Low season, the emptiest month once the festive fortnight ends
Iceland in January: Weather, Events and the Best Tours
January is the emptiest month to visit Iceland once the New Year crowd leaves on 2 January. Hotel occupancy is 46.9 percent, the second lowest of the year. Daylight climbs fast, from about 4 and a half hours on 1 January to about 7 by the 31st, averaging 5 hours 34 minutes mid-month.
Quick picks: the best tours in Iceland in January
Ranked for January by seasonal relevance, then by verified GetYourGuide rating and review count. Prices are the current lowest available and were verified against live GetYourGuide listings on 28 July 2026.
| # | Tour | Best for | Duration | From | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northern Lights Bus Tour with Hot Cocoa | First-time visitors | 4 hours | £62 | 4.3 (14,846) |
| 2 | Golden Circle, Kerid Crater, & Blue Lagoon Tour | First-time visitors | 11 hours | £192 | 4.9 (5,858) |
| 3 | Golden Circle Full-Day Tour with Kerid Crater | First-time visitors | 7 - 8.5 hours | £68 | 4.8 (26,622) |
| 4 | Sky Lagoon Entrance Pass With 7-Step Spa Ritual | First-time visitors | Varies | £86 | 4.8 (7,331) |
| 5 | Perlan - Wonders of Iceland Experience | First-time visitors | Varies | £43 | 4.7 (4,067) |
| 6 | LAVA SHOW - Immersive Experience Entry Ticket | First-time visitors | 50 - 75 minutes | £40 | 4.7 (4,003) |
| 7 | Official Blue Lagoon Iceland | First-time visitors | Varies | £108 | 4.6 (6,031) |
| 8 | Guided Foodie Walking Tour with 6 Tastings | First-time visitors | 3 hours | £112 | 4.9 (1,920) |
| 9 | South Coast Waterfalls, Black Sand & Glacier Tour | First-time visitors | 10 hours | £89 | 4.8 (12,213) |
| 10 | City Walking tour in Small Group with Local Guide | First-time visitors | 2.5 hours | £38 | 4.8 (517) |
Is January a good time to visit Iceland?
Yes, if you want the aurora and an empty country. From 3 January onwards Iceland is as quiet as it gets, with 46.9 percent hotel occupancy and 121,590 Keflavik departures. January is inside the November to January aurora peak and the December to February ice cave peak, and the days are already getting longer.
January is the month that rewards people who wait a week. The festive fortnight from roughly 20 December to 2 January carries peak summer prices, and then it stops dead. From 3 January the hotels are half empty, tours run with space on them, and the honeypot sites on the Golden Circle are quiet in a way they never are between May and September.
You are still in the aurora peak, which runs November to January, and in the December to February peak for the natural ice caves under Vatnajokull. Those two things together are why most people come, and they are both at their best right now.
The genuine bonus in January is that the light is coming back and it comes back quickly. You start the month with about four and a half hours of daylight and finish it with about seven, a gain of two and a half hours in 31 days. A trip in the last week of January is a materially different trip from one in the first week.
The costs are real. January is the month with the worst weather disruption for road tours, and Reykjavik sits right on freezing so the pavements are treacherous. Build spare days into the itinerary, put weather-dependent tours early in your stay, and bring footwear that grips.
Iceland weather in January
January in Reykjavik averages a high of 3.4C and a low of -2.2C across around 15 wet days. Daylight averages 5 hours 34 minutes mid-month and climbs quickly through the month, from about 4 and a half hours on the 1st to about 7 hours by the 31st.
| Measure | Reykjavik in January |
|---|---|
| Average daily high | 3.4C |
| Average daily low | -2.2C |
| Wet days | 15 days. Wet and mixed, around 15 wet days, with rain, sleet and snow alternating |
| Daylight, mid-month | 5h 34m |
| Daylight range across the month | about 4h 30m on the 1st to about 7h on the last day |
Climate figures for Reykjavik from climatestotravel.com; daylight from worlddata.info, cross-checked against Icelandic operator daylight tables. Rainfall is given as wet days rather than millimetres because published Reykjavik rainfall totals differ materially between sources, from roughly 870mm to over 1,400mm a year. The monthly shape is reliable, the absolute total is not.
