Before my winter trip to Iceland I had zillions of questions about the ice caves and how to visit them. So I did a bucketload of research before I went to the ice caves in Iceland.  And now I’m passing all that info along to you. (Was that a thank-you I heard? You’re welcome!)

So if you’ve seen those gorgeous photos of ice caves in Iceland online and are thinking about visiting one, I present to you everything you ever needed to know about visiting ice caves. (Well hopefully everything. If I missed something, hit me up in the comments.)

Here’s what you will find in this guide to ice caves in Iceland:

• What are ice caves? How were they formed?
• When is the best time to visit ice caves in Iceland? Can you visit glacier ice caves in summer?
• Where in Iceland are the ice caves? How far from Reykjavik are the ice caves?
• How to get to the ice caves in Iceland? Renting a car vs. taking a tour.
• Can you do a day trip to the ice caves from Reykjavik? Or do you need to stay overnight?
• Do you need to be on a tour to see the ice caves? Or can you go on your own?
• Which ice cave tour should you choose? What are the different types of tours?
• How much does it cost to see the ice caves?
• How far in advance should you book an ice cave tour? Can you go last-minute?
• Do you have to be an experienced climber or hiker to visit the ice caves?
• What can you expect on an ice cave tour? What do you get to see?
• What should you wear to visit the ice caves? What do you need to bring?
• What else is there to do and see near the ice caves?
• Where should you stay near the ice caves? My picks for hotels and guesthouses.

Hey there: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase. Thanks for supporting my website! -Taryn

What are ice caves? How are ice caves formed?

The ice caves in Iceland are also known as the Crystal Caves since the light shining through the blue ice makes them look like crystals. There are actually several ice caves in Iceland whose form and location change each year as the glacier advances in the winter and melts in the summer.

In the summertime the warmer weather causes the glacier to melt. The meltwater carves channels in the glacier ice and eventually drains down into the interior of the glacier where it forms rushing rivers of freezing cold water. These freezing cold rivers form tunnels through the glacier.

In the winter, the glacier stops melting so the meltwater rivers stop flowing. The river tunnels from the summer are left behind as brilliantly blue crystalline ice caves… and tourists can visit them.

(Side note: I studied a bit of glaciology in university because I’m a huge geography nerd. This stuff is fascinating to me and that’s why I was so pumped to visit the ice caves in Iceland.)

When is the best time to visit the glacier ice caves in Iceland? Can I visit the glacier ice caves in summer?

Sorry, no you can’t visit the glacier ice caves in the summer.

The only time you can visit the ice caves in Iceland is in the winter from approximately mid-November until about mid-March.

The rest of the year the temperature is warmer and the glacier is slowly melting. The melting glacier sends rivers of icy cold water through the caves. As well, part of the caves can crack and collapse when it is warmer.  It is impossible to safely go inside the caves until the cold winter temperatures return.

The exception to this is the man-made ice cave at Langjokull which you can visit year-round.

Where in Iceland are the ice caves?

The famous Crystal Cave ice caves are in Vatnajokull National Park in Southeast Iceland. It a 5-hour drive from Reykjavik. They are really close to Jokulsarlon, the glacier lagoon.

More recently, a few companies have started offering ice cave tours in the Mýrdalsjökull glacier near Vik (2.5 hours from Reykjavik) and at the Svínafellsjökull in Skaftafell National Park (4.5 hours from Reykjavik).

There is also a man-made ice cave at Langjokull closer about 1 hour from Reykjavik that you can visit, but I haven’t been there. From photos online it’s more of a rectangular ice hallway than a naturally sculpted ice cave.

How can I get to the ice caves in Iceland?

There are essentially two ways to get to the ice caves in the winter: rent a car and drive yourself or take a bus or mini-bus tour.

There are lots of bus tour and mini-bus tour companies running multi-day south coast tours of Iceland and some of these companies offer ice cave tours as part of their package. You can also book a Mýrdalsjökull glacier ice cave tour as a day trip from Reykjavik.

