Of all of the nations that I’ve visited, Iceland is one which I maintain returning to repeatedly. There’s something concerning the open, rugged panorama that speaks to my soul. Now that I’ve visited Iceland in each summer time and winter, I undoubtedly have some ideas on which I favored higher. And whereas Iceland is a rugged and lovely place whether or not it’s draped in snow or a shining inexperienced jewel, the experiences have been actually fairly totally different.
The nation solely acknowledges two seasons, summer time and winter — making Iceland’s winter lengthy and notoriously unpredictable. It is very important be ready, so I’ve put collectively the following pointers for visiting Iceland in winter. However first, let’s speak about why you must think about taking a winter journey to Iceland.
Not Positive About Iceland in Winter? 8 Causes it Rocks
Observe: This submit was written in collaboration with Ryan Connolly from Hidden Iceland, my most well-liked Iceland tour associate. Should you guide a tour utilizing my promo code, I’ll obtain a small fee for gratis to you.
An Iceland winter journey gives you a possibility for actually once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Positive it will likely be colder, and darker, however when you comply with these winter packing strategies, you may be ready. Given the unpredictability of the climate and street circumstances, I extremely suggest reserving excursions in case you are visiting Iceland within the winter, versus planning to self-drive.
My really useful tour associate is Hidden Iceland. I’ve traveled with them personally and have additionally gotten nice suggestions from readers who’ve booked by them. Should you guide one among their scheduled group excursions (not personal excursions) by Hidden Iceland, use my associate promo code WE3TRAVEL to obtain 10 % off your tour.
1. Uncover Blue Ice Caves
Glacier hikes are doable year-round and all the time secure in case you are with the best information. However in summer time the glaciers are transferring and melting so rapidly that it’s not secure to go ‘into’ the glacier so to talk. It’s solely when the common temperature drops from November to March that any ice caves that have been fashioned from all of the melting, erosion, and motion of the glacier in summer time will briefly freeze in place.
You would be a part of Hidden Iceland’s 2-day Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon & Ice Cave Discovery tour yr after yr and by no means repeat the identical cave tour.
2. Hunt for Northern Lights
Visiting Iceland in winter means you will have an opportunity of seeing the Northern Lights. On any given evening you will have the prospect to see something from a uninteresting grayish-white streak, all the way in which as much as a shimmering inexperienced or purple dancing curtain throughout the sky. The latter is way much less widespread, however actually breathtaking once they do happen.
If Northern Lights are your precedence, I’d counsel becoming a member of a multi-day tour that spends the evening in a secluded visitor home or resort so that you could ‘hunt’ proper out of your window. Or keep at a resort like Resort Ranga on the south coast, which gives Northern Lights wake-up calls and even has its personal observatory!
3. Hike on Blue Glacier Ice
Should you additionally need to do a glacier hike and get the blood pumping then the glacier ice transforms into a phenomenal blue glass when not engulfed by snow. That is very totally different from the crunchy and sometimes soiled summer time crust of the glacier. This phenomenon happens in winter as a result of the solar is just not sturdy sufficient to soften and refreeze the floor of the ice permitting it to stay in its stable blue type at floor degree.
It’s a bit slippier than the summer time model, however with the proper spikes in your toes (crampons) and a passionate information retaining you secure, it’s a spectacular expertise. (Don’t fear, the information gives the crampons and different mandatory tools. Simply ensure you put on heat, waterproof boots.)
4. Expertise a Winter Wonderland
Snow is just not assured in Iceland, however snow-capped mountains and lava fields caked in ice and snow rework the surroundings. The elusive reindeer and Arctic fox typically make appearances presently of yr. In case you are visiting throughout Christmas, you too can participate in some Icelandic vacation traditions or take pleasure in fireworks in Reykjavik on New Yr’s Eve.
5. Get pleasure from Fewer Crowds
Winter is way quieter than summer time, except for Christmas week. The one disadvantage right here is that regardless of there being fewer vacationers, there’s additionally much less time within the day to unfold out the actions so some spots could appear artificially ‘busy’ resulting from time restrictions.
However typically, in every single place you go, when you do it correctly, will probably be quieter. Availability of accommodations and restaurant reservations additionally turns into much less of an issue presently of yr.
6. Take Photographs at Noon Golden Hour
Photographers know the magic of the “golden hour” proper after dawn or proper earlier than sundown. However few locations can provide a noon golden hour. Within the darkest days of winter, if the sky is obvious, the solar barely rises above ‘pre-sunset’ part within the sky. It is a photographer’s dream with mainly the whole day being stuffed with excellent gentle for getting the best shot.
