Low season, peak aurora
Iceland in November: Weather, Events and the Best Tours
November is peak aurora season and low season for everything else. Daylight collapses from about 8 hours to about 5 across the month, averaging 6 hours 38 minutes mid-month. Highs sit at 4.9C, lows dip below freezing at -0.5C, and hotel occupancy falls to 57.0 percent from October’s 72.5.
Quick picks: the best tours in Iceland in November
Ranked for November 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 Full-Day Tour with Kerid Crater | First-time visitors | 7 - 8.5 hours | £68 | 4.8 (26,622) |
| 3 | Sky Lagoon Entrance Pass With 7-Step Spa Ritual | First-time visitors | Varies | £86 | 4.8 (7,331) |
| 4 | Perlan - Wonders of Iceland Experience | First-time visitors | Varies | £43 | 4.7 (4,067) |
| 5 | LAVA SHOW - Immersive Experience Entry Ticket | First-time visitors | 50 - 75 minutes | £40 | 4.7 (4,003) |
| 6 | Official Blue Lagoon Iceland | First-time visitors | Varies | £108 | 4.6 (6,031) |
| 7 | Whale Watching and Marine Life Cruise | First-time visitors | 3 hours | £72 | 4.5 (11,161) |
| 8 | Golden Circle, Kerid Crater, & Blue Lagoon Tour | First-time visitors | 11 hours | £192 | 4.9 (5,858) |
| 9 | Guided Foodie Walking Tour with 6 Tastings | First-time visitors | 3 hours | £112 | 4.9 (1,920) |
| 10 | City Walking tour in Small Group with Local Guide | First-time visitors | 2.5 hours | £38 | 4.8 (517) |
Is November a good time to visit Iceland?
Yes, if the northern lights are why you are coming. November sits in the aurora peak of November to January, it is properly cheap at 57.0 percent occupancy, and the natural ice caves open. The cost is daylight: 6 hours 38 minutes mid-month, and about 5 hours by the 30th.
November is the first true winter month and it makes a clean trade. You give up the day and you get the night. The aurora peak runs November to January, and November pairs long dark nights with roads that are usually still passable, which is a better combination than December offers.
It is also the month when the natural ice caves under Vatnajokull open. The regional destination management organisation gives that season as November to March, with peak conditions December to February, because the glacial meltwater has to stop before a cave is safe to enter. That is the iconic November experience in Iceland and we should be straight with you: we do not currently sell an ice cave tour. What we can book you is a guided glacier hike and Perlan’s man-made ice cave exhibit in Reykjavik, and if a natural cave is the whole point of your trip you will need to book that directly with a South East Iceland operator.
Prices are the other reason to come. Occupancy drops to 57.0 percent from 72.5 in October, and Keflavik departures fall to 141,769 from 201,422. November is not on the operators’ shortlist of absolute cheapest months, which is February, April, May and October, but it is a long way below anything in the summer half.
What you should not do is book a November trip around long day tours. A 10 or 11 hour South Coast or glacier day in November runs mostly in the dark at both ends. Shorter tours, indoor attractions, lagoons and aurora nights are the shape that works.
Iceland weather in November
November in Reykjavik averages a high of 4.9C and a low of -0.5C, the first month with sub-zero average nights, across around 14 wet days. Daylight averages 6 hours 38 minutes mid-month, falling from about 8 hours on 1 November to about 5 hours by the 30th.
| Measure | Reykjavik in November |
|---|---|
| Average daily high | 4.9C |
| Average daily low | -0.5C |
| Wet days | 14 days. Wet and increasingly mixed, around 14 wet days, with rain, sleet and snow all likely |
| Daylight, mid-month | 6h 38m |
| Daylight range across the month | about 8h on the 1st to about 5h 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.
The mean overnight low crossing zero is the meaningful change. Reykjavik itself often sits around freezing rather than deep cold, but that is the worst kind of temperature for pavements and car parks, because it freezes and thaws repeatedly. Boots with grip, or slip-on ice cleats, are the single most useful thing in your bag.
