About The Icelandic Guide

Between us, our contributors have made more than 25 visits to Iceland — driving the full Ring Road in summer and in winter, photographing the Northern Lights from the Snæfellsnes Peninsula and the Westfjords, hiking on Sólheimajökull glacier with a certified guide, eating through Reykjavik's Grandi harbour restaurants and the Laugavegur strip, and reaching Hornstrandir in the far Westfjords by ferry from Ísafjörður. The Icelandic Guide exists because Iceland's logistics, seasonal windows, and weather variability require more precision than most travel guides provide.

Who writes this site

Our team covers Iceland across three distinct areas of expertise:

• Ring Road and logistics writer — has completed the 1,332-kilometre Route 1 circuit three times, in June (midnight sun), September (aurora season start), and February (full winter conditions). Covers fuel stop spacing, F-road permit requirements for highland routes including Kjölur and Sprengisandur, the single-lane bridge system, and rental car insurance tiers. First-hand experience with road closures tracked through Vegagerðin (the Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration).
• Northern Lights and seasonal timing researcher — has documented aurora conditions across multiple visits between September and March, using data from the Veðurstofa Íslands (Icelandic Met Office) aurora forecast and cloud cover maps. Covers the KP index system, the best dark-sky locations within 90 minutes of Reykjavik, and the exact months when midnight sun eliminates viewing — late May through mid-July. Also covers the midnight sun season and what it means practically for sleep and driving.
• Reykjavik culture and food editor — has visited Reykjavik six times, covering the Grandi harbour's fish market and restaurant row, the Hallgrímskirkja parish church and Leif Eriksson statue viewpoint, the Laugavegur and Skólavörðustígur shopping streets, and the city's geothermal pool culture from Laugardalslaug to the newer Sky Lagoon. Tracks Reykjavik's restaurant scene and the annual DesignMarch and Reykjavik Arts Festival calendars.

Glacier hiking: Vatnajökull and Sólheimajökull

Vatnajökull is Europe's largest glacier by volume, covering approximately 8 per cent of Iceland's total land area. Access is via several outlet glaciers — Skaftafell, Svínafellsjökull, and Fjallsjökull are all within the Vatnajökull National Park. Guided glacier walks start from approximately 8,000 ISK (around €55) for a short 2-hour walk and require crampons and ice axe provided by the operator. Sólheimajökull, on the south coast near Vík, is more accessible and popular for day trips from Reykjavik — it is also one of the most visibly retreating glaciers in Iceland, having lost several hundred metres of length in the past decade. Our glacier hiking guides cover both sites, including the specific guide companies we have used, departure logistics, and what the terrain looks like in different seasons.

Northern Lights: what the viewing windows actually look like

The Northern Lights (aurora borealis) are visible in Iceland when three conditions align: darkness (so not in summer), clear skies, and sufficient geomagnetic activity (KP index of 3 or above for most Iceland locations). The Veðurstofa Íslands publishes a 3-day aurora forecast updated twice daily, with a separate cloud cover map essential for planning. The best months are September through March; October and February tend to offer the clearest combination of dark nights and relatively stable weather windows. Our aurora guides give specific dark-sky locations within driving distance of Reykjavik, plus what to do when cloud cover blocks the view for several consecutive nights — a common frustration for travellers with fixed itineraries.

Our editorial standards

Every article on The Icelandic Guide is produced through a three-stage process:

• We visit in person. Our writers have landed at Keflavík International Airport, driven the Ring Road in rental 4WDs, taken the Westfjords ferry from Stykkishólmur, and hiked the Laugavegur trail between Landmannalaugar and Þórsmörk with overnight hut bookings through Ferðafélag Íslands (the Icelandic Touring Association).
• We verify against official sources: Íslandsstofa / Visit Iceland for destination information, regional guides, and tourism statistics; Veðurstofa Íslands (the Icelandic Met Office) for weather forecasts, aurora predictions, and volcanic activity alerts; and Útlendingastofnun (the Directorate of Immigration) for current visa rules, Schengen entry requirements, and work permit information.
• We update when conditions change. Glacier recession, F-road opening dates, and hiking hut availability change year to year. Volcanic eruptions on the Reykjanes Peninsula since 2021 have periodically affected road access and air quality near Grindavík. High-traffic practical articles are reviewed every six months and we note the year of any price reference.

How we keep the lights on

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