Best time to go to Reykjavik

In both winter and summer, Reykjavík has its own particular charm and depending on the places you want to include in your Reykjavík itinerary and the experiences you want to have, it's best to visit in one season or the other.

For example, if you want to see the Northern Lights dancing in the sky from Reykjavík, the best time to visit is definitely winter, as well as to see the ice caves. Other activities are best left for summer, such as the puffin cruise in Reykjavík and whale watching.

In general the best time to visit Reykjavík and Iceland as a whole is during the summer season, and that's because at this time of year you have access to the whole island because the roads are open and the weather is considerably warmer than during the rest of the seasons.

Being so far north, the seasons are actually not as distinct as in other countries further south. In Iceland most of the year is considered to be part of winter, and a few months as summer.

Although summer is generally the best time to travel around the country, there are places and sights that are impossible to see during this time, such as the Northern Lights and the ice caves from Reykjavík, which are only possible in winter. But every time of year has its own charm, so it all depends on what you're hoping to see during your time on the island.

A really ideal time of year to visit Iceland is during the month of September. The tenth month of the year welcomes winter, but winter doesn't arrive with a vengeance. Temperatures drop steadily until they reach their coldest point in December, January and February.

This change in temperature makes September a pleasant month to visit the city. In terms of prices, summer will be more expensive and winter will allow you to save some money. By now you'll know that the high season in Reykjavík is summer and the low season is the rest of the year.

Winter is one of the best times to visit Reykjavík if you don't have problems with the cold and if you want to see spectacles such as the Northern Lights or the formation of the ice caves. This season brings with it many different outdoor activities that you can take advantage of in Reykjavík.

One of the most interesting activities that I recommend you to do during your visit to the city is skating on Lake Tjörnin. This is one of the most special places you will find in the centre of Reykjavík because it is a shallow lake that freezes over in winter, leaving the biggest and most fun ice rink, as well as free, in the whole capital, and it is also listed by National Geographic magazine as one of the five best natural ice rinks.

One of the main advantages of visiting this city in Iceland during the winter season is the low number of tourists you'll find here. As it is the off-season, tourists are scarce at this time of year.

The scarcity of tourists also means that the tourist and accommodation offer is considerably cheaper than during the summer. These are advantages that you can use to your advantage, but don't rely on them either. What I recommend is that, even if you intend to go in the winter season, you should make your reservations well in advance.

Despite all this, travelling to Reykjavík in winter has its drawbacks, the main one being the weather. The weather on the island during the winter season is really hostile, with temperatures that can reach as low as 0°C with no recoveries higher than 1°C during the day. At night the temperature drops even further and can even reach as low as -10°C.

With this temperature and a much lower wind chill, it is possible to infer that you will want to think twice before venturing to Iceland during the cold winter. In terms of day and night, in winter in Reykjavík you'll have between 4 and 5 hours of sunshine, with the rest of the daylight hours being at night. Winter in Reykjavík is between October and April.

Summer is here and with it comes the party, the heat and the day in Reykjavík. For the locals, the arrival of summer is the best thing that happens during the year, which is why they dedicate many festivals to celebrate the arrival of this long awaited season, so the offer in Reykjavík in summer, more than just walks and excursions, will be music festivals and night parties.

In addition to the pleasant cultural life that Reykjavík offers during the summer season, if you are a person who prefers to travel and experience different places and phenomena, then you should take advantage of some activities that are only available in Reykjavík during the summer.

The roads to the north of the island open up during this season, so if you enjoy hiking or even driving for miles, this is an experience you won't want to miss. These hiking trips take you to idyllic locations within the country's sci-fi geography.

When you arrive on the island you can hire a car and drive freely along these roads, which were closed during the winter because of the danger they posed. If you don't want to rent a car, you can also opt for an excursion to these places.

With summer also comes the midnight sun, the hours of sunshine increase to 22 in a day, with only two hours of darkness, so if you are a lover of photography or painting, you are sure to find inspiration in each of the landscapes where the midnight sun is the protagonist of the scene. Summer occurs from May to August.

