What is the Best Month to visit Iceland?

What is the Best Month to Come to Iceland?

So you’ve been convinced to visit Iceland. The northern lights are on your bucket list and you can’t wait to see the clumsy little puffins. You’ve seen and read about Iceland all over the internet but there is so much information out there that you can’t seem to decide what month is the best time to visit. 

Well I’ve got good and bad news for you 😬

The good news: 

There is truly no bad time to ever visit Iceland. I can guarantee you that you will have an AMAZING time no matter when you come. The nature is amazing all year round, and it looks different in every season. I truly don’t have a favorite because it’s so different and beautiful in every season. 

The bad news: 

You have to decide for yourself which is the best time for you to visit Iceland based on what kind of experience you want to have. You’ll never be able to see everything in one trip so you’ll probably just have to plan another trip 😆😉

Here are the real life, no BS pros and cons of every month, so you can decide for yourself what the best month for you is: 

January 

Pros: 

• The nature is frozen and absolutely beautiful 

• Snowy adventures - although never guaranteed

• The bluest ice caves you have ever seen

• Possibility of seeing the Northern Lights 

• Less crowds at destinations

• More possibilities to book last minute

• Cheaper prices for car rentals and hotels

• Beautiful golden hour all day long 

Cons: 

• Short daylight hours - In January there are 6 hours of daylight each day. It’s still possible to get so much done each day but you may have to leave your accommodation while it’s still dark. But the good news is that each day is getting longer

• Possibility of snow storms, bad weather, and road closures 

• Unpredictable weather, anything can happen on such short notice, so often an open mind or flexible schedule is needed 

• Cold weather. While it’s generally a “mild” cold winter for a country located in the arctic, it’s cold but not bone chilling cold. Temperatures vary depending on where you are in Iceland and from day to day. You can expect temperatures to hang just around 0 degrees celsius or even colder. 

• Possibility of stressful driving conditions

February 

Pros: 

• The Nature is frozen and absolutely beautiful 

• Snowy adventures - although never guaranteed

• The bluest ice caves you have ever seen

• Possibility of seeing the Northern Lights 

• Less crowds at destinations

• More possibilities to book last minute

• Cheaper prices for car rentals and hotels

• Beautiful golden hour all day long 

• Orcas start to come out near the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. You can take a tour with Laki Tours to get up close to them. 

Cons: 

• Varying daylight hours - In the beginning of February there are only around 6 hours of daylight. Each day get longer and longer and by the end of the month, there are nearly 10 hours of daylight each day! 

• Possibility of snow storms, bad weather, and road closures 

• Unpredictable weather, anything can happen on such short notice, so often an open mind or flexible schedule is needed 

• Cold weather. While it’s generally a “mild” cold winter for a country located in the arctic, it’s cold but not bone chilling cold. Temperatures vary depending on where you are in Iceland and from day to day. You can expect temperatures to hang just around 0 degrees celsius or even colder. 

• Possibility of stressful driving conditions

March

Pros: 

• Lots of daylight. In March there is between 10-12 hours of daylight everyday

• Possibility to see snow and have snowy adventures!

• The last month of the bluest ice caves you have ever seen

• Possibility of seeing the Northern Lights 

• Less crowds at destinations

• Cheaper prices for car rentals and hotels
  

Cons: 

• Possibility of snow storms, bad weather, and road closures 

• Unpredictable weather, anything can happen on such short notice, so often an open mind or flexible schedule is needed 

• Cold weather. While it’s generally a “mild” cold winter for a country located in the arctic, it’s cold but not bone chilling cold. Temperatures vary depending on where you are in Iceland and from day to day. You can expect temperatures to hang just around 0 degrees celsius or even colder. 

• Possibility of stressful driving conditions

April 

Pros: 

• Lots of daylight! There is over 14 hours of daylight everyday

• More stable weather conditions. It’s a lot less likely your travel plans will be affected by bad weather, but of course there is always a small possibility

• Amazing Nature 

• Most of the snow in the south is gone 

• Glacier hiking and climbing adventures are back in full swing 

Cons: 

• The super blue ice caves are melting away 

• It’s STILL cold. Even though it’s spring and warmer temperatures all over the world, it’s still winter temperatures (around freezing) in Iceland. The wind makes it extra brutal. 

• The Northern Lights start to get less and less likely to be seen as the month goes on. Since each day gets longer and longer with more daylight, by mid to end of April, it is impossible to see the northern lights and it just doesn’t get dark enough

• Everything kind of looks “dead” - the nature, waterfalls, beaches and scenery is still beautiful and jaw dropping but the grass is brown and there are no leaves or signs of life on the trees or other plants around Iceland

May

Pros: 

• Lots of daylight! There is over 20 hours of daylight everyday

• The puffins are back!!! They can be seen from many seaside cliffs all around Iceland

• More stable weather conditions. It’s a lot less likely your travel plans will be affected by bad weather, but of course there is always a small possibility

• The temperatures are finally starting to feel a little warmer. I would never say it’s “warm” in Iceland but it definitely doesn’t feel like winter anymore

• Amazing Nature, the green lush grass and plants are finally starting to make a come back

• The purple lupines are starting to come back by the end of the month

• Baby lambs are being born and they can be seen all over the fields as you drive around Iceland

• Glacier hiking and climbing adventures are back in full swing 

• Summer activities start to open up again, like Glacier Kayaking and White Water Rafting
  

Cons: 

• There are no super blue ice caves

• There are no northern lights 

• The prices for car rentals and accommodations are starting to rise

• The demand is higher, meaning you shouldn’t wait until the last minute to book anything 

June

Pros:

• 24 hour daylight

• The puffins can be seen from seaside cliffs all around Iceland 

• Baby lambs and sheep can be seen as you drive around the Ring Road 

• Purple lupine fields are EVERYWHERE in Iceland 

• Some F roads start to open up, however still pretty limited 

• Longer Hiking routes are starting to open up

• Summer camping season is starting

• All summer activities are open and available, such as Glacier hiking, Glacier Kayaking and White Water Rafting

• Whale watching in Husavik is a summer highlight 

Cons: 

• No northern lights

• No ice caves

• Higher prices for, airfare, car rentals and hotels 

• One of the most crowded months in Iceland

• Higher demand, meaning you shouldn’t wait until the last minute to book anything 

• Even though it’s summer, it’s not hot. Do not expect summer temperatures ever in Iceland. You will likely find yourself wearing pants and layers everyday. 

