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Original poster

Is Iceland worth visiting in February?

34 replies

Harping · 01/01/2025 17:07

Has anyone been at this time of year? I did some searches on old threads which seemed to say the roads are difficult to navigate at that time of year if hiring a car. But I was thinking we would just do bus trips.
but someone else said that on the bus trips in December it was so cold they were allowed outside for long and had to get back in the bus after 15 minutes. Not sure if that would be the case in February

any experiences appreciated

OP posts:
Londonnight · 01/01/2025 17:10

It will be extremely cold in February. You would be better waiting until April/ May time

lissie123 · 01/01/2025 17:11

Yes I’ve been in February. Prepare to be
frozen to the core. Bus trips are the only sensible way to visit sites of interest. The Icelanders don’t encourage tourists driving because they have to go and dig them out of the snow/ deal with an accident. Take really good snow grip footwear.

oustedbymymate · 01/01/2025 17:13

We did NY 31st dec - 4th Jan a few years ago. It was amazing. One of the best NY I have ever had. It was honestly incredible. Everything is geared up for it being cold. It's a dry cold if you know what I mean. Very very little slush or ice on roads. We didn't use tour operator just booked direct for blue lagoon northern lights golden circle etc. the city is small so easy to walk around.

Just have to go prepared. Good waterproof boots. Layers. Lots of layers. Marino wool for example. Warm waterproof coats. There's massive hooks everywhere for you to hang your coats and gear inside. It was -15 when we were there and I didn't feel freezing. Just prepare and enjoy it. I would go back in a heartbeat!!

oustedbymymate · 01/01/2025 17:14

By tour operator I meant tui.

Golden circle was a tour.

Blue lagoon got the bus

Northern lights was a tour.

35Emma · 01/01/2025 17:17

I went in December a few years back and it’s really cold but it doesn’t stop you doing anything. The day trips all still went ahead and the blue lagoon was amazing in the snow!

I wore salopettes and a really warm coat over a normal outfit so when we went in restaurants I could just take layers off. As pp have said you need decent footwear although pavements etc are all treated so not too slippery.

WhatMe123 · 01/01/2025 17:20

It's very cold. It's a cold you'll have never experienced in the uk, it gets to your core but it's a lovely place to go. We just kept popping inside for a coffee etc to warm up you should defo go at some point yes

Original poster
Harping · 01/01/2025 17:22

Thank you. We would be taking two teens so I wonder if it would be really expensive just kitting them out in warm enough gear. We don’t ski or anything so don’t have too much gear for those sort of conditions

OP posts:
MerryChristmasYaFilthyAnimals · 01/01/2025 17:27

I went in Jan a couple of years back with my then 9 YO DD. It was amazing. We stayed in the city.
Got a couple of tours booked (northern lights and then golden circle with blue lagoon). We caught the local bus up to Perlan (which was bloody brilliant). It's one of the best holidays I had.

Clothing. We went cheap and cheerful from decathlon for thermal layers. Literally about £4 per item. She had thermal base layer trousers. Leggings from primark and walking trousers if needed (although we got away with base layers and leggings). Normal walking boots and then a thick coat over base layer, t shirt, decathlon fleece and then coat.

TheDevilsTelephone · 01/01/2025 17:33

We've just booked to go in February half term, was about to start a thread asking people for recommendations for warm winter trousers, but might be good to ask here?

We were planning on many many warm layers with a lightweight waterproof on top, but reading replies here wondering if we need thicker coats? Like you @Harping we don't ski or anything so don't already own such things and I know we wouldn't wear them back in the UK, so seems a waste to buy 5 coats for 4 days use.

PamandBluebell · 01/01/2025 17:39

We went in February and got snowed into our hotel. We saw nothing except the hotel and a lava cave. The winds and snow made roads dangerous and impassable. We stayed in a place called Husavik, but everyone who went out that weekend had the same problem.
We had some compensation for tours booked, so we went again later that year in October and drove round the bottom. That holiday was absolutely phenomenal.

PamandBluebell · 01/01/2025 17:41

Loads of thin thermal layers. We had fleece lined trousers (mine were craghoppers) and had a Didrikson coat.

ChorizoDog · 01/01/2025 17:43

We went at the beginning of December. It was amazing. We never drove. We used the local buses a couple of times, did the grand circle tour by coach and a northern lights boat trip. We had booked blue lagoon but it was closed due to the volcano eruption, so had to change to sky lagoon.

You need layers. We were really lucky with weather (it was freezing, but dry) but a waterproof top layer is advisable.

Everywhere inside is so warm, so you really do strip off every time you go in somewhere. They have geothermal heating and they are not afraid to use it!