If you don’t want to take a tour you can rent a car and drive yourself. It’s easy to rent a car in Reykjavik or at the Keflavik airport. I use Discover Cars because it lets you compare prices from lots of different rental companies. That way I know I’m getting the best price.

If you choose this option, make sure you rent a 4 wheel drive car with studded tires and have some winter driving experience. (Check out this post for more Iceland winter driving tips.)

It’s also worth giving yourself tons of time to drive to your tour meeting point. If you are late for your tour due to weather, they will leave without you and you won’t be eligible for a refund.

Can I do a day trip to the ice caves from Reykjavik?

It depends on which ice caves you want to visit. If you want to visit the man-made Langjokull, or the Katla caves at Mýrdalsjökull you can do a day trip from Reykjavik.

But if you want to go to the famous ice caves at Vatnajokull on the south coast near Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon, you can’t really do it in a day trip because it is too far. (And you won’t want to anyway since there is so much to see along the way.) The Vatnajokull ice caves are a 5 hour drive from Reykjavik.

In perfect conditions you’d spend 5 hours driving to the ice cave tour meeting point, 3 hours taking the tour and then 5 hours driving back. That’s 13 hours on the go and that doesn’t even give you time to stop at Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon, the black sand beach at Vik or any of the numerous waterfalls on the way.  

In the winter, driving conditions in Iceland can be horrendous and there isn’t very much daylight so it will take longer. Play it safe and plan to spend a night or two in the area. (See my recommendations for where to book a hotel at the bottom of this post.)

Do I have to go on a tour to see the ice caves in Iceland?

Yup, you have to be on an ice cave tour.

The man-made glacier cave at Langjokull, is privately owned.

The other ice caves in Iceland are inside National Parks. On the way to the caves your tour group will pass through a National Park checkpoint. The National Park requires everyone going into the caves to be on a tour since glaciers are beautiful but deadly: if you aren’t careful you could fall into a crevasse and never be found or wander off into the wilderness and freeze to death!

Check Ice Cave tour prices here.

Which ice cave tour should I choose?

From reviews I’ve read online, most of the ice cave tours offer a pretty similar experience for a basic ice cave tour. 

The most basic type of tour is one that just visits a small, easily accessible ice cave. These tours are the shortest and least expensive. They often have larger group sizes (up to about 30). This is the type of tour that most people take.

When I visited the ice caves, I took a basic ice cave tour at Vatnajokull. You can also book a basic ice cave tour of the Katla caves near Vik or the man-made glacier tunnel at Langjokull.

There are also photography focused tours that visit other, more remote ice caves. Photography tours usually last longer, have smaller group sizes and may include a longer walk to get to the cave. These tours often aren’t advertised – you will need to contact the tour operator and inquire.

If you’ve seen stunning ice cave photos online, you’ve probably seen photos taken by professional photographers on photography focused tours – sometimes with professional lighting as well.

How much does it cost to see the ice caves in Iceland?

These tours are not cheap. Prices vary depending on which area of Iceland you take the tour in.

Tours leaving from Skaftafell tend to be the least expensive. It’s a long drive from Reykjavik (4.5 hours) but not as well known as the Crystal Caves near Jokulsarlon, which keeps prices down. You can get a short tour for as little as $106USD/108Euro.

Tours at the famous caves of Vatnajokull near Jokulsarlon start at about $145USD/$148Euro. These are the most popular ice caves and have the most tour options.

Tours to Katla near Vik start at about $163 USD/166 Euro. They cost more since they are closer to Reykjavik.

The Langjokull tours are the most expensive, starting at $265 USD/270Euro but they also include a northern lights experience. It’s more of a day tour with a few stops than a simple ice cave tour.

Check the latest prices here.

How far in advance should I book an ice cave tour?

As far in advance as possible. The ice cave tours often sell out. For my January trip, I booked my tour 2 months in advance and got some of the last spots available for my chosen date. Click here to check available dates.

