Best time to visit Iceland

Iceland has no ideal window. No month clears the bar for comfortable travel outright, but May–Jul comes closest — rated fair rather than too hot, too cold or too wet.

Cold; brief mild summer

Best window
Jun–Aug
Driest month
May · 51% rainy days
Warmest month
July · 13.3°C / 56°F
Coolest month
January · 1.6°C / 35°F
Months rated go
0 of 12

Month by month

Monthly climate normals for Iceland, 1991–2020
MonthHigh °CHigh °FRainy daysVerdict
January1.63572%Too cold
February1.73569%Too cold
March2.33665%Too cold
April4.84159%Too cold
May8.14751%Fair
June11.45351%Fair
July13.35652%Fair
August12.65558%Too wet
September9.74969%Too wet
October5.84259%Too wet
November3.13866%Too cold
December1.83569%Too cold

Verdict combines mean daytime high with rainy-day frequency. “Rainy days” is the share of days in the month with at least 1 mm of rain.

What the numbers say

May is the driest month, with rain on 51% of days and daytime highs near 8.1°C (47°F). January is the wettest, at 72%. The warmest month is July at 13.3°C (56°F); the coolest is January at 1.6°C (35°F). The record rules out too cold in Nov–Apr; too wet in Aug–Oct.

Where else to go