Things to do in Reykjavik in Winter

From the basics of ice skating on natural rinks to exuberant spectacles like the Northern Lights, there is plenty to see and do in Reykjavik and Iceland in general during the winter season, which runs from September to March or so.

I'll show you some of the must-do activities you have to try when you visit Iceland during this season. Just make sure to bring plenty of warm clothes because the average temperature is usually around 0ºC (32ºF).

During the winter, Lake Tjornin, which is located in the entire city center of Reykjavik, completely freezes over, giving locals and visitors the opportunity to try their hand at ice skating on one of the largest ice rinks in the city.

What better way to start the winter than skating? This lake has a depth of only 60 centimeters approximately, which allows it to freeze completely during the winter and be suitable for skating. In this way it becomes a natural rink available to everyone at no cost.

Interesting details

• Price: free.
• Duration: as long as you want.
• Means of transport: you can get there on foot from almost anywhere in the city of Reykjavik because it is located in the center of the city.
• Advantages of this activity: it is free and you can go as many times as you want during your stay in the city. It is a quiet plan that does not require traveling long distances. It is suitable for skaters of all levels.
• Disadvantages of this activity: you have to rent or buy your skates to be able to skate on the lake.

It is clear that the Northern Lights is one of the most beautiful spectacles that nature gives us, and one of the most emblematic places to enjoy this natural phenomenon is in Iceland, but it is a fact that only occurs during the winter season.

This phenomenon does not have a fixed date or a special place to appear, so these night tours to see the northern lights from Reykjavik depart to different places depending on where you find the best chance of getting northern lights.

Details of interest

• Price: this northern lights sighting tour can cost approximately 43 euros per person and upwards.
• Duration: the tour will take approximately 3 to 5 hours.
• Means of transportation: transportation is included from Reykjavik to the area where the northern lights can be seen. It is usually an equipped bus, with wifi included.
• Advantages of this excursion: you will explore the vast snowy territories accompanied by a large group of about 100 people. You have the opportunity to request a change of date to enjoy the tour, or a refund if the tour is cancelled due to bad weather. If you do not see the Northern Lights on the night of the tour, you may request to experience the tour again at no additional charge, but in that case you will not be able to request a refund. Child seats are available.
• Disadvantages of this tour: The tour may be cancelled due to bad weather. It is not wheelchair accessible. Sightings of the Northern Lights cannot be guaranteed because it is a natural phenomenon.

On this tour you will go by bus from Reykjavík to the start of the tour, where you will receive all the necessary equipment to climb and climb the snowy peaks in Skaftafell National Park. You will be able to see up close how the snow and melting ice form impressive fissures in the ice.

A spectacle you will appreciate are the snow-capped peaks that stand out in the imposing landscape of the National Park. This tour will take you to stay for an hour or an hour and a half on the compacted ice contemplating the snow, glaciers and snow-capped peaks. Definitely one of the best excursions and getaways from Reykjavik you will attend.

Details of interest

• Price: you can do this experience for an approximate fee of 80 euros per person.
• Duration: to tour much of the National Park and see the glacial fissures will take approximately three hours. The trip from Reykjavík to the glacier peaks can take 4.5 hours.
• Means of transportation: transportation to the climbing area is by bus with all amenities. Once you arrive at the excursion, the ascent to the glaciers and snow-capped mountains is on foot.
• Advantages of this excursion: you have access to the glacier and the Jokulsarlon lagoon. An expert guide will accompany you on your tour and answer all your questions.
• Disadvantages of this excursion: Children under 8 years old cannot participate in this excursion. Hiking boots are not included but you can rent them for an additional cost.

This is one of the must-do tours when you go to Reykjavik. It is a unique experience where you will have the opportunity to experience the wonder of man-made ice caves. Some glaciers in Iceland form caves during the winter as a result of the low temperatures.

During the walk inside the caves you will see the large structures that are formed during the season, and the designs that can be seen inside the caves, which have been formed by the freezing of the water and the winter process. The tour to the ice caves from Reykjavik is accessible for other languages through the audio guided tour via tablet.

