Iceland in May.

Spring proper: waterfalls at full snowmelt, birds back, nights that never quite get dark, and prices only starting to climb.

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

May is when the country turns green in about a fortnight. The waterfalls run at full snowmelt volume, which means you get soaked at Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss and enjoy it. The puffin colonies are settled, the whales are in the bay, and by the end of the month the sun sets after eleven and comes back before three. There is no aurora, and there will not be until September. The driest weeks of the year tend to fall here.

Light and weather

Daylight: 16 h 15 min at the start, 20 h by the end; sunrise around 04:30, sunset around 22:30 mid-month. Northern lights: No: the sky never gets dark enough.

High: 10 °C
Low: 4 °C
Rain and snow: 53 mm
Sunshine: 209 hours
Wind: 4.4 m/s
Daylight: 16 h 15 min at the start, 20 h by the end

Reykjavík averages, 1991–2020 (Veðurstofan)

What's on in May

DesignMarch, HönnunarMars, the design festival, now runs in early May (6–10 May in 2026), with open studios, talks at Harpa and exhibitions across the city.
Whit Monday is a public holiday; the shops close, the pools open.

What's open, what's closed

Ring Road fully open. Highlands still closed; the first F-roads open in June. Campsites, countryside hotels and summer-only cafés open through the month. Puffins, whales and seals all in season.

What to do

What to pack

Layers and a shell; May can still be 4 °C in the wind. Eye mask for the light nights.

Prices and crowds

Medium and climbing. Book June accommodation now.

Verdict

The best month nobody books. Come late in May.