Iceland in November.

Cheap, dark and moody: a Reykjavík city break with aurora hunts, Airwaves, and the Christmas lights switching on.

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

November is the cheapest month to fly to Iceland and the one the search engines say people are most curious about. It earns both. Daylight shrinks to five and a half hours by the end, the aurora is at full strength on clear nights, the south coast stays drivable, and the city fills with music for Iceland Airwaves in the first week and with Christmas lights from the last. It is a month for Reykjavík, pools, bars and short day trips, not for the Ring Road.

Light and weather

Daylight: 8 h 40 min at the start, 5 h 30 min by the end; sunrise around 10:00, sunset around 16:30 mid-month. Northern lights: Yes, on clear nights.

High: 5 °C
Low: 0 °C
Rain and snow: 87 mm
Sunshine: 40 hours
Wind: 4.9 m/s
Daylight: 8 h 40 min at the start, 5 h 30 min by the end

Reykjavík averages, 1991–2020 (Veðurstofan)

What's on in November

Iceland Airwaves, the music festival that takes over downtown venues in the first week of November (5–7 November in 2026, with extra shows at Harpa either side).
Dagur íslenskrar tungu, Icelandic Language Day, 16 November, on the poet Jónas Hallgrímsson's birthday.
Christmas lights go on downtown from late November and the markets open in the last week.

What's open, what's closed

Ring Road open with storm closures; the north and east can shut for days. Golden Circle, south coast and Snæfellsnes are the day trips. Highlands closed. Ice caves and glacier walks run. Whale watching in reduced form from Reykjavík.

What to do

What to pack

Full winter kit: shell, warm layers, hat, gloves, gripped boots, crampons. Swimsuit. A book for the storm day.

Prices and crowds

The lowest of the year for flights and rooms. Book Airwaves accommodation early; the city fills for it.

Verdict

For a city break with northern lights, the best-value month there is.