Iceland Accessible Travel Tips

When arriving at the Iceland Keflavik Airport by wheelchair (about 50 km or 31 mi from Reykjavik) the surroundings may seem like you have landed on the moon; melted lava, hot springs, and rocks as sharp as blades. It doesn’t take you long to go through customs as the airport is one of the 5 best in the world. You are greeted with the Icelandic summer and the clean air is something that makes you stop and take another deep breath.

How about starting with taking a bath in the well-known Blue Lagoon, surely one of a kind wonder of the world. It is a geothermal spa where guests relax in seawater heated by Mother Nature. Well-trained staff will escort you gently to the Blue Lagoon. After enjoying the warm bath and the saunas you will have a delicious lunch at the LAVA restaurant right by the lagoon.

From the Blue Lagoon, it is a 1.5-hour drive to Þingvellir, the first Parliament in the world which the local Icelanders started after years of conflict. Here both the locals and foreign Vikings came once a year, contests were held and no one was allowed to have any kind of dispute at Þingvellir while this ceremony was held. It is protected by UNESCO. The truly stunning landscape was all under ice 1000s of years ago.

Then back in the car for another hour until arriving at the Great Geysir, a natural hot spring area.  Great Geysir blows hot mineral water which is about 350 degrees hot underground, but goes through cold water on the way up; it’s a truly amazing show.

It takes another 20 minutes on the road to get to the Gullfoss Waterfall, Iceland’s biggest and one of the most popular attractions. It is a beautiful scene. About a kilometer above the falls, the Hvítá River turns sharply to the left and flows down into a wide curved three-step “staircase” and then abruptly plunges in two stages into a deep crevice.

After the waterfall, it’s a 1.5-hour journey to the last stop of the tour, Langjokull Glacier, Iceland’s second largest glacier. Since the ground is covered with ice and snow, you can marvel at the beautiful scenery comfortably in the van as it tours you around the glacier for an hour while you stay warm sipping on hot chocolate. Then it’s back to the hotel.

Additional Information

• Transportation: All airlines flying to and from Iceland can accommodate travelers with disabilities, and Air Iceland, the main domestic airline, generally has no trouble with wheelchairs. Air Iceland offers reduced rates, as does Smyril Line, the ferry connecting Iceland to Europe. Buses in Reykjavík are all wheelchair-accessible, but buses elsewhere usually don’t have lifts or ramps. The largest tour operators each have a few wheelchair-accessible buses.
• Accessible Hotels: The Grand Hotel, Hotel Baron, Hotel Nordica, and the Lily Guesthouse.
• Discounts: Most museums and other tourist attractions offer reduced admission prices for travelers with disabilities.