Accessible Travel in Iceland

Accessible Travel in Iceland

The nation of Iceland is one of the most beautiful places to witness the wonders of nature. The island is defined by a dramatic landscape with volcanoes, geysers, hot springs, mountains, glaciers and waterfalls. However, with the rugged terrain, accessibility in Iceland can be complicated for disabled people. Most of the attractions are discovered by walking and hiking, which are the most popular activities on the island. It is even more difficult in winter.

There are some options and resources for travelers with reduced mobility, mostly in the capital city. Visitors with disabilities planning to visit the land of fire and ice should, however, make their stay easier by planning their vacation and may also travel with a helper.

Though there is some improvement in recent years, the nation still has a long way to go. The Icelandic parliament passed a law in 2012 for buildings to include mobility aids and equipment for disabled persons during construction.  Some of the places in Reykjavik are in the old buildings with steps and obstacles that make access difficult.

The Icelandic association of people with disabilities (Sjalfsbjörg) has a database with topics about living in Icelandic with a disability, but most of the information is the Icelandic language. You will, therefore, need to translate using Google if you do not know the language. The website has information about all the accessible venues in the capital city.

The information is helpful to people who are planning to travel to Iceland. The association advocates for disabled people to enjoy full participation and equality in all public places in Iceland. They also have wheelchair and walker rentals for travelers who need them. Here are some of the things you need to know about disabled travel in Iceland.

Accessible Tours in Iceland 

GJ Travel, an Icelandic tour & bus company, can accommodate wheelchair users with foldable and manual wheelchairs. The person using it should also make their way in and out of the bus on their own. If you are traveling with an electric wheelchair or scooter, you can rent a manual wheelchair or a walker from Sjálfsbjörg.

Iceland Unlimited Tour Company offers customized accessible tours in Iceland. The company advocates for the rights of people with disabilities in the nation, and you are sure of excellent services with experts in the field. All their tours are wheelchair accessible, including the paths, parks, sights, and the restaurants where they stop for lunch.

Helicopter tours are possible. Tour operators will assist you when boarding a plane, but booking is necessary. You will yet need someone to help you in and out of the aircraft. You can also join a whale watching tour in Reykjavik, and though wheelchair access is not very good, the staff can assist and carry people in wheelchairs. All airlines flying to and from Iceland are well equipped to accommodate travelers with disabilities.

Accessibility in Winter

In winter, the situation is more challenging. Ice and snow make it particularly hard to get around. In Reykjavik however, most of the sidewalks in the city center are heated all year round by geothermal heat. The heating clears out snow on the sidewalks, making it easy to walk with a wheelchair or other mobility aids. The paths are also equipped with curb ramps. It is important to note that central Reykjavik is quite hilly and thus not wheelchair friendly.

Accessibility of Natural Sites

The majority of the natural sites are rugged so out of reach by disabled persons. Some are accessible or visible from the roads or car parks. You may access some sites though it will depend on how your chair copes with the rocky and rough paths. For some sites, you will only be able to witness them from a car park.

One of the best places to visit as a wheelchair user is the Blue Lagoon. They have accessible private changing rooms complete with a roll-in shower, a changing table, a shower chair, and restrooms. The lagoon also has ramps to enter into the water and an amphibious chair as well. Most parts of the Blue Lagoon are shallow and easy to navigate. Be sure to book before your visit.

Sky Lagoon is also wheelchair accessible.

Attractions at the Golden Circle route are the most accessible. Geysir and Gullfoss have paved paths from the parking lots to the attractions. Gullfoss Waterfall also has a reachable viewing deck. Þingvellir is also wheelchair accessible. It is possible to get to Hakið (a viewpoint over Þingvellir) but Almannagjá is steep so you will need assistance to not go down to fast or up without a workout. Friðheimar is also wheelchair accessible. Other wheelchair friendly places include Skógafoss waterfall, Kerid crater, Dimmuborgir at Lake Mývatn and Seljalandsfoss waterfall. The latter has a paved path from the parking lot to the waterfall, and you can witness it closely.

Reynisfjara is wheelchair accessible but it might be hard to navigate the chair since it is a beach, so there is sand. We highly advise against travelers going close to the shore since there are sneaky waves that can sweep people into the ocean and because it is hard to navigate a wheelchair in the sand they might not be able to move quick enough from the wave. But they could still go close enough to see the waves.

In Reykjavik, the National Museum, the Settlement Exhibition, and Hafnarhus Art Museum have good accessibility.

Public Transit 

Buses within the city have accessibility for wheelchairs. They have designated areas for wheelchair users with seat belts. Yet, users have to be able to get in and out of the bus on their own. It can be a nightmare if you are traveling alone. You have to seek help from the bus users or the driver.

The public vehicles also are only equipped for only one wheelchair user at a time. This can be a challenge if you are traveling with a like person. Apart from Reykjavik, other public buses do not have ramps or lifts.

Hotels and Restaurants

Some hotels and restaurants in the capital city and Akureyri have rooms specially designed for guests with disabilities. But some of them do not offer full help to the disabled people. Some of the hotels in Reykjavik that are accessible include Sand Hotel, Fosshotel Reykjavik, Grand Hotel, Centerhotel Midgardur, Hilton Reykjavik Nordica, and Reykjavík Marina Berjaya Iceland Hotels.

In Akureyri, wheelchair friendly hotels include Sæluhús Apartments, Hotel Kea and Akureyri Berjaya Iceland Hotels, among others.

Reykjavik’s main shopping street Laugavegur and the neighboring Hverfisgata are built on an incline making it hard for a solo travel traveler with a manual wheelchair. There are also other streets in the city that require assistance from a second party.