Are you traveling to Iceland in April or May and you are now thinking about what to do and where to go? Hopefully this post will be a good guideline for you and your travel buddies who probably expect to experience some outstanding views in not yet so crowded places.

Historically, April and May have been the months where we can catch a little bit of a break between the most busy travel months here in Iceland. People love to fly to Iceland during the wintertime when it is possible to spend long evenings haunting Northern Lights and exploring the ice caves during the days where daylight is so limited. On the other hand we have summer, where travelers can enjoy the midnight sun and drive around Iceland without getting much darkness. These two most busy time periods in Icelandic tourism can sometimes lead to an overwhelming crowd in places where we would dream about being all alone… 

Sometimes the solution could be to book the flight outside these busy time frames and aim for an early spring to visit Iceland instead.

Best things to do in Iceland in April and May – what, where and why?

April days are already becoming so much longer which makes driving more enjoyable without a doubt. Still, you will be often lucky enough to get to see the Northern Lights dancing in the sky in the late evenings. On top of that, you will also likely be able to visit an ice cave, as many tour operators are able to extend their winter season by at least 3-4 weeks if weather conditions allow. Thinking of the weather – the temperatures will go up and some days you may already get a few lovely sunny days with a few degrees above 0. If not windy, you may already feel like summer is already here! It is simply the best things to do in Iceland!

If you love hiking and you came to Iceland to experience some amazing hikes – you will still be able to do quite a few good ones during April and May, but it is unlikely you will be able to access the most popular areas in the Highlands. 

During this time you will have some easy day hikes available already close to Reykjavík as well as in other places in Iceland. Most important is to always follow the weather forecast and road.is during your travels in Iceland as the conditions can change from very good ones to quite harsh relatively quickly.

Feel free to explore our guides including day hikes from Reykjavík and the activities to do in southeast Iceland. These should be definitely available to do when you travel to Iceland in the springtime.

Glacier hikes as top 3 things to do in Iceland!

If you have never before visited a glacier and you are so thrilled on seeing all these mesmerizing shapes and colors of ice – make sure to travel all the way to southeast Iceland to experience some of the best glacier outlets in the area. At this time of a year, it is unlikely to experience big crowds and taking a tour for a glacier hike would probably be one of the highlights of your time in Iceland. As one of the oldest companies in the area, we at Local Guide offer three different types of glacier tours in the Vatnajökull area. Definitely one of the must things to do in Iceland on your holidays!

For people who may not like to spend much time on the tour or for those who simply want to just to try to step on the glacier for a limited time, our Glacier Encounter may be the best option. It is a 2.5h total duration tour where we spend 1-1,5h hiking on the ice. It is a perfect opportunity also for families with kids to enjoy some quality time in completely different surroundings. It is definitely one of a kind experience to be exploring the glacier in Iceland.

2 other options are a little more adventurous. One will include a longer glacier hike (up to 3h on the ice) and another tour would offer you to try glacier climbing. Our Glacier Discovery tour is a 4 hour long activity and it will allow you to experience one of the most stunning views of Falljökull glacier, while the Glacier Ice Climbing tour will provide you with an experience you will never forget. Not everyday you are having an opportunity to climb ice walls, right?

If you are already in the area, make sure to not miss the stop in Glacier Lagoon Jökulsálón with stunning icebergs floating in the glacier lake as well as the Vatnajökull National Park with some amazing hiking trails varying in difficulty.

Must things to do in Iceland in the southcoast.

After all these glacier related activities, probably the other must see spots in Iceland would include a few of the iconic waterfalls, cliffs and visits to the National Parks. Make sure you plan your itinerary by stopping by all the famous spots on the South Coast, including the waterfalls Seljalandsfoss, Skógafoss and black sand beach Reynisfjara in Vík. It’s definitely great to plan also one day exploring the Golden Circle area with a visit to Þingvellir National Park as well as a day trip to Snæfellsness peninsula filled with  stunning views.

And after all these adventures, make sure to add to your daily itineraries visits to thermal pools and hot springs areas.There is nothing better than pursuing self care and relaxation after long days on the road!

When exploring any area in Iceland make sure to check also if there are any interesting hot springs and thermal pools around you. In recent years, Iceland has launched a few amazing thermal pools around the country with some unique architectural solutions and beautiful designs. Still, if you want to experience a pure nature, you may be lucky to get to soak in some more remote locations with no one around you. 

Check out this map to see the hot springs in the entire country.