Planning a trip to Iceland in the summer is super exciting, but can be confusing. Here are my answers to your questions, and my top tips for your trip – including hiring a car, where to stay, how to budget and save money, and what to pack for the weather.
Updated: January 2025
Iceland in the summer is an amazing travel destination. The summer months of June, July and August are a great time to visit Iceland. The volcanic landscape comes alive with lush green vegetation and flowers. Although the weather might not always be perfect, you can still enjoy loads of different outdoor activities in Iceland in the summer. Here are my top tips and answers to the most common questions for your trip to Iceland in the summer.
1. Do I need to hire a car in Iceland in the summer?
Yes, you should definitely hire a car to enjoy the best of Iceland’s scenery in the summer. Driving in Iceland is easy, and you need a car to be able to explore some of the best scenic sights and activities.
A lot of the time when travelling I try to use public transport as much as possible, but in Iceland a car really felt worth it. Nothing compares to the freedom of being able to stop for photos whenever you like, or spend a bit longer somewhere without being restricted by bus times. Plus a car means you can avoid the crowds of the coach tours and really appreciate the beautiful isolation on this island.
Driving in Iceland is easy – the roads are well maintained, not busy, and well sign-posted. Which is just as well, as some days I had over 6 hours of driving. It’s easy to just carry to driving when the scenery is so amazing! There’s a ring road which goes all the way around the island, and then other roads just off the ring road. Even driving in Reykjavik, the capital city, is easy – so much easier than driving in most other European capital cities. You definitely wouldn’t be able to see as much of Iceland’s gorgeous summer scenery without a car.
2. What’s the weather like in Iceland in the summer?
Summer in Iceland generally covers the months of June, July and August. The weather during these summer months can be very mixed. You might be lucky and get sunny weather, clear blue skies, and temperatures in the 20s (Celsius). Or, you might have days of heavy rainy and strong winds. The weather can be really unpredictable, so it’s impossible to know what you’re going to get ahead of time.
The weather can change frequently in Iceland. You might have 3 or 4 different types of weather within a single day. So it’s best to be prepared for a range of weather. And if you’ve got time, plan to stay in Iceland for at least 5 days, and ideally longer. This way, you’ll be able to plan your priority activities on the best weather days. And a couple of more windy or rainy days won’t stop you doing your top things.
3. How many days do I need in Iceland?
As many as you can! If you’re really tight for time, you can see some of the top sights near Reykjavik in 3 days. In 3 days, you’ll be able to see Iceland’s Golden Circle, the Blue Lagoon, and spend a bit of time in Reykjavik.
However, I definitely recommend spending longer in Iceland. If you can spend a whole week in Iceland, you’ll be able to see some of the top sights and also drive around some of the ring road. With one week in Iceland, you can visit the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, and also visit Heimaey Island to see puffins. You can see my one week itinerary in Iceland here.
If you want to drive around the whole ring road and stop at places all around Iceland, then you’ll need 10 days or two weeks. You can easily spend more time than this if you want longer stops around the ring road. There’s so much beautiful scenery and great hiking opportunities, as well as wildlife watching opportunities, so you could easily spend weeks in Iceland in the summer and not get bored.
4. What is the best month to visit Iceland in the summer?
I think the best month to visit Iceland in the summer is early July. Although anytime in June, July or August can be great.
The longest daylight hours in Iceland are at the end of June. So if you want long daylight hours for your activities, try visiting in late June or early July.
August also has long daylight hours, although there will be some darkness. August can be busier as it’s the time of year when many countries have school holidays. So the top tourist places can be busier, and accommodation can be more expensive.
I think early July is a great time to visit. You get long daylight hours, and a good chance of dry, sunny weather. And it’s a bit cheaper than if you visited in August.
5. Is there anything I need to know about the roads in Iceland?
The main thing to know about driving the roads in Iceland is that you should avoid ‘F roads’ when driving if you don’t have a 4×4 vehicle. There are strict rules in Iceland about only 4×4 vehicles being allowed in the highlands in the centre of Iceland, on the so-called unpaved ‘F roads’. So unless you hire a 4×4 vehicle, it’s best to stick to the main roads that are tarmacked and easy to drive on.
