Iceland in September

In September 52% of nights reached Kp 3 (1996–2026), and three nights in Reykjavík gave a 56% chance of a proper display. The catch is darkness: none at all on 1 September, and only 4h46 of full darkness by the 15th, from about 23:00.

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What's special about September

• The season opens: the Elding northern lights boat starts on 1 September, and the aurora buses from late August.
• Darkness arrives late: full darkness goes from none on 1 September to about 6 hours by the 23rd. Plan the aurora-watching nights for the second half of the month.
• Long days for driving: 13 hours of daylight on the 15th, the most of any aurora month.
• Réttir: the autumn sheep round-ups run through September and into October. In 2025 most were on the weekends of 13–14, 20–21 and 27–28 September; dates change every year.

September in numbers

In short In mid-September Reykjavík has 13h09 of daylight and 4h46 of full darkness, an average temperature of 8.6°C and 75% of the sky covered on average, and 52% of nights reach Kp 3.

Aurora odds in September

In short Three nights in Reykjavík give a 56% chance of a proper display and 39% of a strong show, and 7 nights give an 80% chance of a proper display.

Measured from Reykjavík and Keflavík airport weather reports, 15 Septembers, 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):

These odds count any clear, active hour in the evening window, and in early September that window is barely dark. A September trip in the last ten days gets much more real darkness than one in the first week, for the same activity.

What to do in September

In short Besides the aurora, September has year-round whale watching from Reykjavík, the first northern lights boats, the all-year Katla ice cave, and Húsavík whale watching up north.

Northern lights by boat

ISK 14,500 (Elding) · From 1 September

Elding's northern lights cruise leaves the Old Harbour at 22:00 from 1 September, and at 21:00 from 15 September. Away from the city lights, with a boat to stand on.

Whale watching

ISK 14,500 (Elding) · All year

Elding's classic tour runs every month from Reykjavík. Up north, North Sailing's Húsavík tours run daily until 30 November, from ISK 12,990.

Katla ice cave

All year · From Vík

The natural blue caves under Vatnajökull usually open in October. The Katla cave near Vík runs all year, so it's the September option.

Chase the aurora by 4x4

From Reykjavík · 4x4 vehicle

Short nights mean late starts. A 4x4 tour can drive to wherever the sky is clearest in the few dark hours there are.

Check dates on GetYourGuide

What's open, what's closed

• Open: all main roads, the Golden Circle and the south coast.
• Highland F-roads: they can close with the first snow from September. Check umferdin.is before any highland drive.
• Blue Lagoon: 08:00–22:00.
• Sky Lagoon: autumn hours, 09:00–22:00 until 20 October.
• Puffins: Elding's puffin tours from Reykjavík end in August.

What to pack

• A waterproof shell, top and bottom: September is Reykjavík's wettest month of the season, at 91.4 mm
• A warm mid-layer for standing out at midnight
• Walking boots that can get wet
• A power bank: you'll be checking the cloud map late into the night

Iceland in September: common questions

Other months, and planning the trip

• Iceland in October
• Iceland in November
• Iceland in December
• Best time to see the northern lights in Iceland
• Northern lights boat tours from Reykjavík
• Iceland northern lights tours, compared