How cool is Iceland as a stopover after Canada? We tested it out and spent a few days in this fascinating country. You can easily book a stopover in Iceland when flying with Icelandair. We are thus kicking off our summer trip to North America in the far north of Europe. The small island, which is huge compared to Malta, has been one of my favorite countries since 2014, and I'll tell you right away why it is a perfect fit for our North America tour.
Therefore, I am all the more pleased that we were able to introduce our kids to this amazing place on our planet. A place of elves, trolls, and mythical creatures, but also of exciting volcanoes and geological features.
In Iceland, the people are friendly, the food is delicious, and your stay will be an adventure. Promised! Because Iceland is, among other things, the only inhabited place in the world where the seam between Europe and North America lies on land. Walking to North America, so to speak.
Read about what we experienced as a family in Iceland and how we spent a few unforgettable days there in the following travelogue about Iceland as a stopover after Canada. Have fun and let yourself be enchanted by the magic of Iceland.
01. Blue Lagoon Island – Is a visit worth it?
Yes. And on to the next chapter. 😂 Well, alright, happy to go into a bit more detail too. Although the Blue Lagoon is THE tourist magnet, a visit is definitely worth it. I was in the Blue Lagoon for the first time in 2014 and back then it was a bit more natural. For example, back then we could take the white volcanic mud from the bottom of the Blue Lagoon and rub ourselves with it. Today there is a bar for that, where the first helping is free.
There is also security personnel everywhere, which I wasn't used to from before. Nevertheless, the Blue Lagoon is and remains a highlight, and therefore I would always plan a visit. There are many alternatives in Iceland, but these are either way up in the north and thus unreachable if you are only staying a few days. Or they are just as expensive, but lack the cult status.
We had a lot of fun with the kids there and spent three nice and relaxing hours in the Blue Lagoon. In the first half, we even had the Blue Lagoon all to ourselves. That was great. For that, we showed up right at 7:30 in the morning. From 9:00 AM on, the lagoon then filled up with all the other tourists. The Blue Lagoon is certainly among our highlights when we visited Iceland as a stopover on our way to Canada.
The Bridge between the Continents
I briefly mentioned it above. There is actually a place in Iceland where you can walk on foot from Europe to North America. The bridge called Miðlína is located just a few minutes away from the Blue Lagoon. This allows you to combine these two trips perfectly.
Our kids thought that was super funny, since they know that we are actually on our way to North America. They asked if we don't have to fly anymore now. Theoretically, no. 🙂
The bridge itself is made of steel and is 15 meters long. It practically just symbolically spans the seam between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. Incidentally, these plates drift 2 cm apart every year. This means that Iceland grows every year.
02. Reykjavik – The City That Sometimes Sleeps
There is hardly any other capital that is as cozy as the Icelandic one Metropolis Reykjavik. It's cold here in the winter and in the summer too. 🥶 But in return, the city is colorful, picturesque, and inviting. The shopping street lives up to its name, though it mainly offers Icelandic goods. Among them are the most comfortable, warmest, and coziest merino wool sweaters for a mere 400 EUR.
Yes, the city and countryside are expensive, but they are also wonderfully beautiful. We rented an apartment right across from Hallgrímskirkja. That is the stony, gray parish church that defines Reykjavík's skyline and, alongside the volcanoes and the Blue Lagoon, is surely the island's main attraction. It is almost impossible to live more centrally, and yet it was extremely quiet. Although it was peak season, since we visited Iceland in July, we were more or less alone across almost the entire island. And so there wasn't particularly much going on in the city either.
The city itself has about 140,000 inhabitants, but two-thirds of the total population live in the greater Reykjavik area. That is 249,054 people. In total, therefore, about 249 + 126, carry the 1... = just under 400,000 people live in Iceland. This corresponds to 4 inhabitants per square kilometer. Thus, Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. By the way, Reykjavik is the northernmost capital of a sovereign state.
Speaking of sovereign, besides the odd window-shopping stroll that ended up at the register with numerous sovereign souvenirs, we checked out a very special museum in Reykjavik.
