Tips for visiting Iceland in Winter (all you need to know)

I have gathered below all my tips for visiting Iceland in Winter.
A detailed guide to finding the best options for you:

• Self-drive or Iceland Winter Tours,
• best time,
• driving tips,
• packing,
• ....

I wish you a wonderful Iceland Winter trip!

This article contains affiliate links (Disclosure page). If you purchase using my link, I get a commission at no extra cost to you.

Why visit Iceland in Winter?

Maybe you are already convinced, in that case you can skip to the planning section.
But just in case, you need a bit more convincing to decide to travel to Iceland in Winter, here you go:

• You won't see many whales and puffins in Iceland, but you can still see everything else.
• Most of the best sightseeing places are still accessible
• Days will be short yes. But because of the location it also means long sunrises and sunsets. The golden light makes the scenery even more magical and it is great for photography!
• The landscapes are unique with the cold and the snow: Waterfalls can be partially frozen, the glaciers look even more blue, the black sand agains the snow...
• It is not as touristy as Summer so you can enjoy the beautiful landscapes in peace. The south highlights are still popular (and more and more in the past years) but the North remains very quiet.
• Since it is not as touristy you can find some good deals
• And of course, the Northern Lights - watching those dancing aurora Borealis dance in the sky is such an unforgettable experience. Nature at its best
• Ice caves are accessible and simply magical! The formations created by the ice... it will be unforgettable to stand in one of those 
• Note that the F-roads (4WD) are not accessible in Winter.

What to expect during Winter in Iceland - conditions

OK. So it is all great but you might say: but what about the weather and conditions, will traveling around Iceland in Winter be difficult?
So let's have a look at it, shall we?

Iceland in Winter - Temperatures and weather

Because of the word 'ice' in the name and the closeness with the Artic circle, people imagine Iceland being extremely cold in Winter. 

Yes, 10% of Iceland is covered with Glaciers. However, surprisingly it is not that bad.

For example average temperature in December is -1°C (30.2°F) and you can expect between -10°C (14°F) and 5°C (41°F) in February. Not as bad as Canada!

However I cannot share much more about it. The weather is Iceland is very unpredictable. One year can have heavy snow, another year not. One day can be blue sky, the next day foggy snow...
But be sure you will have a lot of wind.

Driving in Iceland in Winter

Because the weather in Iceland is unpredictable, the driving is too.
In theory, you can visit many places with a simple car as long as it has good Winter tires.

The main roads are cleared quite quickly by the locals. 

But you won't be able to explore side roads and all.

See more info and tips in the Self drive option section or read my article about driving in Iceland in Winter.

Extra Tips to pick your travel date

Beginning of March is often a popular month because the days are longer and you can see a bit more, the nights are still long enough to see Northern lights, and the ice caves are accessible

Early winter can be wet but you can have beautiful clear road with the top of the mountains covered in snow. I love those types of moments!

If one one your main goal is to admire the aurora Borealis and you have the possibility to pick your dates, Look at the moon calendar, and avoid the days where the moon is big and bright because it will reduce how well you can see the northern lights.

Tips for Visiting Iceland in Winter - Your Options

So you have decided to visit Iceland this Winter? Great.
Now it is time to plan your trip. There are 3 main options for you to travel depending on how long you have and how comfortable you feel with driving. Let's have a look:

OPTION 1 - SELF DRIVE

As you know, I love Road Trips. I think it is the best way to explore a country.
A 2WD is sufficient. Just make sure the Winter tires are in good condition when you pick up the car. See more tips in the next section

If you don't want to spend time planning your own itinerary, you can just pick of of the Self-drive Iceland Winter Tour Packages proposed by GuidetoIceland (or check out my article on choosing your Self drive tour packing).

OPTION 2 - REYKJAVIK STAY & DAY TRIPS

If you only have a short stay in Iceland, it might not be worth it to go rent a car. There are plenty of amazing day trips from Reykjavik that operates in Winter. This way your just sit back and relax watching the amazing scenery.
I like booking via GetYourGuide with the reviews of people who actually went on the tour.

And for accommodation ideas in Reykjavik, you can head to my Iceland Accommodation Article, or directly check the best rated hotels and apartments in Reykjavik.

OPTION 3 - ICELAND WINTER TOURS

Your other option, very popular in Winter, is to book a full Iceland Winter Tour that will take you on a Road Trip with other travelers touring one or 2 regions of Iceland or doing a big tour along the Ring Road.

