ICELAND IN SEPTEMBER 2023

AVERAGE WEATHER IN SEPTEMBER IN ICELAND

My favorite thing about the weather in September is that you can usually experience the best of both seasons!

You can have beautiful warm summer days. But you can also experience cold, dark nights where the magical Aurora borealis dance in the skies!

The average temperature in September is 7 °C (45°F).

It’s also the month where sunlight begins to decrease in the day and nights are dark again, which Icelanders enjoy after a full summer of 24 hour daylight.

Depending on your activities, most are done rain or shine.

Packing list for Iceland in September

• Warm jacket (you get bonus points if it's waterproof)
• Hat and gloves can come in handy if the temperature drops
• Warm kosy sweater
• Bathing suit (for Blue Lagoon or Natural Hot Springs)
• Warm socks
• A nice shirt if you plan on going out to eat or exploring the Reykjavik Nightlife
• Walking shoes that you don't mind getting wet (especially if you're travelling outside the city for any hiking or glacier activities.)

NORTHERN LIGHTS ICELAND IN SEPTEMBER

September is a fantastic month to see the northern lights.

So if you're coming to Iceland in September - get excited!

The aurora borealis are a truly special natural phenomena which I feel every traveller visiting Iceland in winter must experience.

I get asked all the time:

"Is it possible to see the northern lights in Reykjavik (the city)?"

The answer to that is techically yes, but it's extremely rare since the city lights make them almost impossible to see.

So to see the Northern Lights, you'll definitely want to drive a few minutes outside of Reykjavik.

Now, you can try to see them on your own.

But I would always recommend booking a northern lights tour to truly maximizing your chances.

I've linked my favorite Northern Lights tour below.

It's my favorite for a few reasons.

The tour has a reasonabe price, the guides are great and the tour has experts that have monitored the Northern Lights / Weather Forecast extensively and will take you to the spot that has the highest chance of seeing the northern lights each particular night.

You can find my favorite Northern Lights Tour Here.

BEST THINGS TO DO IN ICELAND IN SEPTEMBER (my top #5 list)

I look at it this way...

You've made you're way aaaall the way to Iceland.

Why not add some incredible activities to your trip to ensure a truly unforgettable trip to Iceland?

I've lived in Iceland all of my life and have worked in and around tourism for the past 7 years.

So I've been blessed to have been able to try out and experience most activities available in Iceland. Some activities were touristy/pricey and overrated, some were good - and some were AMAZING.

Here below you'll find the ones that I recommend to all travelers and friends visiting my beautiful country.

Enjoy!

1. REYKJAVIK FOOD WALK

This is the #1 Rated Food & Drink activity in Iceland on Trip Advisor (over 5,000+ 5 star reviews)

And it should come as no surprise since the best way to experience a new city/culture is by enjoying it's delicious food.

The Reykjavik Food Walk checks so many boxes. This is a small group experience since we all no that nobody enjoys large crowded touristy tours.

You'll meet a fun local guide and new friends from all over the world and explore Reykjavik, visit the best local restaurants and hidden gems in Reykjavik to enjoy some of the most delicious food found in Iceland ... what's not to love?

The Reykjavik Food Walk is perfect for solo travelers, couples, friends, family ... pretty much anyone that enjoys having fun and eating great food!

I would however recommend booking your spots with as much notice as possible. Since this tour is popular and a small group experience, it tends to sell out in advance.

You can find more info and book your tickets for the Reykjavik Food Walk here.

2. GOLDEN CIRCLE & SECRET LAGOON TOUR

If you've done any research on Iceland, you've most likely heard about the Golden Circle.

If not, no worries. Here is my quick description of it:

The Golden Circle is a beautiful driving route in Iceland. On this route you'll see the powerful Gullfoss (Golden Waterfall), beautiful erupting geysiers and Þingvellir national park.

Most travelers driving the Golden Circle only stop at these three sights - and then drive back to Reykjavik.

But as you might know if you've read my natural hot springs blog ... Iceland is FILLED with incredible natural hot springs with breathtaking surroundings and the perfectly heated water coming directly from the earth/ground.

The Golden Circle & Secret Lagoon combo tour combines these two awesome activities:

Incredible Sightseeing followed by relaxing/swimming in a natural hot spring.

You can find everything you need to know about this tour here.

3. Explore the South Coast

The South Coast of Iceland is a beautiful driving route that includes some amazing sight to see.

The photo above shows both the black sand beach which is filled with basalt lava rocks collumns. On the right hand side, you have Seljalandsfoss waterfall.

It's a very interesting waterfall to visit as you'll be able to walk behind it. It can get wet so I recommend dressing accordingly!

One of our most popular tours is the small group South Coast sightseeing tours. It not only visits the black sand beach and Seljalandsfoss waterfall - but also a variety of others incredible sights.

Such as Skógafoss waterfall (my favorite), Sólheimajökull glacier, Gljúfrabúi (hidden waterfall) and the small coastal town of Vík.

Click here for photos, more info and tickets to the South Coast tour.

4. Glaciers & Snowmobiling

Now, I know I mentioned earlier that the weather in September is still relevantly. Which is true!

However, our glaciers never melt. Which means that it's possible to go snowmobiling on Langjökull glacier all year round.

You'll be picked up in a large 4x4 Super Jeep truck in Reykjavik.

From there, you'll make your way out of the city towards the basecamp located on Langjökull glacier.

The team at Wake Up Reykjavik went snowmobiling together a couple of months back. It was awesome! Such a fun mix of driving the snowmobiles but also seeing the beautiful views of the glacier.

I would recommend this activity for our 'warmer' months (April-September) since it's more likely that you'll encounter stormy weather during the winter months which will result in less visibility.

Click here for more info and tickets to Snowmobiling on Langjökull.

5. WHALE WATCHING FROM REYKJAVIK

Did you know that Iceland is among the best locations in Europe for Whale Watching?

On this tour you'll sail out for adventure with breathtaking views and the possibility to see wild Minke Whales, Humpback whales, Dolphins & much more.

And the best part?

It departs from the harbour in Reykjavik, only a few minutes walking from most hotels and hostels in downtown Reykjavik.

Find out more about the Whale Watching from Reykjavik tour here.

6. GLACIER HIKE & WATERFALLS

Have you ever seen a glacier?

Better yet, have you ever hiked on one?

You can now!

This awesome tour combines adventure and sightseeing.

All of this takes place on Langjökull glacier (no worries, a pickup and drop off from hotels in Reykjavik are included in the tour.)

Here you'll explore two of my favorite waterfalls in Iceland (seljalandsfoss and skógafoss) and then hike on one of Iceland's largest and most beautiful glaciers.

Find out more about the Glacier Hike & Waterfalls tour here.

Daylight in Iceland in September

Towards the begining of September, the sun will be rising at 6:10am and setting at 8:40pm (14 hours of daylight.)

As the month comes closer to an end, the days will get shorter.

So at the end of the month, the sun will rise a little later, at 7:30am and set at 7:00am.

Giving us only 11.5 hours of daylight.

To Sum September Up For you ...

Iceland is a wonderful country to experience, so why not in September!

Come see Iceland in one of the best months it has to offer. The weather is decent, prices are more affordable than just a week ago, and the Northern Lights are a show of delight.​

THANKS for the read and we can't wait to see you soon in Reykjavik!

​You can find more helpful blogs here or our best selection of activities to do in Iceland here :)​