Iceland in April.

Shoulder season: unstable weather, empty roads, puffins returning, and a public holiday for summer that arrives in the snow.

Straight from the app. Get Icebreaker for the live version: tonight's aurora, the weather where you are, and what's open.

April is the month Iceland declares summer, on the first Thursday after 18 April, regardless of the weather, which is usually not summer. The days run past 16 hours by the end, the puffins come back to the cliffs at Látrabjarg, Dyrhólaey and the Westman Islands, and the aurora fades out with the dark. Prices are still low and the roads are still quiet.

Light and weather

Daylight: 13 h 20 min at the start, 16 h 15 min by the end; sunrise around 06:15, sunset around 20:45 mid-month. Northern lights: Early in the month only.

High: 7 °C
Low: 1 °C
Rain and snow: 59 mm
Sunshine: 165 hours
Wind: 4.8 m/s
Daylight: 13 h 20 min at the start, 16 h 15 min by the end

Reykjavík averages, 1991–2020 (Veðurstofan)

What's on in April

Sumardagurinn fyrsti, the First Day of Summer: public holiday on the first Thursday after 18 April, with parades and scout bands. Tradition says a frost the night before means a good summer.
Easter in April most years: a five-day weekend from Maundy Thursday, with shops and Vínbúðin closed on Good Friday and Easter Sunday, and the pools on holiday hours.
Aldrei fór ég suður, the free rock festival in Ísafjörður, runs over Easter weekend.

What's open, what's closed

Ring Road open. Highlands closed until June. Puffin season begins in the second half of the month. Whale watching daily from Reykjavík and Húsavík. Some campsites and countryside restaurants still closed for winter.

What to do

What to pack

Layers, shell, boots. Sunglasses. A swimsuit, always. Leave the crampons unless you are heading north.

Prices and crowds

Low outside Easter week. Summer prices start in May.

Verdict

Underrated. Quiet, cheap, long days, and a public holiday named Summer held in April.