This was such an important trip for my family. My wife and I visited Iceland for our honeymoon and it fundamentally changed the way we approached travel for every trip afterwards. Prior to that trip, we had never done a vacation that included as much nature and driving, being alone in the middle of nowhere, just the two of us. We absolutely loved it.

Five years later, we returned. This time, it was our first international trip in over three years because of the pandemic, and we brought our two and a half year old daughter with us. Our daughter’s first flight, our first time going anywhere after being holed in at home for years; there was a lot riding on this trip.

Traveling with a toddler was a completely different experience, but we had such an amazing time. We drove for more than 25 hours on this trip (in just 10 days) and there was never a dull moment of scenery. The entire country is just so beautiful. We are already making plans to return again for our 10 year anniversary.

Family Activities: A full 9 hour hike in the Thorsmork region, several playgrounds, getting up close to horses and sheep, a stop at a famous wool store, a tomato themed lunch inside a greenhouse, a walk through Akyureyri’s botanical gardens, a relaxing afternoon in a thermal bath, watching seals sunbathe, a shopping day in Reykjavik, and a splurge stay in a glass cottage.