Iceland in June: what tours run

June is the month the Highlands open, and it is also the first month with nearly everything running at once. The cost is crowds and prices, and the fact that the first half of the month still has gaps. If Landmannalaugar is the point of your trip, book the second half. If you want long days and a full choice of tours, any week of June works.

What the calendars show

We hold the booking calendars for every tour we sell, so we counted. On 1 June about 1,550 tours show a departure. By 15 June that is about 1,590, and on 30 June about 1,600. For comparison, 1 May is about 1,460 and mid-July about 1,590. June is already at the summer peak.

The gain from May is mostly Highland and boat tours. Whale watching departures go from about 70 on 1 May to about 86 on 1 June. Super jeep tours go from about 69 to about 86, and reach about 94 by the end of the month.

The Highlands open, in stages

The F-roads open when the snow and mud allow, normally in June, and the calendars follow. Gravel Travel’s Kerlingarfjöll Small Group Hiking Tour is from €339 and shows a date every day of June, 12 hours from Reykjavík. Askja day tours from Akureyri and Mývatn also start on 1 June.

Landmannalaugar comes later. Kalman Tours’ Landmannalaugar small-group super jeep is from €289, 12 hours, and its first date is 15 June. The long-distance Laugavegur treks mostly start in the second half of the month. In a cold spring the roads can open late and tours move with them. If this is your headline day, leave a spare day in the plan.

Whales, puffins and the midnight sun

Whale watching runs from Reykjavík, Húsavík and Akureyri all month. The Elding Reykjavík Classic Whales in the Midnight Sun is from €110, three hours, with its first sailing on 15 June. In the north, Elding’s Akureyri Classic Whales in the Midnight Sun is from €106 and starts on 1 June. Sightings are possible, never certain.

For puffins, Special Tours’ Puffin Express is from €60, an hour from the Old Harbour, and shows a date every day of June. Our puffin guide covers the season.

The sun sets around midnight at the solstice and rises again around three, so evening tours stay light. It also makes sleeping harder than people expect. Bring an eye mask. See our midnight sun guide for the evening departures.

What does not run

There are no northern lights in June. Some tours with “lights” in the name still show dates in the calendar. Don’t book them for the aurora. Our season guide explains which months work.

The crystal ice caves under Vatnajökull are closed until autumn. Southcoast Adventure’s Katla Ice Cave Tour is from €215, meets in Vík, and runs every day of June. It is darker than the crystal caves, with ash layered through the ice.

Holidays and crowds

The national day is 17 June, a public holiday, so some shops and museums keep shorter hours. Sailors’ Day, usually the first Sunday of June, is celebrated in the harbours. Hotels in Reykjavík and on the South Coast fill early for the last two weeks of June. Book rooms before tours.

Rafting on the Hvítá is open, though not every single day of the month shows a departure. Check the date you want rather than assuming.

Our honest take

June is the easiest month to say yes to. It has the widest choice, the longest days and the Highlands, and the weather is milder than at any other time of year. It is also busy and the most expensive month for rooms.

Don’t expect empty trails, and don’t expect the Highlands to be open on 1 June. If you can pick the date, go in the last two weeks of the month. If you want the same tours with fewer people, May or September are quieter.