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Iceland in Spring

Date 24 March 2024

Iceland in Spring

Iceland in Spring

There are officially only two seasons in Iceland: winter and summer, but the period between March and April is still considered the Icelandic spring.

As early as March, the snow starts to melt and the days stretch longer than the nights but despite this, it is still quite cold. Officially, spring ends and brings in the Icelandic summer on the first Thursday following April 18.

Preparing a spring trip is not necessarily the same as preparing for a stay at another time of the year, so do not hesitate to consult our advice for preparing a trip to Iceland or our advice for choosing the right season to go.

So is spring a good time to visit Iceland? The answer is yes!

Advantages of visiting Iceland in spring

La plage de diamants en mars

The diamond beach in March

The period that extends from March to May is a perfect time to visit for many reasons:

  • Attendance is low at this time of the year
  • Housing and car rental rates are a bit more attractive
  • The days are getting longer but you can enjoy some winter attractions such the Northern Lights until the beginning of April!
  • The landscape and colors change enormously as the snow melts
  • April is one of the driest months of the year

The disadvantages of visiting Iceland in spring

Kleifarvatn en mars

Kleifarvatn in March

However, visiting Iceland during the months of March and April has some disadvantages:

  • The months of March and April are rather cold.
  • The weather is very changeable and snowfalls are still possible at this time of the year
  • It is not a season that allows you to admire the midnight sun
  • Wildlife has not yet returned or is hibernating
  • Many trails, especially in the highlands, are still closed and some hikes are therefore inaccessible.

The climate and daylight hours in spring

Route en mars

Road number 1 in March

The two months of spring, March and April, in the coldest 6 months of the year. Rest assured, while it can get as low as -15°C in some regions, this is in fact quite rare. Thanks to the Gulf Stream, Iceland has mild average temperatures for its latitude, between 0 and 5° most of the time in March and April.

In terms of rainfall, March and April are night and day. While March is considered to be one of the rainiest months, April is one of the driest and sunniest.

Average annual temperatures (°C)

MONTH
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
MINI
-2°
-2°
-1°
-1°
MAXI
10°
12°
14°
14°
11°

Daylight hours

Regarding the daylight hours, again, there is a big difference between March and April. The days last about 10 hours in early March, increasing by about 7 minutes per day to reach 15 hours in mid-April and over 16 by the end of the month.

MONTH
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
SUNRISE
11H19
09H55
08H21
06H42
04H39
02H54
03H07
04H50
06H16
07H57
09H24
10H51
SUNSET
15H45
17H30
18H59
20H23
22H12
00H05
23H55
22H15
20H36
18H32
16H58
15H44

 

March in Iceland

Gullfoss en mars

Gullfoss in March - Violette Genot @Unsplash

In March, winter still has its icy hooks in the land. The snow is still present and the days are getting longer by 6 to 7 minutes a day, which makes it possible to finally enjoy the outings.

March and October, around the equinoxes, are considered the two most interesting months of the year to discover Iceland. It's the best of both worlds as you can enjoy the snowy landscape and the Northern Lights but the day remain long enough to do things in daylight. March is also the last month of the year to catch exclusively winter outings such as dog sledding trips, visits to ice caves, etc.

Tourists are not here in force during the month of March, so it remains uncrowded compared to the summer and winter holiday seasons. Rental prices are therefore reasonable, and tourist sites crowds are more manageable at this time of the year.

A must-do in March:

April in Iceland

Blue Lagoon en Avril

Blue Lagoon in April

The difference between March and April is really marked. While March remains icy white, April has the snow melting more and more every day, revealing the vivid colours of the flora underneath. Days are much longer with 16 hours of light in late April, which allows you to make the most of each minute.

Also, the month of April has very little rain and even if the weather changes very quickly in Iceland, from a bright sunshine to a snowstorm in an hour, this period is particularly clement.

This is the very last month for a winter outing to admire the Northern Lights and is a relatively calm month. This is reflected in the price of rentals as the number of tourists visiting is a bit lower at this time of the year.

By the end of April wildlife starts to make a timid appearance with the first puffins starting to return just around the official date of Iceland's summer: the first Thursday after April 18.

A must-do in April:

Other seasons in Iceland