7. Get pleasure from Winter Heat (Critically)
it’s not practically as chilly as folks suppose. Positive, it’s chilly in comparison with summer time and it’s actually going to really feel chilly when you come from a heat local weather. However would you consider me if I advised you that the common winter temperature is definitely hotter than New York Metropolis?
It’s because the Gulf Stream sends up heat water all yr spherical that spirals across the coast of Iceland. The typical temperature in January hovers round 32-34 Fahrenheit. Some days you possibly can expertise a balmy 45 with the odd day fluctuating as excessive as 50.
Be warned although, the chilly wind and the sporadic drops in temperature also can provide you with a “actual really feel” temperature near 0 Farenheit on the odd day, so be ready for all eventualities. Sporting layers with a completely waterproof outer shell is essential to happiness ranges in winter.
8. Reap the benefits of Winter “Bargains”
Iceland may be costly and when you actually need to see financial savings, then going to Iceland outdoors of peak season is essential. Some resort costs drop by half and plenty of eating places will flirt with promotional gives to entice vacationers by their doorways.
Ideas for Visiting Iceland in Winter
Observe: This submit accommodates affiliate hyperlinks. Should you click on and make a purchase order, I’ll obtain a small fee. All opinions are my very own.
Have we satisfied you to go to Iceland within the winter? If that’s the case, make sure you learn these Iceland winter suggestions earlier than you go!
1. Plan forward
Winter or summer time, tourism in Iceland continues to be sturdy. And whereas it’s busier in the summertime, when you don’t plan forward you’ll nonetheless discover it onerous to get a resort room within the winter, a minimum of through the vacation season or in Reykjavik.
2. Be versatile
There are a lot of locations that declare that when you “don’t just like the climate, wait a minute,” however in Iceland, that is notably true. This brings to thoughts one other favourite quote of mine…” the best-laid plans of mice and males, usually go awry.” With quickly altering climate, you might want to be versatile along with your itinerary.
Once we have been simply there in November, the plan was to go for a helicopter journey someday and snowmobile on a glacier the following. Neither of these occurred. However did it damage the journey? No. We have been capable of prolong our tremendous jeep tour to a full day with stops at a black sand seashore.
And as a substitute of snowmobiling as a result of the wind was too sturdy, we went for an ATV tour as a substitute. That is when it’s actually useful to work with a neighborhood tour operator that may not solely accommodate such adjustments, they will counsel applicable substitutes. I extremely suggest reserving excursions with Hidden Iceland (obtain 10% off scheduled group excursions with my promo code WE3TRAVEL.)
3. COnsider a Tour vs. Self-Driving within the Winter
In case you are visiting in the summertime and need to self-drive round Iceland I say go for it. Driving in Iceland is fairly easy when you stick with the Ring Highway. Nonetheless, driving within the winter is usually a totally different story. Roads shut ceaselessly and it’s not uncommon to expertise white-out circumstances and I didn’t discover any salt or sand vans out and about.
Needless to say the climate is consistently altering in Iceland, so you could arrive in winter to fantastic climate circumstances, however you might want to plan for the worst-case state of affairs. Googling native climate for Iceland is solely not sufficient.
Modifications in wind pace, precipitation, and temperature can come collectively in a crescendo of turbulence relying on the topography and route of the wind. What would possibly seem as a reasonably average day on the forecast could end in a ‘storm in a teacup’ impact on one aspect of a mountain. On the opposite aspect, it could possibly be calm and clear.
With Iceland’s volcanic, mountainous panorama this really occurs way over you suppose. Skilled guides have native contacts that assist them make an knowledgeable choice each time. A neighborhood information will know what spots to keep away from, but additionally what you possibly can go and luxuriate in instead.
To make a winter go to much less irritating and safer, I might suggest both staying in Reykjavik and taking day excursions or taking a multi-day tour (with a driver) with a gaggle like Hidden Iceland.
4. Know earlier than you go!
For the reason that climate can differ drastically from place to put, you actually need to examine for street closures and circumstances earlier than you allow your lodging. Once we have been heading as much as the Golden Circle on our current go to, we might go to Thingvellir however the street as much as Gulfoss was closed so we needed to skip it. We additionally needed to take an alternate route from Reykjavik to get there.
Icelanders depend on the street.is web site for up-to-date data. It’s also possible to obtain the 112 Iceland App (112 is the emergency quantity in Iceland) in case you need assistance on the street. In case you are heading off-road in any respect, make sure you register your plans on safetravel.is.
