhlíð, a hill with woodland trails. See across Reykjavik and its wild surroundings. On clear days, you might see Snæfellsjökull glacier and the volcanic peaks of Mount Esja.
Where you could stay
Make it mine
Whale watching
Viking tour
Super jeep
Look for puffins, whales and dolphins on a RIB tour
Depart from the Old Harbour on a Rigid Inflatable Boat or RIB, which can move faster and get you closer than bigger boats. In season (May to August), you’ll ride out to one of three islands with breeding puffins. Then, the boat will head beyond Faxaflói Bay into the North Atlantic to look for humpback and minke whales, orcas, porpoises and white-beaked dolphins.
Learn how Vikings shaped the city
Learn the heritage of Icelandic Vikings who arrived from Norway in the ninth century. Explore modern neighbourhoods still steeped in their history. Visit archaeological sites like the tenth-century longhouse ruins at the Settlement Exhibition. Hear sagas or narratives about historic family feuds and view a statue of Ingólfr Arnarson, the Norse settler who founded the city in 874 AD.
Tour the Borgarfjörður region in modified 4x4 vehicles
North of Reykjavik, the Borgarfjörður region has waterfalls, geothermal springs and Viking ruins. On this bespoke tour, you’ll explore the area in super jeeps – 4×4 vehicles modified for Iceland’s extreme terrain. See the Hraunfossar waterfalls cascading over a lava field, and learn about Europe’s most powerful hot spring, Deildartunguhver.
Days 3–5
Explore the great outdoors in the Icelandic Highlands
Travelling through the Icelandic Highlands is like landing on a different planet. Iceland’s interior is starkly beautiful. During your stay, you’ll engage in exclusive, unforgettable family adventures. Delve into ethereal landscapes of black lava fields, geothermal areas and glacial rivers that rush through mountain ridges.
Orange and grey peaks dominate the landscape, occasionally brightened by startling pops of colour from green meadows and electric blue crater lakes. Vikings traditionally crossed this land once a year, for law-making sessions at Thigvellir, and it remains a playground for the adventurous.
Be guided through winterscapes by snowmobile or on snowshoes. Tour on e-mountain bikes, making the wild landscapes more accessible, or embark on a bespoke family adventure, hiking through the sci-fi scenery of Hveradalir (Valley of Hot Springs) – and hearing fascinating tales about the land.
Get active
Snowmobile tour
Family hike
A private snowmobile tour
In winter, a blanket of snow further adds to the stark beauty of the Icelandic Highlands. On a tour tailored to your family group, you’ll glide across vast snowscapes on snowmobiles. Ascend Fannborg mountain, part of the geothermal Kerlingarfjöll range, cross icy plains to Hofsjökull glacier and stop for guided hikes or snowshoeing.
Hear secrets and stories of the region on a tailored tour
Suitable for ages five and above, this bespoke adventure is all about getting messy and having fun. Take a downhill hike through Hveradalir, a geothermal area with hissing steam vents, mud pools and colourful volcanic rock. Your guide will bring the landscapes to life through retelling local folklore, including the tale behind the red rock pillar of Kerlingarfjöll, said to be a ‘troll woman’ turned to stone at sunrise.
Days 5–7
Be immersed in Southern Iceland’s mythical landscapes
Southern Iceland will overload your senses in all the best ways. This is a land of waterfalls framed by rainbows and geysers that erupt on cue. See the basalt black sand beaches of Reynisfjara and Víkurfjara, or gaze at Skogafoos Waterfall from above, following a relatively easy climb from the roadside. At Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon, gaze out at the icebergs that decorate the water’s surface.
During your time here, you’ll visit some of the most incredible scenery of Iceland’s famed Golden Circle loop. Stand way back at Geysir Geothermal Area, watching as Strokkur erupts boiling water into the air. See (and hear) thundering Gullfoss, whose broad twin cascades empty into a canyon. Its name, translating as ‘Golden Falls’, refers to its gilded appearance in the sunshine.
In Selfoss, considered the area’s culinary hub, restaurants draw from the wild, fertile surroundings. Taste dishes made with Icelandic lamb, fresh seafood like Arctic char and potatoes grown in volcanic soil.
Where you could stay
Wild adventures
Thórsmörk safari
Horseback ride
Geological tour
Tackle the Valley of Thor on a super jeep
Named after the Norse god Thor, Thórsmörk is a vast nature reserve with lichen and moss-covered mountains and volcanic ridges plunging to glacial valleys and rivers. Explore on a 4×4 tour, on board a super jeep modified to handle the rugged terrain, hearing how this fertile area was a fjord around 12,000 years ago.
Move slowly through the landscapes on Icelandic horses
Compact Icelandic horses are loved for their gentle nature and unique gait. On this exclusive experience, get to know these calm, curious animals, which frequently appear in Viking sagas and Norse mythology. On a guided ride, you’ll move slowly – soaking in the glacial and volcanic landscapes of Southern Iceland.
Be guided through some of the south’s most incredible sights
Southern Iceland seems infused with magic and folklore. On a guided family tour, you’ll visit two geysers, Geysir and Strokkur – the latter of which spurts hot water every four to eight minutes. Marvel at Gullfloss, the ‘Golden Falls’, and see Faxi waterfall, whose broad, beautiful cascade is dramatic and serene all at once.
Days 7–8
Spend time exploring Reykjavik’s walkable attractions
Looping back to Reykjavik, you’ll have a final day to explore the city’s cool neighbourhoods, museums and galleries. Wander down pretty streets lined with houses painted blue, yellow and burgundy, browse clothing and pick up souvenirs in Miðborg, the city’s compact downtown, or go swimming in pools fed by a geothermal spring in Laugardalur, an outdoorsy district.
Learn more about the country’s history and wildlife at family-friendly museums like the National Museum of Iceland, Whales of Iceland and Perlan, where you can see a simulated Northern Lights show. Don’t forget to take in the surrounding views, searching for peaks and glaciers you explored on your family adventure.
Where you could stay
We had a wonderful trip planned through Jacada. We enjoyed the venues and the excursions. This is a beautiful place we'd recommend to anyone who wants to go on a new adventure.
Why book with Jacada
Personalised design
We’ll plan your trip around your personal interests, tastes and preferences, providing honest advice based on first-hand knowledge.
Authentic experiences
Our expert guides and brilliant Concierges are hand-picked for their ability to bring your destination to life with care and passion.
Positive Impact
We seek out unforgettable experiences that benefit both local communities and the environment.
