Which season is better for traveling?

It really depends on who you ask of course. If you asked me – both seasons provide amazing experiences in one of the most spectacular countries in the world. Each season has its pros and cons. So… which one is better is strictly depending on you.

Summer Pros

If it is your first time traveling to Iceland, I believe summer has the advantage. The daylight is long. At times, it doesn’t get dark until close to midnight. Midnight sun? Yes, that’s possible. It is amazing if you’re road tripping because you can cover a lot of ground in daylight for awhile. There are numerous places to see and with daylight, it is so much easier to sightsee and do any touristy things. I’d say this is a huge pro for Summer.

It is also warmer during the summer months. Does it get hot? No, it doesn’t get hot hot in Iceland. It is still advisable to bring a warm jacket or fleece. It is also advisable to bring rain gear or anything waterproof because when the rain doesn’t get you, the waterfall will. However, it is not frigid cold like winter will be. It can still be windy and wet, but a nice beautiful sunny day can happen as well.

Another pro for summer is most of the roads are open. The F roads are only open during summer months, and this is essential to get to some of Iceland most amazing spots. Iceland is huge for road trippers and campers. When roadtripping, having open roads is key to get to places and get to places safely. The roads are nice especially for the ring road; however, there are many unpaved gravel roads. When road tripping in the summertime, it is possible to venture off the ring road and go to far away places like West Fjords or driving from South to North and back. The possibility is endless. It is safer to drive during the summertime though sand and ash can still get you.

Lastly, Puffins and other wildlife watching. If you would like to see Puffins, summer months would be a lot better. However, don’t wait until late summer like August as Puffins may not still stick around. It is also better in summertime to go whale watching and possibility to see other wildlife out and about. Snorkeling is also probably a lot better in the summer.

Summer Cons

One of the biggest cons traveling in the summer is the crowd. Tourists will be plentiful in the summer. Flights and prices can be more expensive, and things are already expensive already in Iceland. Iceland is getting more popular by the day and the crowd is getting real. There was a time when there were more sheep than people. Nowadays, there are more tourists than sheep.

Other con would be no visiting ice caves in the summertime. There may be slight possibility, but the safety is questionable and most of reputable guide probably will not take you. If ice caving is one of the reasons you want to go Iceland, then, consider a colder time.

Lastly – many people go to Iceland for northern light but no northern light in summer usually. Though, it can be possible, it is less likely to see it during summer months.

Winter Pros

It is totally a different vibe in the winter time in Iceland and it is also amazing to me. The coolest pro is it is definitely a little less crowded in wintertime. We found travel deals as cheap as $499 in the past. That’s dirt cheap. However, you’ll be paying everything for more as soon as you land there. Believe me, there’s nothing that is absolutely dirt cheap in Iceland.

Several pros with the cold temp are the beautiful frozen waterfalls to see and all of the beautiful ice caves and glaciers. Surprisingly however, diamond beach almost had no hunk of ice when we visited during the wintertime. There were more in the summer for us anyway.

One of the most breathtaking things in winter is, the sun starts rising at around 9 to 10 AM. The day doesn’t start too early, and you can actually sleep in a little. When the sun is out, it has the golden hour almost sunset look for a long time, and it is such a treat to see the sun hangs so low for so long. There’s almost no effort for sunrise and sunset catching.

The cold temp is also great for soaking at the Blue Lagoon or the Sky Lagoon or any other outside geothermal bath. It’s great in the summer too; however, it’s even better when it’s cold outside.

Lastly, Northern Light possibility. You definitely still need to track it. There are various apps to download to chase Ms. Aurora such as Aurora Forecast, Hello Aurora, Aurora Pro, etc. Tips to give you extra chance is to travel here not during full moon. Full moon is too bright for it. Even so, then you still need to have a clear sky without clouds.

Winter Cons

The biggest con is the short daylight. Five to six hours of daylight if you’re lucky is not a lot of time to sight see. It also takes longer to get places due to winter weather. It is advisable to check roads using app that’s available. You’re also limited to stay in the South Coast closer to Reykjavik. It is hard to drive to the north without worrying about road safety. Places such as Glacier Lagoon is probably the farthest place you can get to in wintertime for a day trip. Of course, with proper planning and checking road conditions diligently, you may be able to get farther. Most of the F roads are closed during the winter months and these are the roads that will take you to the more breathtaking spots that usually are super remote.

I’m not sure if this is a con; however, you do need more gears for wintertime travel because it’s cold and windy. Proper waterproof gear, warm fleece or sweater/parka, proper winter boots, hats, gloves, etc. It is also advisable to travel with some type of cleats for your shoes as many places will be very icy. Crampons can come very handy. It can be a con as these gears can be pricy.

So – which one do you prefer? Again, if it’s your first time, I believe summer will give the most bang for your buck. You can also do it like what we did. We first went in the summer; then, a couple years later, we came back in the winter. It was great both times and we still want to go back for more.