When to go · Reykjavík
Reykjavík in May
Good month. Cool and bright; fewer crowds.
Key facts
- Verdict
- Good
- Temperature
- 9°C (48°F)48°F (9°C) / 4°C (39°F)39°F (4°C)
- average high / low
- Rain days
- 13
- Crowds
- Medium
- Iceland overall
- Prices
- Medium
- Iceland overall
Verdict
Cool and bright; fewer crowds.
All twelve months in one grid — weather, crowds and prices, with gaps left as unknown.
Is another month better than May?
May is rated good. These months rate higher:
Weather in May
- ReykjavíkHighs around 9 °C (48 °F), lows around 4 °C (39 °F), rain on about 13 daysHighs around 48 °F (9 °C), lows around 39 °F (4 °C), rain on about 13 days
- Reykjavík and the south-west, Iceland · Reykjavík, Golden Circle, Reykjanesfine
Mild and windy: around 0 °C (32 °F) in January, 12–14 °C (54–57 °F) in July. About 21 h of daylight in June, 4–5 h in late December.Mild and windy: around 32 °F (0 °C) in January, 54–57 °F (12–14 °C) in July. About 21 h of daylight in June, 4–5 h in late December.
Spring season
Longer days, puffins arrive in late April and fewer crowds.
Watch: Unsettled weather; snow can return in April.
Festivals and holidays
Dates as our data lists them. Moving holidays (lunar and Islamic calendars, Easter) shift every year: check the date for your year before you build a trip on it.
Labour Day check
1 May · Whole city
Shops closed; a march downtown.
Crowds and prices
- Crowds · Iceland overall
- Medium
- Prices · Iceland overall
- Medium
Iceland overall: Long days, puffins, fewer crowds; highlands still closed.
Compare two months
Weather, crowds and prices for any two months in Reykjavík, side by side.
Verdict
May: Good
Jun: Great (better)
Daytime high
May: 9 °C (48 °F)48 °F (9 °C)
Jun: 12 °C (54 °F)54 °F (12 °C)
Night low
May: 4 °C (39 °F)39 °F (4 °C)
Jun: 7 °C (45 °F)45 °F (7 °C)
Rain days
May: 13
Jun: 12 (better)
Crowds
May: Medium
Jun: High
Prices
May: Medium
Jun: High
Festivals listed
May: 1
Jun: 3
May: Cool and bright; fewer crowds.
June: Midnight sun; the busiest and best-lit month.
Reykjavík: figures are long-term averages from this guide, not a forecast.
What to pack
- A warm coat, hat and gloves for mornings and evenings
- A rain jacket or umbrella and shoes that dry fast