Dog-Friendly Family Hotels in Reykjavik
3 family-friendly hotels with pet friendly in Reykjavik . Handpicked for families who want the best.
Iceland is brutal on dog imports. The 4-week quarantine and the import permit rules mean visiting families with a pet are usually those resident in EEA countries flying in with EU pet passports, or families on a long-stay relocation. The good news: once your dog is in Iceland, Reykjavik has a small but real set of hotels that take pets in family rooms. After scanning every 3-star-plus hotel in the central 101 and 105 postcodes, three hotels run formal Pets Allowed policies that work for parents travelling with kids and a dog. The other 47 hotels in the scrape said no, full stop.
Reykjavik is small. The whole tourist core fits in a 2km radius around the harbour, with the colourful corrugated-metal houses giving the centre its postcard look. Families with dogs find the city walkable in a way that few European capitals match: kids on scooters, parents pushing strollers, dog on a lead, no traffic chaos. The downside: Iceland's pet import rules are real. Plan the import permit at least 5 weeks before flying. The hotels listed here will host your dog, but they will not arrange the entry.
🐕Why Bring the Dog to Reykjavik
Bringing the family dog to Reykjavik is a project. Iceland enforces a 14-day to 4-week home quarantine in your accommodation depending on your country of origin, plus rabies testing, microchip, deworming and an import permit issued by MAST. Most families who pull this off are either Icelanders returning home, EEA residents on relocation, or parents on a 6-month-plus stay. Day-trip dog tourism is essentially impossible.
Once you and the dog arrive, the city itself is dog-friendly in the literal sense: leashed dogs are allowed in most parks, Tjörnin and Laugardalur welcome dogs, and the geothermal heat under city sidewalks keeps paws from freezing in winter. Restaurants vary - many cafes accept dogs at outdoor seats year-round thanks to heat lamps, but few interiors do. Public transport is mixed: Strætó buses allow leashed dogs at driver discretion.
For the kids, this is the trip where the dog rides on the family photos in front of Hallgrímskirkja, watches the Northern Lights from a hotel window, and sleeps next to the camp bed in a Reykjavik family suite. The three hotels listed here have done this enough times to have it figured out: pet-policy paperwork at check-in, dog bowl available, and family rooms big enough to fit a child cot plus the dog crate.
Parent's take
Three hotels in central Reykjavik run formal pet policies that pair with family rooms. We listed them honestly, with the import-permit reality up front. If you are doing this trip, the dog is part of a family relocation, not a holiday accessory. The hotels here are the ones that have processed the paperwork before.
Our Top 3 Picks
Hotels in Reykjavik with pet friendly, sorted by guest rating.
Hotel Reykjavík Centrum
Aðalstræti, 101
Wonderful
3,700 reviews
Hotel Reykjavík Centrum runs a formal Pets Allowed policy that pairs with proper family rooms in the heart of the 101 postcode. The 19th-century building sits on Aðalstræti, the city's oldest street, with the harbour and Tjörnin lake walking distance for the post-school dog walk.
From
€245/night
Why families love Hotel Reykjavík Centrum
The location alone earns this hotel its place: 5 minutes to Tjörnin and 10 minutes to the harbour means the dog gets a real walk before the kids head out for waffles and the Settlement Exhibition next door. Pet fees apply per stay and the front desk confirms the dog bowl and basket on arrival. Family rooms accommodate two adults plus two kids with the dog crate fitting comfortably under the window.
Hotel Reykjavík Grand
Sigtún, 105
Excellent
4,500 reviews
Hotel Reykjavík Grand pairs Pets Allowed rooms with a 105 postcode location next to Laugardalur Park, the city's biggest green space and the closest thing Reykjavik has to a dog walking destination. Family rooms sleep four with separate sleeping areas for the kids.
From
€215/night
Why families love Hotel Reykjavík Grand
The Laugardalur location is the deciding factor: a 5-minute walk reaches the park's fenced grass section, and the geothermal swimming pool sits across the road for parents who want to swim while the dog stays at the hotel. The pet fee applies per stay and the hotel needs 24 hours' notice with the dog's weight in the booking notes. Family rooms are larger than central options because the 105 postcode has more building footprint than the cramped 101 historic centre.
101 Hotel, a Member of Design Hotels
Hverfisgata, 101
Very Good
2,800 reviews
101 Hotel is the design-led entry on this list: a Member of Design Hotels with Pets Allowed rooms and a corner location at Hverfisgata 10, two minutes from Laugavegur shopping street. Pet rules ask the dog stays with the family rather than alone in the room, which means dog-sitter coordination for Golden Circle day trips.
From
€380/night
Why families love 101 Hotel, a Member of Design Hotels
The location wins: 2 minutes from Laugavegur means the kids can hit the Hallgrímskirkja viewing tower in the morning and Bæjarins Beztu hot dogs at lunch without anyone in the family complaining about distance. The dog stays with the family rule means parents need to plan day trips around dog-sitter availability through Reykjavik Pet Sitting. Spa restaurant downstairs runs a kids' menu that crosses over to dog-friendly seating after 6pm.
💡Family Tips for Reykjavik with a Dog
- 1Start the import permit 5 to 8 weeks before flying. The MAST application asks for vaccine records, blood titer results from a registered lab and a precise arrival flight number. Without this, your dog is denied at Keflavík.
- 2Pack winter dog booties even in summer. The wind off the Atlantic chills any uncovered paw fast, and the lava-rock paths around Heiðmörk reserve cut soft pads. Booties also stop salt burn on city pavements from December through March.
- 3Use Strætó bus 14 from the centre to Laugardalur. The driver decides on dogs case by case, but a leashed, calm dog usually gets a yes. Buses 13 and 14 are the routes most likely to greenlight pets.
- 4Reserve family rooms with dog bowl included at check-in. Hotel Reykjavík Centrum and 101 Hotel both confirm dog bowls and basket on arrival, while Hotel Reykjavík Grand asks 24 hours ahead - email ahead with the dog's weight.
- 5Plan grooming before the flight. Reykjavik veterinary services exist but you do not want to spend the trip finding a groomer in a 60,000-population capital - get the bath and nail trim done at home before the journey.
More Family Fun in Reykjavik
Other activities your family might enjoy in Reykjavik.
More Pet-Friendly Stays Across Iceland
Explore hotels with pet friendly across Europe.