Iceland’s iconic attraction, the Blue Lagoon with kids

As our Iceland family vacation was organised and our visit to the Blue Lagoon was confirmed. We would be visiting the Blue Lagoon with the kids. It is one of the hottest places to go in Iceland and many stories have been written that it was overrated, not what they expected and overpriced.

Would we have the same experience as a family that had very high expectations of going there? Would the Blue Lagoon for Families experience be a letdown for us?

How did we get to the Blue Lagoon with kids?

Our day started well. We all jumped in our rented Renault Clio in Reykjavik and drove the 50 kilometres out to the Blue Lagoon in the dark.

Our entry time was booked for 9.30 am and it was still pitch black at the blue lagoon in Iceland in winter, Luckily we had a GPS Device. It makes for some great driving stories now I can tell you!

As we pulled up into the car park it was still as dark as midnight. We seemed to be one of the first to arrive as it was not a problem finding a car park in one of the biggest car parks I have ever seen. We made our way from the car park to the entrance. 

As you walk up the path it feels like the lava rocks have been cut on either side to make way for the path. They are both so high on either side of you that you can’t see the pools at all. Just as you reach the building there is a small glimpse of the Blue Lagoon.

This is where we all got very excited. We were only a little bit early so we did not think it would be a problem. We tried to take some pictures out the front of the girls but it was still just too dark for it.

Admission to the Blue Lagoon for families

As we made our way in we spotted the front counter and made our way over to it weaving in and out of the roped areas. This was the first sign that the Blue Lagoon could get really busy at times.

Mark was at the front desk confirming our entry when I finally made it up to him. You can rent towels, robes and slippers for your Blue Lagoon experience

Hire a locker at the Blue Lagoon

We also got a locker each so then I did not have to chase down Mark if I needed things out of the locker. Then the lady attached waterproof bracelets to us all so that if we wanted to we could purchase anything we wanted and we would just pay for it on the way out.

Having Marley wearing one was a real worry. She loves water and I was worried that she would lose it as if they did get lost you had to pay for them. She is forever being crazy in the water and I was worried it would slip off.

Book Blue Lagoon entry tickets & optional transport ↗

Is the Blue Lagoon for kids?

These would also be scanned at whatever locker you chose to have and it would be your way in and your way of unlocking it when you were finished. Once that was all finalised we made our way to the bathrooms to get showered and into our bathers. There are a few rules that you have to abide by when you are there.

Follow the rules: there are signs everywhere

The first one is that you have to have a shower BEFORE you get into your bathers. There are signs in the bathroom to show you which parts they would like you to focus on but it is mainly the underarms and the private areas.

In the shower cubicle, there is a body wash provided as well as shampoo. The cubicles are not very big but they are all close together so I was happy for the girls to shower on their own as I showered in mine.

After showering the girls and then towelling them dry as best as I could I got them into their bathers and we put all of our things in a locker up the back out of the way.

Use the private family cubicles if you can

Willow is now getting to a stage where she likes to get dressed privately even though it was only us in that section of the changing rooms and ended up using a family cubicle where she could lock the door. These would be great for parents visiting the Blue Lagoon with kids that are younger than ours.

The changing rooms are another way to see how busy the Blue Lagoon can get. There were many different numbered change rooms on different floors.

Once you walked in there, they were divided into sections that had around 50 different-sized lockers and a large padded seat in the middle, so you can sit on it. The one we were using was divided into about 5 different sections, and after a while of wandering, I ended up going in circles to see just how big it really was.

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Related family travel in Iceland posts

• We have the best article for helping you get to the Blue Lagoon from Reykjavik
• Our 10 best tips for a visit to the Blue Lagoon
• Do you love Vikings?, there is a great museum located near The Blue Lagoon

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The Blue Lagoon is a must when visiting Reykjavik with kids

Just as we were about to head out the doors one of the attendants stopped me and told me it was a good idea to lather our hair with Blue Lagoon conditioner.

There are bottles spotted around the changing rooms and I had just forgotten all the other things to remember. I took another 5 minutes to put what I thought was a serious amount of conditioner in all of our hair.

By that stage, we were ready to go and I was worried that Mark had been waiting forever for us out the front of the change rooms. We headed down the steps and towards the doors that lead outside to the freezing cold water.  

Yes, kids 8 and under have to wear floaties

This is where Marley got the shock of her life. Blue Lagoon age limit for children under the age of 9 requires kids to wear floaties in the water at the Blue Lagoon and that included Marley.

Our daughter was absolutely mortified as she has been swimming since she was 10 months old and is quite a good swimmer. We got her a set of floaties from the blue lagoon staff and headed outside to swim at the Blue Lagoon

This may come as a surprise for parents taking kids to the Blue Lagoon Iceland especially if they can swim but as we explained to Marley it is a rule for everyone’s safety and listed on the blue lagoon website.