Do I have to be a hardcore ice climber or an experienced hiker to take an ice cave tour?

No! Most of the ice cave tours are super easy and usually require only a few minutes of walking on ice to get to the entrance to the cave. (Sometimes the caves end up being further from the parking lot, but it is usually no more than a 30 min walk.)

Once you are inside the cave the floor is uneven but you don’t have to climb anything or crawl around. As long as you have basic fitness to walk on uneven ground, you should be fine. If you have mobility or physical fitness issues, contact the tour company and ask about current conditions before you book.

What should I expect on an ice cave tour? What do I get to see on an ice cave tour?

How your ice cave tour is laid out depends on what type of tour you book. For all tours you will start at the tour meeting point. Each company has its own tour meeting point.

If you are with a tour company, your bus will drop you off at the tour meeting point. If you are doing a self-drive tour in a rental car, you’ll have to drive yourself to the meeting point.

There should be lots of info on the tour company website and in your email confirmation for your tour booking about how to find your meeting point. Give yourself extra time to find it so you aren’t late for your tour.

After you arrive at your tour meeting point and check in with your tour company, make sure you use the bathroom. There are no bathrooms near the ice caves so you really want to make sure you head out with an empty bladder.

When your tour starts you board super jeep mini buses that seat 12-20 people. Super jeeps are basically Icelandic monster trucks: off road vehicles with giant tires and rugged suspensions.

Depending on where you are taking your tour, you mini-bus may drive up to an hour to the glacier. Some part of the drive may be on dirt roads that are VERY bumpy. (Tip: If you are prone to car sickness ask to sit in the front.)

On the way down the road you will pass through the National Park checkpoint.

Once you get to the parking lot, the guide will outfit you with a helmet and some mini-crampons for your shoes. The helmets are adjustable and will fit over your winter hat.

The mini-crampons are spikes for your shoes so you don’t wipe out on the ice. They come in small, medium and large sizes and are stretchy to fit over your boots. Your guide can help you find the right size.

Before you leave the parking area your guide will give you a safety briefing. Mostly they just say to walk where you are told to walk otherwise you could fall into a crevasse . No one wants that!

Then you’ll start the walk to the ice cave. Depending on how the caves form each season, the walk will be between 5 and 30 minutes long for the basic ice cave tour and much longer than that for more adventurous tours.

Once you get to the ice cave your guide will give you free time inside to explore and take pictures.

The caves are fairly small – about 50-100m deep and maybe 20m wide at the widest.

On a basic tour you will have about 30-45 minutes inside the cave.

There will also be people from other tour groups inside the cave so expect it to be a bit crowded at times.

(Again, those gorgeous ice cave photo you’ve seen online were probably taken in more remote ice caves during private photography sessions. The photos I’ve shared in this post were all taken during a basic ice cave tour with many other tourists from several groups all in the cave at once.)

The caves that you can visit on other types of tours can vary a lot per season but will likely be much less crowded. Ask your tour company for more details about what to expect inside the cave on other types of tours.

After the tour, your guide will drive you back to your tour meeting point. In total a basic tour will last 2-4 hours. Other tours will last 5-8 hours depending on what type of tour you book.

What should I wear to visit the ice caves in Iceland?

Your tour organizer will provide all required safety gear: a helmet and mini-crampons (spikes for your shoes). If you take a late afternoon or early morning tour they will also give you a headlamp since it will be almost dark outside.

Most tour operators also rent hiking boots for a nominal fee (usually 1000ISK/$6.82USD/6.95Euro). You will bring your own winter clothing (although some tour providers do rent some clothing).

In general you’ll want to wear the same thing you’d wear winter hiking or skiing. Start with thermal long underwear made of wool or synthetic materials. (Here’s a great guide to the best thermals for Iceland.)

Add in a fleece jacket or puffy jacket. On the bottom wear insulated ski pants or rain pants. Wear a waterproof ski jacket on top.

Bring a warm wooly hat, warm gloves and warm wooly socks.

