Europe

Iceland in May

Puffins return, waterfalls surge with melt, prices lag the summer jump. Highlands still closed.

GoodCool and brightening, highs near 48F (9C), very long days

Skogafoss waterfall, Iceland — IcelandPhoto: Martin Falbisoner, CC BY-SA 4.0

The straight answer

May is a good month to visit Iceland. Puffins return, waterfalls surge with melt, prices lag the summer jump. Highlands still closed.

Weather: Cool and brightening, highs near 48F (9C), very long days
Crowds: 3 of 5
Prices: 3 of 5

What May is like in Iceland

May is cool and bright, with highs near 48F (9C) and very long days. Waterfalls surge with snowmelt, the hills start to green, and puffins return to the cliffs. The midnight sun begins by mid month. Prices lag behind the summer jump, though the highland roads are still closed.

It suits families and road trippers who want long days and lower prices, and homeschool families can travel while rates are soft. It is not for aurora hunters, because the sky no longer gets dark. For highland trips like Landmannalaugar, wait until July.

Make the most of May

What is especially good about Iceland this month.

Puffins return

Puffins come back to their cliff colonies from around May. They are fun for kids and easy to watch.

Waterfalls at full power

Snowmelt makes Skogafoss and Seljalandsfoss roar. Bring a rain jacket if you walk behind Seljalandsfoss.

Midnight sun starts

From mid May, the sun barely sets. You can sightsee late at night with no one around.

What to pack for May

A waterproof jacket for waterfall spray
Warm layers for chilly winds
A sleep mask for bright nights
Binoculars for puffins and birds

Our timing tip

Visit the big south coast sights after 6pm, when the tour buses have gone and the light is still good.

Book Iceland for May.

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Hotels. Expedia
Hotels in Iceland
Opens a hotel search for Iceland in May, dates filled in. Book early for the best months: the good rooms go first.
Hotels for May
Vacation rentals. Vrbo
Vacation rentals in Iceland
Whole homes, condos and villas. Usually the better deal for families and groups, with a kitchen and room to spread out.
Rentals on Vrbo
Tours and tickets. Expedia
Tours and tickets in Iceland
Timed-entry tickets, day trips and guided tours in Iceland for May. Popular slots sell out in the best months.
Tours and tickets

What's on in May

Midnight sun

Roughly mid May through late July, peaking around the June solstice

The sun barely sets; you can sightsee at midnight. Bring a sleep mask.

Things to do in Iceland

Full guide

The Golden Circle

Thingvellir's rift valley, Geysir's eruptions, and Gullfoss in one easy loop from Reykjavik. Go before 9am or after 5pm in summer to skip the tour-bus pulse.

Official site ↗Tickets and tours →

The south coast to Vik

Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss waterfalls, then Reynisfjara's black sand and basalt columns. Respect the sneaker-wave warnings at the beach; they are not theoretical.

Tickets and tours →

Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon and Diamond Beach

Icebergs drifting to sea and stranding on black sand. Worth the long drive east; summer zodiac tours get you among the bergs.

Official site ↗Tickets and tours →

A northern lights hunt

September through mid April, on clear dark nights away from town lights. Give it multiple nights and check the cloud and activity forecasts rather than pinning hopes on one evening.

Official site ↗Tickets and tours →

A glacier walk or ice cave

Crampons-on glacier hikes run year-round with guides; the natural blue ice caves are a winter-only show, roughly November through March.

Tickets and tours →

Geothermal soaking

Book the Blue Lagoon or Sky Lagoon ahead, then balance them with local town pools at a tenth of the price. The hot river hike at Reykjadalur is the free classic.

Official site ↗Tickets and tours →

Beat the crowds

Use the midnight sun: in summer, do the Golden Circle and south-coast headliners before 9am or after 6pm and you will share them with a fraction of the midday tour-bus wave.
Drive the Ring Road counterclockwise in peak season; most tours and rentals flow clockwise from Reykjavik, so you meet the crowd pulses offset by a day.
Book summer rental cars and popular guesthouses three to six months out; the country's bed supply is small and the south coast sells out first.
Go beyond the south: the Westfjords and the east fjords see a small slice of Iceland's visitors with scenery that concedes nothing.

Know before you go

The highland F-roads close from roughly October until June or later, gated by snowmelt: Landmannalaugar, Thorsmork, and the interior are summer-only, and rental insurance requires a 4x4 on them even then.
The Ring Road and main sights operate year-round, but winter storms can close sections for hours or a day at a time; road and weather alert sites are a daily winter ritual, not a suggestion.
Natural glacier ice caves open only in the cold months, roughly November through March; summer visitors can still do guided glacier walks and man-made tunnels.
The northern lights are seasonally gated by daylight, not luck alone: from May through early August the sky never gets dark enough. Aurora trips belong to September through mid April.