5 reasons to visit Iceland in winter

There were few people who thought I was crazy for planning to visit Iceland in  winter. If I had trusted their criteria, I would have missed one of the most amazing trips I have done so far.

Do you want to know what it’s like to visit Iceland in winter? In this post I give you 5 reasons to do it. Go ahead!

Northern Lights

Well, I think I could finish this list here, right? Northern Lights justify a trip to Iceland in winter. If it’s really cold and the sky is clear, chances are you can enjoy it!

Enjoying the aurora is one of the most amazing things you can do in Iceland. It can be seen from October to April and is the biggest upside of travelling to Iceland in winter.

There are no words to describe this experience and it justifies for itself a trip to the country in low season. Remember to check Aurora forecast to see the probability of observing auroras (in a 0-9 scale in the upper right corner) and also check in the map where to get he most visibility (the areas in white on the map).

This photo below was taken with probability 4. I cannot imagine how the 9 can get!

It’s cheaper

Iceland is one of the most expensive countries in Europe and as a tourist you will pay more than you expected on many occasions, like 5€ for a chocolate bar or 10€ for a beer.

Winter means low season in Iceland, meaning that accommodation and car rental have cheaper rates, reaching even 50% of the price you would pay for the same in summer.

A reason that makes a difference!

It’s less crowded

I haven’t been to Iceland in the summer (yet!) but I can imagine it being way more crowded. Iceland is a trending destination, so if you plan to go in summer plan with months in advance to find a hotel.

Check our one-week itinerary to Iceland.

It’s not that cold

… if you are properly dressed!

Wear layers, proper winter boots and gloves.

I’m not going to lie, it’s cold. But it’s also true that I have been colder in places like Berlin!

We were also lucky. The sun was shining everyday, we didn’t have wind nor rain… at some points we reached -7ºC and -13ºC but that was not the norm. During the day we usually were having around 4ºC and didn’t feel really cold with the sun shining. Most of the time I didn’t use all of my layers, even in remote areas as Thórsmork.

Snowy Landscapes

Driving around Iceland is a real delight and going through the whole snowy scenery is beautiful.

Our arrival in Iceland coincided just after the biggest snowfall in the country since the 50’s, so the amount of snow was higher than the usual.

I know, maybe I’ve been too lucky, but you can have the same luck too:) Anyway, one of the reasons I want to go back to Iceland in the summer is to be able to enjoy the landscapes without snow, the change has to be dramatic as it turns really green and I would love to discover the colors of the country.

I will not tire of saying it: Iceland deserves all the time!

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