January is the deepest part of the Icelandic winter and the cheapest month to be here. Reykjavík gets a little over four hours of usable light, the ice caves are open, and the aurora has as much darkness to work with as it will ever get. The trade is real: storms close roads at short notice, the south coast day tours are long and dark at both ends, and a week of low cloud is an ordinary week in January.
Do not come in January expecting to drive the ring road yourself, to see the highlands, or to fill days with daylight sightseeing. If your trip only works when the weather behaves, pick another month.
The short version
1086 tours and activities have at least one open departure inside all 31 days of January 2027 — read from our operators' own calendars, not estimated.
On an average day in January, 1019 of those tours have a seat on sale.
Daylight on January 15th: 5 h 18 min in Reykjavík (sunrise 10:57, sunset 16:16).
Median day tour in the month's biggest category, lagoons & spas: €208 a person.
Computed for the middle of the month from the coordinates of each town, so it is the average day rather than the flattering end of the month. Iceland keeps UTC all year, which is why sunrise is so late in winter.
What runs in January, and what does not
1086 of the 1608 tours our operators sell in January have an open departure inside all 31 days of January 2027. That is a count of real calendar dates, checked when the snapshot below was built.
In season · Northern lights season
Needs darkness more than anything else. Nothing is visible around midsummer however strong the activity.
They arrive to breed and leave once the chicks fledge, usually by mid-August. Colonies differ by a week or two.
Not in January · Midnight sun
True midnight sun only above the Arctic Circle — Grímsey. The mainland gets civil twilight all night, which looks much the same.
Not in January · Highland F-roads open
The Road Administration opens each F-road when the ground has thawed enough to take traffic. Mid-June is typical; some years it is July.
What it costs in January
Median adult fare for a day tour in each of the month's biggest categories. Packages, gear hire, admission tickets and per-vehicle private tours are excluded — mixing a per-car price into a per-person median is how "€4 to €3,276" ranges get published.
Full ranges, and what moves each price, are on our price pages.
10 tours worth January specifically
Ranked by operator standing and whether there are dates open, then thinned so one company cannot fill the shelf. Not a paid placement — we do not sell them.
More filters
Priceper person; priced-on-request tours drop out while a range is set
from €213 per person★4.73· 88 reviews of this tour
Anyone who wants the whole peninsula in one day and doesn't…
11 h · from Reykjavík
Pickup included
Free cancellation 24 h
Book same day
Discover Snæfellsnes - Iceland's Hidden Paradise. Join us for a day of adventure in Snæfellsnes, Iceland's stunning peninsula. From towering mountains to black sand beaches, our tour covers the best sights with friendly guides. Small groups and comfy ride
68% below the €144 typical for sightseeing day tours
meet at the start point
1 h 30 · from Reykjavík
Family friendly
Wheelchair access
Free cancellation 24 h
On this walk, you hear about the Elves, Trolls, Ghosts, Monsters, 13 Santa's and finally the only known serial killer of Iceland in a land where it's easy to get lost in the lava fields...
Discover the wonders of Iceland's Golden Circle on this unforgettable tour. Experience the beauty of Thingvellir National Park, the erupting Geysir, and the impressive Gullfoss waterfall, along with visits to Fridheimar, Efstidalur, and the Kerið volcano
from €142 per person★4.82· 2,059 reviews of this tour
about the usual price for sightseeing day tours
from age 7 · pickup at extra cost
2 h · from Reykjavík
Gear included
Family friendly
Free cancellation 24 h
This trip is an excellent trip for all those interested in trying the Icelandic horse, a trek on the hardy, sure-footed Icelandic horse is an experience to remember.
from €183 per person★4.97· 66 reviews of this tour
26% below the €246 typical for snorkelling & diving tours
Confident swimmers who want the fissure properly, not the…
3 h · from Þingvellir
Age 12+
Book the night before
Meet at Thingvellir National park
No certificate needed. We provide changing room for our clients. Freedive in best visibility with best freedive wetsuit equipment. Safety is our priority. All equipment needed is included. We only use best freedive wetsuit available for our conditions
59% below the €246 typical for snorkelling & diving tours
Anyone who can swim and wants the clearest water in Iceland…
3 h · from Reykjavík
Age 12+
Gear included
Family friendly
No certificate needed. Snorkel in best visibility with best snorkel wetsuit equipment. Safety is our priority. All equipment needed is included. We only use best snorkel wetsuit available for our conditions.
from €1,064 per vehicle★5.0· 5 reviews of this tour
A family or group of four to six who would rather split one…
8 h · from Reykjavík
Pickup included
Food included
Wi-fi on board
Visit the Golden Circle and explore its wonderful sights in a private tour. From Thingvellir, to Geysir and Gullfoss, you will experience Iceland's wonderful nature.
Wind cancels more Icelandic tours than rain does, so a spare plan is worth having. These still work in bad weather: indoors, underground, in hot water, or short enough to outlast a squall.
Dates are for 2027. On these days shops, pools and museums run reduced hours or close, and pickups can shift. Most tours still run — check the specific departure rather than assuming either way.
1 January · New Year's Day (Nýársdagur)
What to wear in January
Waterproof shell, warm mid-layer, proper boots with grip and a hat that survives wind. Traction spikes for your shoes cost little and matter more than anything else in your case.
Iceland in January: questions people ask
Is January a good time to see the northern lights?+
It is among the best on the darkness alone — around nineteen hours of it. Cloud is the limiting factor, not the aurora, so give yourself three or four nights and book a tour that rebooks you free when a night is cancelled.
Can you visit an ice cave in January?+
Yes. January is mid-season for the natural caves in Vatnajökull, and the Katla cave under Mýrdalsjökull runs too. Guides re-survey the caves through the winter and a warm spell can close one, so the cave you are taken to may not be the one in the photograph.
How many hours of daylight does Iceland get in January?+
Roughly four and a half hours in Reykjavík mid-month, less in Akureyri. Sunrise is late morning and the light stays low all day, which is unhelpful for schedules and very good for photographs.
Is January cheaper than summer in Iceland?+
Noticeably, for flights and beds. Tour prices move less than people expect — the same guide, bus and fuel cost the operator the same in January as in July.