The punk museum in an old restroom
It is house number 0 in Reykjavik and served as a public toilet for over 70 years. I guess that means everyone in Iceland knows the place. A punk museum was opened there in 2016 on the shopping street Bankastræti. Punk was very popular in Iceland, especially in the 80s. The artist Björk is the best known and has sold millions of albums worldwide.
I don't really want to go into all the details right now. For a few pennies admission, you can get a good impression of the Icelandic and general punk scene in a tiny museum here.
We had fun because the kids thought it was funny that leather jackets have metal spikes, that toilets are built into the museum (yes, exactly the ones from back then, just in clean or newly made dirt), and how the punks styled their hair. Plan 7 minutes for the visit. No, okay, it's a few more. We were inside for about 20 minutes. But I still want to mention the museum because it's a bit out of the ordinary and, as I said, we really enjoyed it.
03. Lava Centre Island – Volcano Exhibition
The Lava Centre Island is the ideal stop if you are only on the island for a few days. That is because here you can learn many exciting details and facts about Iceland's geology. And since you don't have time to drive the long Ring Road and perhaps see real lava fields, you can experience an eruption almost live at the Lava Centre.
The museum is designed to be interactive, so here you experience what it feels like to stand right next to an eruption. The Lava Centre is not a dusty museum; rather, through cool lighting effects, artificial smoke, vibrations, and soundscapes, it feels as though you are experiencing a volcanic eruption live. Just from a safe distance. Our kids were genuinely in awe of it.
On top of that, the Lava Centre is located right in the middle of a volcanic zone. It lies, so to speak, in the shadow of South Iceland's most famous volcanoes: Eyjafjallajökull, Katla, and Hekla. What I found impressive is that you can view the earth's live data here. There is a large board that displays the sensors of the meteorological office.
If you have never experienced an earthquake live, you can experience the feeling here in the exhibition on a special platform. A safe earthquake, so to speak, but with the same feeling. The Lava Centre was an ideal day trip from Reykjavik for us during our Iceland stopover on the way to Canada.
04. The Golden Circle Island – With 2 Hidden Gems
One of the most famous excursions in Iceland is certainly the Golden Circle. It combines the most beautiful sights on a roughly 300 km long circular route. This can be easily driven year-round with any car. This time we had a simple Suzuki Swift, as a spontaneous emergency car of sorts, after our actual car rental didn't show up at the airport as agreed. 😂
I recommend planning a full day for the tour. We took about 10 hours for the Golden Circle. You can, of course, just stop at every place for a few minutes, quickly snap a few photos, and be back in 4 hours stressed out with 10 photos in your pocket.
Practical overview map Golden Circle
I normally don't like stealing and I take all my photos myself. But the following map is really great and you can use it for your planning. I found it on the south.ie website. Thanks, guys!
The classic Golden Circle tour consists of the three famous sights: Geysir, the Gullfoss waterfall, and the national park. However, there are a few other nice stops along the route that I can recommend to you. But one thing at a time. If you start from Reykjavik, then this is your first stop.
Þingvellir National Park
You could spend a whole day alone in the national park. Here you can snorkel between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates in the Silfra fissure, and there are many well-maintained hiking trails through the gorges.
We walked to the Öxarárfoss waterfall and enjoyed the picturesque yet mystical surroundings. Our kids were on the lookout for elves and trolls since it kept raining. Our elf app on the phone, kindly provided by Gemini, actually photographed two elves. Our kids were sooo happy and hopefully won't read this in 5 years or so.
From there, we just went on to Þingvallakirkja church. A church has already stood at this spot for over 1,000 years. Right next to it are the prime minister's summer residence and other meaningless buildings. The buildings are still worth seeing. Be sure to walk past them and treat yourself to a few photos.
By the way, the national park is a UNESCO World Heritage site and the birthplace of the Althing, one of the oldest still-existing parliaments in the world.
Insider tip 1: Efstidalur II Farm
On the way to the geyser (the next stop) is the family-run farm Efstidalur II. The specialty of this farm is Icelandic ice cream, especially made with skyr. It is a farm-to-table operation, and you eat your ice cream in a room that offers a view of the barn. So while you are eating your ice cream, you might already see the production of the next batch. You practically can't get any closer to the source.