Remember the number you hang your towels on or take your own

There are a number of racks where you can hang our towels that are all numbered so we put our towels on a couple of pegs and repeated the numbers about 10 times between us all. As you walk down the ramp into the warm water it is such a funny feeling.

You are freezing as you go in as the walk from the building to the blue lagoon water is not covered and you are exposed to the elements of the day you are visiting. Our day was a nice -1 at that time!

Both the girls were in the milky blue waters like a flash Mark and I took our time getting into the water. It was so warm and beautiful! Although we were not alone in the Blue Lagoon there were not many people there right then.

Take time to just relax

As we floated around we found a quiet spot up the back where both the girls could stand up and have a play in the water. There is no jumping from the sides or crazy splashing.

It was actually quite relaxing for us and both the girls kept the craziness to a minimum. Lifeguards walk around the edge and across the bridges to make sure everyone is safe and behaving themselves.

The girls thought it was quite funny that we were in our bathers and the lifeguards were walking around in big heavy winter coats! The mist rising off the water made it all look so mysterious, especially around where the bridges were. It made for some crazy and very imaginative chatting between us.

Take people up on the offer to take pictures of you if they ask

A great thing about the day we were there was that everyone offered to take pictures of us on the GoPro and then later on when Mark got out his phone so we have some great pictures of us on the day. So many different nationalities were there and everyone was loving it. We chatted to plenty of people about how we were surprised that so many people had said it was overrated and wasn’t that good.

We were all having a great time. As we made our way back to the main Blue Lagoon pool from exploring right up to the back under one of the bridges we noticed people had cream on their faces and the girls just wanted to have a go. We found the little kiosk where you got it from and had a great time putting it onto each other’s faces.

Arrive for sunrise if you can

Around this time it had begun to get brighter and we were able to watch the sun partially rise…it wasn’t that hard to do at about 10.30 am but it was an experience that none of us will forget and the colours in the sky were magnificent. With the steam rising from the pools as well it was absolutely perfect.

Buy a drink at the swim-up bar, the kids will love it!

The girls took the opportunity to play on our relaxed natures at this time and convince us that they definitely needed a drink from the water bar area. They both lined up and got themselves a slushie and thought that it was just the best! having their wristband scanned was just the icing on the cake for them! Seeing them have such a great time was fantastic for us. Mark and I then thought we would share a smoothie…why should the kids have all the fun!

Shower well after you have finished and apply some moisturiser

We floated for a bit more talked to some more people, took some more pictures and then decided after nearly 2 and a half hours it was time to get out of the famous blue lagoon waters.

We grabbed our towels and headed back to the blue lagoon lockers. The girls and I didn’t have to wait for a shower, even though it was starting to get much busier and got in, got washed and got out at record speed.

I also got the girls to put more conditioner in their hair as they had their shower. We then went to our locker and got dressed. I was worried that it would be cold for the girls with wet hair for the rest of the day so I used the hair dryers that are provided to dry their hair.

Book Blue Lagoon entry tickets & optional transport ↗

Do we recommend the Blue Lagoon for families?

We then went out and found Mark and headed to the desk to hand back our towels and finalise our bill. It was a great experience for us and we had a fantastic day. For us, it was one of the best things to do in Iceland with kids.

So would we recommend the iconic Blue Lagoon for families? ABSOLUTELY! It is one of the best things to do on an amazing Iceland family vacation.

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Some top tips for the Blue Lagoon Iceland family vacation

• If you can take an extra couple of towels or a travel towel. While we had a towel each we also had two showers. One on the way in and one on the way out. Also, all the towels are the same colour there and if someone gets confused you may end up with one towel less or a wet one.
• Don’t put the kids in their bathers before you go out to save time. As I said you have to shower everyone BEFORE you get into your bathers.
• Put conditioner in your hair and then put in more! I thought I had put in enough but I found that our hair was dry for at least a week after and Marley’s was horrible to get the knots out of.
• Take a spare plastic bag for all of your wet gear.
• We went in winter and we all had boots on. If I went again I would take a pair of thongs with us so we weren’t barefoot everywhere.
• Make sure you have a spare conditioner at your apartment and put it in every time you have a shower for a few days after your visit.
• You don’t have to take everything along with you as there are hairdryers, shampoo, conditioner and body wash there for you to use.
• For us visiting the Blue Lagoon with kids was the way to go for us. There were lifeguards present at all times and most people there were really kind to the kids. I think the Blue Lagoon for families is a must if you are not a great swimmer or confident in the water. It is one of the top things to do with kids in Iceland!

