Iceland in January

In January 44% of nights reached Kp 3 (1996–2026), and with 12h15 of full darkness on the 15th, three nights in Reykjavík gave a 58% chance of a proper display, level with March for the best three-night figure in our Reykjavík data.

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What's special about January

• Long nights, more activity than December: 12h15 of full darkness mid-month and 44% of nights reaching Kp 3.
• Days getting longer: 4h24 of daylight on 1 January, 5h32 on the 15th and 7 hours on the 31st.
• Þrettándinn, 6 January: the end of Christmas, when the last Yule Lad leaves. In 2026 Reykjavík held one city bonfire, at Gufunesbær, with the Yule Lads and music from 18:00.
• Þorri: the old midwinter month starts on Bóndadagur, a Friday between 19 and 25 January (22 January in 2027, by that rule), and brings the Þorrablót feasts of traditional food.

January in numbers

In short In mid-January Reykjavík has 12h15 of full darkness and 5h32 of daylight, an average temperature of 0.7°C and 74% of the sky covered on average, and 44% of nights reach Kp 3.

Aurora odds in January

In short Three nights in Reykjavík give a 58% chance of a proper display and 35% of a strong show, and 7 nights give an 80% chance of a proper display.

Measured from Reykjavík and Keflavík airport weather reports, 2012–2026, matched to the Kp record: the chance of at least one good night if you stay in the Reykjavík area. A proper display is Kp 2 or more plus a clear hour; a strong show is Kp 3 or more plus a clear hour. Keflavík is the conservative figure. Both are slightly optimistic, because the reports miss thin high cloud (how we work it out):

The gap between months is small and cloud still decides most nights: January's 58% is only a few points ahead of the other winter months. Pick January for the darkness and the ice caves, not because it's a sure thing.

What to do in January

In short Besides the aurora, January has the ice caves in full season, whale watching from Reykjavík, the Blue Lagoon on long winter hours, and Þorri food at the end of the month.

Natural ice caves

ISK 23,800–23,900 · Jökulsárlón

Both main operators are in season: Local Guide (October to March, ISK 23,900) and Glacier Adventure's Crystal Ice Cave (November to April, ISK 23,800).

Whale watching from Reykjavík

ISK 14,500 (Elding) · All year

Elding sails from Reykjavík all year. North Sailing's Húsavík tours restart on 1 March.

Blue Lagoon

ISK 15,990–17,490 · Comfort, mid-January

Open 08:00–22:00 until 31 January. Prices change by date and time; the range is what the booking engine showed for 15 January 2027.

Chase the aurora by 4x4

From Reykjavík · 4x4 vehicle

Over 12 hours of darkness give the guide time to drive further to clearer sky.

Check dates on GetYourGuide

What's open, what's closed

• Open: main roads, the Golden Circle and the south coast, with winter service on the main routes. Check umferdin.is each morning.
• Blue Lagoon: 08:00–22:00 until 31 January, then 08:00–20:00 from 1 February.
• Sky Lagoon: winter hours, 10:00–21:00.
• Húsavík whale watching: stopped until 1 March.
• Closed: plan on the walk behind Seljalandsfoss being closed because of falling ice.
• Reynisfjara: follow the warning lights. Orange means stay at least 25 m from the sea; red means the beach is closed.

What to pack

• A proper insulated jacket over thermal base layers
• Warm boots for standing still at night
• Microspikes for icy paths at Þingvellir, Geysir and Gullfoss
• A head torch for the dark mornings
• A power bank: phones die fast in the cold, and you'll be checking the cloud map all evening

Iceland in January: common questions

Other months, and planning the trip

• Iceland in December
• Iceland in February
• Iceland in March
• Ice cave tours in Iceland: three different things
• The Blue Lagoon in winter (and the cheaper pools)
• Best time to see the northern lights in Iceland