FAQ’s:
When is the best time to travel to Iceland?
Winter:
October-April
Want to escape the big crowd and travel at a slow pace? The Winter season is a fit for you! Discover beautiful waterfalls, landmarks and national parks without many people blocking your view.
Iceland offers plenty of winter activities such as visiting ice caves, snowmobiling, enjoying a spa retreat, and many more. The short days offer an amazing opportunity to go and hunt the northern lights. We offer all these activities in our (tailor-made) tours.
We recommend celebrating the Christmas holidays together with us in Reykjavik. The festive atmosphere of the Christmas markets, concerts and parties will cheer you up. Furthermore, you will create long-lasting memories on New Year’s Eve due to the amazing fireworks that the city organises.
Keep in mind that some roads can be closed due to weather conditions. This also means that it is difficult/impossible to reach the Highlands.
Summer:
June-August
Do outdoor adventures and 24-hour daylight sounds more like your cup of tea? Then is summer the perfect season for you! The pleasant temperatures and long sunny days attract many people to Iceland, especially to the southern part of our country.
Highland mountain roads are open and are the perfect place for hiking. Are you in for a challenging, but rewarding hike or do you just want to experience Iceland in a different way? Have a look at our various astonishing guided hikes.
Summer offers loads of different activities. Including spotting different animals such as whales and the icon of Iceland puffins, but also experiencing mid-summer night and all the summer festivals that come with it.
Keep in mind that landmarks and hiking trails can be crowded. In addition, roads can be busy too.
May and September
May: Spring is in the air! The snow disappears, birds arrive at their favourite breeding spot and flowers raise up from the ground due to the power of light, thus by the days that are getting longer and longer. If you want to travel without a big crowd at affordable prices or do first-rate birdwatching, this is your time!
Occasional snow in the highlands makes access to the mountain roads weather dependent.
September: the weather can still be agreeable and there are fewer tourists. The perfect time to explore the best of Iceland at your own pace together with a touch of late summer. The Highland roads close at the end of this month, so benefit while you can!
Wanted to see the puffins? They had already flown away to warmer places.
What kind of clothes shall I bring and what to wear?
We would definitely recommend you bring some warm and waterproof clothes. More information can be found in our blog post ‘What to pack for your Iceland adventure’.
When is the best moment to see the northern lights?
Iceland is one of the best places to spot the Aurora Borealis. Thanks to a 6 to 8-month aurora season, long hours of darkness especially during winter, and low light pollution throughout most of the island.
The best time and official season to spot the northern lights are from October until March. If you are lucky, you can already catch them in late August and see them until mid-April.
For having a great view of the northern lights, it is important to have clear skies or little coverage of clouds.
We recommend definitely staying 5-7 days. In that way, the chances are bigger for you to see this natural phenomenon. Of course, you can stay longer, Iceland has loads to offer ?. Want to have some inspiration, go to our blogpost ‘hidden gems of Iceland’.
When the night has fallen, you just have to wait for the lights. Sometimes they appear very fast, other days it can take a few hours. A little luck has to be on your side.
If you want to be more secure to see the Aurora Borealis, then you can check the KP index. This is the scale that measures the geomagnetic activity that is directly linked to the northern lights’ visibility.
It has a range of 0-9. The higher the KP index is the more likely it is to see a big ‘show’ of this natural spectacle. KP 1 to 3 shows green colours. The lights will be quiet and faint. Green, yellow, bluish, or purple tones are visible by KP 4 to 6. The lights are now very active, and you will see them dance throughout the sky. When the scale goes up to KP 7-9, then we speak about an Aurora storm. They can cover the entire sky and rarer colours will appear such as red. If an Aurora storm like this occurs, you can even see it in California, France and believe it or not, also Spain!
Want to see this unforgettable event together with the highlights and hidden gems of Iceland? Discover our winter packages. Throughout our tours, we will guide you to the best places, so that you can surely experience this wonder of nature!
How is it to travel in winter when it is dark?
The darkest months in Iceland are from November until mid-February. During this period the average sunlight per day is about 4 to 6 hours. It is perfect to see the northern lights! Even though it is dark and cold, you can discover fairy scenes in a unique way.
When the land is covered by a big layer of glistening snow, the scenery will light up. Another glimmer of light is the stars, sparkling across the sky. Or that moment when you drive along a mountain through the mysterious fog and suddenly see a village lighting up in the distance. When you arrive in that specific town and just enjoy your afternoon in a hot spring. Does this winter wonderland sound exactly what you need to charge your batteries? Have a look at our winter tours or our 3 Day Northern Lights South Coast tour.
