Which winter months would be best to travel to Iceland

[Puddypuds]

Just as above really. Can anyone advise? I was thinking around the start of December but am now wondering about November for a little more daylight. We have never been before and this is a once in a lifetime trip following an inheritance so is very unlikely to ever be repeated. My children will be 13 and 17 and are both used to being outside in all weathers. Currently scouring vinted for second hand ski wear to keep costs down!

We went the first week of march and had beautiful sunshine the whole time we were there

We were there over new year and it was really too cold to enjoy it and you couldn’t see the landscape as such as it was so covered in snow. We had temperatures of -22 and when we were on our coach trips, we spent hours on the coach to be told we shouldn’t be outside for too long due to the cold! Also only had 4/5 hours of daylight. I had a good time, but I’d never go back in December.

it was unusually cold though.

We went February half term and had loads of snow too. It was great but more effort to walk around and I would like to go back and see it all in the summer.

Why do you want to go in winter? That’ll probably help you decide - is it to see northern lights, do winter sports, or something else?

I go for work regularly. Very difficult to predict how good or bad it will be. I have been in April twice and it ranged from -15 degrees to +10!

I think it looks most spectacular in the cold/snow/ice and makes the thermal baths even more special when its so cold outside but as someone else said there is a limit to what is tolerable!
I would pick March as will still have snow/frozen waterfalls but you might get a bit or warming sunshine!

We did October half term and it was perfect. Dark enough to see the lights, but light enough and warm enough to be relatively pleasant. No frozen waterfalls though...

Thank you everyone. The Northern lights would be a dream come true but I'm also realistic about actually seeing them. My daughter is currently in her last GCSE year so I was thinking the first half of this year is out and I want her to be settled in college etc. Having read the above messages I'm now thinking perhaps October????

December and January are best for the Northern Lights. At that time, if you are there for more than two days is almost impossible to not see them! Get out of the city. Take a tour north and the lights will chase you! I have been three times during these months, and the only night we didn't see the lights was one night we stayed in Reykjavik... There are some tours that guarantee sightings they are that confident.

We've been to Iceland three times in the October half term and once in April. I enjoyed the October trips wayyyyy more

There’s a very helpful Facebook page Iceland Fire and Ice, tons of advice on when to go, weather etc.

My dds went together on a school trip in feb half term a few years ago and had the absolute time of their lives.
They obviously didn’t have any say in the timings but it seemed to work out well for them.
They said the day the got off the plane it was minus 17 but days after that were much more manageable. They were called out of bed one night to go and watch the lights, only one of them heard and got up!! She said it only lasted a couple of minutes while they were stood outside but that it was incredible.
they loved the rugged landscape and the natural beauty, dh and I were incredibly jealous, it sounded beautiful. Although we aren’t especially ones for the great outdoors 😂

My absolute favourite country and I've been to many. Stunning place. It's the sort of country that needs to be visited multiple times in different seasons to appreciate all it has to offer. We went in September and had all weather's, more rainbows than you could shake a stick at, 0ish temps, didn't see northern lights lots of lovely ponies. We had a few trips cancelled due to wind (helicopter), snow (ice cave - poor visibility for markers) and melt (glacier rib boat), so you may need a degree of flexibility in your plans.

I want to go again at least 3 more times.

How long are you planning to go for? We did 10 days self drive. Not sure how driveable the ring road is in true winter which may limit what you can do. You MUST get thee to Jokulsarlon. The true beauty of the place lies well beyond Reykjavik.

We’re flying out there tomorrow morning (so excited) so I’ll let you know how we get on!
We’re staying in Reykjavik for 4 nights.
Like PP have said, much of what you’re able to see and do is very dependent on the weather.

Went in nov and weather cold but not too cold. Loved it!

We went in the first week of January and had beautiful blue skies. It had snowed before we got there and looked beautiful. Sun didn't rise until late morning though and was setting mid afternoon so any trios involved an early start. Seeing the sun rise at Gulfoss was amazing.
Didn't see the NL.

I'm really interested in this too. We are planning a trip to Iceland so this is good to know.

I've been in February and it was great. Very cold, but blue skies and sunny. We saw the Northern lights every night (even from the hotel roof in Reykjavik).

I was on an iceland Fb group and over winter there can be a lot of cancellations of flights / trips because of weather.

So if you are not going to go back you could risk losing out.

I went May half term and loved it. (But no northern lights then obviously)

Why do you want to go in the winter? Specifically what are you interested in? I would not recommend it at all. The weather is often stormy and horrible, it is so bloody dark, you are much more likely to experience cancellations and travel disruptions, a lot of the country is simply inaccessible and you will miss out on so much of what Iceland has to offer.

If this is a once in a lifetime trip, please come in the summer or at least the autumn if the northern lights are a high priority for you. September or October would be a good compromise.

At any rate I strongly advise you and anyone interested in a trip to Iceland to avoid the entire 3 months of November, December and January. Unless you really want to see NYE or something, but really why would you, there are fireworks and bonfires in other places. The snow, ice and northern lights are very lovely but snow also makes travel more tricky, slippery pavements aren't fun, and there are no guarantees about northern lights anyway. When it isn't snowy (usually doesn't snow until December or January) it is grey and dark and depressing.

February, March and April are OK with the daylight coming back but are usually snowy, sleety, windy, soggy, puddly sort of months and the interior of the country is still closed. It's all right but early winter before the snow is always nicer than late winter when the snow melts and everything is brown (Icelandic winter lasts at least until mid April, do not think that this period will be spring like in any way).

May, June, July and August - absolutely lovely. Of course there is still bad weather and it can be windy and rainy but this is Iceland at its best. As the summer arrives in earnest you can start accessing the jewels of the highlands. The light is exhilarating, the birdlife is amazing. As the darkness returns in August you can see the first northern lights of the season.

September and October are often very nice indeed. Autumn is short but beautiful. It can be very stormy. The highlands are usually still accessible in September.

December and January are best for the Northern Lights. At that time, if you are there for more than two days is almost impossible to not see them!

Sadly this is not true at all. It is very easy to hit a stormy, cloudy period when you will barely see the sun, let alone the northern lights. They might well be happening but you're not going to see them if the sky isn't clear.

The quality of the northern lights isn't dependent on the time of year. You can see them at any time if it is a) fully dark and b) clear skies. I've seen incredible displays in any month from August to April.