Wear hiking boots or sturdy winter boots. Avoid running shoes or any shoes that are low cut. (You want boots that cover the ankle that work better with the shoe spikes the guide will give you.)

Be sure to bring a camera and a small tripod if you have one. The best way to take good photos of the cave is to hold the camera very still. It’s easier to do this if you have a tripod. If you have a camera with manual functions, experiment with long exposures.

What else is there to do in the area near the ice caves in Iceland?

A visit to the ice caves makes a great highlight to a winter tour of South Iceland. There are numerous must-see attractions along the drive from Reykjavik to the glacier ice caves near Jokulsarlon.

These include the famous waterfalls at Seljalandfoss, Skogafoss and Svartifoss, the black sand beach at Vik, Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon, the glaciers at Skaftafell and the glacier lagoon Jokulsarlon.

I recommend spending a few nights on the south coast in the winter. (You should plan to stay within easy driving distance of the ice caves the night before your tour.) For itinerary suggestions, check out my post about my winter week in Iceland.

Where should I book a hotel near the ice caves in Iceland?

If you are part of a tour, they will arrange your lodging. But if you choose to drive yourself, you’ll need to book a hotel within easy driving distance of the ice caves.

If you are going to the man-made ice cave at Langjokull it makes sense to stay in Reykjavik since tours leave from there.

If you are taking a tour to Katla cave on Mýrdalsjökull glacier near Vik you can stay in Reykjavik 2.5 hours away. But I recommend staying in Vik and spending some time on the south coast. On my trip we stayed at the Farmhouse Lodge – it’s a cozy semi-rural property.

For tours to Svínafellsjökull in Skaftafell National Park you can book a room at Hotel Skaftafell or the quirky Potato Storage, the only nearby accommodations. You can also look for hotels in Hof, which is about 20 minutes away.

If you are going to the famous Crystal Cave ice caves in Vatnajokull National Park in Southeast Iceland, plan to stay near the Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon. When searching, look for hotels and guesthouses near Jokulsarlon, Hof or Hofn. That way you’ll be no more than an hour’s drive or so from your tour meeting point.

I stayed at the brand new Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon which was in a great location in between Jokulsarlon and my tour’s meeting point. It’s pretty fancy, so for me it was a splurge. If you are looking for a budget option, check out Guesthouse Nypugardar in Hofn. I stayed there on a summer trip to Iceland back in 2015.

A visit to the ice caves in Iceland takes a bit of money and time to visit them. But for me it was a bucketlist item and totally worth doing. I hope I answered all your questions about the ice caves. If there is anything else you’d like to know, please ask in the comments and I’d be happy to answer.

The post The Ultimate Guide to Visiting Ice Caves in Iceland appeared first on Dawn Outdoors.

Hey there: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase. Thanks for supporting my website! -Taryn

A Winter Week in Iceland Day 1: Reykjavik

On our first day, we landed in Keflavik airport, about 45 minutes outside of Reykjavik, at around 7am. By the time we picked up our luggage and rental car and made our way into the city to start sightseeing, it was still dark out. We stopped in at Sandholt, my favourite (but expensive) Reykjavik bakery, before heading up the hill to Hallgrimskirkja.

Hallgrimskirkja (Hallgrim’s church) is probably Reykjavik’s most recognizable landmark: it’s one of the tallest buildings, it sits on top of a hill, and it has some pretty distinctive architecture. So of course we headed there first. This photo was taken at about 9:45am when the first blue light of the day was starting to creep into the sky.

Next we spent a fun (and rainy!) few hours walking around Reykjavik with Hrannar from the I Heart Reykjavik walking tour. If you want some local insight into what the city is really like, plus recommendations on where to eat, get a drink, or buy souvenirs, this is the tour to take.

After the tour we visited the 1000 year old ruins of a Viking house at the Settlement Exhibition. By afternoon, I was feeling the jetlag so we headed back to our Airbnb for dinner, followed by lots of sleeping.

