Seasonal Planning for Iceland Travel
The best time to visit Iceland depends on what you're hoping to experience, but overall, late spring through early fall (May to September) is your best bet for pleasant weather and easy access to the country's natural highlights. During these months, you'll have long daylight hours, open roads, and plenty of opportunities for hiking, road-tripping, wildlife spotting, and visiting waterfalls, glaciers, and black-sand beaches. July and August are peak season, with festivals and lush landscapes, while May and September are ideal shoulder months with fewer crowds and slightly better prices.
If you dream of seeing the northern lights, you'll want to come in late fall through winter (October to March), when the skies are dark enough for viewing. Just keep in mind that winter travel comes with shorter days, icy roads, and limited access to more remote areas—so this season is better suited to cozy stays, guided tours, and aurora hunting. Iceland is truly a year-round destination, but your timing should align with what you want to do most: chase waterfalls under the midnight sun, or catch the northern lights dancing in the cold, starry skies.
Winter in Iceland (December to February)
The winter months receive little daylight, bring heavy snow, and have temperatures hovering around 32°F (0°C). This is the best time for viewing the northern lights. However, it's not the best time for longer road trips as the driving conditions aren't great in the winter. If you're unfamiliar with winter weather conditions, it's best to stick to day trips at this time.
Daylight: Iceland's winter has very short days, but the extent of the darkness depends on when you visit. Hours of daylight range from four in Reykjavik at the end of December to 10 at the end of February. If you are brave enough to travel to the north of Iceland in midwinter, you'll have only two hours of daylight, and in some towns, the sun disappears for a couple of months since it's hiding behind the mountains.
Crowds: Winter has fewer visitors than the other three seasons, but winter tourism has increased even stronger than the other seasons in recent years. December, January, and February see approximately one-third the number of visitors as the peak travel season in summer.
More Tips for Visiting Iceland in Winter
Events in Winter
Christmas, Nationwide (December). Iceland only gets about four hours of daylight around Christmas, so the streets of towns and villages flicker with candlelights and the glow of the northern lights. For 13 nights leading up to Christmas, children leave a shoe out at night and wake up to find small presents left by the "yuletide lads," Iceland's version of Santa Claus.
Tþrettándinn, Nationwide (January 6). To mark the official end of the Christmas festivities and the start of a new year, Icelanders build bonfires, set off fireworks, and sing traditional songs in public squares, while children sculpt mythical Icelandic creatures from snow and ice.
Tþorrablót (January 19-25). This annual mid-winter Viking festival has been celebrated across Iceland for over 1,000 years. Communities come together, and visitors are welcomed into the celebrations. Traditional Viking foods (for those brave enough to try them), including pickled ram's testicles, hakarl (putrefied shark), and boiled sheep's head, are often shared around huge public bonfires, and traditional Icelandic songs are sung.
Öskudagur, Nationwide (February-Ash Wednesday). Much like Halloween in many parts of the world, Icelandic children dress up in traditional Icelandic costumes during the Ash Wednesday Festival and run around towns and villages singing. In return, residents give them local cream puffs (bollur).
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Iceland in December
Iceland in January
Iceland in February
Spring in Iceland (March to May)
In spring, temperatures start to rise, the winter snow starts melting, and natural wonders come to life with the longer daylight hours. Icelanders celebrate the increased daylight hours with spring festivals. The tourist crowds are still light, making spring a great time to visit its more accessible natural highlights. Many hikes in the highlands are still inaccessible, though.
Daylight: If you visit in early spring (March), the days are still shorter than the nights, but this quickly changes in late March, when the days lengthen quickly to reach over 20 hours of daylight in late May
Crowds: Spring tends to be slightly more crowded than winter, and the number of travelers picks up towards the end of May.
Events in Spring
Beer Day, Nationwide (March 1). To commemorate the legalization of alcohol above 2.2% in 1989, Icelanders take the whole day off on March 1 and drink alcohol above 2.2% with friends and family in the local pubs and taverns. A favorite among locals is Brennivin, an herbal schnapps liquor at 40% volume.
Easter, Nationwide (April). Icelanders take a five-day holiday from Holy Thursday to Easter Monday to spend time with family. Locals welcome visitors into their homes to share smoked lamb and huge chocolate eggs. In Ísafjörður in the west of the island, the "I Never Went South" rock music festival wakes the town from its winter slump.
Reykjavík Arts Festival (May). For 16 days in mid-May, the capital city comes to life with artists, theater, music, and crafts. World-famous singers join their lesser-known Icelandic counterparts and offer free concerts in Reykjavík's parks and open areas.
