The weather in Iceland is unpredictable due to its location in the far north Atlantic. If you want to go whale watching, the best time to visit Iceland is from May to September; in late September, you may combine orcas with the Northern Lights. Summer events abound in June and August, with limitless days and temperatures in the low 20s. This is the best hiking season due to the dry weather inland. Snow can arrive as early as September (and can last until May), but Iceland can also be beautiful in the fall. Winters can be harsh, but they do provide the aurora borealis to help pass the time during the long dark hours. Some sites are difficult to reach due to winter road closures.
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If you’re thinking of visiting Iceland or have been motivated to do so, you might be wondering what the best time to visit is. The fact that Iceland is a year-round destination is one of its many attractions, but your personal preferences can impact when you visit!
Whether you wish to visit in the winter or summer or come for a specific reason, we have it all listed below.
Iceland is a lovely and interesting nation all year round. This is why our travel advisers at Nordic Visitor have designed excursions for both the winter and summer seasons.
There are a plethora of amazing activities and things to see and do, so depending on your interests or the amount of time you have available, we can help you plan your trip.
Summer is the best time to visit Iceland, especially between June and August.
This is the best season to visit because it coincides with the mildest weather, summer vacations, the most daylight, and the most activities. People have been coming to Iceland in recent years to experience the northern lights during the winter months.
Iceland isn’t as chilly as its name suggests, and it has a pleasant climate throughout the year. That isn’t to suggest that the weather doesn’t change dramatically throughout the day.
As a result, regardless of the season, always keep wind and water-resistant clothing on hand.
Summer in Iceland is, without a doubt, the most pleasant time of the year.
The ideal months to visit are June, July, and August if you want to get the most sun or perhaps see the midnight sun (when the sun doesn’t entirely fall below the horizon).
The shoulder months of May and September are particularly great for people seeking a more relaxing vacation, as they tend to attract fewer visitors. The weather remains mild, albeit it is a little more erratic.
To take advantage of the shoulder months, visit Iceland in May or September.
Of course, a crisp and snowy day can be the ideal weather for you. Then the winter months will be the finest time to visit Iceland and appreciate everything it has to offer.
The winter and shoulder seasons are defined by October to April. You might also want to come in late December to take part in the Icelandic New Year’s celebrations.
Iceland’s summer lasts from June through August. The shoulder months of May and September are also quite popular with tourists.
Summer is by far the most popular season for tourists. This is because the weather is often milder at that time of year, there is more daylight to take advantage of when sightseeing and more activities are accessible.
There are several festivals and events as well, which you may learn more about further down.
You’ll also have more daylight hours to drive throughout the summer, so you’ll be more likely to enjoy a road trip. If you just have a week, you can still drive the Ring Road, although everyday driving lengths will be larger.
Weather conditions are also less likely to cause road closures at this time.
One disadvantage that some people may notice is that, because summer gets the most visitors, it means that popular destinations will be busier. You might also go during the shoulder season, between May and September, if you like a more relaxed atmosphere.
Winter is gradually attracting an increasing number of visitors. The quieter months of October and November are ideal for visiting Iceland. This is especially true if you wish to experience the northern parallels’ long nights and darkness.
The aurora borealis, an exquisite natural phenomenon, also deserves attention. The wintry landscapes of the higher altitudes, as well as North Iceland, share this trait.
While Iceland is a year-round destination, there are fewer activities available and less daylight to take advantage of at that time of year. We recommend staying along Iceland’s west and southern coasts for a road vacation. The Golden Circle is one among the many sights to see here.
You might also fly to Akureyri, the north’s capital. Witness a truly winter landscape in this gorgeous region.
It’s also feasible to explore the famous Ring Road during many months of the winter if that’s what you’re looking for. However, keep in mind that inclement weather can make road and driving conditions unpredictable and dangerous.
Driving in Iceland during the winter months is not for everyone.
This is why, if you have never driven on snow or ice, we do not recommend taking a long road trip in the winter.
If you’re going on a winter driving tour in Iceland, you should be prepared to drive in potentially hazardous circumstances. Snowstorms, treacherous roads, and little daylight are all examples of this.
Although Iceland has nearly 24 hours of daylight during the summer months, tourists tend to stick to the 9-5 schedule. Consider visiting the hotspots early in the morning or late at night. You can accomplish this more easily on a tailor-made vacation, but you may also talk to your other travelers on a small group vacation to see if you can agree to early starts or late night trips, especially in places like the Blue Lagoon.
