If you are on a self-drive holiday, I would strongly recommend a stay at Farmhotel Eftisdalur. Located between the Golden Circle attractions of Pingvellir National Park and Gulfoss / Geysir, this is one of the most unique Iceland hotels! We stayed in May 2025 with our boys, then aged 11 and 12. Best known for its dairy ice-cream made from milk from its own herd, this place merits a longer visit.
Iceland hotels – overnight at Farmhotel Eftisdalur
Exhausted from hiking at Pingvellir (read my review here), we headed straight for dinner and bed at Farmhotel Eftisdalur. The hotel is located around 40 minutes drive from Pingvellir and just minutes from Bruarfoss. As such, it makes a convenient stop-off for those exploring the so-called Golden Circle attractions.
At 11 and 12, the boys were definitely not too big for the jumping cushion. They loved playing with the friendly farm dogs who even joined them on the bouncy cushion. Jumping cushions are found in most Icelandic towns and at many Iceland hotels.
Set on a working dairy farm, both the ice-cream parlour and first-floor restaurant overlook the cow shed. With huge glass windows, you can watch the cows happily chomping and licking whilst you enjoy ice-cream made on site with their milk or a huge and satisfying burger. it does feel a little wrong to much through a burger whilst admiring the cows…. But hey, the burgers are AMAZING and I’m pretty sure the cows you see are dairy not beef cattle – the cow shed has all the milking equipment.
My top recommendation for dinner would be the burger with egg (yes, really) and bearnaise sauce. You will need a good stack of napkins but it’s well worth it! My older son also rates the veggie burger option.
Our room
You can just stop in for an ice-cream or dinner. However, we stayed in their family room overnight. This room was huge – one king bed, a single bed and bunk beds plus a large L-shaped sofa with a massive smart TV on the wall. The room was very quiet and clean with amazing views across the valley.
Another highlight was the hot tub outside the entrance to the room. Whilst its not strictly private for guests of the family room, its location means that other guests are probably unlikely to stumble across it… The boys were a bit disappointed it wasn’t bubbly like a jacuzzi but we all enjoyed relaxing in the warmth and enjoying the view.
Breakfast
The breakfast buffet was pretty good. We all loved the home made skyr and the dinky buckwheat pancakes with jam. None of us really had the stomach for a glass of whey (good they are using everything!) but it was fun to try it. Top tip here though, if you book your room directly through the hotel’s website, breakfast is included in the price. If, like us, you book through a reseller site such as Booking.com, you do pay for breakfast when you arrive. it is half price for kids.