Last Updated on October 31, 2026 by A Teaspoon of Travel

What to Pack for Iceland with Kids in Summer

Traveled in July 2026

Packing for our family trip to Iceland was the most challenging packing process I have had to tackle so far. Trying to prepare for all kinds of weather without overpacking was a serious mental exercise! We did a road trip around Iceland in July, using Reykjavik and Vik as our bases for exploring the South Coast and the Snaefellsnes Peninsula. Packing for Iceland with kids in the summer is all about being strategic. Bringing the right layers, waterproof gear, and road trip essentials make the outdoor adventures in unpredictable weather and long stretches in the car more manageable. After revising and trimming our family packing list multiple times, I’m sharing what we actually used, what was worth bringing, and what we could have left at home.

Iceland Summer Packing List for Kids At a Glance

Category	What to pack
Clothing layers	Base layers, long sleeve tops, fleece layers, everyday pants
Waterproof gear	Waterproof and windproof jacket, waterproof or lightweight snow pants
Footwear	Waterproof walking shoes or boots, comfortable everyday shoes, extra socks
Accessories	Sun hat, warm hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, lightweight gloves
Outdoor essentials	Daypack, reusable water bottle, snack containers
Swimming	Swimsuit/swim trunks, long sleeve rash guard, wet bag, quick dry towel
Sleep	Portable blackout curtain or Slumberpod, sound machine, sleep eye masks
Road trip	Snacks, car entertainment, charging cables
Personal essentials	Medication, toiletries, travel documents, power adapters, chargers

Weather in Iceland in the Summer

Summer weather in Iceland can be unpredictable. And conditions can vary between Reykjavik and the South Coast. Even if it’s sunny, strong winds can make it feel colder than expected. The weather can also change quickly, so a sunny morning doesn’t always guarantee a dry afternoon. This is what made packing so difficult for me! We were lucky to have warm, sunny weather for most of our trip in July. However, our waterproof layers still came in handy during a few drizzly days, and our base layers kept us warm when the wind picked up. But just a week after we came home, the same areas we visited were rainy and covered in fog. It was a good reminder that even in summer, it’s best to prepare for all kinds of weather.

Clothing Layers to Pack for Iceland with Kids

How many outfits to pack per child?

How many outfits you bring will depend on how long your trip is, and whether you will have access to laundry during your trip. Another consideration is how much space you will have in your luggage. Cold weather clothing like fleece layers can be bulky. For a seven day trip, we brought enough base layers for each day of the trip, 3 fleece quarter zips and 1 fleece jacket, and 1 waterproof jacket. This was the right amount of tops for our trip. For the bottoms, we packed 5 fleece lined sweatpants, 1 lightweight waterproof pant, and 2 snow overalls.

Where we overpacked was the waterproof bottoms. We were worried his legs would be cold so packed 2 pairs of snow overalls. But we only used the snow overalls once during the whole trip, to protect from the spray from Seljalandsfoss. We could have gotten away with just one pair of snow overalls, or even just waterproof pants. We kept one pair of snow overalls in the car as a backup. Our kid wore fleece lined sweatpants everyday, and if we anticipated getting wet, we changed him into the snow overalls in the car before the activity.

Footwear to Pack for Iceland with Kids

Choosing the appropriate footwear to pack for my kid was another challenge. He usually wears everyday sneakers on vacation, but with waterfall visits and hikes, I wanted to avoid potentially soggy shoes and socks. We considered waterproof hiking shoes versus snow boots and ultimately went with the snow boots because the waterproof hiking shoes felt too rigid and uncomfortable. Although bulky, the snow boots were grippy enough for the slippery rocks behind the waterfalls and kept his feet warm and dry for the rest of the road trip. For everyday shoes, we brought a pair of insulated high top leather sneakers that were more water resistant, but easier to walk in.

Accessories to Pack for Iceland with Kids

Daylight hours are very long in Iceland during the summer. And when it’s sunny, the sun exposure is high. Kids definitely need a sun hat and sunscreen for UV protection. Sunglasses are also helpful (if your kid will wear them). For colder days, a warm hat and gloves can be useful to keep ears and fingers cold in the wind on longer hikes. We kept these accessories in the car for easy access depending on the weather while we were out on day trips.

What to Pack for Pools

Local public swimming pools are a big part of Icelandic culture. There are local public swimming pools in every city, with a mix of heated pools for adults and kids splash pools. They’re a much cheaper and more kid-friendly alternative to the geothermal baths and spas in Iceland. Even though we didn’t have time to actually visit a pool, we pack swim gear because you never know when there might be a pool opportunity.

Sleep Essentials to Pack for Bright Summer Nights

Daylight hours are long in Iceland during the summer. In June, the sun barely sets. At the end of July, when we visited, the sun set for about 3-4 hours every night. If your child needs darkness to sleep well, it may require packing more sleep essentials to support good sleep. You can also check if your accommodations have blackout curtains.

Personal Essentials to Pack for Iceland with Kids

I always pack an emergency kit because the last thing you want to do if your kid is sick while traveling is try to figure out OTC meds at a foreign drugstore. A starter pack of diapers/pull ups is also helpful in case you don’t have time to go to the store after you land.

Entertainment for Long Car Rides Around Iceland with Kids

We had some pretty long stretches in the car during our road trip to Iceland because of various day trips. We were usually able to time our longer drives so that our kid would nap a bit, but we still needed some entertainment options.

What to Pack in Your Carry-On when Flying to Iceland with Kids

If your flight to Iceland has a layover like ours did, then consider packing a day of essentials into your carry-on. Our first flight was delayed, which meant we had an even shorter layover duration, and our checked luggage did not make it onto our connecting flight. After we landed and discovered our checked bags were missing, a quick internet search showed that delayed luggage can be a common issue when traveling to Iceland with connecting flights.

Luckily, we had one day of clothing and essentials packed into our carry-on, so our itinerary was not derailed. We have had our bags delayed once before, and since then I always pack what I need for one day into my carry-on. This is especially important for Iceland, where replacing kids’ cold-weather layers can be expensive, and finding the right sizes may not be easy.

What to Skip when Packing for Iceland with Kids in Summer

These are some of the items that I removed from our Iceland packing list, and it was a good call. We would not have used them, and they would have just taken up extra space in our luggage.

• Too many pairs of jeans: jeans are mostly for days in Reykjavik, so one pair is enough. For days where you’re out in nature, jeans get wet too easily and stay wet for too long to be functional.
• Heavy snow pants: summer in Iceland usually doesn’t get cold enough to justify packing bulky heavy snow pants. Really lightweight snow pants or just waterproof pants are good enough to keep you dry.
• Umbrella: usually when it’s raining in Iceland, it’s also windy. So an umbrella will not be very useful. It’s much better to pack a waterproof jacket with a hood.
• Car seat: rent one from the car rental company rather than bringing your own on the plane.
• Travel potty: we brought our Oxo tot travel potty (which we love and keep in the car at home). But we never used it because there is nowhere to actually pull over to use it on the road and most parking lots have bathrooms. We downloaded the krapp.is app, which helped us find public bathrooms near us.
• Stroller: the only place you could potentially use a stroller is in Reykjavik. The rest of the sights and trails are on gravel road that are not stroller-friendly. You’re much better off with a carrier or hiking carrier.