Iceland by month · autumn
Iceland in September: what it is really like, and how to plan it
By Nimrod Ron · Iceland Lead & Content Curator· Updated
September 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. The trade is weather that turns wetter and windier through the month and the first snow on the passes late on.
Key facts
- Daylight
- 13.1 hours on the 15th in Reykjavík (sunrise 06:51, sunset 19:56)
- Weather
- Reykjavík averages 6 to 10 °C, about 144 mm of rain or snow (10-year normals)
- Northern lights
- 7.3 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 $1,705 - $2,252 per person for 7 days as a couple in comfort hotels, before flights
- Crowds
- Busy in the first week, quiet by the third
Weather in September
Six to eleven degrees, wetter and windier as the month goes on, with the first frosts inland. The equinox brings the first autumn storms.
| Town | Average high | Average low | Rain or snow in the month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | 10 °C | 6 °C | 144 mm |
| Vík | 11 °C | 7 °C | 363 mm |
| Akureyri | 10 °C | 5 °C | 138 mm |
| Egilsstaðir | 11 °C | 5 °C | 150 mm |
Daylight and darkness
On the 15th of September the sun is up for 13.1 hours in Reykjavík, from 06:51 to 19:56. The sky is fully dark for 7.3 hours, enough for the northern lights on a clear night. Back in force: eight to twelve dark hours and the equinox peak in activity. One of the two best months with March.
Roads and the highlands
Every lowland road open. F-roads begin closing from mid-September, Kjölur usually last; by the end of the month assume the highlands are shut.
Usually open in September: F35, F550, F26, F208, F210, F206, F207, F249, F88, F910, F570, F347, F225, F224, F66. Usually closed: none. Live F-road map
Best in September
- Northern lights with mild nights
- Autumn colour at Þingvellir, Ásbyrgi and the east
- Réttir sheep round-ups
- The last highland days early in the month
Skip: Highland plans after the 20th.
What September costs
Busy in the first week, quiet by the third. Prices fall to the shoulder baseline.
| Travel style | Per person | Whole party |
|---|---|---|
| Couple, budget rooms, standard car | $1,414 - $1,879 | $2,827 - $3,758 |
| Couple, comfort hotels, standard car | $1,705 - $2,252 | $3,410 - $4,503 |
| Couple, luxury hotels, 4x4 | $2,700 - $3,556 | $5,399 - $7,112 |
| Family of 4, comfort hotels, 4x4 | $1,682 - $2,231 | $6,729 - $8,922 |
| 4 friends, budget rooms, standard car | $1,218 - $1,627 | $4,870 - $6,507 |
Run your own numbers in the budget calculator · Every month compared
Book ahead
- Car (2WD fine on the lowlands)
- Hotels only in the first week
- A highland bus or tour in the first half
- Nothing else: this is the month to stay flexible
Pack
- Waterproofs and a warm layer
- Headlamp
- Tripod for the lights
- Swimsuit
Itineraries real travelers drove in September
Editor-picked plans from real September trips. Duplicate one and the planner rebuilds it around your dates, car and pace.
6 daysReykjanes to Jökulsárlón in a Standard Car
A no-4x4 September loop with waterfalls, an ice cave, the Glacier Lagoon, Skaftafell and a Langjökull snowmobile ride.
6 daysCar-Free Tours to Þórsmörk and Vík's Ice Caves
A tour-based September trip with a big South Coast ice day, a Þórsmörk super jeep run, horses and an easy city finale.
7 daysLandmannalaugar, the South Coast and Jökulsárlón
Two slow days around Reykjavik, a 4x4 day among Landmannalaugar's rhyolite hills, a glacier hike and icebergs at Jökulsárlón.
Iceland in September: questions people ask
Is September a good time to visit Iceland?
For most travelers it is the best overall month: northern lights from the start of the month, the Ring Road and most highland roads still open in the first half, fewer people, shoulder prices and autumn colour at Mývatn and Þórsmörk. The weather is the compromise: the first real storms arrive, so keep a spare day in the plan.
Can you see the northern lights in September in Iceland?
Yes. The season is properly under way with eight to twelve hours of real darkness a night and the equinox in late September lifting geomagnetic activity. Skies are clearer on average than in midwinter, and the roads are still easy. The nightly verdict on this site combines the Kp forecast with cloud at nine viewing sites.
Are F-roads open in September?
Early in the month, usually yes, and with the rivers at their lowest. From mid-month they close one by one as the first snow comes to the highlands, and by the end of September most are shut; Kjölur and Kaldidalur are often the last. Check the live status and the recorded closing dates on each road’s page.
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.
- Iceland's weather, month by monthWhat each month is really like, what to pack, when the highland roads open and when the northern lights show.iceland-trip.com
- Renting a car and driving in IcelandWhich car to rent, the insurance that matters, gravel and F-road rules, fuel, speed limits and the mistakes that cost visitors money.iceland-trip.com
- Sample routes around IcelandThe classic routes from a Golden Circle day to the full Ring Road, with what each one covers and how long it needs.iceland-trip.com