Getyourguide has some short multiday trips, but for longer trips around Iceland you can check out the ones on Guide to Iceland (or have a look at my recommendations in a section further in this article)

Options 1 - Tips for Self drive trip - Iceland in Winter itinerary

Wondering if you can do it on your own?
Experience can be different depending on the weather and if you hit a snow storm. Below is my video about driving in Iceland in Winter.
That should help you decide if you feel like driving. Otherwise keep going to see the Iceland Winter Tour Options.

Self-drive Iceland Winter travel Tips

Self-drive Iceland Winter Itinerary

To plan your itinerary, you can:

• Check out my article about planning a Winter road trip,
• read my article with suggested itineraries,
• use my eBook that help you easily plan your own:

Tips for Short Iceland Winter Trip - Reykjavik based

Reykjavik in Winter

Reykjavik is a great town to establish your base in Winter
It has all you need within walking distance and a great atmosphere

Winter Day Trips from Reykjavik

With a base in Reykjavik, you can pick day trips to different parts of Iceland everyday, and it between stay quiet or head to the blue lagoon for a spa day.

Here are some suggested days trips:

• Day Trip to the Snaefellsnes Peninsula with its magnificent Kirkjufell mountain and Lava formations - Check out program and price
• Go Classic and Tour the Golden circle with the powerful Gullfoss waterfall, the geysir of Strokkur and the large fissure in Thingvellir - Check out program and price
• and you can head to the South Coast and discover the magnificent Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon with its floating icebergs - check out program and prices
• Something extra for the more adventurous, you can swim in the Silfra fissure even in Winter! - Check out program and price

Northern Lights Tours from Reykjavik

You can even go see the Northern lights without driving yourself. Tours are organized picking you up in Reykjavik and taking you to dark areas, chasing the auroras.

• Companies offer group tours in the evening by bus and will take you on a second tour if you can't find them the first night - check out program and prices

Note: whatever tour you look at, you will find bad reviews from people disappointed not to have seen the lights. Remember that nature does not show them on command...

Tips Short Multiday Winter Tour Iceland

If you have several days in Iceland and want to cover more, it is best to take a multiday trip to be able to cover more of its amazing scenery.

Especially if you want to see the the whole South Coast of Iceland ! Consider this 5 day Trip that covers Seljalandsfoss, Skogafoss, black sand beach, Jokulsarlon and an Ice Cave as well as the Golden Circle and the Snaefellsnes peninsula

Tips for Complete Iceland Winter Tour Packages

Planning longer holidays to really explore Iceland in Winter but don't want to drive?

No Problem. Small group tours are a great way to explore the country and admire its various landscapes.

In terms of itineraries, I recommend the following tours:

Ultimate 10 days Iceland Winter Adventure

This even include a Super Jeep tour in the Central Highlands - quite the experience! You will see what very few people experience.
Of course it is pricey because of the logistics and access difficulty but what a memorable trip!

CHECK OUT THE AMAZING PROGRAM AND PRICE

Winter Ring Road Tour

With 6 or 8 days you can cover a lot more of Iceland. These tours will take you also to the North of the country, where in theory you will have more chances to admire the Northern Lights. 

And Lake Myvatn and its pseudocraters and volcanic craters are not to be missed! 

CHECK OUT 6 DAY OPTION

CHECK OUT 8 DAY OPTION

What to pack to Visit Iceland in Winter

Alright, now that you have booked you trip to Iceland this Winter (hopefully 🙂 ), it is time to plan what you are going to bring with you.

This is a summary or you can Check out my complete article with detailed suggestions and tips on what to wear and pack for Iceland

Let's start with clothes

• Layers Layers Layers - weather change so much over a day, you have to be able to adapt so layers for warmth, layers for rain and layers for wind
• Warm wool underwear (e.g. leggins) - something that breath well
• A really windbreaker coat is essential with a hood that stays well on your head
• Waterproof overpants will be you best friend. We often take waterproof jackets but forget the pants. So on top of the rain crashing directly your pants, you have the water falling from your jacket also making them wet...
• Gloves!
• Good waterproof shoes

Equipment

• if you have a good camera, a protection against the rain
• to feel safer and explore the sights, having spikes to attach under you shoes in case there is a lot of snow or ice can be a good idea - check out these ice grips
• Hand heaters might become your best friends, for your hands or for your phones...

Want to see more of ICELAND in WINTER?