Above the ice cream parlor there is also a restaurant that offers local specialties. I can't say anything about that, however, since we were already super happy with the delicious ice cream. Especially if you are traveling around Iceland with kids, I can warmly recommend this stop. Our kids really loved this stop. They like riding in the car, but are happy every time we stop somewhere. Especially when there is also ice cream involved.
Geysir – The namesake of all geysers worldwide
About 90 minutes from Reykjavik is the Haukadalur geothermal area. In this area you will find two famous geysers. First, there is the „Great Geysir,“ which unfortunately only erupts every few years. It gave geysers around the world their name. Sounds weird, but it's true. The Strokkur geysir, just a few 100 meters away, erupts about every 10 minutes.
So he guarantees that you'll take the full Iceland geyser experience home with you. I still know the place from our visit 2013 And back then we were actually alone here. But even during our visit in 2026, the excitement was high. When is it finally going to erupt and how high will the water spray? Especially the kids asked us these questions what felt like 100 times.
We saw two gorgeous eruptions. I estimate that the water shot up about 15-20 meters. Impressive, considering it is boiling hot. The geyser is a must-see attraction when you are in Iceland. Even if you don't do the entire Golden Circle drive, definitely stop by the geyser.
There is a visitor center on the other side of the street with many souvenirs and also a restaurant. However, I'll give you an insider tip later below in case you get hungry on your Golden Circle tour.
Gullfoss Waterfall – Iceland as a stopover on the way to Canada
After the national park and the geyser, Gullfoss Waterfall—or Gullfoss, as the Germans say—is the third main attraction of the Golden Circle. Gullfoss means translated „Golden Waterfall“, which is why Gullfoss Waterfall actually Golden Waterfall waterfall should be called. But that's just a digression that's really unimportant.
More important is a visit to the aforementioned, because the surroundings and also the waterfall itself are worth seeing. It is not considered one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Europe for nothing. A perfect stop if you visit Iceland as a layover on the way to Canada, just like we did.
What makes Gullfoss so spectacular is the two-tiered cascade. The river, which is fed by a glacier, plunges down in two stages. The first stage is 11 meters deep, the second 21 meters. But above all, the optical illusion that occurs afterwards is cool. Because it looks as if the huge river simply vanishes without a trace into the ground. Only at the edge do you then see the deep and narrow gorge into which the water plunges.
By the way, there is also a really interesting story about Gullfoss. The reason why we are still allowed to visit Gullfoss today is thanks to an Icelandic woman who vehemently opposed the sale or leasing of the waterfall around 1900.
Her name is Sigríður Tómasdóttir, so to speak the daughter of a Thomas. In Iceland, surnames work like that. Around 1900, a hydroelectric power plant was supposed to be built at Gullfoss. Sigridur sets off on foot for Reykjavik, 110 km away, to convince politicians there that Gullfoss must remain a natural wonder.
She was accompanied by a lawyer, and although she actually lost the court case at the time, the years of delay caused the investors to run out of money, thus causing the project to fail. Well then, let's say thank you. 🙂
Insider tip 2: Friðheimar – Restaurant
After all that sightseeing, we’re all really hungry by now. And so we come to our second hidden gem on the Golden Circle: the Friðheimar restaurant. It’s located about 30 km—and just as many minutes—from Gullfoss Waterfall. At first glance, Friðheimar looks like a huge complex of greenhouses. But the restaurant itself is sensational.
We are sitting so comfortably in a rather large restaurant, with a view into the greenhouses. Not only is this a wonderful atmosphere, but above all it is also super interesting. The restaurant is known for its fresh tomato soup with homemade bread. And this was truly delicious.
Even in winter, tomatoes grow here on the estate, completely chemical-free and organically. The greenhouses are powered by geothermal energy, using hot water from a private spring. Electricity is generated from hydropower, so the tomatoes have sufficient light and warmth even in the dead of the Icelandic winter.
Friðheimar is also an important location for Icelandic vegetable farming. Thanks to limitless geothermal energy, tons of tomatoes can be grown here. The hog stands as a symbol of the island's modern self-sufficiency. I am always happy to support such projects, and therefore I can only warmly recommend a visit here.
Kerið – A Glowing Volcanic Crater in Iceland
The volcanic crater Kerið is not officially part of the Golden Circle, but it is located right along the route. Therefore, you can easily include this stop in your plans. Because even though visiting the crater costs about 3 EUR per person (all other sights are free), it can easily compete with all the other attractions on the Golden Circle.
