Iceland in February: what tours run
February runs almost as much as autumn: about 1,300 of our tours show a date in mid-February. Ice caves and snowmobiles are at full strength, and daylight is back.
The short version
- About 1,300 of our tours show a departure on 15 February, a little more than mid-January's 1,260.
- Ice cave tours peak at 76 on 15 February, and snowmobile tours at 37.
- Reykjavík has about seven hours of daylight on 1 February and about ten by the 28th.
- Whale watching runs daily from Reykjavík and Akureyri. Húsavík's main tours show no February dates.
- Husky sledding near Mývatn shows dates on 12 of February's 28 days, not every day.
February is one of the better winter months for tours. Nearly everything that runs in January still runs. Ice caves and snowmobiles are at their busiest, and you get two or three more hours of daylight than in January. The weather is no kinder, though. February storms close roads and cancel tours, so leave room in your plan.
What the calendars show
We hold the booking calendars for every tour we sell, so we counted. On 15 February about 1,300 of our tours show a departure. That is a little more than on 15 January, at about 1,260, and a little under mid-October, at about 1,400.
The mix barely changes from January. On 15 February 76 ice cave tours show a date, and 37 snowmobile tours. Northern lights tours hold at about 142. Horse riding goes up, from 35 tours in mid-January to 40. Helicopter and plane tours recover a little, from 11 to 17, because there is more light to fly in. Hiking stays at about 80, well down on October.
Ice caves
February is the middle of the natural ice cave season. Blue Iceland’s Blue Ice Cave Adventure is from €160 and shows every day in February, at 09:30 and 14:00. It goes into a cave under Vatnajökull near Jökulsárlón. That is five hours from Reykjavík, so it only works if you sleep in the southeast. A thaw can still close a cave at short notice.
Closer, Arctic Adventures’ Katla Ice Cave & Super Jeep from Vík is from €219 for three hours. It also runs every day in February, from 08:30 to 16:30, and the minimum age is 6. The Katla cave is dark with volcanic ash rather than clear blue. It is two and a half hours from Reykjavík, so it fits a South Coast trip with a night in Vík. Our ice cave guide compares the two.
Snowmobiles and husky sledding
Mountaineers of Iceland’s Ice Cave and Snowmobile Tour from Gullfoss is from €233 and shows every day in February, starting between 10:00 and 14:30. It takes four hours from the Gullfoss car park, so it fits a self-drive Golden Circle day. The minimum age is 6. Langjökull is high and exposed, and snowmobile days are the first to be cancelled when the wind picks up.
In the north, Snow Dogs’ Siberian Husky Dog Sledding near Laugar, between Akureyri and Mývatn, is from €292 for about two hours. It shows dates on 12 of February’s 28 days, about three a week, so check the calendar before you build a day round it. The minimum age is 4. By February there is usually snow to run on.
Whales and horses
Elding’s Reykjavík Classic Whale Watching is from €106 and shows every day in February, three hours from the Old Harbour. The Akureyri boat runs daily too. Húsavík’s main whale tours from North Sailing and Gentle Giants show no February dates. Sightings in winter are good but never certain, and the deck is cold.
Horse riding is a good thing to do in February. Íshestar’s Lava Tour is from €115, about four hours with the transfer and one and a half to two hours in the saddle, through lava fields just outside Reykjavík. It leaves at 10:00 and 14:00, so you ride in daylight. The minimum age is 7. Icelandic horses grow thick winter coats and don’t mind the cold. You will.
Northern lights
The nights are still long, and February skies can be clear after a cold spell. Every evening has enough dark for a lights tour. Whether you see anything depends on the cloud and the sun, and no operator can promise it. Book a tour for your first clear night, so the free retry has room. Our northern lights season guide explains the moon and cloud.
Daylight, roads and weather
Reykjavík has about seven hours of daylight on 1 February and about ten by the 28th. That makes a South Coast day to Vík comfortable again, and Jökulsárlón and back in one day possible but long. February storms are common, especially in the north and east. Roads close and flights to Akureyri get delayed. Operators cancel when it is unsafe, and you get a refund or a new date. Read our winter driving guide before you hire a car.
Our honest take
If you want winter Iceland, the second half of February is a good choice. You get almost as many tours as in January, close to ten hours of light, and the ice caves and snowmobiles are running at full strength.
Book one glacier day: the Gullfoss snowmobile and ice cave if you are near Reykjavík, Katla from Vík if you are on the South Coast. Add a horse ride and a lights tour. Don’t plan round Húsavík’s whales or daily husky runs. And leave a spare day, because February weather often changes plans.
