Direct From Boston

Iceland: is it good
for a family trip?

Yes, and the flight is one of the easiest reasons why. Icelandair flies Boston to Reykjavik nonstop about twice a day, year-round, which means it genuinely works for both February and April vacation weeks, not just summer.

By Kailah Fredette · Northern New England family travelers, 33 countries with our two daughters · About us · Updated September 28, 2026

The Fredette Family in Iceland

The scorecard

How Iceland scored for our family.

Six things we rate every trip on, out of 10, from our own family travel, plus our overall score, which is simply the average of the six. Flight ease and value are calculated the same way for every destination.

Flight ease

9.4/10

About 5.2 hours nonstop from Boston. We score every flight the same way: start at 10, take off half a point for each hour beyond 4 (a quarter point per hour past 10), and a point for each connection. A super quick flight. Icelandair flies Logan to Keflavik nonstop about twice a day, year-round.

Kid friendly

7/10

The whole country is wide open, and it gets the kids out in nature: tons of hiking and waterfalls, and once your kids are about 8 to 10 or older they can do a glacier hike like the one we did just outside Vik (we went in September 2018 with a baby, so the adults took turns). The catch is that you have to drive everywhere, and kids do not like being cooped up in a car, which is why it is a 7.

Walkability

3/10

You really need to drive everywhere. Reykjavik is walkable, but nearly all of the sights across the rest of the country are a drive away.

Value

2.2/10

Iceland's cost of living index is 97.6 (Numbeo, mid-2026, where New York is 100 and the US overall is 69.7), about 40% above home. We score value the same way for every destination: costing the same as home is a 5, and every 10 points cheaper or pricier moves it a point. It is a country-wide average, so big cities and tourist hot spots run higher and small towns and villages lower. Arguably the most expensive place we have visited to date. A week for a family of four runs roughly $6,000 to $9,000 all-in, driven mostly by the cost of food and activities. That is a current ballpark from general research, not what we spent in 2018; Iceland has gotten more expensive since our trip.

Food

6/10

The food was okay, but nothing to really write home about.

Weather

6/10

The weather changes fast. It can rain, hail, snow and turn sunny in the same day, it is very unpredictable, and the climate is somewhat inhospitable. Pack layers and waterproofs whatever the season.

Overall

5.6/10

A beautiful country and an easy flight, but the value, the food and the weather pull it down a little.

The flight

Nonstop, twice daily, year-round.

Icelandair's Boston to Reykjavik route runs about twice daily and holds up through the winter, which is unusual among our regular routes. That means Iceland is a genuine February vacation week option, not just a summer one, with the northern lights as a real reason to go in the colder months.

The cost

$6,000 to $9,000 for a week.

That is the current all-in ballpark for a family of four, flights included, from general research rather than our own 2018 receipts. Our trip was more than seven years ago, and prices have climbed since. It matches Greece in our published guides, driven by Iceland's generally higher cost of food and activities rather than lodging.

Where to stay in Reykjavík

Search Vrbo rentals, already set to Reykjavík. Look for two bedrooms and a full kitchen. Where we would stay. Affiliate link, our disclosure.

Questions

What families ask us.

Is there a nonstop flight from Boston to Iceland?

Yes. Icelandair flies Boston to Reykjavik nonstop about twice a day, and it runs year-round, which means it works for both February and April vacation weeks.

Is Iceland good for a family trip with kids?

Yes, at any time of year, though winter and summer are genuinely different trips. Our full guide covers our route (Reykjavik plus Hotel Vik and Hotel Gullfoss, both perfectly located), with an honest note about the hot-springs experience with young kids.

What does a week in Iceland cost a family of four?

Roughly $6,000 to $9,000 all-in from Boston, flights included. That is a current ballpark from general research, not our 2018 costs. See the full cost breakdown for what drives that number.

Is Iceland good for a first trip abroad with kids?

Yes, it is one of our two picks for an easiest-first-trip, alongside Ireland. Both have a reliable year-round nonstop under 6 hours and English is spoken.

Keep planning