The Reykjavik Golden Circle with Kids: Ages, Hours and What Works
The short answer. Yes, the Golden Circle works with children, but three things decide which day you book: the minimum age runs from 2 to 12 depending on the tour, the day lasts from six and a half hours to over twelve, and the Geysir field has boiling water beside its paths. For the most control over all three, a Golden Circle private tour from Reykjavik lets you set the pace.
Is it worth it with children?
For most families, yes. The loop is short on walking and long on things children remember: a geyser that erupts every few minutes, a waterfall you can feel, a red crater with a lake at the bottom. Nothing needs a ticket except the crater and the baths. What you have to manage is time on the road and one stop where the ground is hot.
Minimum ages, tour by tour
| Kind of day | Minimum age |
|---|---|
| The coach from Bus Stop 12; the Secret Lagoon coach; the other Blue Lagoon minibus | 2 |
| The minibus with the waterfall stop | 3 |
| The family-rated minibus; the Blue Lagoon day | 5 |
| The classic minibus; the noon minibus; the snowmobile day; the Chinese-guided day | 6 |
| The snorkel day; the Sky Lagoon day | 12 |
Check the age when you book: each tour sets its own, and children always travel with an adult. The snorkel day adds more rules, since children must swim and speak English and under-18s need a guardian on the same tour.
What children like most
- Strokkur. It erupts every few minutes, up to 30 metres, so nobody waits long. Watch for the blue dome that swells just before it goes.
- Gullfoss. The spray and the noise. Waterproofs turn it into a game.
- Kerið. A path goes down to the lake inside the crater.
- Horses. The horse-farm coach gives you 30 minutes at a farm where children can meet and feed the horses; on the Blue Lagoon day, Stephanie_W’s guide stopped for horses too.
- Tomatoes. The greenhouse day spends 90 minutes at the tomato farm, with a horse show.
What to prepare for
A long day on the road
The shortest days run six and a half hours; add the crater and it is seven to nine; add a lagoon and it is eight to eleven. With young children, the shorter the better. Snacks matter, because lunch is never included on a shared tour and is bought at a stop, usually Geysir.
Toilets on board, or not
On the coach from Bus Stop 12, Michael found no toilet on board, so use every stop. The horse-farm coach has a toilet on board, which makes it easier with small children.
Seats and space
The Blue Lagoon day offers children’s seats and cushions free on request; ask when you book. The floor-fare coach from the BSÍ terminal has a family discount for up to two children per paying adult.
Staying safe at the stops
Geysir is the one stop to take seriously. The water is boiling, and the rules are clear: stay on the marked paths and never touch the springs or their runoff. At Gullfoss, keep to the paths above the canyon; they can be icy in winter. At Þingvellir, keep hold of small children on the walk down the Almannagjá gorge.
The best days for families
With small children: the shortest days are best. The coach from Bus Stop 12 takes children from two, runs about seven hours and starts from $89. The family-rated minibus is rated easy, takes children from five and holds 19 at most.
With children who like water: the Blue Lagoon day takes children from five, and at the lagoon children aged 2 to 11 share a locker with a parent. Thomas_M adds that beach shoes help on the lagoon floor, and Denise_C warns that the steps down to the changing rooms are slippery.
With a group: a private day lets you stop when a child needs to, choose the start time and add a farm. The private Friðheimar day takes groups of up to five.
A day with children, hour by hour
Here is how the classic minibus runs, which takes children from six. The order can change on the day, but the rhythm holds: a short first leg, a long middle stop, and the crater on the way home.
- Pickup downtown. Be at your pickup point with breakfast eaten.
- Hveragerði, 20 minutes. Toilets and a bakery, about 45 minutes out of the city.
- Gullfoss, 40 minutes. Waterproofs on; the spray reaches the viewpoints.
- Geysir, 1 hour 15 minutes. Lunch, then Strokkur, more than once.
- Þingvellir, 45 minutes. The walk through the rift.
- Kerið, 30 minutes. The crater, fee already paid, then back to Reykjavík.
If your children are younger than six, the coach from Bus Stop 12 follows a similar order and takes them from two.
Summer or winter with children?
Summer is easier. Around the June solstice you have about 21 hours of daylight, so the drive home is light and a nap on the bus costs you nothing. Winter is shorter and darker: around the December solstice there are about four hours of daylight, and you will drive both ways in the dark. Paths can be icy in winter, so bring shoes with grip for everyone. If you go in winter, book the morning departure and plan the long stop at Geysir as lunch.
Lagoon days with children
A bath at the end of the day is the reward that keeps many children going. On the Blue Lagoon day, a child pass includes a drink and a towel, and children aged 2 to 11 share a locker with a parent. The other Blue Lagoon minibus takes children from two and includes a towel for everyone. The Sky Lagoon day is not for younger children: its child band starts at 12. Pack swimsuits whichever you choose.
Private days for families
A private fare is quoted per person and falls as the group grows, so a family pays less a head than a couple does. What you buy is control: your start time, your stops and your pace. A driver-guide can wait while a child sleeps in the car, stop at a horse field or cut a walk short. The private highlights day adds a waterfall and has the crater fee and the parking in the fare, from $435 a person. Private tours compares the options.
Practical tips
- Book a morning start in winter: around the December solstice there are about four hours of daylight.
- Pack layers, a waterproof, a hat and gloves for everyone, whatever the season.
- Bring a swimsuit only if your day has a lagoon; towels are included on some days and not on others.
- Cancel at least 24 hours ahead for a full refund if a child is ill.
When to visit sets out daylight month by month, the weather page has the temperatures, and where to stay covers bases outside the city, including Selfoss and Laugarvatn. The FAQs answer the rest.
What to combine it with
The Secret Lagoon at Flúðir takes children on the Secret Lagoon coach from age two, with 90 minutes in the water; its own adult price is 4,500 ISK, for ages 15 and up. The Friðheimar greenhouse restaurant, open every day 11:30 to 16:00, serves tomato soup and fresh bread among the tomato plants, and the greenhouse day stops there for 90 minutes, long enough for lunch and the horse show. The Hakið exhibition at Þingvellir is free for under-18s and takes about 40 minutes.
Family-friendly Golden Circle days
Golden Circle, Secret Lagoon and Kerid Crater Tour from Reykjavik
Ten hours on a coach from Bus Stop 12, with the crater and 90 minutes in the Secret Lagoon, ticket in the fare; from age 2, towel not included.
From $111 per person
Check Availability
Small-Group Golden Circle Full-Day Tour from Reykjavik
Eight hours in a minibus of 19 at most, an hour at the park and the crater fee in the fare; from age 5, and rated easy.
From $119 per person
Check Availability
Golden Circle. Private Day Tour from Reykjavik
A private day with a driver-guide for your group of up to five, about an hour at each sight and the tomato greenhouse, and the crater fee included.
From $620 per person
Check AvailabilityNext: choose the bath at the end of the day in three lagoons, side by side. Every fare sits side by side on Reykjavik Golden Circle Tours.