I was in Iceland for a week and it didn’t feel restricting to have to avoid the highlands in the centre. There’s so much amazing scenery everywhere you look. I stuck to the ring road and other roads that branch off the ring road, and these were easy to drive on. But if you’re set on a trip into the centre, hiring a 4×4 vehicle is a must.
6. Can I base myself in Reykjavik and still see Iceland’s highlights?
Yes – if you don’t want to keep changing hotels, you can base yourself in Reykjavik and do long day trips.
A lot of Iceland itineraries focus on driving around the whole ‘ring road’. And while this type of trip can be amazing, it’s not for everyone. To drive around the whole ring road, you’d need to change hotels every night or two. And some people – including myself – prefer to stay in one base for longer. In Iceland, you can spend a week in Reykjavik and see a great variety of things on long day trips.
There aren’t many places in the world where I’d choose to use the centre of the capital city as my base for a week to drive out and explore the country, but in Iceland it worked really well.
I stayed in an apartment in Reykjavik for a whole week and just did day trips from city. I didn’t want to keep changing hotels, and I wanted to stay in a self-catering apartment so I could cook my own meals. There was very little traffic, and within 5-10 minutes you can be on the ‘ring road’, the main road that goes around the island. Also, there aren’t many other major towns to base yourself in – especially if you want a supermarket so you can self-cater and avoid some of the famously expensive Iceland food prices.
Driving is easy in Iceland in the summer, so long day trips are easily possible – to the West to Snaefellsnes Peninsula, or to the East to the Westman Islands – both are easily possible as day trips. The long daylight hours in Iceland really help make long day trips really easy, as you won’t need to drive in the dark.
7. What should I wear in Iceland in the summer?
Even though I was in Iceland in early July, so what should have been summer, it definitely wasn’t warm or dry – rarely above 10 degrees and several rainy days in the week. I don’t think I stepped outside without a thick coat on all week. And by the sea with the wind blowing, it was cold. I was wearing a thick, waterproof coat and waterproof overtrousers. I also had an additional warm fleece that I could wear underneath my coat on colder days. For footwear, a pair of waterproof hiking boots was essential – especially for any walking off the main tourist paths.
I’ve heard other people say they had lovely weather when visiting Iceland in the summer, enjoying 20 degrees and comfortably wearing jeans and t-shirts in the sun. So maybe I was just particularly unlucky with the weather in the week I visited. But it’s still definitely best to be prepared for a variety of different weathers and take a variety of layers of clothing. Layers are best, as then you can add or take off layers each day depending on the weather. And something waterproof is essential.
As the saying goes, there’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad choice of clothing. So make sure you’re prepared for whatever the weather might throw at you!
8. Where can I see puffins in Iceland in the summer?
A highlight of visiting Iceland in the summer is the chance to see puffins. These seabirds are really cute, and a highlight for any bird-watcher.
The best place to see puffins in Iceland in the summer is on Heimaey Island. This small island, just off the south coast of Iceland, has puffins nesting here in the spring and summer. If you’re lucky, you can see puffins flying around and also going into their nests in small burrows on the grassy cliffs.
You can get to Heimaey Island on the car ferry, so if you’ve hired a car in Iceland you can take the car with you. The island isn’t huge, but it’s good to have the car if you don’t want to be hiking too far. The best puffing viewing places on Heimaey Island are at the far end of the island, as far from the ferry port as you can get.
9. What is the best season to visit Iceland – summer or winter?
A lot of people ask whether they should visit Iceland in the summer or winter, and which is best. The answer is – both times of year are great! Iceland in summer and winter are really different, so it’s difficult to say which season is best.
Summer in Iceland brings long daylight hours, and it’s the perfect time for bird-watching and enjoying hiking around Iceland’s green volcanic landscape.
Winter in Iceland brings snow and harsh weather. It’s a great time to visit if you want to see the Northern Lights, or take part in winter-y outdoor activities in the snow. It’s also the best time to see whales in Iceland.
Both summer and winter in Iceland are amazing, but they’re so different. I think it’s best to visit at both times of the year to see the different sides of this island.
