Iceland in mid October with kids and Parents, golden circle tour with it? And what's best to do?

I was in Iceland last October.

What to wear......think layers. I had a sweater and medium weight jacket. The only time I was really cold was on the Golden Circle tour. It was rainy and very windy. I also did buy a hat. (Do this before leaving as everythihg is expensive in Iceland.) I also recommend a scarf and gloves. I'm going back this winter--I was rained out from seeing the lights last year--and I will also bring a thermal top for the nights outside of Reykjavik.

You are paying a lot of money for that tour. Think about this instead:

1) Airport Arrival--use Flybus. They will pick you up at the airport and drop you at your hotel. (You take a large bus to a central location and then switch to smaller buses for your hotel.) When you walk out of the terminal, just follow the crowd. Most are taking the Flybus. As one fills up, another is right behind waiting to load passengers. It is about a 45 minute drive from the airport to Reykjavik.

2) City tour--Hop On Hop Off Bus. You get recorded commentary and you can get off at any stop you want and get back on when you want. You decide what you stop to see and just about everything from your tour is included in this. Plus, you can decide what day to do this. And your ticket is good for 24 hours not just a 3 hour tour. (Your kids go for free.)

3) Northern Lights Cruise--you will freeze.

4) Blue Lagoon, Northern Lights tour, Golden Circle.--you can arrange these before you leave or these can all be arranged by your hotel the day before you want to take them. Reykjavik Excurisons and Reykjavik Sightseeing are the two main companies. (Go with whichever one your hotel suggests.) With the Northern Lights tours, I believe, if you don't see the lights, you can go again another night for free.

5) Whether or not your kids will enjoy the Golden Circle tour is only something you can decide. It is a full day tour and there is time on the bus. The scenery is amazing and you do get off and walk. (Not very long distances).

I would definitely not do this tour as it is priced much higher than if you were to cobble up this itinerary yourself (and you can easily see many sites in Reykjavik on foot without the need of a tour). I agree with Frank.

Go on the Reykjavik website and see what activities interest you and your kids. Customize your own itinerary instead of a one-size-fits-all 4 day tour. What I think might be fun for your girls is Icelandic horseback riding in the lava fields. Most people really enjoy the Icelandic horses. There is also a lovely park called Thingvellir (not sure of spelling) for hiking, among other sites. Unfortunately, all day trips through various tour outfitters are of the 8 hour variety because they are quite pricey and folks want to see as much as they can. Most of them include the Golden Circle, as it's the most popular (but there are others).

You can look up historic weather for any time of the year in any country using this site:
https://www.timeanddate.com/weather/

I didn't think it was cold when we were there last Oct. More windy. Cloudy, could not see northern lights if there were any.

i was just there and layers is the answer for sure. I believe u can do,better price wise byjust getting a local golden circle tour than what u quoted.. iceland is very expensive if that is imp to u plan for it. Bonus supermRket has gd prices for snacks and ready sanwiches.

I would also suggest going to the iheartreykjavik.net website and look at their partner tours. There is also a lot of good info on that website about Iceland.

Thanks so much! very helpful!
I'll look at those sites suggested and also looking to book off tripadvisor and getyourguide.com the separate tours from that itinerary and so far pricing it out does some to around $300-500 cheaper!

I go to Iceland every year, mostly in Nov and Dec. it can be rainy and chilly so a good coat that can handle rain is essential as are gloves and a hat. You may get rained out of your northern lights cruise so be prepared. Your kids might enjoy riding the Icelandic ponies. My sons and I did it and they were 22 and 24 at the time. It's just a cool thing to do. Blue Lagoon is a must with kids as well. The Saga Museum is great for a rainy afternoon. Also, get hotdogs from one of the street vendors in the city. They are a hot dining option there and saves a bit of money on lunch. The Golden Circle tour is a great way to get out of the city and see the beautiful countryside. Iceland is the bees knees. Enjoy!

I read a lot of reviews about boat cruise tours for northern lights and it seems that many people said it's not worth it compared to land tours....any advice on if we should skip this? and also booking tours from Getyourguide.com ...seem to have good ratings.

Are hiking boots necessary for Iceland in mid-October? or winter/fall boots (not snow boots) ok?

I've now been through Iceland six times, but only stayed once. Two of those were in early October, including the stay. The others were in September and May.

Expect cold, not quite freezing temperatures, and windy. The windchill probably makes the temperature around 30, plus or minus five degrees, in the day - colder at night. I'm not sure how much colder it will get by mid-October. The ocean moderates the temperature somewhat but it's not warm. I've only been to Iceland once when it wasn't windy at that was my last time through last week (even then it was probably 10-15 mile an hour winds).

