Waymark

Iceland travel guide

Best time to visit from the UK, weather, festivals, flights from London and FCDO travel advice.

Skógafoss
Skógafoss. Photo: Hansueli Krapf, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
2h 45mflight from London
Icelandic krónacurrency
No visafor UK passports
Type C, Fplugs

Volcanoes, waterfalls and hot springs under the aurora

Don't miss

  1. Golden Circle
  2. Blue Lagoon
  3. Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon
Good forNorthern lightsAdventureMountains & hiking

Best time to visit Iceland from the UK

Best value: Dec–May, Sep–Oct. Jun–Aug for road trips; Sep–Mar for the northern lights. Busiest and priciest: Jun–Aug.

0 C0°J0 C0°F0.8 C1°M3.1 C3°A5.8 C6°M9.3 C9°J11.1 C11°J10.5 C10°A7.8 C8°S4.2 C4°O1.8 C2°N0.3 C0°D
Best valueBusy and pricierQuietAverage temperature in Reykjavík, °C, 2001–2025 (NASA POWER).

Each bar is the average temperature in Reykjavík for that month, and its colour shows the season for visitors: best value (good weather, fewer crowds and lower prices), busiest and priciest, or quiet (off-peak, sometimes because the weather is poorer).

  • Our pick: May and SeptemberThe warmest of the best-value months (6–8°C), with fewer crowds than peak season.
  • Peak season: Jun–AugUsually 9–11°C. The busiest time, so book flights and rooms early and expect higher prices.
  • Quiet season: NovAround 2°C. The cheapest and least crowded time, but cold, so pack layers.
  • Warmest: July (11°C) · coolest: January (0°C)A 11°C swing between the warmest and coolest months.
Temperatures as a table
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
000.83.15.89.311.110.57.84.21.80.3

Festivals and events

  • Þorrablót Jan–Feb · Nationwide
  • Iceland Airwaves Nov · Reykjavík
  • Culture Night Aug · Reykjavík

Festival dates move from year to year: check before you book.

Getting there from the UK

Flight time
About 2h 45m
Distance
1,881 km
Main airport
KEF

Flight times are straight-line estimates for a direct flight from Heathrow; journeys with a change take longer.

Add Iceland to your bucket list Search flights to KEF

Practical info and travel guidance

Icelandic krónaCapital: Reykjavík
Type C, F · 230VBring a UK adapter
Drive on the rightOpposite to the UK
112
EmergencyPolice, fire, ambulance
Tap water safeAcross the country
  • VisaNo visa neededUp to 90 days in any 180 across the Schengen area
  • HealthcareNo free healthcareYou pay for treatment, so travel insurance with medical cover is essential.
  • LGBT+ travellersLegal and broadly accepted
  • Women travellersNo specific FCDO warningTake the usual precautions.

For British passport holders, summarised from the FCDO's advice for Iceland, checked October 2026. FCDO page last updated 11 August 2026. Rules change: read the official FCDO travel advice for Iceland before you book and again before you go.

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