Iceland in January.
Quiet, cheap, dark, and the northern lights are on every clear night.
January is Iceland with the tourists gone and the lights on. The days are short, the storms are real, and the prices are the lowest of the year outside November. Locals spend it in the hot tub, at Þorrablót eating things that should not be eaten, and outside at midnight when the sky does its thing. If you can sit out a blizzard with a book and a pool nearby, this is a very good month.
Light and weather
Daylight: 4 h 30 min at the start, 7 h 15 min by the end; sunrise around 11:00, sunset around 16:00 mid-month. Northern lights: Yes, on clear nights.
| High | 3 °C | Low | -2 °C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rain and snow | 87 mm | Sunshine | 23 hours |
| Wind | 5.2 m/s | Daylight | 4 h 30 min at the start, 7 h 15 min by the end |
What's on in January
- Þrettándinn, 6 January: the thirteenth night of Christmas, with bonfires, fireworks and elves in the suburbs of Reykjavík. The Yule Lads go home.
- Þorri begins on Bóndadagur, the Friday between 19 and 25 January: a month of Þorrablót feasts of fermented shark, ram's testicles and sheep's head, chased with Brennivín. Restaurants run Þorri menus; ask.
- January sales, útsölur, start right after New Year.
What's open, what's closed
The Ring Road is open but can close for hours in a storm, especially in the north and east; the south coast is usually the drivable day trip. Highland roads are shut. Ice caves under Vatnajökull run all month. Whale watching runs from Reykjavík in reduced form. Vínbúðin closes on 1 January.
What to do
- Watch the aurora forecast every evening
- Hot tubs at the municipal pools, 1,500 kr
- Happy hour is the winter sport
- Read about the beer ban and the witch burnings while the storm passes
What to pack
Waterproof, windproof shell, warm layers, a hat that covers the ears, boots with grip. Crampons that slip over shoes, sold in every petrol station, are the best 3,000 kr you will spend.
Prices and crowds
Low. Flights and hotels bottom out from 2 January to mid-March, with the Christmas surcharge gone. Tours run with fewer departures and more weather cancellations, refunded by the operator.
Verdict
Come for aurora, pools and low prices. Skip it if four hours of daylight will ruin your mood.