Iceland gets cold, dark, and frigid during winter time, but that shouldn’t stop you from visiting in winter. Locals cheer themselves up with over-the-top festivals, you don’t have to fight for space at the most popular spots, or tables at restaurants and hotel rates drop as far as the temperatures.
The northern lights
One of the most spectacular sights in the world are the Northern Lights and Iceland is one of the best places in the world to see the aurora borealis. The Northern Lights appear only at high latitudes on nights from September to March. Few phenomena capture the imagination like the aurora borealis, and lucky star-gazers can witness anything from an ethereal green glow on the horizon to pulsating scarlet streaks across the sky.
Reykjavik puts on the winter charm
If you visit Reykjavik during the colder and darker months, you’ll find that it’s quite pretty. What’s more, there are plenty of things to do – from ice skating and winter bathing to visiting museums, shops, restaurants, clubs and other attractions.
It’s cheaper to travel to Iceland during winter
Everything is more reasonable when visiting in winter (apart from skiing), and you know what that means? You can visit for longer, stay at more luxurious hotels and even rent a car to drive to the countryside.
Far fewer crowds
Not everyone wants to travel to Iceland in winter which means that you’ll be able to experience all the fantastic attractions without having tons of other travellers in your way.
Snowy sights
You’ve not truly seen a town covered in snow until you explore Iceland in winter. The cities of Iceland are entirely different places when covered in snow and, while the sites look great in the summer with greenery and clear blue skies, they look pretty unique blanketed in white too. Head up north to Akureyri and witness snowy grounds and snowcapped mountains. It‘s adventurous and magical in every way.
Winter Festivals
To keep the spirits of Icelanders up during the cold winter months, the winter season months have festivals and events going on throughout winter. In Reykjavik, music festivals, foodie events, art exhibitions, sports festivals, Fashion shows and other exciting events take place from October to March. You won’t be short of things to do when travelling Reykjavik in winter.
Magical landscape
Iceland is the country with one of the world’s most extraordinary landscapes and the winter conditions can be stunningly beautiful. From the ice fields as far as the eye can see, through glaciers appearing more blue with the fresh snow on top, to partially frozen waterfalls, blue ice caves and ice bergs.