January at a glance
January suits one kind of trip very well: long dark nights, frost, snow and a chance of northern lights. It does not suit a trip built around long drives, hikes or the highlands. The days are short, the weather changes fast and the road plan needs slack.
In Reykjavík the sun rises at 11:19 and sets at 15:43 on 1 January, so you get 4 hours and 24 minutes between sunrise and sunset. By 15 January that grows to 5 hours and 25 minutes (sunrise 10:54, sunset 16:20). Twilight adds some usable light before and after. Plan outdoor sights for the middle of the day and keep driving to daylight hours.
January weather and daylight
Typical averages for 1991–2020, rounded. They describe two weather stations, not the weather on a given day. Next to January you see December and February for comparison.
| Month | Reykjavík high / low | Reykjavík precipitation | Akureyri high / low | Daylight on 15th | Foreign departures 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December | 3 / −2 °C | about 95 mm | 3 / −4 °C | 4 h 12 min | about 120,000 |
| January | 3 / −2 °C | about 87 mm | 3 / −4 °C | 5 h 25 min | about 122,000 |
| February | 3 / −2 °C | about 91 mm | 3 / −4 °C | 8 h 38 min | about 149,000 |
Reykjavík is the milder of the two stations. Akureyri in the north is colder at night, with an average low around −3 to −4 °C, and drier, at about 60 mm for the month. Average highs near 3 °C still mean wind, wet snow and ice on the ground. Pack for wind and for getting wet, not only for cold. Departures are the rounded number of foreign passengers leaving through Keflavík airport, not a count of people at any one sight.
Our picks for January
Northern lights by bus or boat and an ice cave tour on Vatnajökull.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting prices in euros (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Ice cave tour on Vatnajökull from Jökulsárlón
A local glacier guide, a 4x4 vehicle, helmet and spikes. Depending on safety conditions you visit an ice cave or a blue ice formation; hotel transfer, food and drinks are extra.
Check availability →
Northern lights cruise from the old harbor
A two-hour yacht trip with Wi-Fi, blankets and seasickness tablets. Drinks and souvenirs are extra, hotel pickup comes only with the matching option, and a sighting is not guaranteed.
Check availability →
Northern lights bus tour with hot cocoa
A guide, transport, hot cocoa and photo stops, with a free repeat if no lights show. It runs in the winter months and depends on the weather, so a sighting is not guaranteed.
Check availability →Iceland tours in January
Northern lights tours, glacier and ice cave trips, and day trips from Reykjavík, with live prices and availability.
Northern lights in January
The northern lights season runs from about September to April, and January sits in the middle of it. You need a dark sky that is at least partly clear. Cloud is the usual spoiler, not the lack of activity. The Icelandic Met Office (Veðurstofa) publishes an aurora forecast with a cloud map and an activity scale from 0 to 9 for midnight.
Do not read the brightness of the lights from the Kp number alone. Nobody can promise a sighting. If you book a tour, read what happens when the lights do not show. One Reykjavík operator, for example, offers a repeat ticket instead of an automatic refund, and a cancellation by the operator because of weather is handled differently. The rules differ per product.
The full guide is on our northern lights page.
Ice caves and what to expect
Glacier cave trips from Jökulsárlón run in winter when the operator opens them, but there is no fixed national cave season.
Season
One Jökulsárlón operator lists its 2026/2027 season as starting on 1 October 2026. Check the start and end for the operator you pick, and the dates your trip falls on.
The trip
Expect 5 to 6 hours, a meeting point at the main parking lot at Jökulsárlón and a transfer onto the glacier of up to 40 minutes. Guide and safety gear are included. Clothing, shoes and food are not.
The cave changes
Caves melt and shift. The cave this operator visited in the 2025/2026 season has melted. Photos and cave names are no promise for your date, and neither are the color or the ice conditions.
Driving in January
Snow, ice, strong wind and short closures can hit any road. The Ring Road is not a guaranteed, trouble-free loop in winter, so build in spare days and be ready to change or drop a leg. Rental cars need winter tires that suit the plan. Four-wheel drive helps you get going, but it does not stop a car from sliding. Highland roads are normally closed in winter, and an ordinary rental car is not meant for them. The usual closed period runs from mid September to June or July.
Before each drive check umferdin.is for the road status, safetravel.is for travel advice and the Icelandic Met Office (en.vedur.is) for weather. Yellow means potentially dangerous weather, orange means considerable impact on traffic and infrastructure, and red means extreme danger. For more, see our road conditions guide.
Since 1 January 2026 Iceland charges a distance fee of 6.95 ISK per km for cars up to 3.5 t. Whether and how a rental company passes it on differs by company, so ask when you book.
New Year, feasts and opening hours
Early January is a holiday period, and published hours change. Hallgrímskirkja in Reykjavík lists its church and tower as closed to sightseeing on 24 and 25 December 2026 and on 1 January 2027, with sightseeing on 31 December from 10:00 to 12:00. The tower costs 1,500 ISK for adults and 200 ISK for children aged 7 to 16 (2026 listing), and you buy tickets in the church shop. You cannot reserve in advance.
At Þingvellir National Park the visitor center Hakið is open 09:00 to 17:00 from November to March. Published holiday hours show 1 January from 09:00 to 16:00 there and 10:00 to 16:00 at the Leirar service center. These pages show no year, so check the current notice before you go. Beyond that, restaurants, shops and tours on 24 to 26 December, 31 December and 1 January can differ from normal hours. Ask your hotel or operator.
Late January is also the start of Þorri, the old midwinter month with traditional feasts known as Þorrablót. The month begins between 19 and 25 January and runs until a date between 18 and 24 February. There is no single national date.
Crowds and costs
January was one of the quietest months of 2025, with about 122,000 foreign departures via Keflavík, against about 234,000 in June and 302,000 in July. Hotel room occupancy across Iceland was below 50 percent in January 2025. That does not prove cheaper rooms or empty sights, and it is no price forecast for 2026 or 2027. Hotels and guesthouses add a lodging tax of 800 ISK per room and night, and camping and motorhome pitches add 400 ISK per pitch and night (since 2025). For a season view, read about the cheapest time to visit Iceland.
Plan the rest of your winter trip
Go back to Iceland in December or ahead to Iceland in February. Our weather by month page shows all twelve months side by side.
Iceland in January: frequently asked questions
Is January a good time to visit Iceland?
It is a good time for northern lights, snow scenes and a quiet trip built around Reykjavík and short day trips. It is a poor time for long drives, hiking and the highlands, because daylight is short and roads can close.
How much daylight is there in January?
In Reykjavík about 4 hours and 24 minutes on 1 January and about 5 hours and 25 minutes on 15 January, measured from sunrise to sunset for 2026. Twilight comes on top.
How cold is Iceland in January?
Typical Reykjavík highs are around 3 °C (37 °F) and lows around −2 °C (28 °F). Akureyri in the north is colder at night, with average lows around −3 to −4 °C. Wind and wet weather make it feel colder, so pack layers and a waterproof shell.
Can I see the northern lights in January?
January falls inside the season, and nights are long. Cloud decides whether you see anything. No sighting can be guaranteed, so allow several evenings.
Can I drive the Ring Road in January?
It can be done in suitable conditions, but not with a fixed schedule. Snow, ice, wind and short closures can stop a leg, so keep spare days and check road and weather information every morning.
Are the highlands open in January?
No. Highland roads are normally closed in winter, and ordinary rental cars are not meant for them. Landmannalaugar and similar places belong to a summer trip, see Iceland in June.