The Blue Lagoon is beautiful, but there are plenty of other lagoons to visit and swim in, including the Secret Lagoon in the southwest and Mvatn Nature Baths in the north. The former, while no longer a secret, is still much quieter than the Blue Lagoon, and Mvatn is a must-see.
The number of cetaceans is also increasing, especially between May and September, when over two dozen species visit Iceland’s seas. Go whale watching in the shoulder months of May and September to avoid the crowds, and look for small, responsible whale watching organizations that employ quiet wooden boats to get up close to these marine mammals.
On photographic vacations, tour guides know where to find places where glaciers outnumber people or hidden ice caves. Rather than a whirlwind tour, you will have time to stop, look, learn, and fall in love with everything that makes Iceland so unique – without the crowds.
There are many illusions about Iceland, but one of the most popular is that you can see everything on a weekend. If you stay in Iceland for a longer period, or perhaps circumnavigate it, you will have a deeper understanding of its culture, enjoy incredible hiking opportunities, visit secluded peninsulas and islands, and avoid the crowds. Discover little fishing settlements, islands, and rugged, near-Arctic landscapes on foot with a guided small-group tour, or from the water on a small ship cruise with up to 34 passengers.
Travelers who want to explore and discover Iceland’s lovely towns and traditional rural communities, as well as expeditions into the country’s stunning fjords, mountains, and rich geothermal-filled national parks, must make the most of their time there.
Gourmet restaurants, boho cafes, evening bustle, and summer festivals abound in this attractive ‘capital’ of north Iceland, despite its small population (population: 17,000). History and art, as well as old toys, planes, and motorcycles, are all on display in museums. It’s also a wonderful site to see runtur (’round tour,’) as young Icelanders drive slowly around bumper to bumper with their horns blaring and their voices booming.
These are less wild than the Westfjords, but they retain a sense of isolation, with their understated drama perfect for exploration on foot or by kayak, departing from tiny fishing settlements in the shadow of massive mountains. Borgarfjordur is surrounded by ethereal cliffs, Mjorifjordur is alive with waterfalls, and Seydisfjordur’s bohemian town has multicolored wooden buildings and pleasant vibe.
The Westfjords are Iceland’s Rugged Max, like enormous pincers keeping the Arctic away. The rule of wild nature is resisted solely by tiny fishing communities clinging to a twisting shoreline. The south is adorned with sweeping beaches nestled between fjords and wave-battered rocks where seagulls screech. As you wander the tundra at Hornstrandir’s hiking and mountain biking paradise, keep an eye out for Arctic fox.
But one person’s gloomy is another’s rawly gorgeous, and this interior massif is a hardcore hiking/biking Mecca, featuring lava fields, ice sculpted caverns, Kerlingarfjoll Mountains, and hot springs to alleviate the tough Kjolur path. With tales of ghosts and on-the-run desperadoes, the Sprengisandur path has a gloomy magnificence.
If you don’t want to commit to a multi-day hike, this is a fantastic one-day option. There are multiple waterfalls, including Skogafoss, as well as an eerie steaming ash plain leftover after the 2010 eruption of Eyjafjallajokull. The contrast between flower-covered stone terraces and a ridge-rimmed valley is striking. Climbing the still-warm lava of the world’s two newest mountains, Magni and Modi, is also an option.
In Jules Verne’s Journey To The Center Of The Earth, the massive Snaefellsjokull ice cap was highlighted. This 100-kilometer peninsula, crossed by the islet-dotted Breidafjordur, is crammed with eerie volcanic peaks and lava fields, bird-filled sea cliffs, and golden beaches. Stykkisholmur, founded in the 19th century, is a charming coastal town with a volcano museum housed in an old cinema and a gorgeous modern church.
On the first weekend in June, Sjomannadagurinn (Seamans’ Day) honors the importance of fishing in Icelandic culture. Every boat stays in port so that the island’s sailors can take the day off to participate in maritime celebrations, which turn harbors into a flurry of rowing and swimming competitions as well as pretend sea rescues. Herring and mackerel feasts, as well as traditional fishing songs – and, of course, plenty of drinking — are all part of the enjoyment on the beach.
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