What To Do In Iceland In February

What To Do In Iceland In February

February is the month of the Northern Lights. February is also one of the most popular months to travel to Iceland. The days are getting longer during this month as well and it flies by because it‘s only 28 days, sometimes 29.

As a child this was one of my favourite months because three of the most fun days of the year took place during this month (apart from Christmas). This month is full of fun festivities, everything from music events to children entertainment.

You‘ll get to see Iceland at its best in February. To see all this natural beauty covered in snow and the sun breaking through the clouds, creating phenomenal colours in the nature, is completely magnificent. And then to see completely different colours in the night sky. I would call this month the month of colours. To see all our fantastic waterfalls frozen over and the rivers either frozen or full of ice is so beautiful.

The average temperature in February is ca 0 – 0,5°C / 32°F

Feb 1st the sun rises at 10:07 and sets at 17:16

Feb 28th the sun rises at 08:38 and sets at 18:43

It‘s so enjoyable to see the days getting longer. Everyone becomes so happy and it‘s much more fun to wake up every morning.

February isn‘t necessarily a bad month weather-wise but looking at the whole country it‘s usually the heaviest snow month. It‘s not the coldest month either but it’s still very cold. Usually around 0°C/32°F.

How should I dress in February?

When you visit Iceland during one of the coldest months of the year I recommend bringing a winter coat if you have one. If you don‘t have one you can get some great jackets from Icelandic brands here like Icewear for example. Thermal underwear and snow pants are a must, especially if you aren‘t used to cold weather. You can buy all outdoor wear here in Iceland. If you come ill prepared it‘s no problem to buy everything here. But don‘t be the guy who shows up for a tour in snow, heavy frost and cold winds dressed in jeans and a hoodie. That‘s usually the people who stay inside the bus while everyone else goes outside to enjoy the nature.

Warm quality shoes are a must when traveling in Iceland. Even better if they are waterproof. Warm socks, woolly hat and mittens.

Here‘s the list:

• Warm socks
• Mittens
• Woolly hat
• Warm pants
• Winter jacket
• Warm sweater
• Winter shoes
• Thermal underwear
• Your smile

Events in February 

Cream Puff Day (Bolludagurinn) is a unique Icelandic phenomenon. You can even call it a Cream Puff weekend, as it usually starts on a Friday and ends on a Monday. It‘s never been enough for Icelanders to just have one day when you eat a lot of Cream Puffs. They need three days to nibble and then eat themselves completely full on the actual Cream Puff Day, which is always on a Monday. We make two kinds of Cream Puffs: choux pastry and puff pastry. They are then filled with cream with all sorts of flavour, mainly with different jams. Back in the day this wasn‘t very complicated. Then it was just cream, rhubarb jam and the bun. Now there‘s like a 100 different varieties. People have started adding caramel, chocolate, coffee, liquorice and so much more.

The day after this big day/weekend of eating pastry we have “explosion day” or “sprengidagur”. I don’t really know what the purpose of Explosion Day is. Whether it’s an all you can eat day or explosive day. Whether it means all the farting you do after eating your pea soup or if it means that you eat so much of the soup and salted meat. Perhaps both?

Anyway, on this day you make pea soup with onion, bacon, turnips and potatoes. And with it you boil and serve salted lamb.

My favourite day when I was a kid was Ash Wednesday (Öskudagurinn), which is the day after Explosion Day. On this day kids dress up as different famous characters and go from business to business singing and gathering candy. I was usually very shy and made sure to be in a bigger group where I didn‘t have to sing loudly, just move my lips. Usually kids gather a whole shopping bag full of candy during this day. The most I‘ve ever seen is a large black trash bag.

Sónar is one of our biggest music festivals. This is an electronic music festival and many of the biggest music stars in the world come and play during the festival. If you like dancing this is the festival for you.

There‘s a yearly Icelandic beer festival the last weekend of February. This holy day is actually on March 1st which is the day the famous beer ban was lifted after 74 years.

There‘s around 15-20 breweries in Iceland. People say Iceland has some of the best beers in the world and if you‘re a beer devotee this is the festival for you.

The most popular tours in February

The Northern Lights are the most popular. To see the lights dance across the night sky is completely magnificent and not something you see every day, or during your lifetime even for some. There‘s even lots of Icelanders who haven‘t seen the Northern Lights properly. Don‘t come to Iceland and miss the Northern Lights – this is a must do.

You can go on a whale watching tour in Reykjavik year round. There are whales here all year and often the weather is good enough to go on a tour.

Ice cave exploring is of course popular. You can‘t go ice caving during the summer (or from March to December).

The South Coast and Jökulsárlón is the best tour in Iceland. There you get to see all the best Iceland has to offer in one day.

The Golden Circle is the most popular tour. There you get to visit the most historical place in Iceland and see some real natural treasures.

You can say that Reykjanes Peninsula is a hidden gem. This is a part of Iceland many miss but it‘s completely fantastic. Reykjavik Outventure has made this tour even more fun with food and drink experiences.

Go climb Mount Esja. This is a tour you can take all year. Relax afterwards in one of our many pools and go dining by the old harbour.

Explore Reykjavik with a local guide. Taste all the food and take in the main sights.

Snæfellsnes peninsula

Snowmobile trips

Horseback riding

Glacier hiking

ATV tours