A Winter Week Iceland Day 2: Seljalandfoss, Skogafoss, Reynisfjara and Dyrholaey

Day two started with driving into a snow storm in the dark. By the time the sun came up it was time for a couple quick waterfall stops. We started with Seljalandfoss, and its neighbour, Gljúfrabúi (which is hidden in a cave!), before driving a few minutes to Skogafoss. But since we knew we would be back that way again, we didn’t stay long. Plus the weather wasn’t that encouraging.

Thankfully the weather started to clear up shortly after we left Skogafoss. We stopped on the road for some quick photos of the patches of blue sky and Iceland’s beautiful mountains.

After Seljalandfoss we drove to the Reynisfjara, the black sand beach near the town of Vik. I had been to black sand beaches before (in Hawaii) but it was a first for me to be on a black sand beach that had snow on it! We enjoyed the view across to the Dyrholaey headland and watching people take photos with the rock columns. We stayed well back from the surf though, because just a few days before a family of tourists had been caught by a rogue wave. Sadly the mother didn’t make it. She was the third fatality in 10 years at this beach.

Next we headed over to the headland, Dyrholaey. It is a popular bird nesting area in the spring but there were no birds in January. We took in the views while being pushed around by crazy winds and the occasional burst of hail. Afterwards, we headed into Vik for dinner and then to our farmstay at Guesthouse Steig for more sleeping off the jetlag. It’s a great rural property and I’m sure it would be adorable in the spring during lambing season.

A Winter Week in Iceland Day 3: Vik, Fjaðrárgljúfur, and Svartifoss

While getting gas in Vik on the morning of the third day of our winter week in Iceland, I noticed how beautiful the town and the nearby beach looked in the pre-dawn light so we spent some time taking photos before hitting the road.

Our first stop of the day was at Fjaðrárgljúfur, a beautiful mossy canyon. The signature green moss pillows were blanketed in snow, so it looked quite different than the photos I had seen online. The trails in the area were quite slippery so were glad we had packed our microspikes.

With the limited daylight and the long drive on this day, it was getting late by the time we got to Skaftafell. Skaftafell is part of Vatnajokull National Park and has spectacular glaciers. You can see them without even leaving the highway! We did the short hike to see Svartifoss and its trademark basalt columns. The columns form when lava cools. How awesome is that? (Caution: Geology nerd alert!)

We finished our day at the fancy new Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon. It’s perfectly located near the glacier lagoon AND the ice cave tours, both of which were on our itinerary for the next day. Before bed we headed to the beautiful hotel bar to enjoy a cocktail. This the most expensive place we stayed on our trip, but we both agreed that it was worth the splurge.

A Winter Week in Iceland Day 4: Jokulsarlon and the Crystal Ice Cave

We started our fourth day on the black sand beach across from the glacier lagoon, Jokulsarlon. The beach is also known as the Diamond Beach since the icebergs wash up on the shore and sparkle. The light at sunrise was incredible, even if it was a bit overcast.

We spent the next few hours wandering the shore of the lagoon, mesmerized by the floating ice. After a while we also headed back down to the beach to see the icebergs in full daylight.

We knew we had to leave around lunchtime since we had booked an ice cave tour for the afternoon. But just as we were getting ready to leave, the clouds cleared, the sun came out, we could see the vast glacier where the icebergs were born… and it was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. The wind even calmed down so we could get reflections in the water.

It was hard, but we had to tear ourselves away from Jokulsarlon and head to our pre-booked ice cave tour. I wasn’t sure what to expect with the cave tour, but it was pretty cool. We visited a cave called the Crystal Cave and got to spend about 45 minutes exploring inside. It wasn’t very big, but the light coming in through the ceiling illuminating the ice formations was incredible.

After the ice cave tour we had a long, dark, snowy and stormy drive all the way back to Vik again. In Vik we stayed in a different guesthouse than before. Guesthouse Hatun 8 was right in the village so we could walk to the pub for dinner. Like many inexpensive guesthouses in Iceland, our accommodation was actually located in an annex of someone’s house. Our hosts were super helpful and made sure we had everything we needed.

