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You´ve probably heard everything about the
beautiful nature, the volcanoes nobody can pronounce (Eyjafjallajökull-simple), the
first lesbian prime minister, and
the mix up in names between Iceland and Greenland. You might even know a few
more cool facts about this interesting country in the north. The fact is, Iceland
has never been more popular with tourists than now. But when´s the best time of
year to go over there? Is it in the summertime when it´s bright for 24 hours a
day and people play midnight golf? Or is it in the winter when the northern
lights brighten up the sky?
I am not going to tell you that it
is better to visit Iceland in July rather than in September. I am not even going
to tell you that it´s better to visit the country on a weekend rather than
during the week. What I will do is give you a good idea of the difference
between seasons in Iceland, what you can do and what you can see at different
times. That way you can make up your own mind on when is the ideal time for you
to visit Iceland based on the information from this article.
Summer
Climate: Average temperatures vary
from 7-14 °C (45 – 57 Fahrenheit) with highs of 20-25 °C (68 – 77 Fahrenheit).
The summers are by far the biggest
tourist months in Iceland. And for a good reason, the summers are beautiful and
unique. From mid-May to mid-August it is bright in Iceland for 24 hours. The
sun might set for a few hours a day in that time but it is still bright the
whole day and whole night (Just close your curtains and you will sleep just fine).
The summers offer the biggest
variety of tours and activities. Glacier tours, volcano tours, Geyser, The Blue Lagoon and many more. Accommodation is more expensive in the summer and I recommend
booking your hotels well in advance because of how many people visit Iceland in
that time. If you want to take a cheaper and more adventurous choice you can
camp all around Iceland in the summertime. The summers are also the fishing
season in Iceland and people can book trips for fishing in many of its famous rivers.
Fall/Winter
Climate: Average temperatures vary
from 2-10 °C (36 – 50 Fahrenheit).
As it gets closer to the new year
in Iceland it usually gets colder with each month that passes. Colder and
darker to be exact, in December it´s effectively dark for 18 hours a day. For
locals and tourists that isn´t so bad because that means there is a way bigger
chance of seeing the Northern lights. In the winter it is popular to go skiing
in the town of Akureyri, which is really beautiful at that time of year. Most
of the tours that are offered in the summer are also offered in the winter but
are not as frequent. Hotels and are cheaper in Iceland during the winter and
tourist attractions aren´t as crowded as they can be in the summer months.
Sometimes in the summer there are long lines just to get into the locker rooms
of The Blue Lagoon but if you come during the winter you might almost get the
lagoon to yourself. New Years and Christmas are becoming a popular time to
visit Iceland. The Christmas season brings beautiful decorations all around the
country, crazy fireworks on new years and bonfires all around. The 23rd
of December is Thorláksmessa, a celebration in honor of bishop Þorlákur
Þórhallsson. On that day it is customary to eat buried and fermented skate,
decorate the Christmas tree, buy the last few Christmas presents and walk down
the famous shopping street, Laugavegur.
Spring
Climate: Average temperatures vary
from 4-10 °C ( 39 - 50 Fahrenheit).
Along with the spring come longer
days and the spirit of Iceland gets a huge boost after a cold, dark winter.
Most tours and activities are offered to tourists but without the lines and
crowds of the summer. It is a beautiful time to visit attraction like the
Golden Circle, the Glacier lagoon and hike the Esjan. Lucky tourists might also
see the northern lights before the summer comes and it is bright again for 24
hours. Accommodation is not as expensive as it is in the summer and you might
also get cheaper flights than you would during high season. Popular spring events include Easter where Icelandic kids stuff themselves with chocolate eggs and Reykjavik Blues Festival where well known international blues artists come to Reykjavik to play in this growing festival.
There is no bad time to visit Iceland
To sum it all up, there is never a
bad time to visit this small country in the middle of the Atlantic. It is all
about finding the right time for you to experience the things that you want to
experience. If you want to go to a great music festival, be here in the summer
for Iceland Airwaves. Come to Iceland in February for the Þorrablót tradition,
where all the local restaurants serve traditional Icelandic Food. Or if you
want to be in Iceland for the famous beer day, be there on March 1st. There´s
always something to do, you just have to pick your ideal departure date.
What do you think is the best time
to visit Iceland? What event or time of year attracts you to the country?
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