Interesting details

• Price: the price you have to pay to enjoy this tour from Reykjavik is approximately 193 euros per person.
• Duration: the tour can last approximately 11 hours from the time you leave Reykjavik until you return.
• Means of transportation: you will board a bus equipped with all the comforts, which will allow you to travel calmly and safely.
• Advantages of this excursion: all taxes are included, as well as the pick up at the place of your accommodation or at the common stop destined to pick up travelers. Entrance fees to the different glaciers that form ice caves are included. Baby seats are available. The experience is available in all weather conditions.
• Disadvantages of this excursion: It is not accessible for people in wheelchairs. Food and beverages are not included.

One of the favorite activities for the locals when winter arrives, is to visit the hot springs that are found throughout Iceland. In fact, it is possible to make one of the best tours to the Blue Lagoon from Reykjavík or even visit other lagoons from Reykjavík.

Some of these tours offer a guided visit to the Blue Lagoon, while others offer the entrance to the Secret Lagoon, to visit either of the two you will have to embark on a trip through the Golden Circle and Kerid volcanic crater tour.

These lagoons are famous for having warm waters thanks to the fact that they are thermal. You will love to soak in them to take a break from the cold and snow. Besides, the scenery is incredible because while you bathe in hot water, what you see around you are vast snowy terrains.

Details of interest

• Price: if you do this activity together with the visit to the Golden Circle, you could pay approximately 52 euros.
• Duration: the duration of this experience can be approximately 7 and a half hours.
• Means of transportation: the ride from Reykjavik will be in a bus equipped with everything you need to travel.
• Advantages of this excursion: you will have the opportunity to swim in the Blue Lagoon and enter other interesting places of the Golden Circle such as Thingvellir National Park, Strokkur and Gullfoss Waterfall. It is a tour that you can enjoy in your language because it is available in 10 different languages. Child seats are available.
• Disadvantages of this tour: it is not wheelchair accessible. Hearing aids are not included for each person, so it is recommended that you bring your own. But if you don't, hearing aids are available for purchase on board.

One of the best excursions you can do from Reykjavik during the winter is the one that takes you to the Golden Circle, a tour that brings together some of the most impressive natural formations that stand out in Iceland.

During the tour you can visit the Thingvellir National Park which is where the division between the European and American continent is visible. A landscape worth enjoying. You can also see the Gullfoss waterfall, a particularly beautiful place for its large waterfall. Depending on the itinerary you will also visit the impressive volcanic crater lake Kerid and the geysers Geysir and Strokkur.

It is a good walk to do during the early winter months, when temperatures do not yet drop too much and the wind is less powerful. In addition, one of the advantages of enjoying this adventure in winter is that you can see how the landscape changes completely, becoming a complete snowy field.

Interesting details

• Price: to do the full tour you will have to pay an estimated €59 per person.
• Duration: to complete the tour in its entirety it will take approximately 8 hours.
• Means of transport: the tour can include pick-up at different bus stops depending on the proximity to the hotel where you are staying. The trip is done in a comfortable and equipped bus.
• Advantages of this excursion: if you are traveling aboard a cruise ship and you have little time to stay in Reykjavik, you will also have the possibility to have this experience. The entrance fee to the different places and natural parks that will be visited during the tour is included.
• Disadvantages of this tour: It is not suitable for people in wheelchairs. Food is not included, but you will have the possibility to buy it in the places designated for this purpose. The experience may be cancelled if the weather is bad or if the minimum quota of passengers is not reached.

If you're touring the most popular places during the winter, such as the Golden Circle, one thing I recommend doing is hopping on a snowmobile and going for a ride. Snowmobile tours from Reykjavik are one of the most fun activities loved by locals and visitors alike.

This activity is usually included in many tours to the Golden Circle. To do the motorcycle tour you must have a license to do it, if you do not have a license or do not know how to drive this type of motorcycles, then try to go with a person who does have the conditions to do it.