Reykjavik in January is milder than its latitude suggests, with an average high of 3.4C, but that is precisely the problem. Sitting either side of zero means the freeze and thaw cycle runs constantly, so city pavements, car parks and viewpoint paths ice over and re-ice. Ice cleats that slip over your boots are the cheapest useful thing you can bring.
Around 15 wet days means precipitation most of the time, and in January it arrives as rain, sleet and snow in turn rather than reliable powder. Wind is the bigger factor: Icelandic winter storms close roads and cancel tours, and the South Coast is the most exposed route in the country.
The light gain across January is the best news in the Icelandic calendar. Two and a half extra hours in a single month transforms what fits into a day. If you have flexibility, the last ten days of January give you notably more usable daylight than the first ten while keeping the same aurora odds.
Crowds, prices and what to book ahead
January is the quietest real month of the year. Keflavik handled 121,590 departing passengers, barely more than December’s 120,016, and hotel occupancy is 46.9 percent. Unlike December it is quiet the whole way through, once the New Year crowd leaves on 2 January.
| Measure | January | Busiest month (August) | Quietest month (December) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keflavik departures, 2025 | 121,590 | 312,964 | 120,016 |
| Hotel room occupancy, 2025 | 46.9% | 89.8% | 45.3% |
| Share of the 2025 total | 5.4% | 13.8% | 5.3% |
Visitor figures are departing passengers through Keflavik International Airport for the full year 2025, published by the Icelandic Tourist Board, total 2,267,638. Roughly 99 percent of visitors arrive and leave through Keflavik. Hotel room occupancy is Statistics Iceland table SAM01104, whole of Iceland, 2025.
Statistics Iceland put national hotel occupancy at 46.9 percent for January against 89.8 percent for August. Icelandic Tourist Board departure counts put January at 121,590, second lowest in the year behind December. The difference is that December’s low average hides an extremely expensive festive fortnight, while January is genuinely soft from the 3rd onwards.
That translates into practical advantages beyond price. Small-group departures actually run small. Gullfoss and Geysir have space. The Blue Lagoon and Sky Lagoon are far more pleasant at 47 percent occupancy than at 90 percent. Accommodation in central Reykjavik is available at short notice.
Do not confuse quiet with risk-free. January carries the highest weather cancellation rate of the year for road-based and aurora tours. Book what you want early in your stay so that a cancelled day still has somewhere to go, and prefer operators with a free re-try or free cancellation policy.
The best tours in Iceland in January
These ten are ranked for January. The aurora tour leads on the November to January peak. Lagoons and indoor attractions rank high because five and a half hours of daylight leaves a lot of dark to fill, and the South Coast day trip returns to the list as the light starts coming back.
1. Northern Lights Bus Tour with Hot Cocoa
Why it ranks here in January: January closes the November to January aurora peak with 17 to 19 hours of darkness a day. It is our lowest-rated tour at 4.3 from 14,846 reviews, and in January it is still the correct first booking.
Experience one of the world’s great natural phenomena on a 4-hour evening bus tour of Iceland. Depart the bright…
4.3 (14,846 reviews)4 hoursFrom £622. Golden Circle, Kerid Crater, & Blue Lagoon Tour
Why it ranks here in January: Our highest-rated tour at 4.9. In January the shape works: the Golden Circle in the light that exists, then the Blue Lagoon in the dark.
Enjoy the stunning Golden Circle and the Blue Lagoon in one amazing day. Explore Thingvellir National Park, Geysir…
4.9 (5,858 reviews)11 hoursFrom £1923. Golden Circle Full-Day Tour with Kerid Crater
Why it ranks here in January: The Golden Circle under snow, with ice on Thingvellir and Gullfoss part frozen, is the best version of this tour. It is also the one long day trip that still fits January light.
Take a full-day tour of Iceland’s iconic Golden Circle. Experience the stunning natural scenery and see the…
4.8 (26,622 reviews)7 - 8.5 hoursFrom £684. Sky Lagoon Entrance Pass With 7-Step Spa Ritual
Why it ranks here in January: Hot water at the ocean edge with sub-zero air and the sea going dark is the January experience, and it is minutes from the city.