A Winter Week in Iceland Day 5: Skogafoss, Seljavallalaug, Seljalandfoss and the Secret Lagoon

We started our the fifth day of our winter week in Iceland with a dawn visit to Skogafoss. We beat all of the tour buses there and managed to get the falls to ourselves for a few short minutes!

Our next stop was Seljavallalaug, Iceland’s oldest swimming pool. It is an 100-year old concrete pool fed by a natural hot spring. We knew the water wasn’t going to be warm enough for soaking (it is only 25C and most good hotsprings are 35-40C) so we didn’t bring our bathing suits. We enjoyed the short walk up the valley to check out the pool in winter. But first some adorable Icelandic horses in a nearby field totally distracted us. They have the best hair!

When we got back on to the highway we soon saw a car off the side of the road. It had spun out on the ice and gone through a wire fence into a farmer’s field. As we drove past we saw that there were still people in the car. We stopped immediately and ran to help. There were two American women in the car and thankfully they were fine, but the car was really stuck. Another tourist stopped too. He offered to drive the Americans to find a tractor to pull them out so we continued on our way to Seljalandfoss.

On our second visit to Seljalandfoss the weather was a little calmer.  (Thankfully there was no sideways snow this time!) We brought our microspikes so we could walk up the ice covered staircase and go behind the falls. Several inches of bumpy ice covered the entire pathway and cave behind the falls. Such a cool experience! There were lots of other tourists at the falls but no one else had spikes. So we were some of the only people behind the falls.

After leaving Seljalandfoss we turned away from the South Coast and headed towards the Golden Circle. Our last stop of the day was the hotsprings at the Secret Lagoon in the town of Flúðir. (A winter week in Iceland would not be complete without a visit to some hot springs!) There has been a pool at that hot spring since the late 1800s, but it was abandoned in the 1940s after a more modern swimming pool was built. The pool filled with sediment and was forgotten until the owners refurbished it and opened in 2016 as the Secret Lagoon.

The Secret Lagoon is a natural geothermal hot spring piped into a man made pool with an attached changing facility and lounge (similar to the Blue Lagoon but on a much smaller scale). However, the pool at the Secret Lagoon still looks like a natural hot spring with rock and moss walls surrounding it. They even kept the old and crumbling original changing house.

And the best part: there is a mini-geysir right next to the pool that goes off every few minutes. And when it goes off, the water in the part of the pool nearest to the geysir gets hotter! So cool! I’ve been to quite a few hotsprings in Iceland, but the Secret Lagoon is my new favourite. It was too rainy when we arrived at the hot springs and too dark when we left so I don’t have any good photos. So here’s one from their website:

After our soak in the Secret Lagoon we headed to over to our hotel in Reykholt, Guesthouse Fagrilundur. This was the cutest place we stayed on our trip. It’s a two story wooden house that looks like a ski chalet. It’s set in its own grove of trees (a rarity in Iceland!) so it was very peaceful. Rather than trying to do the whole Golden Circle in one day from Reykjavik, consider staying the night. That way you get some of the sights to yourself in the evenings and the early mornings. There are lots of small towns to stay in. We stayed in Reykholt, but you could also book accommodation in Laugarvatn, Flúðir or Skalholt.

A Winter Week in Iceland Day 6: Gullfoss and Thingvellir

Once again we were on the road early to make it to Gullfoss for first light. It’s one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the world and was spectacular on our previous summer visit to Iceland. I had hoped for a spectacular sunrise, but sadly the low clouds stuck around. The paths around the falls were really icy so we were glad we had our microspikes. Unfortunately the path down to the lower viewing platform was closed for the winter because it was too icy, so we could only view the falls from above.