Mumof3alwaysneedsawee · 01/01/2025 17:47

We have just returned from Iceland (16-23rd December) with 3 kids 12 and under. We had an absolutely incredible time- 5 days in Reykjavik and then 2 days at diamond beach area. We hired a car for the drive to diamond beach and back. I don't enjoy the cold and didn't expect to enjoy the holiday but the children wanted snow and this was the place we found we could be really busy and get snow at the same time! Honestly, it was amazing. Absolutely stunningly beautiful. We did the golden circle tour, silver circle tour, northern lights cruise, whale watching cruise, dog sledging, blue lagoon and then 2 days at a spa hotel at diamond beach. Would thoroughly recommend!! Vinted all the way for snow gear... I got pretty much everything from there. The only thing I wish I had got that I had not were heated gloves (and socks if they exist?!)

Mysteryfemale · 01/01/2025 17:47

We (family, two teens) went last Feb half term. We stayed in Reykjavik and did bus tours - Golden Circle, south coast, a hot springs (also Aurora watching - several hours in a car park in the cold - wouldn't do that one again!) through Reykjavik Tours I think they are called - a really handy system with a bus network that collects you from your hotel or near enough and takes you to the central bus station. We also had about a day and a half exploring Reykjavik itself. Clothes wise we had our usual warm winter coats and then thermal layers as well as obviously hats and good gloves etc.

Mysteryfemale · 01/01/2025 17:48

Agree with others that inside (and on coach tours when you are on the bus!) it's toasty warm.

Original poster
Harping · 01/01/2025 17:52

Thanks for all the replies. Sounds like an amazing place. Quite worrying about getting snowed in to hotel! I suppose that is a risk that could happen

OP posts:
Newgirls · 01/01/2025 17:57

If you haven’t booked yet go at Easter? Tbh we went in august and it was cold, windy and rainy! But we could drive about and see everything.

NorthFaceofthelaundrypile · 01/01/2025 18:11

We went Feb half term, cold but not unmanageably so with the right layers. Had a brilliant time.

JC03745 · 01/01/2025 18:12

We went in Dec, pre-covid, staying in Reykjavik. The bus tour companies were very easy to book and the only way we travelled. Greyline was 1 I recall, but there was another- equally good. We did the Golden Circle tour, northern lights and also went to the Blue lagoon en-route to the airport. There was heavy snow when we were there, Gulfoss waterfall was partially frozen, but I don't recall be rushed to get back on the bus at any time! For the northern lights night, many of us got back on the bus, because after 30mins of standing outside, it was getting cold. The driver certainly didn't tell us to do so though.

We ski, so had all the gear, but this is what we wore:
-Long sleeved top and t-shirt, light jumper and a ski jacket
-Earmuffs and gloves for me. DH wore neither.
-In the days, we walked everywhere in Reykjavik and I wore ski salopettes, but DH just wore jeans. For the northern lights trip, I also wore a pair of leggings under the salopettes
-We both had warm, hiking/walking type boots.

Salopettes and a ski jacket may not be needed in Feb though! You could get them from ebay/vinted or look in the sales if you wanted something warmer than you currently have.

Original poster
Harping · 01/01/2025 18:32

We didn’t want to do Easter as staying home for teens exam revision. And in summer will probably go somewhere hot with a pool and beach.

OP posts:
Miley1967 · 01/01/2025 18:34

We went in feb 2017 and they had just had record snowfall ( I think around 67cm) but all roads were passable. We didn't hire a car but did coach trips and nothing was cancelled.

Sunnnybunny72 · 01/01/2025 18:39

We went early January a few years ago. It hovered just below freezing but was perfectly bearable if layered up (nothing specialist) although the phone battery drained dead in minutes at Gulfoss. Take a portable charger. We had three days of blue skies. Limited daylight hours though - the Golden Circle tour started in the dark and ended in the dark. Wouldn't have fancied driving. Loved it.

Runninghappy · 01/01/2025 18:50

I was probably the person who said we were allowed off the bus for 15 mins. It wasn’t normal weather but totally ruined it. That coupled with only a few hours of daylight meant it was the worst trip we’ve ever done. My daughter went with school at Easter this year and had a totally different experience. I would like to go back - but not in the winter!

Mysteryfemale · 01/01/2025 18:54

Re light - by Feb it's about 9-4.30 to 5pm as I recall. It was fine for us - it meant we were usually waiting for the bus in the dark and the sun came up as we were driving, and we got back to Reykjavik in the dark at the end of the day. Very different to December though!

ThisLoftySquid · 01/01/2025 18:58

My daughter went to Iceland on a school trip last February. It was cold, but not uncomfortably so. She wore thermal base layers and leggings under her clothes, and borrowed a ski jacket from a friend. She also used ice cleats on her walking boots. The limited daylight did mean that they left the hotel in the dark and came back in the dark every day.