With longer days and nights of just two hours, you'll be able to take advantage of the day to go on excursions to different places such as the Golden Circle and take a tour of the volcanic crater of Kerid in Reykjavík.

Whale and puffin watching is another of Reykjavík's summer must-do's, and that's because these species come out during the summer after wintering for a long period of time.

Although Reykjavík is one of Europe's most overlooked capitals, it can be a fun place for kids, although it all depends on the time of year you go. If you go in the summer season, Reykjavík can be a good option for children, because beyond festivals and concerts, there are certain family activities you can enjoy with them.

Another advantage of the summer season is the undeniably warmer weather. However, before going on an excursion or out ing anywhere in Reykjavík or outside the city, you should be aware of the minimum age.

Many tours emphasise that children under a certain age are not allowed to participate in such activities for safety reasons. This is usually the case with snowmobile tours in Reykjavík or dog sledding activities.

One activity I suggest on your family trip to Iceland, and especially among the things to see and do with children, is ice skating on Lake Tjörnin, although if you want to take the little ones on a tour of some of Iceland's traditional natural attractions, I recommend taking them to the Golden Circle and the Blue Lagoon.

If you want to take them to the Golden Circle, certainly one of the best times to do so is during the summer months, which you can combine with a whale watching experience or tours in Reykjavík. Children are always thrilled and excited to see animal life up close, and the latter activity is usually available for children over the age of six.

In the case of the Blue Lagoon, it is usually open to children over the age of two. For such young children this can be a really fun experience, while for older children it can be relaxing. This activity is ideal in both summer and winter.

You'll get few people in Reykjavík during the winter season, especially during January and February. Iceland's peak season is the summer, while tourist occupancy begins to decline steadily from September onwards.

By the end of December there tends to be considerably fewer people on the island. The capital city begins to feel lonely and many remote parts of the island have only locals, who are usually very few in number.

One of the biggest advantages of going to Reykjavík in winter when there are fewer people is that you can get better accommodation and more attractions to visit without the crowds.

I can assure you that during the months of January and February you won't find anything sold out in Reykjavík. But the biggest disadvantage of going to Reykjavík during these months is that tourism starts to be a bit limited, as the weather closes access roads to the mountainous area.

Other limitations of the winter period may be that the experiences you book, such as tours and excursions to certain places, are cancelled due to storms or bad weather. Remember that Reykjavík has a very windy winter, so it is natural that these storms will eventually affect tours and excursions.

If you still choose November after all, because you'll find fewer people on the island, you can't miss some of the most fun winter activities, including a walk along the entire south coast of Reykjavík to visit the black sand beach of Reynisfjara. Don't miss a visit to the Blue Lagoon and, of course, snowmobiling around the glaciers.

Once again we look at the feasibility of travelling to Reykjavík during the winter months, as the low season means that not only will you find more accommodation deals and places available on different tours and getaways from Reykjavík, but you can also save a lot of money on your trip.

You'll also see the difference in terms of saving money in restaurants and souvenir shops. In summer, when there are more people on the island, prices tend to go up a little on almost everything from accommodation to shops to travel experiences and even taxis to get around.

But if you still prefer to go to Reykjavík during the high season, i.e. summer, there are ways you can save money. One of the best ways to save money during your summer visit to the island is by choosing package experiences.

If, for example, you are looking forward to whale watching and at the same time want to go to the Golden Circle, I recommend booking a combination tour where you can do both activities for a more reasonable price. In the case of food, I would also recommend choosing tours with food included so you can save a bit on that.

In case you're looking to save time on your visit to Reykjavík, this has less to do with when you go to the city and more to do with how you choose to get around. One of the best ways to save time on your visit to the city is to hire a car so you can get around on your own.

On the other hand, I recommend that you make all, or at least most, of your reservations before you travel and well in advance. Booking online saves you a lot of time and avoids unnecessary queues.

This applies especially if you intend to travel in the summer when everything is full and you will generally find high prices for most attractions and sights.