5. Layer up
Whereas winter is just not all the time that chilly in Iceland, it does get very windy. You’ll must layer up towards that wind. Begin with a base layer, add a fleece and a few waterproof/windproof outer layers and you might be good to go. Simply don’t overlook a extremely heat hat and gloves (particularly ones with touchscreen-friendly fingertips so that you don’t freeze your fingers off taking footage.)
No matter you do, don’t put on denims, these will get moist and also you’ll freeze your tush off. Oh, and you could need to skip the Blue Lagoon on a windy day — it isn’t enjoyable to be in your bathing go well with and get pelted with hail.
Don’t miss my Iceland Winter Packing Record for extra concepts!
6. Don’t be afraid of the darkish
The benefit of all that darkness is that you could be get to see the Northern Lights. The draw back is that you simply don’t get a lot daylight to sightsee. In November the solar rose round 10 am and set by 4 pm. In January, it will get even shorter, with the dawn after 11 am and sundown round 3 pm.
If you’re going to get to see something, you’re going to have to move out at the hours of darkness. Plan on getting up and having breakfast at 8 am and hitting the street round 9 am so you possibly can arrive at your vacation spot by first gentle. The excellent news is that you may be handled to some wonderful sunrises and sunsets. Should you aren’t comfy driving at the hours of darkness, that will be one more reason to base out of Reykjavik and take some excursions.
7. Be ready
The chilly can sap the life out of you…and your batteries. It appeared like each time I stepped outdoors my telephone went lifeless, even when I had a reasonably good cost. My answer was to deliver alongside backup energy packs. Turning on that cost introduced my telephone again to life. If solely it have been really easy to deliver life again to my frozen fingers.
And it isn’t simply telephones that go lifeless rapidly, digicam batteries get used up rapidly too. Be sure to deliver backups with you all through the day and think about a weatherproof digicam or a superb journey digicam.
8. Be secure!
Within the U.S., we’re so used to having sanitized vacationer experiences. Our waterfalls have good security rails, upkeep crews are diligent about placing salt and sand on slippery ice, and we warn those that peanut butter could comprise peanuts. Not so in Iceland.
First off, if there’s a warning signal, it’s for a superb purpose. Seemingly there was an accident that occurred there so don’t blow it off, take warning. If you end up strolling as much as the waterfalls, the mist from the falls makes it actually icy.
You can be finest off if in case you have heat, waterproof mountaineering boots with spikes or get some clip-on crampons. Lastly, when visiting the seashores, particularly these round Vík, don’t get too near the water’s edge, particularly when you flip your again to the waves. They’re identified to expertise rogue waves that may sweep you in and tough undercurrents that may pull you out rapidly. And all the time maintain an in depth eye (and/or hand) on any younger children.
9. Take into consideration your actions
It’s simple to get enthusiastic about all there’s to do in Iceland, however not every little thing is offered year-round. So do your analysis upfront earlier than reserving your journey. You don’t need to be upset which you could’t go whale watching as a result of it isn’t the best season.
10. Don’t pin all of your hopes on the Northern Lights
It was my best want to see the Northern Lights once we visited in November, however alas, it was not meant to be. Whereas I used to be upset, we nonetheless had some wonderful experiences and I loved each minute. (Fortunately I used to be capable of lastly see them once I visited in September at one other time.)
There are some things you possibly can have in mind when selecting your dates which will improve your probabilities of seeing the Aurora Borealis. First, September – April is the Northern Lights “season” however you’ll have the best probabilities in late November by March.
Since gentle air pollution interferes with seeing the aurora, you’ll have a greater probability of seeing them when you keep outdoors of town. We beloved our keep at Resort Ranga, the place not solely have they got their very own observatory and an astronomer that is available in on clear nights, however you too can elect to have them wake you must the aurora make an look.
Since we visited proper after the Supermoon, we have been upset to be taught that the aurora borealis often doesn’t seem on or close to a full moon. If you wish to examine the forecast for predictions, go to the Icelandic Met workplace web site.
In the event that they do seem, it would be best to be ready. Sleep along with your heat garments on the prepared. Hold your digicam tools at your fingertips. Be sure to deliver a wide-angle lens, tripod, a distant/shutter launch (to keep away from shaking your digicam), and additional batteries (due to that chilly.) In case you are renting a cabin, think about leaving the digicam outdoors set on the tripod so you might be able to go and it doesn’t fog up going from heat to chilly.
Whether or not you go to Iceland in winter or benefit from the longer days of midnight solar in the summertime, I hope you fall in love with Iceland the way in which that I’ve.
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