Iceland by month
When to go to Iceland: every month, with the numbers
By Nimrod Ron · Iceland Lead & Content Curator· Updated
There is no single best month, only the best month for what you want. June to August give the highlands and endless light at the highest prices; September, October, February and March give the northern lights with workable daylight; November to January give ice caves, long nights and the lowest prices in exchange for short, stormy days. The table is computed for the 15th of each month; each month has its own page with the weather normals, what to book and what to skip.
| Month | Daylight | Dark hours | F-roads open | Cost per person | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 5.4 h | 14.2 h | none | $1,471 - $1,948 | Crystal ice caves under Vatnajökull (guided only) |
| February | 8.7 h | 11.8 h | none | $1,471 - $1,948 | Northern lights with real odds |
| March | 11.7 h | 8.7 h | none | $1,499 - $1,984 | Northern lights at their most active |
| April | 15.1 h | 4.2 h | none | $1,555 - $2,057 | Puffins back at Dyrhólaey and Látrabjarg from mid-month |
| May | 18.4 h | none | none | $1,705 - $2,252 | The Ring Road with no queues |
| June | 21 h | none | 11 of 15 | $1,856 - $2,447 | Midnight sun on 21 June |
| July | 19.8 h | none | 15 of 15 | $1,899 - $2,502 | Landmannalaugar hikes and hot river |
| August | 16.4 h | 0.7 h | 15 of 15 | $1,879 - $2,477 | The highlands at their most accessible |
| September | 13.1 h | 7.3 h | 15 of 15 | $1,705 - $2,252 | Northern lights with mild nights |
| October | 9.8 h | 10.7 h | none | $1,555 - $2,057 | Northern lights |
| November | 6.5 h | 13.5 h | none | $1,471 - $1,948 | First ice caves of the season |
| December | 4.2 h | 15 h | none | $1,596 - $2,111 | New Year’s Eve fireworks in Reykjavík |
- winterIceland in JanuaryJanuary is the darkest month and one of the best for the northern lights and the blue ice caves, with the South Coast, the Golden Circle and Reykjavík all open and quiet.Read the month
- winterIceland in FebruaryFebruary keeps everything that makes January good (lights, ice caves, snow, low prices) and adds two to three hours of daylight, which makes the South Coast as far as the Glacier Lagoon a comfortable winter week.Read the month
- winterIceland in MarchMarch is the best balance of winter: enough daylight for real days out, the ice caves still open, and the equinox giving the strongest northern lights of the season.Read the month
- springIceland in AprilApril is the hinge month: long days return, the last northern lights fade mid-month, puffins and migrating birds arrive, and prices are still below summer.Read the month
- springIceland in MayMay is the best month for a Ring Road drive without the summer crowds: nearly endless daylight, the driest weather of the year on average, every lowland road open and prices well under July.Read the month
- summerIceland in JuneJune is the month of the midnight sun: 21 hours of daylight and a sky that never darkens, every lowland road open and the first highland roads opening from the middle of the month.Read the month
- summerIceland in JulyJuly is the full country: every F-road open, Landmannalaugar, Þórsmörk and Askja all reachable, the warmest weather of the year and twenty hours of light.Read the month
- summerIceland in AugustAugust is July with a little less of everything: slightly cooler and wetter, a few less hours of light, crowds and prices easing after the middle of the month, and every road and highland hut still open.Read the month
- autumnIceland in SeptemberSeptember is the month many Iceland regulars pick: northern lights are back with nights long enough to see them, the highlands stay open until the middle or end of the month, the Ring Road is uncrowded and autumn colour arrives in the north and east.Read the month
- autumnIceland in OctoberOctober is the quiet, cheap, dark-enough month: good northern lights odds on long nights, the Ring Road still open almost every day, hotels at shoulder prices and few other travelers.Read the month
- winterIceland in NovemberNovember is the start of real winter: winter tyres become mandatory on the 1st, the ice caves open, nights are long enough for the northern lights almost any clear evening, and prices hit their lowest.Read the month
- winterIceland in DecemberDecember is the darkest and most festive month: four to five hours of daylight, Christmas markets and the Yule Lads in Reykjavík, fireworks on New Year’s Eve, ice caves and the northern lights on 19-hour nights.Read the month