What to see in Iceland and when?

When can I see it?

We know that Iceland has a number of appealing natural phenomena that draw people to this little rock in the North Atlantic. This article will serve as a guide to best plan your holiday so you don’t miss the thing you want to see most!

Northern Lights

Whilst Iceland is Synonymous with Northern Lights, what some people may not realise is that you can’t see them all year around. Whilst the solar activity that results in the lights is always active, you need darkness in order to see them. This means the best time to see the lights in general is from late September to mid april. That is not to say that you can see them in August, or late April but consider them ´shoulder seasons´ and head for the main winter months. You can read more about how to spot the Northern Lights in our guide here (insert link to our northern lights blog) 

Midnight Sun

Just as you can only see the Northern Lights in winter you can only experience the midnight sun in the summer months. At its peak in mid june iceland experiences almost 24 hours of complete daylight with the sun barely dipping below the horizon before rising again. The abundance of daylight in summer means a great number of activities can be done late into the night. It’s not unusual for people to head off on late evening hikes or to see people playing golf at midnight! The peak of the light is in mid-june but the summer days are long from May into August. 

Ice Caves

One of the most popular winter activities is visiting an Ice Cave, and of course we are proud to be offering these tours during the winter, the season that runs from October to March. We can start to scout for the caves in later September and tend to start the tours in mid October, however this can be a little earlier or later depending on the weather and glacier conditions. We are safely able to run the tours right through to March, much like with the start of the season, the end date is also subject to weather conditions.

If you are only travelling to Iceland in the summer there are some alternative options to visit some different kinds of ice caves. These include: the made cave in Langjökull, the ice cave in Katla or the cave inside the Perlan wonders of nature exhibit in Reykjavík. 

Whales

Whale watching is a very popular activity in Iceland, and the presence of them in Faxaflói bay in Reykjavik means you don’t even have to leave the capital to take a boat trip to see them. Whilst whales can be seen all year around, it is important to note that the migratory patterns of the whales bring the majority of them to the islands waters in the summer months. The main season is April to October and the peak is around June and  so the spring and summer are  the best times to come to see Whales.