The vibrant play of colors is particularly striking. The crater walls consist of red and black volcanic ash, some of which is covered with green moss. In the center—and right at your feet, so to speak—lies a crater lake ranging in color from deep blue to emerald green. Depending on the angle of the light and the position of the sun, it shimmers in almost completely surreal colors.
By the way, Kerið is a collapse crater, meaning that a magma chamber beneath the Earth's surface collapsed in on itself. This happened about 3,000 years ago. Furthermore, it is not a reservoir or anything similar; rather, the water is groundwater.
You can walk the circular trail at the top and enjoy the wonderful view of the crater on one side and the incredible surroundings up there on the other.
05. Perlan – Wonders of Iceland
If you choose Iceland as a stopover on your way to Canada and drive from the airport into the city, Perlan will catch your eye on the left shortly before Reykjavik. It is probably Iceland's most fascinating museum under a glass dome.
We are actually on our way back to the airport, but still have a few hours left that we are using for a visit. What we completely forgot about, however, are our jackets. That is going to come back to haunt us later (read between the lines).
Even the check-in goes smoothly. I booked the tickets in advance, which I also recommend you do. We are greeted warmly and the museum is explained to us. Here we can experience Iceland's natural forces up close. That's perfect, especially since we don't have weeks to explore the whole island.
We will visit the interactive volcano exhibition first, which uses simulations to show how Icelanders live with the constant tremors beneath their feet. This exhibition is a bit reminiscent of the Lava Centre. But it gets muuuuch better.
One of the museum’s highlights is the flight through liquid lava. This attraction makes Perlan one of the best and most interactive natural history museums in the world. Inside a huge dome (not the one you see from the outside), we embark on a virtual flight over Iceland’s most active volcanic regions. The 4D experience lasts about 10 minutes. Thanks to the 360-degree projection, it feels as though we’re sitting in a helicopter flying just above the bubbling magma.
This is a crazy feeling, and it is intensified even more by the fact that we are flying into the volcano. Seeing lava and rock to the left, right, above, and below—and almost being able to feel it—is an indescribable sensation. It shows in an interactive way how a volcanic eruption takes place. To top it all off, we are hurled out of the volcano along with the lava. The 4D effect is executed to perfection, and this experience alone makes for a perfect adventure when visiting Iceland with children.
Another highlight is the real indoor ice cave. Brrr... it's chilly in there. Over 350 tons of snow and ice from Icelandic glaciers have been used here. In a 100-meter-long tunnel, we can not only walk through real glacier ice, but also learn a lot about the formation of glaciers and volcanism.
But please grab your jacket! It's damn cold and I'm freezing in my sweater. Even so, I'll be the one staying the longest out of the whole family because I find all the info so fascinating. Glacier ice looks blue, for example, because over the centuries the pressure has squeezed all the air bubbles out of the ice. That's why it no longer looks transparent, but blue.
By the way, Perlan is also the perfect thing to do in Iceland when the weather's bad—if you happen to be there on one of the 363 rainy days of the year. 🤭
Conclusion – Iceland as a stopover after Canada
That was so wonderful again. My second visit to this magical and amazing country. This time we visited Iceland as a stopover on our way to Canada, and the 5 days on the island were soooo worth it. We had the best time and, above all, our kids were happy.
You searched for elves and trolls and tried to look behind every large stone. Experiencing volcanoes up close and visiting the individual museums rounded off the whole family trip to Iceland. Last but not least, all four of us were able to relax in the Blue Lagoon and unwind.
Although Iceland has become significantly more touristic and commercial, its rugged nature still predominates and provides a special experience that is unmatched in most other countries on our planet.
As always, I hope my post gives you great inspiration for your trip to Iceland, and perhaps you'll even plan to include Iceland as a stopover on a trip to Canada. It's a great opportunity to spend a few days there.
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On my travel blog Wandernotizen I'll take you along on our family trips around the globe. Between wanderlust and everyday chaos, you'll find honest travel reports, tips, and plenty of material to ignite your wanderlust. 🧭 ❤️ 🏝️