10. Is Iceland expensive?
Yes, Iceland is a more expensive destination than many other countries in the world. Accommodation prices can be high, but the biggest shock for travellers is the high food and drink prices. You also need to factor in the cost of hiring a car, or paying for expensive guided tours. Iceland isn’t a budget destination like South East Asia.
However, there are ways to make visiting Iceland more affordable and budget-friendly. Book accommodation and car hire far in advance to get the best rates. And you can stay in self-catering accommodation in Reykjavik so you can cook for yourself and not have to pay restaurant prices for food for every meal. The tap water in Iceland is safe to drink, so you can drink tap water and not have to buy bottled water.
11. Is Iceland safe for solo female travellers?
Iceland is one of the safest countries in the world. It’s a really safe destination for solo female travellers. The reports of crime in Iceland are some of the lowest in the world.
Of course, if you’re travelling in Iceland as a solo female traveller, you’ll still need to take the usual safety precautions. Be careful walking around the more remote parts of Reykjavik alone at night, especially if you’re drunk. Don’t leave valuables unattended. And if you’re going out hiking in the wilderness on your own, make sure you tell someone where you are going and what time to expect you back. But if you follow the usual safety precautions, Iceland can be really safe and enjoyable for solo female travellers.
12. What type of accommodation should I stay in Iceland to save money?
Iceland is famous for being expensive, and it’s true that a lot of things are expensive. One way of saving money is to stay in self-catering accommodation so you don’t need to go to a restaurant for dinner every night. You can find self-catering apartments on websites such as airbnb or booking.com.
Of course it’s still nice to try the local food (anything with fish tasted amazing), but it can get expensive eating out every night. I liked having the option to just grab some things from a supermarket and cook to save money. If you’re really into trying the local cuisine, maybe find a local recipe to try cooking yourself!
Hostels are another great option for budget-friendly accommodation in Iceland. Iceland is generally a really safe country, so the hostels are generally really safe. You can look for hostels with shared cooking facilities as well.
13. Where can I buy alcohol in Iceland?
In Iceland, you’ll need to buy alcohol in separate alcohol shops, not a supermarket. Supermarkets in Iceland don’t sell alcohol, so if you want a bottle of wine or a beer, you’ll need to head to one of the specific alcohol shops. There are plenty around so they’re not difficult to find. And again, Iceland is expensive, but buying a bottle of wine from one of these shops is far cheaper than buying one in a restaurant or bar.
14. Where are the best bird-watching spots in Iceland?
As well as being able to see puffins on Heimaey Island, there are lots of other good bird-watching spots in Iceland. The Snaefellsnes Peninsula on the Western tip of Iceland is one of the best birdwatching spots in Iceland. You can see nesting seabirds here in the spring and summer.
A highlight for me was seeing kittiwakes and fulmars nesting here in early July. There were also colonies of guillemots and razorbills nearby.
15. What are the daylight hours in Iceland in the summer?
The daylight hours in Iceland in the summer are long!
Iceland is far north, which means in the winter it doesn’t get much daylight, but in the summer it doesn’t get much darkness. I visited in early July, which is close to the longest day in Iceland in late June. I didn’t stay up all night just to see if it went dark, but whenever I woke up through the night (midnight, 2am, 4am etc) it wasn’t dark outside. It got darker, and it wasn’t bright sunlight all through the night, but it definitely wasn’t dark outside.
So if you’re a light sleeper and you’re not sure how thick the curtains will be in your hotel room, take an eye mask to pretend it’s dark!
16. How can I take the best photos in Iceland in the summer?
The scenery in Iceland in the summer is so beautiful, it’s so easy to take great photos. And it’s easy to take many hundreds, or even thousands, of photos on your trip.
For the best photos, visit the locations you really want to take great photos of on the sunnier days. You’ll be able to get some stunning photos of Iceland’s volcanic areas with blue sky in the background. But even on a cloudy rainy day, the volcanoes still look really atmospheric and you can get some great photos. The unique scenery is just so different from pretty much any other country in the world you’ll definitely want to remember it.
You can get great photos of the scenery of Iceland just using your phone. However, if you’re interested in wildlife photography and want to take photos of birds and whales, you’ll need a bigger camera with a zoom lense. If you’re taking a DSLR camera, make sure you’ve got a lense with a good zoom. If you don’t want to take multiple lenses, consider looking at bridge cameras with a fixed lense. And take plenty of memory cards for your camera as well.