Precipitation in November arrives as rain, sleet and snow in roughly equal measure, and around 14 wet days means you should plan indoor alternatives rather than hope. Wind, as always in Iceland, is what makes 4.9C feel like something colder.
Losing three hours of daylight across November is what really shapes an itinerary. At the start of the month you have a workable eight-hour day. By the end you have five, with sunrise late in the morning and sunset in the middle of the afternoon. The advantage is that the long twilight either side of that window is exceptional light for photography.
Crowds, prices and what to book ahead
November is genuinely quiet. Keflavik departures drop to 141,769 from 201,422 in October, and Statistics Iceland put national hotel occupancy at 57.0 percent, a 15 point fall in one month. Only December and January are emptier.
| Measure | November | Busiest month (August) | Quietest month (December) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keflavik departures, 2025 | 141,769 | 312,964 | 120,016 |
| Hotel room occupancy, 2025 | 57% | 89.8% | 45.3% |
| Share of the 2025 total | 6.3% | 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.
The seasonal collapse in November is the sharpest of the year. National occupancy falls from 72.5 percent to 57.0 percent, and Icelandic Tourist Board departure counts show a drop of nearly 60,000 passengers against October. In practical terms that means Gullfoss without a coach park queue and rates that bear no relation to August.
The exception is the first week. Iceland Airwaves runs from 5 to 7 November 2026 in Reykjavik and it fills city centre beds. If you are not going to the festival, either book early for that weekend or shift your dates a week later and enjoy an empty city.
On what to book ahead: not much, honestly. November day tours are typically available within the same week. The real November risk is weather cancellation, especially for aurora nights and anything on the South Coast, so build slack into the itinerary and put the weather-dependent tours early in your stay.
The best tours in Iceland in November
These ten are ranked for November. The aurora tour leads on the peak of the season. Geothermal lagoons and indoor attractions climb because five to eight hours of daylight makes them genuinely useful rather than a fallback. All the whale RIBs have stopped and only the Marine Life Cruise is still sailing, until 30 November.
1. Northern Lights Bus Tour with Hot Cocoa
Why it ranks here in November: November sits in the aurora peak of November to January, with 16 to 19 hours of darkness a day and roads that are usually still open. It is our lowest-rated tour at 4.3 from 14,846 reviews, and it is unarguably the right first booking in November.
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 Full-Day Tour with Kerid Crater
Why it ranks here in November: The one long day tour that still fits a November day, and low winter sun on Thingvellir is worth the early start.
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 £683. Sky Lagoon Entrance Pass With 7-Step Spa Ritual
Why it ranks here in November: Sitting in hot water at the ocean edge while the air is around freezing is the November experience, and it is easy to reach from the city.
Get entry tickets to Sky Lagoon, an oceanside geothermal spa, located only minutes from downtown…
4.8 (7,331 reviews)VariesFrom £864. Perlan - Wonders of Iceland Experience
Why it ranks here in November: Its man-made ice cave and planetarium aurora show are properly useful in a month with five to eight hours of light and a high cancellation rate.
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 £435. LAVA SHOW - Immersive Experience Entry Ticket
Why it ranks here in November: Real molten lava, indoors, at 4.7 from 4,003 reviews. In November an indoor headline attraction is worth more than it is in July.
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 £406. Official Blue Lagoon Iceland
Why it ranks here in November: Steam against cold air is at its best now, and its position on the Keflavik road makes it an efficient 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 £1087. Whale Watching and Marine Life Cruise
Why it ranks here in November: The last whale tour still running. It stops on 30 November and nothing replaces it until spring, so this is your final chance this year.
Embark on a whale-watching cruise in Faxaflói Bay from Reykjavík. Witness the stunning landscapes and keep an eye out…
4.5 (11,161 reviews)3 hoursFrom £728. Golden Circle, Kerid Crater, & Blue Lagoon Tour
Why it ranks here in November: Our highest-rated tour at 4.9. Eleven hours is a long day in November but ending it in the Blue Lagoon after dark is a good way to spend it.