Get entry tickets to Sky Lagoon, an oceanside geothermal spa, located only minutes from downtown…
4.8 (7,331 reviews)VariesFrom £865. Perlan - Wonders of Iceland Experience
Why it ranks here in January: A man-made ice cave and a planetarium aurora show, both indoors, in the month with the highest cancellation rate of the year.
Perlan is Iceland's largest museum and the top attraction in Reykjavík. Explore a real ice cave, feel the power of…
4.7 (4,067 reviews)VariesFrom £436. LAVA SHOW - Immersive Experience Entry Ticket
Why it ranks here in January: Rated 4.7 from 4,003 reviews and completely weather-proof, which matters more in January than any other month.
Get close to real lava with an entry ticket to the award-winning Lava Show in Reykjavík. Experience the intense heat…
4.7 (4,003 reviews)50 - 75 minutesFrom £407. Official Blue Lagoon Iceland
Why it ranks here in January: Steam and freezing air at their best, and the Keflavik road position makes it easy to slot into an arrival or departure day.
Comfort admission brings full access to all lagoon spaces, a towel, non-alcoholic drink, and one face mask at the…
4.6 (6,031 reviews)VariesFrom £1088. Guided Foodie Walking Tour with 6 Tastings
Why it ranks here in January: Rated 4.9, and January is exactly when six tastings and warm rooms beat another hour outside.
Learn about the culture of Reykjavik and Iceland through its tasty food on a guided walking tour. Visit 5 different…
4.9 (1,920 reviews)3 hoursFrom £1129. South Coast Waterfalls, Black Sand & Glacier Tour
Why it ranks here in January: Back on the list because the light is returning. Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss in ice are worth the long day, but check the road forecast.
Experience nature at its best with waterfalls and black sand beaches. Walk behind the cascades of Seljalandsfoss & go…
4.8 (12,213 reviews)10 hoursFrom £8910. City Walking tour in Small Group with Local Guide
Why it ranks here in January: The cheapest tour we list at £38, and short enough to fit the daylight window even in the first week of January.
Enjoy a small-group walking tour of Reykjavík with a local. See the Harpa Concert Hall, Parliament, Hallgrímskirkja…
4.8 (517 reviews)2.5 hoursFrom £38
Events and festivals in January 2027
January’s two dates are both properly Icelandic rather than made for visitors. Threttandinn, the thirteenth and last day of Christmas, falls on Wednesday 6 January 2027 with bonfires and fireworks, and the midwinter feasting month of Thorri begins on Friday 22 January 2027.
| Event | Dates | Where | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Threttandinn, the last day of Christmas | Wednesday 6 January 2027 | Bonfires and fireworks across Reykjavik and around Iceland | Free |
| Thorri begins (Bondadagur) | Friday 22 January 2027 | Restaurants and community halls nationwide | Free to observe, thorrablot meals ticketed |
Threttandinn is the proper end of the Icelandic Christmas, thirteen days after Christmas Eve, when the last Yule Lad goes home. It is marked with bonfires, elf and troll processions and a second, smaller round of fireworks. It is a local occasion rather than a staged one, and 6 January 2027 is a good night to be in a Reykjavik neighbourhood rather than in a hotel.
Thorri is the old midwinter month and it opens on Bondadagur, the Friday that falls between 19 and 25 January, which is 22 January in 2027. What follows is thorrablot: communal feasts of fermented shark, cured lamb, rye bread and brennivin. Most of it is served at private and community events, but Reykjavik restaurants run thorrablot menus through the period and it is the most authentically Icelandic food you can eat.
We only list dates we can stand behind. Where a date follows a rule rather than a fixed day of the month, the rule is shown alongside it. Anything we could not verify is left off rather than guessed.
What is closed or not bookable in January
No whale or puffin tours run in January. The highland F-roads are shut until June or July. Weather closures on the South Coast and Golden Circle roads are more frequent in January than in any other month, so treat every long day tour as provisional.
