How To Best Explore Iceland In A Wheelchair

Iceland, with its lava landscapes and isolated locale, may seem like an inhospitable place for those in wheelchairs, but in actuality, there are more options and resources for travelers in a wheelchair than ever before both within the capital of Reykjavik and in the countryside.

Icelandic tour companies now offer accessible tours while local regulations have made updates to equipment and access, making Iceland more accessible than ever. While international travel can already be daunting, planning with a wheelchair can be even more so, but should definitely not be a deterrent, especially not in Iceland.

In 2012, the Icelandic parliament passed a new document that outlined how building codes should be inclusive of access for those in wheelchairs. While the new building codes did not stipulate the retroactive renovation of buildings, the National Association of People with Disabilities in Iceland has made many improvements on public places. The app TravAble is a free and interactive app designed by Icelanders to help navigate Reykjavik in a wheelchair and is operated by reviews that contribute to the overall knowledge of the sites. Wheel Map is another resource that relies on user input to collect a database of wheelchair accessibility.

Reykjavik is fairly easy to traverse in a wheelchair, especially with the help of these apps. Reykjavik sidewalks are very well maintained in and around the city, including the suburban areas. This is a different story in the wintertime, however, when the snow can pile up and, despite being moved daily, can become a real hazard even for walking. The only exception is in the center of Reykjavik where the sidewalks are heated all year round by geothermal heat. The coastline of Reykjavik is lined by a smooth, wheelchair-accessible pathway that is popular for joggers and cyclists and offers a beautiful view of the surrounding ocean and a new perspective of the cityscape as well.

When it comes to traveling outside of Reykjavik, it is best to speak directly with your tour guide companies, who are flexible but unfortunately usually only accommodate foldable and manual wheelchairs. It is also possible to rent a manual wheelchair from Stóð. The Golden Circle tour, which includes the geothermal area, Geysir, the majestic waterfall, Gullfoss and Þingvellir National Park all have reasonable accessibility and are definitely the most popular sites in South Iceland. Helicopter tours are also an option.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.