To get some ideas for the great photos you can take in Iceland in the summer, check out my guide to pictures in Iceland.
17. Can I see the Northern Lights in Iceland in the summer?
The short answers is no, you cannot see the Northern Lights in Iceland in the summer. The main reason for this is that it doesn’t get dark enough. In the middle of summer in Iceland, there’s hardly any darkness, even at night. For the Northern Lights to be visible, you need dark and clear skies. So the lack of darkness means that you are extremely unlikely to see any Northern Lights activity in Iceland in the summer.
You might get lucky and see some Northern Lights activity in Iceland in the spring and autumn. But for the best chances of seeing the Northern Lights, you’ll need to visit in the dark winter months. The best months are December, January and February. In these months, the dark skies give a great chance of seeing the Northern Lights. But you’ll still need to be lucky, to have clear skies and good solar activity.
18. What are the top things to do in Iceland in the summer?
There’s so much to do in Iceland in the summer, it can be hard to choose activities for your stay. What you choose to do will depend on your top interests. But some of the top things to do in Iceland could include:
- Seeing Iceland’s Golden Circle, visiting the waterfall Gullfoss and the Geysir
- Swimming in Iceland’s Blue Lagoon
- Seeing puffins on Heimaey Island
- Walking behind a waterfall at Seljalandsfoss
- Seeing nesting seabirds and volcanic beaches on Snaefellsnes Peninsula
- Riding Icelandic horses
- Walking underground through Lava Caves
- Climbing to the top of a volcano on Heimaey Island
- Enjoying Reykjavik’s top city sights and nightlife
You can read more about all of these activities on my guide to one week in Iceland.
19. Do I need a strict plan for driving and activities in Iceland?
No – it’s best not to have a strict plan for your days out in Iceland and to take detours during the day. I’m usually a massive planner (sometimes too much…but that’s another story). But in Iceland, I actually really enjoyed not having a strict plan.
I had a vague idea for each day – for example one day I planned to drive West, and another day planned to drive East. But some of my favourite moments were when I took a detour down a side road just because there was a volcano I wanted to get a closer look at. On these roads, you can be the only car even though it’s the peak summer tourist season, and it gives you a chance to really appreciate how remote and unpopulated this island is.
20. Can you see whales in Iceland in the summer?
Yes, you can go whale-watching and see whales in Iceland in the summer. The long daylight hours means there’s plenty of chances to take a whale-watching boat trip. You can see humpback whales, orca and more.
There are some whale-watching boat trips from Reykjavik. However, whale watching in Iceland is best in the North. In the north of Iceland, you’ve got the best chance of seeing whales in the summer. It’s too far to drive there in a day from Reykjavik, so if you’re serious about seeing whales in Iceland in summer, you’ll need to plan to stay in the north of Iceland for a few days. And make sure you stay for several days, as bad weather can often cancel boat trips.
21. Is there anything else I should know about Iceland in the summer?
The main thing is just to enjoy your trip! Being in Iceland felt incredibly special, just because the scenery is unlike anything you’ll see anywhere else in the world. Iceland in the summer is a fantastic mix of amazing scenery, great wildlife watching, and fascinating volcanic sights. I’m already desperate to go back. And when I do, there are even more things I want to see and do.
Enjoy your trip to Iceland in the summer with my top tips and answers to your questions. Remember to check out my itinerary for one week in Iceland, as well as the best pictures of Iceland in the summer. Iceland is a great destination for solo female travellers as well – check out my blogs about solo female travel here.
Awesome post! I’d love to visit this summer if I can, or at least once COVID is a distant memory. Thanks for the tips!
Thank you! I really hope you’re able to visit soon, as soon as it’s safe again, and I hope you enjoy your trip!
These tips are great 😊 I’ve never been to Iceland but it’s on my list. The landscapes and nature are stunning.
Absolutely loved Iceland when I first visited! Thank you for these helpful tips, that will help when I return 🙂
Glad it’s helpful! Iceland is such a unique and beautiful country, I can’t wait to return.
Iceland is very high on my bucket list, I’d love to explore the island and enjoy the unique scenery. Thanks for the great tips!
Anda