Details of interest

• Price: the activity together with the excursion to the Golden Circle can have an approximate price of 280 euros.
• Duration: the snowmobile ride can last from one to two hours.
• Means of transportation: if you go on the excursion to the Golden Circle, you will arrive at the place where you will board the snowmobiles in a properly equipped bus.
• Advantages of this excursion: in conjunction with the excursion to the Círculo Dorado, your pick-up and drop-off from and to the hotel is guaranteed. Also included is the use of helmet, winter pants, hat and gloves to drive the snowmobile.
• Disadvantages of this excursion: breakfast and lunch are not included. It is not accessible for people in wheelchairs. This tour is not recommended for pregnant women. Children under 6 years old cannot participate in the experience.

If you are a lover of nature, animals and especially dogs, then this activity is for you. It is an excursion through the countryside near Reykjavik aboard a dog sled. The ride will be led by an experienced musher. A musher is the person in charge of driving the sled.

You will learn a little about the history of this activity, you will be able to watch and pet the dogs, as well as learn about the different breeds that usually participate in this activity, their care and respect. The ride will last approximately one hour, in which you will live moments of extreme adventure.

Details of interest

• Price: approximately 215 euros per person.
• Duration: about an hour and a half to complete the whole experience.
• Means of transportation: you will have to get to the starting point on your own, which may vary depending on weather conditions. The rest of the tour is by snow sled or with wheels.
• Advantages of this excursion: you have access to thermal and waterproof suits, as well as winter boots if you don't have your own. You will be able to take short breaks to take pictures of everything you want.
• Disadvantages of this excursion: you need to have a body mass index of 30 or less. It is important that you are in good physical shape and do not weigh more than 95 kilograms to climb. It is not suitable for pregnant women or children under six years old.

In winter it is a good idea to take a guided walk along the entire south coast from Reykjavík. Your itinerary for this experience will start in Reykjavík, where you will be picked up at your hotel to begin your adventure. You will continue on to one of Iceland's most famous volcanoes to see it up close.

You will then continue to Skógafoss waterfall, only to continue to one of the most important glaciers on the island, which also houses the glacial lagoon of Jokulsarlon. On the way to the Icelandic waterfalls, you can stop at interesting villages and places to see the black sand that abounds in the area.

This is one of those must-do walks in the winter season because you will find different attractions along the way, which in summer is impossible to appreciate, such as the ice caves.

Interesting details

• Price: this experience has an approximate price of 137 euros per person.
• Duration: it is a full day experience that can last up to 14 hours.
• Means of transportation: from Reykjavík and during the whole tour, you will travel by bus with all comforts on board.
• Advantages of this excursion: you can choose the transfer option from the hotel and back. Likewise, you can ask for the transfer from the port and back if you are on a cruise ship. Wifi is included in the bus and it is equipped with air conditioning. Regular stops are made during the 14-hour tour. Seats are available for children.
• Disadvantages of this tour: this experience is not wheelchair friendly. Lunch is not included but you will have the opportunity to purchase lunch along the way. Not included in the price is the excursion to the glacier lagoon aboard a boat.

If there is one thing the locals love about winter, it is doing winter sports, such as snowboarding or snow skiing. In the case of this experience, it is not an excursion, but rather specific places very close to Reykjavik where you can go to practice this sport.

In the different places where you can go to practice these sports activities, you will be able to rent skiing or snowboarding equipment. They also offer an hourly rate and are usually open late into the night.

Details of interest

• Price: the price is determined by each place where these sports are practiced.
• Duration: you can ski from morning until late at night, as long as you want.
• Means of transport: some ideal places for skiing are very close to Reykjavík, about 20 to 30 minutes by car.

Despite what you may think, temperatures in Reykjavik during the winter are not always below freezing. What happens is that winter weather is usually accompanied by snow, rain and a lot of wind, which makes the wind chill lower.

In Reykjavík and all the southern part of Iceland temperatures are a little higher than in the eastern and northern part of the island, and that happens because it is in this place where warm air currents arrive from North America.

To spend a warm winter in Reykjavik, I advise you to bring plenty of thermal and waterproof clothing that will allow you to maintain a warm body temperature throughout your stay on the island.

It is often difficult to get the most comfortable body temperature in such a hostile winter, but to protect yourself from this you can not fail to include in the suitcase scarves, hats and gloves. As for shoes, these should be closed and thick, suitable for walking in the snow.