After Gullfoss we skipped Geysir (it was raining and we had seen it before), and headed to Thingvellir in hopes of better weather. The weather was crazy windy (typical Iceland) so we spent a little bit of time exploring the rift. We even saw people getting into wet suits to go snorkelling between the tectonic plates in Silfra! We hoped to spend more time walking the trails, but the wind picked up more and it started to rain heavily, so we decided to cut our losses and head to Reykjavik.

On the way we made a quick stop at Alafoss in Mosfellsbaer, Iceland’s oldest wool factory, to buy a handknit lopapeysa sweater for Greg. Then we checked in to our Airbnb, cooked some dinner, and vegged out on the couch, thankful we were out of the rain.

A Winter Week in Iceland Day 7: Reykjavik

On the last full day of our winter week in Iceland we headed back to Hallgrimskirkja to go up the tower. It’s not the tallest building in Iceland anymore, but it is a lot taller than pretty much everything else, so the view is great. The colourful houses of Reykjavik really stand out from above. (If you’re curious, the tallest building is an office tower in Kopavogur, a suburb of Reykjavik, that is a whole 3.5 meters taller than Hallgrimskirkja).

Next we walked over to Harpa, the concert hall and conference space on the waterfront. The architecture here is like nothing I’ve ever seen: tessellated glass and mirrors mixed with hard concrete and straight lines. We spent a surprisingly long time wandering around gawking at it from different angles.

We had lunch at Saegreifinn (Sea Baron (killer fish skewers) and then did some window shopping along Laugavegur. That night we splurged on a fancy dinner at Snaps Bistro to celebrate a fabulous trip in Iceland. We flew home the following day, sad to leave Iceland yet again, and once again vowing to return. (Maybe in fall next time? I haven’t been in fall yet!)

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about my winter week in Iceland. If you are planning your own trip to Iceland don’t forget to check out my post about things you might not know about winter in Iceland.

The post A Winter Week in Iceland: 35 Photos That Will Make You Want to Visit appeared first on Dawn Outdoors.

Hey there: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase. Thanks for supporting my website! -Taryn

Off Season Sightseeing

Tourism in Iceland has exploded, and winter is no longer the slow season it once was. It is still a bit quieter than the peak summer season though. You will find crowds at the more popular attractions, but once you get out of reach of the bus tours , you can have some places mostly to yourself. (My tip is to hit attractions at off-peak times for the bus tours, such as sunrise or sunset.)

It’s worth noting that some of the signature sights aren’t available in the winter in Iceland: The puffins will be out in the Atlantic until the spring, snow covers the ubiquitous moss, and all the sheep are inside warm barns. As well, some areas are closed due to winter conditions. This includes the highlands and the popular hiking areas of Landmannalaugar and Thorsmork. Other areas might be partially closed due to slippery conditions, such as some of the viewpoints at Gullfoss and the hiking trails above Skogafoss.

But there are some experiences you can only have in the winter in Iceland: seeing the aurora borealis, icicle draped waterfalls, snow covered mountains and going on a glacier ice cave tour.

Short Days

In the summertime, Iceland is the land of the midnight sun and it never really gets dark. The opposite is true in the winter in Iceland. The days are short with sunrise around 10:30am and sunset around 4:30pm. That gives you about 6 hours of full daylight to get your sightseeing in. Yet, the blue hours around dawn and dusk last nearly an hour, which give you plenty of beautiful light for photos. On my recent trip, we noted the sunrise and sunset times for each day and planned to be at our first stop of the day in time for the sunrise.

Winter Driving

Winter driving in Iceland is no joke since the roads can often be a sheet of ice or covered in wet snow. If you aren’t used to driving in winter conditions, it can be a bit scary.  If you rent a car make sure you get one with studded tires and 4 wheel drive. Even with the proper vehicle you should still drive slowly and cautiously. (We met two American women who spun out into a farmer’s field in an all-wheel drive Subaru with studded tires!) Check the weather and road conditions before you set out each day. (Bookmark umferdin.is and vedur.is for that.)

