The Best Time to Visit Iceland — a Luxury Guide, Month by Month
Iceland is two countries in one year: the bright, open summer of the midnight sun and the long dark of the northern lights. The month you choose decides which one you meet.
- June to August is the bright season: near-endless daylight, open mountain roads, puffins and whales.
- The northern lights belong to the dark half of the year, roughly September to mid-April, and need a clear sky, so we plan several nights.
- The shoulders, May and September, are the quietest; November and January to March, outside the holidays, are typically the lowest-priced.
- A first journey works best at 7 to 10 days across two or three regions, with a private guide and driver.
The short answer
The best time to visit Iceland depends on which Iceland you want. June to August is the bright season: near-endless daylight, mountain roads open, puffins and whales, and every lodge in full operation. September to March is the season of the northern lights, hot springs in the snow and ice caves. May and September are the quiet shoulders. Our rule of thumb: summer for the landscape and the Highlands, the dark months for the lights.
Iceland month by month
| Months | What it is like | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| January to March | Short days, though the light returns fast from February; snow, ice and the heart of the northern lights season | Northern lights, ice caves, hot springs in the snow |
| April to May | Daylight lengthens quickly, roads thaw and waterfalls run full; puffins arrive from around mid-May | Quiet travel, early whales and puffins |
| June to July | Near-endless daylight around the solstice, the warmest weather, mountain roads opening from late June or July | The midnight sun, the Highlands, puffins, whales |
| August to September | Dark skies return from late August, with the first northern lights and autumn colour in the uplands | Aurora and long evenings, hiking, fewer visitors |
| October to December | Short days and storms, the lights in full season, as little as about four hours of daylight around the winter solstice | Northern lights, festive stays in Reykjavik |
Northern lights or midnight sun
The aurora needs darkness, so it belongs to the dark half of the year, roughly September to mid-April, and it needs a clear sky. No operator can promise it, so we plan several nights rather than one and keep the days flexible to follow the forecast. In June and July the nights never really get dark, which is the opposite gift: long evenings for a private guide to take you to a waterfall or a glacier lagoon with nobody else there.
How many days are enough
A first journey works best at 7 to 10 days: Reykjavik and the Golden Circle, the south coast and its glaciers, then either the Snæfellsnes peninsula or the north. With fewer than five days you stay in the south-west corner; we would rather do two or three regions properly than five in a hurry. The country guide, Iceland, shows how the regions fit together.
The cheapest time to go
Prices are typically lowest in November and from January to March, outside Christmas and New Year, and highest in July and August and at the end of December. The best lodges are small, so they are booked early in every season.
How to see it in luxury
Luxury Iceland is private and unhurried: a guide and driver who read the weather each morning, helicopter flights over volcanic landscapes and glaciers, geothermal spas, small design lodges, and in winter a private aurora evening with a guide who follows the forecast. For the lights compared with another country, see Iceland vs Norway for the northern lights; for two, the Iceland honeymoon.
Why it rewards an advisor
The finest lodges are few and small, the weather decides the route, and the best guides and helicopter slots go first. The difference between a good Iceland trip and a seamless, private one is in the planning and the access.
What a luxury Iceland journey starts from
As a luxury advisory we quote a from-price, not a final one. Indicatively, a private journey starts from around US$2,050 per person per night, rising with exclusive lodges, helicopter flights and private guiding. The real figure depends on the season, the lodges and the access — we share the starting point candidly and design the rest around you.
For the luxury window of every destination on one page, see the best time to visit, by destination.
Questions, answered.
It depends on what you want to see. June to August is best for the midnight sun, open mountain roads, puffins and whales; September to March is best for the northern lights, ice caves and hot springs in the snow. May and September are the quiet shoulders between the two.
Prices are typically lowest in November and from January to March, outside Christmas and New Year. July, August and the end of December are the dearest weeks. The best lodges are small and book early whatever the month.
Seven to ten days suit a first private journey: Reykjavik and the Golden Circle, the south coast and its glaciers, then Snæfellsnes or the north. With fewer than five days you stay in the south-west corner.
Roughly from September to mid-April, when the nights are dark, and only under a clear sky. No one can promise them, so we plan several nights and keep the days flexible to follow the forecast.
Yes, if you want long days: in June and July the nights never really get dark, which suits private guiding, glacier lagoons and waterfalls late in the evening. It is the wrong season for the northern lights.
No. The interior mountain roads are generally open only in summer, from late June or July. In winter we plan the south coast, the Golden Circle and the north with a private driver who knows the road conditions.
A private journey starts from around US$2,050 per person per night, rising with exclusive lodges, helicopter flights and private guiding. Your Forest Travel advisor gives the exact figure for your dates.
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