In shortThe lagoon and its paths are open all year. The Zodiac stops after October and the amphibian after November; from October to March the ice cave tours take over. Daylight is short: around the winter solstice the sun is up for only about four hours, from late morning to mid-afternoon. Clear, dark nights from September to April bring a chance of the northern lights.
Oct–Marice cave season
≈4 hof daylight on 21 December
Sep–Aprdark enough for aurora
all yearlagoon and paths open
What runs in which month
Boats and glacier walks belong to the summer half of the year, ice caves to the winter half. October and November are the overlap.
| Month | Amphibian | Zodiac | Ice caves |
|---|
| October | runs | runs | runs |
|---|
| November | runs | stopped | runs |
|---|
| December–February | stopped | stopped | runs |
|---|
| March | stopped | stopped | runs |
|---|
Ice caves: what the tours include →
How much daylight you get
Plan the drive and the walk on the beach inside these hours. Times are sunrise and sunset at the lagoon; Iceland keeps the same clock all year.
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight |
|---|
| 15 November | 09:30 | 16:09 | 6.6 h |
|---|
| 21 December | 10:57 | 15:08 | 4.2 h |
|---|
| 15 January | 10:32 | 15:53 | 5.4 h |
|---|
| 15 February | 09:02 | 17:34 | 8.5 h |
|---|
| 15 March | 07:26 | 19:01 | 11.6 h |
|---|
Ice caves are the winter activity
The caves form inside Breiðamerkurjökull and change every winter, so you can only visit them with a glacier guide, who picks the safest feature on the day. Bad weather can close a cave at short notice; the operator we list then offers a glacier hike or a full refund. If the cave is the reason for your trip, keep a spare day.
The Original Ice Cave Tour from Jökulsárlón
4x4 transfer, spikes, helmet and a certified glacier guide; meets at the main car park.
2–4 hours · 1 Oct 2026 – 31 Mar 2027 · ★ 4.8 on Viator (203 reviews)
Northern lights over the lagoon
The nights are dark enough between September and April, but you also need a clear sky and some solar activity, so nothing is guaranteed. There are no city lights near the lagoon, and on a calm night the aurora reflects in the water. Check the aurora and cloud forecast on vedur.is in the afternoon.
Driving there in winter
- Check road conditions on road.is and the forecast on vedur.is before you set off, and again on the way.
- Drive in daylight where you can: the light window is short and the Ring Road east of Vík has long empty stretches.
- A tour from Reykjavík or from the lagoon removes the driving altogether; ask whether the boat ride is part of the tour on your date, because the boats stop in winter.
Seasons from the boat operator (icelagoon.is) and the tour listings on Viator; daylight calculated for the lagoon's position. Updated 4 October 2026.
Plan your winter visit