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 £1929. Guided Foodie Walking Tour with 6 Tastings
Why it ranks here in November: Rated 4.9. Six tastings on a dark, wet November evening is a better plan than most outdoor options.
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 £11210. City Walking tour in Small Group with Local Guide
Why it ranks here in November: At £38 it is the cheapest thing on the site and it fits inside the short November daylight window.
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 November 2026
Iceland Airwaves is the November fixture, running from 5 to 7 November 2026 across Reykjavik venues. The other November date that affects bookings is 30 November, when the last whale watching cruise of the year sails.
| Event | Dates | Where | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iceland Airwaves | 5 to 7 November 2026 | Venues across central Reykjavik | Ticketed, festival wristband |
| Natural ice cave season opens | From November 2026 | Vatnajokull, South East Iceland | Booked directly with South East Iceland operators |
| Last whale watching cruise of the year | 30 November 2026 | Reykjavik old harbour | From £72 |
Iceland Airwaves is the only thing that reliably fills Reykjavik in November. It is a working music festival rather than a tourist event, spread across small city venues, and it lifts hotel prices for that weekend against an otherwise very soft month. Book early for 5 to 7 November or move your dates.
The ice cave season opening is the other November milestone. The natural caves under Vatnajokull are a November to March product, and they are the reason a lot of people pick this month. We do not currently sell an ice cave tour, so if that is your priority you will need to book it directly with an operator based in the South East, and treat what you book here as the rest of the trip.
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 November
The whale RIBs closed on 31 October and the last cruise sails on 30 November, after which there is no whale tour here until spring. Puffins have been gone since 20 August. The highland F-roads are shut until June or July.
Whale watching, from 1 December
The two fast RIB whale tours stopped on 31 October. The Marine Life Cruise runs its last trip on 30 November. From 1 December there is no whale watching tour available on this site until the spring season reopens in April.
Puffin tours
Closed since 20 August. The birds are at sea for the winter and return to the cliffs from 20 April.
Highland F-roads and the interior
Closed until June or July. Landmannalaugar, Askja and the interior crossings are unavailable. On 2026 actual dates the earliest reopening was F35 Kjolur between 1 and 6 June and the latest was F26 Sprengisandur on 6 July.
Ice caves, available but not from us
This is the honest gap. The natural Vatnajokull ice caves open in November and are the signature winter experience in Iceland, but we do not currently sell an ice cave tour of any kind. 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.
Long day tours are not closed, but think twice
The 10 and 11 hour South Coast and glacier day trips still run in November. With five to eight hours of daylight, a large part of the day happens in darkness. They are still worth doing, but do not expect the tour you would get in September.
Tours on this site that are out of season in 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 since 20 August.
- 1-Hour Puffin Watching Tour: Out of season since 20 August.
- Whales and Puffins Express Cruise Combo Tour: Out of season on both halves of the trip.
What to wear and pack for Iceland in November
November needs proper winter kit and, more than anything, footwear that grips. Reykjavik hovers around freezing so pavements freeze and thaw repeatedly. Bring waterproof outer layers, thermal base layers, and either winter boots with real tread or slip-on ice cleats.
- Waterproof and windproof shell jacket with a hood
- Thermal base layers, top and bottom
- Insulated mid-layer or light down jacket
- Waterproof over-trousers
- Winter boots with deep tread, plus slip-on ice cleats
- Warm hat, waterproof gloves and a buff
- Swimwear and flip-flops for the lagoons
- Head torch, it is dark before and after most tours
- Camera with manual exposure and a small tripod for the aurora
How we chose these tours
Every tour on this page was scored for how relevant it genuinely is in November, 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 November is not the most expensive one on the list.
FAQs about Iceland in November
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- All Iceland tours with verified prices, ratings and review counts
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