But don’t let me scare you off renting a car if you are comfortable with winter driving. It’s the best way to see Iceland! (And there’s no shame in being too scared to self-drive. If that’s you, there are tons of bus tours or smaller super jeep tours you can book).

Winter Weather

While it is called “ice” land, it’s actually not that cold in the winter in Iceland. Temperatures hover just above or below freezing so you will need winter clothes, but not full on polar explorer winter clothes. However, it seems like it is always windy in Iceland. The wind can make it feel much, MUCH colder than the thermometer says it is.  Since the temperature can be just above freezing, it is often warm enough to rain in the winter in Iceland. Make sure your packing list includes rain gear, and warm layers to go underneath.

The weather in Iceland is always very changeable. I’ve experienced sun, rain, snow, hail, fog and harsh wind, all in the same day in Iceland. Even with all that changeability, the winter weather in Iceland is usually on the overcast and grey side. It doesn’t make the landscape any less beautiful, and it makes those moments of sunshine even more special.

Seeing the Northern Lights

All that darkness, combined with its northern latitude, make Iceland a great location to see the Northern Lights. (Aurora-based tours are very popular. ) However, if you have your own rental car or are travelling outside of Reykjavik, you don’t need to go on a tour. You just need to keep an eye on the aurora forecast, then drive somewhere dark. Keep in mind that Iceland’s typically cloudy weather may make it impossible to spot the Northern Lights. I was in Iceland for 7 nights and unfortunately did not see the aurora borealis 🙁

You Will Still Want to go Swimming

Just because it’s cold outside doesn’t mean Icelanders stop going to swimming pools and hot pots. Everyone in Iceland loves swimming, every town has a swimming pool and Iceland’s official road atlas has a map at the back that shows the location of every swimming pool in Iceland. It’s a national pastime. The pools use naturally occurring geothermal heat from the volcanoes underneath the country and can be quite warm. So don’t forget to pack your bathing suit. Sitting in the steaming water of a hot pool surrounded by snow is a quintessentially Icelandic winter experience. The Blue Lagoon is on many people’s bucket list (and it is a unique experience) but on my recent winter trip I found the laid back old-school vibe of the newly opened Secret Lagoon to be more my style. We also visited Seljavallalaug, Iceland’s oldest swimming pool, but with water temperatures at only 25C, it felt too cold outside to get in. (For comparison, most hot pools are around 35-40C).

The Locals Wear Wool Sweaters (That Make the Best Souvenirs)

A handknit Icelandic wool sweater, called a lopapeysa is the best souvenir you can buy for winter in Iceland. They are knit from a thick wool that is a bit scratchy, but super warm. Locals wear them all winter in Iceland since they are far warmer than other sweaters.

I bought one during my first trip there in May of 2014 but it wasn’t really cold enough to wear it. I brought my lopapeysa to Iceland with me on my recent winter trip and was so glad I did. It was warmer than my fleece jacket! Plan to buy a lopapeysa at the beginning of your trip. That way you’ll have something super warm to wear, you’ll have a unique handmade souvenir and you won’t have to pack as many warm layers from home. Plus if you wear your lopapeysa in Iceland and have fair colouring like my husband, people might even mistake you for a local.

The best place to buy a genuine handknitted lopapeysa is at Alafoss in Mosfellsbaer (a suburb of Reykjavik) or at the Handknitting Association of Iceland Shop on Skólavörðustígur in central Reykjavik. (Avoid the made-in-China knock-offs sold at tons of shops on Laugavegur.) You might find the prices for these sweaters a little shocking compared to a chain store wool sweater you can buy at home, but keep in mind that these are hand knit in Iceland, from wool that was grown, harvested, spun and dyed in Iceland. And that almost nothing in Iceland is cheap. I think lopapeysa are well worth the price.

Check out my full day by day trip report post if you want to hear all about my winter trip to Iceland. Would you travel to Iceland in the winter? Or would you prefer seeing it in the summer time? Tell me in the comments. (For me, it’s like asking me to choose which child I love more!)

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