When is the best time to visit Iceland?

When you're planning a new trip, you always want to make sure you pick the right time/season for your adventure. Nobody wants to find themselves in a new and exciting place, only to find out that you picked the completely wrong time for your activities or interests.

What are the pros and cons of each season here in Iceland? When is the best time to see the northern lights? When can you see the adorable puffins? What is the best hiking season? Keep on reading and hopefully it gives you a better idea on when would be the best time for you to come and explore our amazing country!

Before we go any further, let me just tell you right away that there is no certain period which is the best time to visit Iceland. Any time of the year can be the best one, each season has something great to offer so it all comes down to what people are looking for when visiting the country.

Summer

Jun - Aug

Uxatindar, in the Highlands of Iceland

Summer time is the high season of tourism in Iceland. This is the season when you have the best chance of nice weather, there is 24 hours of daylight and basically every bit of the country is accessible to exploration. But don't be put off by this being the high season and thinking the country will be full of crowds, because even though some of the main attractions can get crowded, it's very easy to leave the crowds behind, venture off the beaten path and explore some of the amazing hidden gems this country has to offer.

We always say that the best way to experience Iceland is by going on a hike through our amazing landscape and summer is the perfect candidate for that! The Icelandic Highlands are easily accessible with a good 4x4 and up there you can tackle some of the best hikes in Iceland, and there will be a lot less people than by some of the famous attractions by the south coast for example.

The country is also filled with birds that migrate to Iceland during summer time for mating and laying their eggs. This is the only time of the year where you can see the famous puffins, among other many others like the arctic tern (kría in Icelandic), which Kría Adventures is named after. If you're a bird enthusiast or a bird photographer, the summer time should be your choice when visiting Iceland.

Pros

• Best chance of good weather

• The midnight sun

• Perfect for hiking

• The Highlands are accessible

• The nature is filled with birds and pretty wildflowers

• A lot of local events happening throughout the country

Cons

• No northern lights

• Can get crowded at more popular attractions

Fall

Sep - Nov

Fall colors at Þingvellir

The fall in Iceland can be extremely beautiful and often doesn't get the credit which it deserves. Many people only see colder temperatures and rain, but fail to see all the beauty that the fall has to offer.

This is the time of year when the country slowly starts preparing itself for winter, temperatures slowly decrease (but are still often very mild and nice) and the amazingly beautiful fall colors start to appear everywhere. It's also considered to be an off season so there will be less crowds. You can still enjoy some amazing hikes and the highlands are still accessible early fall. At this time it is also starting to get dark enough to witness the famous northern lights.

You can start expecting some snow in the mountain tops, which often adds a beautiful element to the natural beauty of the fall. One of our favorite places to visit during the fall is Þórsmörk. Inside Þórsmörk is a large birch forest and when the leaves turn into their fall suit, it adds one extra beautiful element to the amazing and stunning landscape which Þórsmörk has to offer.

Pros

• Beautiful fall colors

• Still possible to do a lot of the amazing hikes Iceland has to offer

• Northern lights

• Less crowds

• Highlands still accessible in early fall

Cons

• More chances of rain and wind

• Colder temperatures than in summer

• Most birds have migrated somewhere else

Winter

Des - Mar

Happy snowshoers

Winter is a fascinating time here in Iceland. The country turns from a beautiful, green and lush island into a stunning winter wonderland, where you can experience some amazing winter activities. The days are shorter, because the sun is lower on the horizon, but in return we get this amazing light throughout the whole day that is being cast onto the snowy landscape and is absolutely breathtaking for photography.

Even though it's winter, you can still easily go out and enjoy the nature on foot (or skis). We love to go snowshoeing or cross-country skiing which is the perfect way to explore the countryside during winter.

This is also peak season for the northern lights, so after a full day of adventuring, it's great to relax at your countryside hotel and be on the lookout for some northern lights from the hot tub. Just keep in mind that northern lights are never guaranteed and we always advise people to view them as an extra bonus for your trip.

During winter, it becomes very difficult to access the Highlands. Everything up there is covered in snow and there's no winter service. The only way to access them is to do so on a heavily modified truck, which we call Super-Jeeps, so if you're interested in reaching the highlands in winter time, you'd have to book a special tour to be able to do so.

Pros

• Winter wonderland

• Northern lights

• Snowshoeing & cross-country skiing

• Beautiful, natural light during daytime

• Less crowds than in summer time

Cons

• Weather can sometimes get a bit rough

• Shorter days (Des-Jan)

Spring

Apr - May

Enjoying the sunset

Icelanders always get excited when spring arrives, the days are starting to get very long, the temperatures are rising and all the effects of winter are slowly fading away and the summer is just around the corner.

Just like the fall, this is also an off season in tourism here in Iceland, but what is so great about it is that you almost have like two seasons merged together into one. There's usually still a lot of snow in the mountains but a lot of it has melted from the lowlands, which means that you can easily enjoy both summer and winter activities at this time! You can go cross-country og backcountry skiing in the mountains or go on a nice hike at lower elevation, a perfect time if people want to experience some snow without all the cold and harsher weather in winter.

This is also the time when you can take on the climb to the highest peak of Iceland, Hvannadalshnúkur. The peak is on top of the largest glacier of the country (and all of Europe), Vatnajökull. If you'd like the challenge of tackling the highest mountain in Iceland, then you need to visit Iceland in the spring!

All the birds are also coming back to the country after staying in some warmer climates during winter time, so nature is slowly waking up from hibernation.

Pros

• Mild weather with long days

• A mix of summer & winter activities

• Fewer crowds

• All the birds start coming back to the country

Cons

• Hiking trails can be muddy as the ground thaws

• Not northern lights season (you could catch some early April, if lucky!)

As you can see, every season has something different to offer, so it all just comes down to what you are looking for when coming to Iceland. It can also, of course, vary quite a bit what the seasons are like in different parts of the country. The northern part of Iceland, for example, tends to get quite a bit more snow in winter than the southern part.

I hope you're now a little bit more aware of the things you can do in each season here in Iceland and that this little guide can help you on your decision on when to visit Iceland.

So if you're thinking of planning your trip up here to the arctic, then reach out to us here at Kría Adventures and we'll help you plan your dream adventure, or you can join in on one of our scheduled trips!