Iceland in Spring

Spring in Iceland is like spring in much of Europe and North America: rough and cold at the start, pleasant and mild by the end. Teasing warm days alternate with cold, wet ones as the winds change and fronts come and go. Over the weeks the temperatures rise, the rain eases off, and the days get very long, very quickly.

It's an underrated season. In March you can still catch the northern lights and ski near Reykjavik. By May the puffins are back, the evenings stay light until almost midnight, and hotel prices haven't jumped to summer levels yet.

Spring weather, month by month

These are Reykjavik averages for 1991-2020 from the Icelandic Met Office, with daylight for 2026. Iceland doesn't use daylight saving time, so sunrise and sunset stay put from year to year.

March is still winter in all but name, with snow and sleet common. April is changeable. May is the pick of the three: it's one of the driest months of the year in Reykjavik and, on average, the sunniest, with about 209 hours of sunshine against 190 in June. By the end of May the sun rises before 3:30am and sets after 11pm, so it never gets properly dark. More on that in experiencing the midnight sun.

>> more on weather in Iceland

>> what to wear in Iceland in spring

What to do in spring

Visitors who come in spring get a bit of both worlds: lower prices and fewer crowds than summer, and a steady improvement in the weather. You can base yourself in Reykjavik and book a few day tours, or drive yourself around the southwest, where the main roads are usually clear by April. Check umferdin.is before any drive in March, when snow is still likely.

• Northern lights, until mid-April. Reykjavik Excursions runs its northern lights tour from September to mid-April, and Elding's northern lights cruise ends April 15. March, with its dark nights and slightly milder weather, is a good month to try. See viewing the northern lights.
• Skiing near Reykjavik. Bláfjöll is about 25 minutes from the city and can run well into spring in a snowy year. Up north, Akureyri has Hlíðarfjall. Opening depends on conditions, so check their sites on the day.
• Puffins, from late April. Elding's puffin trips from Reykjavik start on April 20.
• Whale watching runs all year from Reykjavik's Old Harbour.
• The classics: the Golden Circle, horseback riding, glacier walks, caving and snorkeling in Silfra, where the water is 2-4°C whatever the season.
• A soak. The Blue Lagoon is the famous one, but Reykjavik's city pools cost 1,500 ISK for an adult as of May 2026 and are where locals actually go.

The Blue Lagoon sits near Grindavík on the Reykjanes peninsula, where the Sundhnúkur craters erupted nine times between December 2023 and August 2025. The most recent 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 spring won't give you is the interior. Highland F-roads usually stay closed until June or July, so save the highlands for summer.

Festivals and holidays

Beer Day, March 1

Iceland banned alcohol in the 1910s, and although wine and then spirits came back in stages, strong beer stayed illegal until March 1, 1989. Some Icelanders mark the anniversary as Beer Day by, you guessed it, drinking beer, and some Reykjavik bars stay open late. Read up on drinking in Iceland before you order a round: it isn't cheap.

First Day of Summer

Under the old Norse calendar, summer starts in April. Sumardagurinn fyrsti falls on the first Thursday after April 18 (April 23 in 2026, April 22 in 2027). It's a public holiday with parades and events around the country, so expect some shops and offices to close. Don't expect summer weather, though.

Reykjavik Arts Festival

Older guides describe the Reykjavik Arts Festival (Listahátíð í Reykjavík) as a May event every year. It's now held every other year. The 2026 edition ran from May 30 to June 14, with concerts, theater, dance and exhibitions around the city. The next one hasn't been announced yet, so check the festival site for dates.

>> more on holidays and events in Iceland

Prices and flights

Spring is shoulder season. Hotel rates are generally lower than in summer, particularly in March and April, and airfare to Iceland is usually cheaper too. If your dates are fixed, book early anyway: prices climb as May turns into June.

Icelandair is the main airline to Iceland these days. WOW air and Iceland Express are gone, and PLAY stopped flying on September 29, 2025. The Keflavik Airport site lists current routes.

Spring month by month

• Iceland in March: late winter, northern lights, Beer Day
• Iceland in April: changeable weather, the First Day of Summer, the first puffins
• Iceland in May: long light evenings, dry and sunny by Icelandic standards

>> see also Iceland in winter, Iceland in summer and when to go to Iceland

Photo by kanelstrand