The darkest months in Iceland are from November until mid-February. During this period the average sunlight per day is about 4 to 6 hours. It is perfect to see the northern lights! Even though it is dark and cold, you can discover fairy scenes in a unique way.
When the land is covered by a big layer of glinstering snow, the scenery will light up. Another glimmer of light are the stars, sparkelling across the sky. Or that moment when you drive along a mountain through the mysterious fog and suddenly see a village lighting up in the distance. When you arrive in that specific town and just enjoy your afternoon in a hot spring. Does this winter wonderland sound exactly what you need to charge your batteries? Have a look at our winter tours or our 3 Day Northern Lights South Coast tour.
How many days should I spend in Iceland?
Iceland has loads to offer. If you just want to see the highlights then it is recommended to stay 3 to 7 days. Want to explore the whole island at your own pace? We can offer you a (tailor-made) tour that goes from 9 up to 21 days.
How much does food (lunch & dinner) on average cost?
Eating out in Iceland is relatively expensive, but how expensive really depends on the kind of places you want to go to. You should be prepared to spend some of your travel budgets on food. Sometimes lunch and/or dinner are included in some tours, picked out by a local, to give travellers a good sense of Icelandic food. The freshness of the seafood here is fairly good, and worth paying for, almost straight from the sea to your plate.
What is a must to see?
The Blue Lagoon is always one of the top activities people lean towards when visiting Iceland. The Sky Lagoon is becoming quite as popular, since its design is what makes it so much worth visiting.
If you like more of the peaceful and quiet vibe, then geothermal baths and glacier lagoons are your way to go.
Iceland’s many waterfalls are a great landmark to see, partnered with a great and knowledgeable guide, which makes it an enjoyable activity to take part in. Jökulsárlón, with its beauty and floating icebergs, and Vatnajökull glacier are a must-see, when in Iceland.
Iceland has many beautiful and unique towns worth seeing, such as Seyðisfjörður, Akureyri and the main capital Reykjavík.
If you’re done with people and the bad traffic, go to the Westfjords and enjoy the fulfilment of nature.
Exploring Snaefellsnes peninsula, or as we say, little Iceland. Famous for the novel and movie by Jules Verne. Explore the Centre of the Earth yourself by accessing a lava cave, and enjoy astonishing landscapes, black beaches and picturesque villages.
Are you more of an adventurous type of person? Go for a challenging hike in the Highlands, which are only accessible during summertime. Take in the splendid scenery, go for a bath in a natural hot spring and quench your thirst by drinking fresh water straight from the source.
What guidelines do I need to know before coming here?
Do’s:
- showering naked before you enter the swimming pools, lagoons
- Take shoes off when entering a house
- Test the water before entering
- Follow instructions, laws and regulations of the country
- Be open minded – food, activities, culture
- Use good judgement when your exploring
- Respect the nature and its animals
- Come prepared and get used to higher prices here
- Be conscious of your impact on Icelandic nature and its society
- Appreciate nature
Don’ts:
- Negotiate the price
- Tip
- Complain about the weather – put on weather appropriate clothes
- Be late for pickup
- Go too close to waterfalls, geysers, thermal floors, lava – you put your life and that from others at risk
- Drive off roads
- Don’t stop in the middle of the roads to e.g. take a picture
- Overschedule your trips – slow travel!
- Buy bottled water
- Don’t be afraid of the Icelandic food items
- Buy tourist souvenirs
- Throw trash away in nature
- Put your life and that of others at risk by just wanting to have the perfect picture
What documents do I need to be able to come here?
Depends on the country you live in and what you plan on doing when in Iceland.
General documents are:
– identification forms,
– passports,
– international drivers’ licence,
– visa (when you are travelling from a non-European/non-Schengen country),
– travel papers
Make sure to check before you travel here (or ask your Tour operator – Travelling Iceland specialist).
What happens if the trip is cancelled due to bad weather or other circumstances?
It really depends on the company you are booking with, what kind of compensation they offer.
Travelling Iceland usually offers travellers other sorts of fun activities to do, if needed, or a full refund, when the weather is really bad.
What languages are spoken?
Icelandic, but most Icelanders can speak English quite well. Tour guides often offer their experiences in many more languages, such as Dutch, Spanish, Danish, French, Chinese, Portuguese and so on.