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Iceland in March
Iceland in April
Iceland in May
Chat with a local specialist who can help organize your trip.
Summer in Iceland (June to August)
In the summer, the days are long, the temperatures average a reasonable 53°F (12°C), and Iceland's highlands open up for active adventures. The summer is also Iceland's busiest tourist season and a popular time to embark on a midnight sun tour. Most of Iceland's festivals happen during the summer months, and each town has its own event. Hiking trails in the highlands open up, making Iceland a trekkers' paradise.
Daylight: Summer in Iceland has very long days, which makes a summer trip a special experience. During midsummer (the end of June), the sun doesn't set until midnight and rises again a few short hours later, around 3 am. If you travel to the north of Iceland, you'll experience 24 hours of daylight. As summer progresses, the days shorten somewhat to about 15 hours of sunlight at the end of August.
Crowds: Summer gets very crowded. Hotels tend to sell out, and the popular sights near Reykjavík and along the South Coast get very crowded.
Events in Summer
Festival of the Sea, Reykjavík (June). Fishermen take part in rowing and strongman competitions around Reykjavík, and freshly caught seafood and brewed beers are sold at reduced prices to celebrate those who make a living from the sea.
Viking Festival, Hafnarfjörður (June). For 10 days in mid-June, the western town of Hafnarfjörður goes back in time, with streets decorated with sheepskin tapestries, Viking hordes roaming the streets in search of victims, and pitched battles with British and German Christian competitors. Nowhere else in the world celebrates the Vikings quite like this.
Independence Day, Nationwide (June 17). Iceland's Independence Day marks a large celebration across the country, and its 1944 secession from Danish rule. A parade marches through the main street of cities and towns, followed by music and local celebrations.
Verslunarmannahelgi, Westman Islands (August). Despite its long name, the main theme of this first weekend of August event is simple: to party. Icelanders retreat to the Westman Islands to camp out all weekend, listen to live concerts, drink lots of alcohol, and dance around a campfire.
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Iceland in June
Iceland in July
Iceland in August
Fall in Iceland (September to November)
The autumn months bring unpredictable weather and occasional heavy storms. The days get shorter, and the northern lights start making their first appearances. One of the key attractions of visiting Iceland in the fall is the amazing autumn colors that make the scenery look even more stunning when you catch the right light.
Daylight: The days shorten dramatically in fall, from 15 hours in early September to 5 hours at the end of November. So if you care about having enough daylight to experience longer day trips, make sure you visit in early fall.
Crowds: Visitor numbers drop off quickly as fall sets in. September is a great month since the days are still long, while most of the summer crowds have left Iceland by then.
Events in Fall
Réttir (September). Literally meaning "round-up," this event at the end of the month is just that: the time of year when thousands of sheep and wild horses are rounded up for winter. It's a sight to behold.
Iceland Airwaves, Reykjavík (October). Perhaps Iceland's most famous music concert, this annual event attracts crowds from across the world who come to hear Iceland's best indie and alternative bands.
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Iceland in September
Iceland in October
Iceland in November
Seasonal Travel Patterns & the Growth of Tourism in Iceland
Since 2010, tourism to Iceland has grown tremendously, straining the available accommodations and creating issues of overcrowding in some of the most popular areas for travelers, such as the Golden Circle Area and the South Coast. This means that it's important to plan your visit carefully unless you don't mind having to enjoy Iceland's key attractions shoulder to shoulder with hundreds of other travelers.
Tips to Beat the Crowds
- If you can, avoid the busiest travel months of June, July, and August. As shown in the chart below, the summer months are up to three times more crowded than the quieter winter months.
- If your schedule doesn't let you travel outside of the summer, and you want to see the popular areas, try to plan your visits early in the morning or late at night.
- To avoid the crowded areas altogether, take a domestic flight or drive to remote areas such as the West Fjords, Troll Peninsula in the north, and Egilsstaðir in eastern Iceland.
Conclusion: When is the best time to visit Iceland?
Choosing the right time to visit Iceland depends on what you want to see and do, how crowd-tolerant you are, and if your budget allows for peak season prices.
If you want to see the northern lights, you should visit in winter and brave the short days and cold weather. This will maximize your chances of seeing this elusive natural phenomenon.
If your goal is to see and explore Iceland's great nature and outdoors, the best time is late spring to early fall. Summer usually brings great weather and long days but also attracts the masses. Given this, we'd recommend late August to early September since the weather still tends to be good, the days are still quite long, and the biggest crowds have left.