Know before you go! Our top Reykjavik travel tips

Travelling to Iceland with kids requires a lot of planning. Not only is Iceland one of the most expensive countries to visit it is absolutely amazing. Once you are travelling in Iceland you feel like you have to do it all while you are there. Below are the best things to have prepared before you leave for your vacation to Reykjavik.

Where to stay in Reykjavik

You’ll never be short of options for your accommodation in Reykjavik. In Reykjavik, you find a range of hotels, apartments and hostels. You will be sure to be able to find something to fit singles, couples, families and groups on every budget. If you’re not keen on any of our picks below or have specific needs, we recommend using Trip Advisor and Hotellook to find the best prices in Reykjavik.

• Luxury: Located in the city centre of Reykjavik is the Opel Premium Apartments. Featuring rooms for singles, doubles and 2-bedroom suites for families. Your family can free Wi-Fi in all rooms if you arrive early luggage storage is available along with, car parking and airport transfer.
• Mid-Range: Singles, Doubles and family rooms for 4 featuring TVs, Wi-Fi, refrigerator and coffee maker are waiting for you. Fosshotel Baron is located in the Reykjavik City Centre area of Reykjavik. The hotel has a 24-hour front desk and facilities for disabled guests
• Budget: If you like communal living then the Reykjavik Hostel Village might be the best budget bet for you in the city centre. Featuring rooms for all numbers of visitors, free Wi-Fi, a kitchen and a BBQ for cooking. The city centre is 300 m away from the hostel.

Reykjavik apartment alternative for your stay

If you prefer a home away from home-style accommodation in Reykjavik then an apartment is the best choice for you on your vacation to Iceland. There are so many options for singles, families and budget-friendly options as well when you visit Reykjavik. Check out the map below to find the perfect Reykjavik apartment for your vacation in Reykjavik. 

Book your Reykjavik Airbnb stay

How to get to Reykjavik

• Reykjavik is the capital of Iceland. Reykjavík is located in South Iceland. Travel to Iceland is via Keflavik International Airport. The airport is 50 kilometres from Reykjavik. 6.8 million people travelled through Keflavik airport in 2016. Search your flights to Iceland with Kiwi.com
  • You can book an airport transfer from Reykjavik Airport to your hotel
• Smyril Line car ferry M/S Norröna sails between Seyðisfjörður in Iceland, Hirtshals in Denmark and Tórshavn in the Faroe Islands once a week. This allows you to bring your car and drive to Reykjavik.
• You can reserve a rental car and have it waiting for you at Keflavik International Airport

How to get around Reykjavik

• The city buses in Reykjavík are yellow. The Icelandic word for them is strætó, which is short for strætisvagn (streetcar). These buses are the only public transport in the city.
• The Reykjavik Hop on hop off bus is another excellent option for seeing the sites of the city and surrounding area. Check the current prices HERE
• The Reykjavik City Card entitles you to entry to some of Reykjavik’s major attractions and free public transport on the buses. More information is available here

Reykjavik City Card

The Reykjavik City Card helps visitors save money on Reykjavik attractions around the city. Sightseeing in Reykjavik and Iceland is pricey and adds up quickly. The city card helps keep the costs down with free entries and discounts to top Reykjavik attractions, free transportation and discounts at restaurants. You can get a Reykjavik City Card for 24-, 48- and 72-hour duration. Buy your city card for your Reykjavik trip today

Do you need a sim card for your Iceland family holiday with children?

Relying on Wi-fi when you are travelling in Iceland can be hard. Making calls and staying in contact with who you need is a top priority when you are on vacation in Iceland. Plan your trip to Reykjavik out and order your sim before you leave home to stop any stress about travelling, data, and calls on your vacation to Reykjavik.

Do I need travel insurance for my family vacation in Iceland?

Iceland has a high quality of healthcare but in saying that travel insurance is still recommended for all travellers entering the country. The last thing you want is a huge bill for medical expenses should you require care on your family holiday in Reykjavik.

We recommend using Travel Insurance Master, their website will compare the best deals from a number of providers and present you with the best value for money policy on the market. Click through to Insurance Masters to get a free quote.

What currency do I need for my trip to Iceland?

The official currency you need to use in Iceland is the Icelandic Krona. We recommend that you get a Revolut travel money card, that can be loaded with multiple currencies and has nearly non-existent withdrawal fees to save you money on your family trip to Iceland.

We hope this article from us here at Wyld Family Travel has you inspired to visit Iceland. There are so many things to do in Iceland that are free but you do need to watch your money if you are on a budget holiday in Iceland. We all absolutely love our visit to the Blue Lagoon and we definitely think the Blue Laggonfor families is a wonderful way to spend the day.

For more amazing ideas on where to holiday in Iceland click through to our Iceland Destination Guide page for more brilliant inspiration.

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More travel inspiration for your Iceland vacation

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