Iceland Trip

Iceland by month · summer

Iceland in August: what it is really like, and how to plan it

By · Iceland Lead & Content Curator· Updated

August 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. The first real darkness returns in the last ten days, which means the first northern lights of the season for the lucky.

Key facts

Daylight
16.4 hours on the 15th in Reykjavík (sunrise 05:21, sunset 21:46)
Weather
Reykjavík averages 8 to 13 °C, about 109 mm of rain or snow (10-year normals)
Northern lights
0.7 dark hours a night mid-month: possible on clear nights
Highlands
15 of 15 major F-roads usually open (F35, F550, F26, F208…)
Cost
About $1,879 - $2,477 per person for 7 days as a couple in comfort hotels, before flights
Crowds
Peak until mid-month, then easing as schools restart

Weather in August

Nine to fourteen degrees, more rain than July, especially in the second half. Still long, mild days.

August normals for four towns, from ten years of daily records
TownAverage highAverage lowRain or snow in the month
Reykjavík13 °C8 °C109 mm
Vík13 °C9 °C233 mm
Akureyri14 °C8 °C93 mm
Egilsstaðir14 °C8 °C84 mm
August normals for four towns, from ten years of daily records. ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, averaged over the most recent ten complete years. Any single day can be far from the average.

Daylight and darkness

On the 15th of August the sun is up for 16.4 hours in Reykjavík, from 05:21 to 21:46. The sky is fully dark for 0.7 hours, enough for the northern lights on a clear night. From about the 20th, an hour or two of real darkness; a strong display can show.

Tonight's live northern lights verdict

Roads and the highlands

Everything open all month. Highland roads at their driest.

Usually open in August: F35, F550, F26, F208, F210, F206, F207, F249, F88, F910, F570, F347, F225, F224, F66. Usually closed: none. Live F-road map

Best in August

  • The highlands at their most accessible
  • Berry picking and the Réttir sheep round-ups starting
  • Reykjavík Culture Night and Pride
  • The first northern lights at month end

Skip: Assuming the second half is quiet on the South Coast; it only eases.

What August costs

Peak until mid-month, then easing as schools restart. Prices at summer level.

A 7-day self-drive trip in August, by travel style
Travel stylePer personWhole party
Couple, budget rooms, standard car$1,534 - $2,036$3,067 - $4,071
Couple, comfort hotels, standard car$1,879 - $2,477$3,758 - $4,954
Couple, luxury hotels, 4x4$3,063 - $4,030$6,125 - $8,059
Family of 4, comfort hotels, 4x4$1,864 - $2,467$7,455 - $9,869
4 friends, budget rooms, standard car$1,311 - $1,749$5,242 - $6,994
A 7-day self-drive trip in August, by travel style. From the Iceland Trip budget model (last updated 2026-07-07): accommodation, car, fuel, food and two paid activities per person; flights excluded.

Run your own numbers in the budget calculator · Every month compared

Book ahead

  • Hotels and cars early for the first half
  • Highland huts
  • Glacier lagoon kayak or boat
  • Whale watching

Pack

  • Waterproofs
  • Layers
  • Eye mask early in the month
  • Headlamp late in the month

Itineraries real travelers drove in August

Editor-picked plans from real August trips. Duplicate one and the planner rebuilds it around your dates, car and pace.

All August itineraries

Iceland in August: questions people ask

Is August a good time to visit Iceland?

Yes: full access to the highlands, the mildest weather of the year, and from mid-month noticeably fewer people than July as European schools return. It is still a summer-price month for hotels and cars. The best highland weather is usually the first half; the first autumn storms and the first northern lights both arrive in the last week.

Can you see the northern lights in August?

Only in the last ten days, when the night gets dark for an hour or two around midnight, and only with a strong display. September is the first real month.

Are the F-roads open in August?

All of them, and usually in their best condition of the year, with the rivers lowest once the early-summer melt has passed. They start closing from mid-September, earlier after an early snowfall. Rain still closes individual roads for a day or two; check the live status on this site on the morning you drive.

Deeper reading on iceland-trip.com

Our sister site covers every place in depth: access, parking, seasons, what to expect. Written by the same team.