Whale watching and puffin tours
All closed. The last whale cruise of the year sailed on 30 November and the RIBs stopped on 31 October. Puffins have been gone since 20 August. Whale watching reopens in April and puffins from 20 April.
Highland F-roads and the interior
Closed. Landmannalaugar, Askja and the interior crossings are unreachable. On 2026 actual dates the earliest F-road reopening was F35 Kjolur between 1 and 6 June and the latest was F26 Sprengisandur on 6 July.
Roads, intermittently
This is January’s real closure. Winter storms close sections of the South Coast route and occasionally the Golden Circle at short notice, and tours are cancelled rather than run in unsafe conditions. Nothing is permanently shut, but any given day can be. Check road conditions with the Icelandic Road Administration each morning.
Ice caves, at their peak but not sold here
December to February is the peak of the natural Vatnajokull ice cave season. We do not currently sell an ice cave tour. What is bookable here is a guided glacier hike on a lowland tongue and Perlan’s man-made ice cave exhibit in Reykjavik, which is open all year. For a natural cave, book directly with a South East Iceland operator.
Tours on this site that are out of season in January
- Whale Watching and Marine Life Cruise: Season ended on 30 November.
- Whale Watching by RIB Speedboat: Season ended on 31 October.
- Whale and Puffin Watching RIB Boat Tour: Season ended on 31 October.
- The Original 3-Hour Whale Watching Tour: Outside the April to October whale season.
- Puffin Watching Boat Tour: Out of season until 20 April.
- 1-Hour Puffin Watching Tour: Out of season until 20 April.
- Whales and Puffins Express Cruise Combo Tour: Out of season on both halves of the trip.
What to wear and pack for Iceland in January
January is the month where grip beats warmth. Reykjavik sits either side of freezing so everything ices over and re-ices. Bring slip-on ice cleats, winter boots, thermals and a genuinely waterproof shell, plus swimwear for the lagoons.
- Slip-on ice cleats, the single most useful item in a January bag
- Winter boots with deep tread, waterproof
- Thermal base layers, top and bottom
- Insulated jacket with a waterproof windproof shell over it
- Waterproof over-trousers
- Warm hat, waterproof gloves and a buff or balaclava
- Head torch for early starts and late finishes
- Swimwear and flip-flops for Sky Lagoon or the Blue Lagoon
- Camera with manual exposure, a small tripod and spare batteries
How we chose these tours
Every tour on this page was scored for how relevant it genuinely is in January, then sorted by that score, then by verified GetYourGuide rating, then by verified review count. Anything out of season is excluded and named above rather than quietly left off.
Most month pages are a tour list with a date bolted on, which means the same ten tours appear for every month of the year. That is not useful. Our default site ordering is rating then review count, and both are static, so on that basis every month would produce an identical top ten. So each tour carries a separate seasonal relevance score for each month, from 6 for the single experience that defines the month down to 0 for anything genuinely out of season, and that score sorts the list first.
Two consequences are worth stating plainly. First, the northern lights bus tour is the lowest rated tour on this site at 4.3 stars from 14,846 reviews. From November to March it is ranked first anyway, because in those months it is the reason people come and a top ten that buried it would be dishonest. Second, we do not rank on live GetYourGuide availability. Availability calendars reflect rolling booking windows rather than seasons, so a tour that is genuinely bookable next spring can look unavailable today. Season comes from published operator seasons, not from a booking widget.
Prices, ratings, review counts, titles and durations were verified one by one against the live GetYourGuide listing for each product on 28 July 2026. We do not publish a rating or a review count we have not checked, and we do not publish a date, a season or a closure we cannot source. Where the honest answer is that we do not sell something, such as a natural ice cave tour, we say so and point you at what does exist instead.
We earn a commission if you book through the links on this page, at no extra cost to you. That does not change the ranking. The tour ranked first in January is not the most expensive one on the list.
FAQs about Iceland in January
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- All Iceland tours with verified prices, ratings and review counts
- The 10 best Iceland tours, ranked for the whole year rather than one month
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- Golden Circle or South Coast: which day trip
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