When I land in Iceland, it's a lot like being at a ski resort. The locals are all wearing very good quality winter wear. I would say you need a good sweater, either heavy wool or quality polar fleece, a down vest or jacket, and a wind/water proof shell over it. Hoods on your coats to keep your head warm and dry. I noticed a lot of people with interesting winter pants but you will probably be okay with jeans as long as they don't get wet. Quick drying may be better than thicker fabric. I'd want good wool socks and a sturdy shoe that can take some rain. It doesn't have to be a hiking boot, but most people are wearing boots. Also a good ski cap and gloves. Think windproof and layering so you can add and take off as needed. Have good sun glasses in case it's sunny.

Try to wear or pack what you need. Iceland isn't cheap. Anything you buy there will likely cost at least twice (or three times) what you would expect to pay at home.

As far as northern lights is concerned. I'd call them virtually impossible to plan for. They depend on the right conditions so there is a "weather" report that predicts the likelihood of seeing them. Like rain, sometimes the reports are right, sometimes they aren't. If you see them, they may be spectacular or they may be just a series of moving dull green lights.

You're in the right place to have a good chance at spectacular lights, but it's still a chance not something anyone can guarantee. Personally, I wouldn't pay anything for a "northern lights" tour. I'd be prepared, if the northern lights occur, to have the right clothing and ability to get out of city lights as much as possible. The darker area you're in, the better; but you don't want to freeze either.

Blue Lagoon is something I missed. I didn't realize I needed reservations. When I called they were booked up for the evening.

We visited in early April 2015, and didn't visit the Blue Lagoon, but did sign up for a "Warm Baths and Cool Lights" tour,(https://www.icelandtravel.is/tour/item876042/warm-baths-and-cool-lights-northern-lights-tour/), where a bus picked us up and took us to the Fontana spa (lots of outdoor pools, plus inside sauna-type buildings directly over the hot springs, which get really hot), which by many accounts are superior to (but not as famous) as the Blue Lagoon. The soak was fantastic, the buffet meal afterwards was very good, but it was so cloudy over land that they cancelled the northern lights part, because it would be a waste of everyone's time, and we returned early. I understand that some other visitors who went out on a northern lights boat tour that night did see some faint lights from the water with less overhead clouds, but nothing spectacular that night. As said above, it's hit-and-miss, and requires some luck.

We went on a whale watching boat tour one afternoon, and spotted a glimpse of just one whale, although there were apparently a lot around us. Light northern lights you might see none, and you might see a lot, plus dolphins. For landlubbers from Colorado, that was still really exciting. The boat provided warm waterproof coveralls for everyone.

We also rented a car and drove the Golden Circle ourselves. Thingvellir, where the North American and European tectonic plates meet, is a significant geological site, and also an historic one for Icelanders, but it requires a bit of a walk to appreciate, and your girls might not find it so fascinating. The geysers are pretty neat, though, and there's more than one spectacular waterfall in Iceland, so while the Golden Circle has become kind-of a tourism must-see, must-do activity, it's not a mandatory requirement for experiencing Iceland. One of the neatest parts of our drive, not necessarily on most "main" Golden Circle agendas, was stopping at a family-run dairy farm for homemade ice cream, described in the Lonely Planet Iceland guidebook. Their ice cream parlor at the farm is right against the cow barn, and you can look through glass windows to see the cows and calves in their straw while you're sitting and enjoying your ice cream in the warm parlor!

Be careful if you drive, though. A car coming towards us on the road hit some black ice and flipped, and one person in that car died. It was sad, and we spent hours on the scene while the police and paramedics dealt with the tragedy.

As for weather, it can change in an instant -- sunny and pretty warm one moment, blowing snow the next, black ice forming on the road a moment later. The biggest concern would be protection from the wind. Knit ski hats would be good to have, or you can buy some nice Icelandic ones over there. Also, windproof jackets or coats, and warm pants - or lots of layers, as suggested above. Mittens or gloves, too!

We were told it never really gets that cold in Iceland, at least the southern part like Reykjavik -- not below zero Fahrenheit like we get in Colorado, but can be in the 20's. Small, disposable, one-time use, chemical heat packs from Grabber, like skiers and hunters use, might be good to have, and can last for 6-8 hours. Cold is a relative, personal thing, though. I've been on a ski chairlift in Colorado with Texans who complained how bitterly cold it was, and it was about 34 degrees Fahrenheit, pretty warm for the Colorado mountains in the winter, and the rest of us were worried it would get so hot the snow would be melting!

Unless you're going on a glacier hike, fall boots (not hiking or snow boots) should work for you.