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Iceland in October

· Updated · BootsnAll

By October, Iceland is heading steadily toward winter. It gets colder, it rains a lot, and you lose daylight quickly. The good news is that, apart from the highlands and some remote corners, the country is still open for business, the summer crowds have gone home, and prices come down.

October is also one of my favorite months for the northern lights. The nights are long enough to give you a real shot, but it isn't yet so cold that standing in a dark field for an hour is miserable.

October weather and daylight

The Icelandic Met Office's Reykjavik averages for 1991-2020 put October's high at 7.6°C (46°F) and its low at 2.7°C (37°F). This page used to say October is the wettest month. It isn't, quite. Reykjavik averages about 80 mm of precipitation in October, less than September, November or December. It still rains often, and the wind picks up as autumn storms start rolling through.

Daylight drops by more than three hours over the month. On October 1 the sun rises at about 7:35am and sets just before 7pm. By October 31 sunrise is a little after 9am and sunset is around 5:15pm. Check your exact dates on timeanddate.com.

>> more on weather in Iceland

What you can do in October

You'll find some limits in October, but not so many that the trip stops being worth it. Many of the outdoor activities popular in summer carry on:

The harder-to-reach places are another story. Safetravel says the highland F-roads usually close in mid-September and don't reopen until June or July, so the interior is off the table unless you join a specialist tour. Parts of the Westfjords can also be slow going once the weather turns. Check umferdin.is before any long drive, since an early snowfall on a mountain pass can change your plans in an afternoon.

Northern lights

The aurora season is well underway. Tour companies such as Reykjavik Excursions run northern lights trips from September to mid-April, and Elding's northern lights cruise runs from September 1. Check the Met Office aurora forecast for cloud cover and activity. My full advice is on the northern lights page.

Events: what happened to Airwaves?

Older guides, including the first version of this page, will tell you Iceland Airwaves is an October festival. It was, from 1999 until 2014, when it moved to November. In 2026 it runs November 5-7 in downtown Reykjavik, so if you're visiting at the very end of October, it might be worth staying on a week. See Iceland in November.

October still has the Reykjavik International Film Festival (RIFF), which runs for 11 days across late September and early October. The 2026 edition is September 24 to October 4, with screenings at Háskólabíó and the Nordic House.

>> more on holidays and events in Iceland

Flights and prices

October is off-season. Flights to Iceland are usually cheaper than in summer, and hotels, car rentals and tours often cost less too. Fares move around a lot, so compare prices for your own dates rather than trusting anyone's rule of thumb.

Airlines have changed as well. Icelandair is the main carrier. WOW air and Iceland Express are gone, and PLAY stopped flying on September 29, 2025. The Keflavik Airport site shows who currently flies where.

Keflavik and the Blue Lagoon are both on the Reykjanes peninsula, where the Sundhnúkur craters near Grindavík erupted nine times between December 2023 and August 2025. The latest eruption ran from July 16 to August 5, 2025, and the Icelandic Met Office says magma is still building up. Check Safetravel before you go.

What to pack

Warm clothes are a must in October. Bring a warm, waterproof jacket and waterproof trousers, a hat, gloves, and good boots. If you're doing horseback riding or other guided activities, the tour company will generally provide specialist gear. Pack a swimsuit for the pools.

>> more on what to wear in Iceland in fall

FAQ

Is October a good time to visit Iceland?

Yes, if you can live with rain and shorter days. You get lower prices, fewer people at the big sights and a decent chance of northern lights. The trade-off is that the highlands are closed and your daylight shrinks from about 11 hours 20 minutes to about 8 hours over the month.

Can I drive the Ring Road in October?

Usually, yes, but the north and east can get snow, and conditions change quickly. Check umferdin.is every day and leave slack in your schedule. Our Ring Road guide has more.

>> see also Iceland in September, Iceland in November and Iceland in fall

Photo by Michiel Mulder Photography