July 

Pros: 

• 24 hour daylight

• Usually really good weather

• The puffins can be seen from seaside cliffs all around Iceland 

• Baby lambs and sheep can be seen as you drive around the Ring Road 

• Purple lupine fields are EVERYWHERE in Iceland (beginning of the month only)

• All the F roads start to open up

• Every region of Iceland is open for travel

• Longer Hiking routes are open

• Summer Camping is in full swing

• All summer activities are open and available, such as Glacier hiking, Glacier Kayaking and White Water Rafting

• Whale watching in Husavik is a summer highlight 

Cons: 

• No northern lights

• No ice caves

• Higher prices for, airfare, car rentals and hotels 

• One of the most crowded months in Iceland

• Higher demand, meaning you shouldn’t wait until the last minute to book anything 

• Even though it’s summer, it’s not hot. Do not expect summer temperatures ever in Iceland. You will likely find yourself wearing pants and layers everyday. 

August 

Pros:

• 24 hour daylight for the first half of the month. The second half of the month will start to get a little dark but ultimately you still have really long days. This also means there is potential to see the northern lights at the end of the month

• Usually really good weather

• Every region of Iceland is open for travel

• The puffins can be seen from seaside cliffs all around Iceland 

• Baby lambs and sheep can be seen as you drive around the Ring Road 

• All the F roads start to open up

• Longer Hiking routes are open

• Summer Camping is in full swing

• All summer activities are open and available, such as Glacier hiking, Glacier Kayaking and White Water Rafting

• Whale watching in Husavik is a summer highlight 

Cons: 

• No northern lights. However at the end of the month it will be dark enough to see them

• No ice caves

• Higher prices for, airfare, car rentals and hotels 

• One of the most crowded months in Iceland

• Higher demand, meaning you shouldn’t wait until the last minute to book anything 

September 

Pros: 

• Lots of daylight! There is over 14 hours of daylight everyday

• Possibility of seeing the Northern Lights 

• Possibility of seeing puffins in the beginning of the month

• Amazing Nature 

• Less crowded than the summer time

• Prices for car rentals and hotels are starting to come down

• Possibility of seeing Rettir, the Icelandic sheep roundup 

• Last chance for summer activities are open and available, such as Glacier hiking, Glacier Kayaking and White Water Rafting (however kayaking and rafting usually end mid September)

• The F roads are probably still open

• Every region of Iceland is open for travel
  

Cons: 

• The weather is starting to get a little more unpredictable, there is a possibility of more rain and wind storms than in the summer, but again, unpredictable

• Colder weather is starting to creep back in

• No fall colors like you might expect in New England or other parts of the world. The leaves usually just die and blow off before they turn any colors

October 

Pros: 

• Possibility of seeing the Northern Lights 

• Blue ice caves are back!

• Regular daylight hours - 10-12 daylight hours each day

• Amazing Nature 

• Less crowds than the summer time

• Prices for car rentals and hotels are lower

Cons: 

• F roads are starting to close 

• Unpredictable weather, anything can happen on such short notice, so often an open mind or flexible schedule is needed. Small chance you might see some snow in the north

• Temperatures are starting to drop

• You can really feel each day getting shorter and shorter

November 

Pros: 

• Varying daylight - the beginning of November has about 8 hours of daylight. Each day is getting shorter and shorter and by the end of the month, there is only 6 hours of daylight. 

• Possibility to see snow 

• Amazing Nature!

• The Ice Caves are really started to turn bright blue 

• Possibility of seeing the Northern Lights 

• Less crowds at destinations

• Cheaper prices for car rentals and hotels

Cons: 

• All F roads are officially closed 

• Unpredictable weather, anything can happen on such short notice, so often an open mind or flexible schedule is needed

• The colder temperatures are starting to show their true colors, you can expect temperatures to be around freezing. 

• The days are very short and getting shorter

December 

Pros: 

• The nature start to look frozen and absolutely beautiful 

• Possibility of snowy adventures - although never guaranteed

• The bluest ice caves you have ever seen

• Possibility of seeing the Northern Lights 

• Christmas markets on the weekends in Reykjavik

• Less crowds at destinations

• More possibilities to book last minute

• Cheaper prices for car rentals and hotels

• Beautiful golden hour all day long 

Cons

• Short daylight hours - In the beginning of December there are 6 hours of daylight each day. It’s still possible to get so much done each day but you may have to leave your accommodation while it’s still dark. The shortest day is the winter solstice, where there is only 4 hours sunlight

• Possibility of snow storms, bad weather, and road closures 

• Unpredictable weather, anything can happen on such short notice, so often an open mind or flexible schedule is needed 

• Cold weather. While it’s generally a “mild” cold winter for a country located in the arctic, it’s cold but not bone chilling cold. Temperatures vary depending on where you are in Iceland and from day to day. You can expect temperatures to hang just around 0 degrees celsius or even colder. 

• Possibility of stressful driving conditions

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