Perfect 5-Day Family Vacation in Iceland

Start your five-day winter vacation in Iceland with sightseeing in Reykjavik and a stop at the Blue Lagoon.

As soon as you land and collect your bags at Keflavik International Airport, you'll hop aboard a shuttle bus outside the terminal that will take you to the capital city of Reykjavik.

On your way to Iceland's capital city, you can choose to stop at the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa. This world-renowned spa is known for its healing waters, vivid azure colors, and luxurious treatments. It's located in the middle of a moss-covered lava field, giving it an otherworldly atmosphere. 

Your travel agent can book your Blue Lagoon entry ticket for today if your flight times allow. Alternatively, you can come on day four or five of your trip. If you aren't visiting today, you'll still have plenty to do in Reykjavik.

On arrival in the city, you can check in to your accommodation and drop off your luggage. 

You'll now be free to explore Reykjavik's attractions at your own pace. Museums, art galleries, boutiques, and souvenir shops are dotted around the city center. Check out the Laugavegur shopping street, Hallgrimskirkja church, or Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Center by the Old Harbor.

Alternatively, if you want to try a local cultural pastime, you can take a dip in a geothermal outdoor pool. Many Icelanders like to spend time relaxing and swimming, so join them! 

Spend your evening at a local restaurant to try some traditional Icelandic food. After dinner, you'll get your first chance to hunt for the northern lights, with two options available. 

You can take a bus tour into the Icelandic countryside or take a boat tour from the harbor to see if you can spot the aurora borealis from the water. Marvel at the natural display of greens, whites, pinks, and yellows as you enjoy the views.

You'll spend the night in comfortable accommodation in Reykjavik — this will be your base for the next four nights, so feel free to unpack and make yourself at home.

Discover Iceland's most famous sights with a small-group tour of the Golden Circle.

You'll start the day by meeting the expert local guide in central Reykjavik and boarding the minibus. The driver will take you out of the city to the day's first stop, Thingvellir National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

This breathtaking attraction sits between two tectonic plates (the North American and Eurasian plates), which are drifting apart a little each year. The park is one of the best places in the world to see tectonic activity, as the plates are usually below sea level.

You can even go snorkeling here with an optional excursion that takes you down into the Mid-Atlantic Rift — add the Silfra Fissure snorkel tour when booking. Snorkeling participants need to be comfortable in the water and be able to swim.

Thingvellir National Park is also a site of cultural and historical significance for Iceland. It's the place where Iceland's parliament, the Althingi, first formed in 930 A.D. Your guide will tell you about the history, and you'll have time to explore the waterfalls, canyons, forests, and lakes dotted around the park.

Next, you'll continue your adventure at the otherworldly Geysir geothermal area in the Haukadalur Valley. The site has bubbling mud pots, steaming vents, and spouting hot springs. Walking through the sulfur-smelling mist, you'll witness the explosive Strokur geyser shooting boiling water into the air.

The final stop of the day is the mighty Gullfoss waterfall. 

The word "Gullfoss" translates to "Golden Falls," and this is where the Golden Circle route gets its name. The waterfall is a stunning two-tiered cascade, roughly 100 feet (about 30 meters) high. It's incredibly powerful and creates a spectacular display, especially in winter when ice and snow surround it.

When you've finished admiring the view and taking photos, you can participate in a thrilling snowmobiling tour as another optional extra. You'll go from the Gullfoss visitor center to a towering glacier. An experienced guide will give you the necessary safety gear, and you'll zoom across the untouched snowy landscapes of an ice cap.

Afterward, you'll return to Reykjavik to enjoy the city's nightlife for another evening. You'll spend the night in your central accommodation.

Explore the majestic beauty of Iceland's South Coast on day three of your relaxing five-day vacation. You'll journey past mountains, glaciers, volcanoes, waterfalls, and black-sand beaches.

Today, you'll join another small-group minibus tour in the morning. Your driver will take you along the Ring Road to your first stops, the Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss waterfalls. Both falls stand at almost 200 feet (about 60 meters), but that's where the similarities end.

Seljalandsfoss is gentle and narrow. It's probably best known for the open cavern behind the cascade. You'll get some great photos here before continuing to Skogafoss for an interesting point of comparison.

Skogafoss is much broader and more powerful than Seljalandsfoss. You'll have time to take some good photos here — but stand well back from the plunge pool if you don't want to get wet.

As you continue along the coast, you can enjoy a view of the Eyjafjallajokull and Myrdalsjokull glaciers. Eyjafjallajokull became famous in 2010 when its eruption produced an enormous ash cloud, disrupting worldwide air travel. 

If you want to get up close and personal with a glacier, add a glacier-hiking tour to your package vacation. Scale the caverns of the nearby Solheimajokull glacier with an expert guide and admire a vast snowscape.

Alternatively, you could enjoy an ice cave tour today. 

Departing from Vik (a fishing village on the South Coast), you'll go up onto the Myrdaksjokull glacier and enter a natural ice cave within the ice cap. As you delve into the ice, you'll see spectacular ice formations and bright colors. Each trip to an ice cave is unique due to the constant movement of the glacier, so this is a fantastic opportunity.

Other stops today include the infamous Reynisfjara black-sand beach. It's known for its volcanic beauty, basalt caves, and the Reynisdrangar sea stacks out in the ocean. Walk along the volcanic sands and admire the ocean views — just watch for the dangerous sneaker waves.

If you want to explore the South Coast further, you can add an extra tour to the Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon. It's a significantly longer journey, but it's one of the best natural attractions in Iceland. Witness the floating icebergs drifting in the glacial lake and see them up close as you walk along the magnificent Diamond Beach.

You'll now start the journey back to Reykjavik for another night in your accommodation. Remember to watch out for the aurora borealis as you go.