Many people ask me: “What is the best time to visit Iceland?” and I answer, “It depends on what you are looking for”.
Let’s go through that in terms of popular considerations below.
- The best chance of good weather: Summer (June, July and August)
- The best time to see the midnight sun: Late June (now) but late May until late July are also well within limits. In early August around Verslunarmannahelgi, people start noticing that darkness is returning slowly but gradually.
- The best chance of seeing snow: Winter (December to February)
- The best chance of seeing northern lights: September to April.
- The best time to get around with ease: Summer (June, July and August)
- The best time to avoid crowds: Winter (December to February)
- The best time to avoid crowds and get around with ease: spring or autumn (March/April to May and September to October/November). You should not get winter storms in these periods and will avoid the crowds of summer. Both seasons have their charm, in spring you start seeing the trees and plants wake up from their winter hibernation while in autumn you get the sharp color contrasts from them.
Do you have other questions or concerns regarding your visit to Iceland? You are welcome to drop by at our tourist information offices downtown Reykjavík!
