Iceland in summer or winter? Light, roads and what to really expect

Summer: light that doesn't end

From June to August, Iceland is at its most open. The Ring Road circles the island without much difficulty, and from around late June, once the snow has melted and the ground dried out, the Highland roads usually open too. Only then can you reach the rhyolite mountains of Landmannalaugar, walk the Laugavegur trail, or travel the Westfjords with ease.

Summer is also the season of life. Puffins nest on the coastal cliffs, whale-watching boats leave Húsavík (sightings always depend on nature), and meadows in the East Fjords and along the roadsides turn purple with lupins. The long days let you travel slowly: dinner at nine, a walk to a waterfall afterwards, and it's still light.

The price is people and demand. July and August are the busiest months: the best-known waterfalls and viewpoints along the south coast see a lot of visitors, and the best stays in small villages and farms are booked well ahead. Nor does the weather promise anything: Icelandic summers are often cool, windy and changeable, so warm, waterproof layers matter in July too.

Winter: short days, long colours

In winter, Iceland contracts, but it doesn't diminish. Around mid-December the south-west gets only four or five hours of daylight, even less than Vilnius at the same time. But the light is remarkable: the sun stays low all day, so morning turns into sunset with barely a midday in between, and snow, ice and black sand take on pinks and blues you won't see in summer.

Dark nights bring the chance of the northern lights. It is only a chance: they need clear skies and an active sun, so one week may bring several displays and the next none at all. It's best to treat the aurora as a gift rather than the point of the trip. Other winter experiences depend more on you: walks to frozen waterfalls, hot springs steaming in the cold air and, when conditions allow, ice caves in the Vatnajökull glacier, visited only with a guide.

In winter the roads become the main question. The Ring Road is usually cleared, but storms and strong winds can close it temporarily, and the Highland roads stay shut all winter. For a short winter journey we usually suggest the south-west and the south coast – the Golden Circle, Vík and the glacier lagoon – with a driver or guide rather than self-driving. A winter route should be shorter, with a spare day in case the weather changes the plan.

How to choose

A few simple pointers that usually settle it:

• Choose summer if you want to drive the whole island, hike in the Highlands or the Westfjords, see seabirds and whales, or travel with children through long, bright days.
• Choose winter if you're drawn to low light, snow and quiet, want a short trip for two with warm places to stay, and are at peace with the aurora perhaps not appearing.
• If driving yourself and moving freely matters most, summer is far simpler.
• If you only have five or six days, winter can be the more interesting choice: a smaller route, but every day different.

In Iceland you choose the light first; everything else follows from it.

For travellers from Lithuania there's a practical side too. Winter Iceland fits neatly into a long weekend plus a few days' leave – one of the closest places where the dark season can be lived quite differently from home. A summer trip around the island usually needs ten to twelve days, so it suits the main annual holiday better. School-holiday months coincide with the busiest season there, so families should plan especially early.

The months in between

September and early October are many people's favourite. Days are still reasonably long, there are fewer visitors, the roads are usually open, and the darkening evenings bring the first chance of the aurora. Highland roads generally close at some point in September, depending on the year, so for hiking there it's best to aim for early in the month. Spring – April and May – brightens quickly, but there's still snow in the mountains, and some roads and trails stay closed longer than you'd expect.

Either way, conditions vary from year to year, so it's worth matching dates to what matters most to you, and planning and booking ahead for the busiest summer weeks.

Why some come back for both

Summer and winter Iceland are so different that plenty of travellers return a second time, in the other season. The first trip is often summer, all the way around the island; the second, a short winter week in the south, when snow on the lava fields and ice in the lagoon look like another country altogether.

Tell us when you could travel, how much you'd like to drive and what matters most – light, hiking, wildlife or quiet – and we'll start shaping your Iceland from there.