VISIT ICELAND IN JUNE 2024

Pssst! You can find my best recommended June Day Tours from Reykjavik here.

WEATHER IN ICELAND IN JUNE

June, July & August are the official summer months in Iceland.

Not that you will experience our summer to be very warm … but us Icelanders think it is simply amazing! Long days, less wind & rain and of course the most sun!

The average temperature in June is 9°C or 48°F – making it the third warmest month of the year after it’s friends, July and August.

It really doesn’t seem to be very warm but for Icelanders … we really don’t complain in June! And specially since every ones in a while the temperature spikes up and reaches 15-20°C or 59-68°F. Also, this is the month with the least rainfall!

Average temperature in Iceland (°C)

WHAT TO WEAR IN ICELAND IN JUNE?

So, if you are visiting Iceland in June you better pack your shorts & t-shirts … but also be ready for some cool sea breeze and chilly temperatures, specially if you are going exploring around the country.

You absolutely have to pack for summer so that if you will be lucky, you will be ready to enjoy it to the fullest. And Icelanders will dress like it’s 30°C / 86°F and sunshine even though it’s only 10°C / 50°F and a glimpse of sunshine! You have to embrace it you see …

However, for general packings sake, I would recommend you to pack thermals, fleece and a good jacket. And obviously, if you have a wool sweater that will hit a home run!

And here is one more thing you just have to know … it’s bright all day, all night, everyday!

THE MIDNIGHT SUN IN ICELAND

In June, Iceland celebrates our longest days of the year. And literally, for a few weeks – the sun simply doesn’t set at all.

It is as bright as it can possibly be when you wake up and when you go to sleep at around midnight, she is still there. At night time it is of course less bright and we will enjoy what I can only express as a constant sun set for a few hours … before the day gets lit again!

This is not only extremely refreshing but it also gives June a huge advantage on other months to explore the country. As you can simply drive out and explore 24/7.

With this being said, there is no darkness in Iceland for the whole month of June leaving it no chance to see the Northern Lights at this time.

TOP THINGS TO DO IN ICELAND IN JUNE

With the beautiful weather descriptions above, it’s obvious that June is the perfect time for almost any outdoor activity. And the extreme sunlight hours will create endless opportunities and leave most Icelanders unusually happy & smiley!

I believe Iceland is always fun, no matter what time of the year you are visiting but here below is a small list of my personal 10 recommendations of awesome things to in Iceland that I believe are especially great in June. Are you ready?

1. EXPLORE REYKJAVIK LIKE A LOCAL FOODIE

To make the absolute MOST of your short time in Reykjavik, why not join the #1 rated tour in Reykjavik on Trip Advisor?

In the awesome Reykjavik Food Tour you can taste one of the very best home made Icelandic ice creams I have ever tasted in my life, get home made lamb soup, fresh catch of the day, the famous Icelandic hot dog, local cheese and so, so, so much more!

Personally, I think the Reykjavik Food tour is one of the the single best ways to explore and get to know Reykjavik first hand.

Find the Reykjavik Food tour here.

2. RIDE THE ICELANDIC PONIES

The Icelandic horses are so furry & beautiful. You will definitely see them if you plan on driving around & explore Iceland. But in my opinion, it’s not enough to only see them from the road – and that’s why I recommend to everyone to go on a riding tour!

If you are interested in making new furry friends, learning about the horses & do a quick riding tour, I recommend THIS horse back riding tour. In fact, I think it’s the best horse riding tour in Iceland.

3. GO FOR A PICNIC AT AUSTURVÖLLUR PARK

Wether you are just walking in the down town area or planning your day from home, grab some snacks and/or beers and spend some quality time with yourself or with friends/family. It is really common for locals to gather around at Austurvöllur park or at Arnarhóll hill in down town Reykjavik to enjoy a sunny afternoon.

4. CHASE DOWN THE MIDNIGHT SUN!

Don’t go Northern Lights hunting, do the opposite. Pack a cosy carpet, sunglasses, juicy snacks and couple of beers and find a quite, grassy spot to enjoy the Midnight Sun!

Be ready for some lovely views but just make sure to dress warm because the temperature will drop although the sun won’t set.

5. EXPLORE THE BEST OF ICELAND!

Here are other ideas for amazing day trips from Reykjavik:

• The Golden Circle
• The South Coast
• Snæfellsnes peninsula

There isn’t a better time to explore our beautiful nature than in sunshine and with every mountain green!

Travellers and locals alike explore Iceland all year round but it goes without saying that the conditions couldn’t be better than in June – the roads will be safer and the views more beautiful than ever. You can do all kinds of amazing tours with recommended travel operators or you can rent a car and go out and explore on your own!

6. GO SNOWMOBILING ON GLACIERS!

It’s crazy that most people think snowmobiling is only possible during the winter. It’s glaciers, they are cold all year round and the chances are just that much better of decent weather in the summer!

Snowmobiling tours are available from Reykjavik and with some tours it is possible to meet at the basecamp at the roots of the particular glacier you will be venturing.

Find our best Snowmobile tour here!

7. GO FOR A PICNIC IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE!

Take a road trip and drive … somewhere! Explore Iceland! Or you can even just walk or cycle in any direction until you find yourself to be alone in the world. Reykjavik is a small city so it won’t take you too long!

Just remember to bring with you a cosy blanket, a delicious meal or snacks & drinks, that makes everything better!

… And a view like on the photo above wouldn’t hurt! This is Kirkjufell mountain by the way, in Grundarfjörður in Snæfellsnes :)

8. VISIT SOME OF OUR AMAZING LOCAL SWIMMING POOLS!

We have absolutely TONS of geothermal heated swimming pools all over Reykjavik and in every single town around Iceland. I mentioned earlier that we are suckers for ice cream … we have a similar situation with our swimming pools, ha! This just might be the most Icelandic thing on this list!

Last time I checked we have 9 swimming pools in Reykjavik alone and I really recommend you trying at least one. On the photos is Laugardalslaug, the largest in Reykjavik. You can also read about Sundhöll Reykjavikur in down town Reykjavik, the oldest swimming pool in town HERE.

And if not that, go hunting for natural hot springs out in the country! You can read more on that topic later in this blog!

9. HIKE ICELAND!

Iceland is every hikers paradise … at least when the weather is nice!

And there are tons of beautiful hiking routes all around Reykjavik and the capital area that are sure to make you sweat and reward you with incredible views. Such hikes can be found in everything from 15 minutes drive from Reykjavik city centre.

Two of my personal favourite hiking routes from Reykjavik are Mt. Esja that surrounds Reykjavik in the North and the hike towards Glymur waterfall that is in approx. 1 hour driving distance from Reykjavik.

10. VISIT THE BEST MUSEUMS IN REYKJAVIK!

Even though it’s summer, you still might want to hit up any of the very interesting museums in town! If I had to recommend some, here are my personal top three museums recommendations!

1. The National Museum of Iceland

2. The Settlement Exhibition (Reykjavik 871 +- 2)

and 3. The penis museum! Yub, that is a thing. Just Google it !

11. VISIT THE PUFFINS!

Yub, I said it.

Iceland luckily happens to be the largest puffin colony in the world. How many puffins you ask?
The total population of puffins in Iceland is estimated to be between 8 and 10 million birds!

Holy puffins that’s a lot of birds!

The only time of year to see these little cuties is from May to August. So you’re in luck if you’ve picked the summer as your time to visit Iceland!

Seeing the puffins here in Iceland is something that I recommend to all my guests visiting Iceland since I feel it’s something that everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime.

I’m truly lucky to have been able to try out a variety of different puffin tours here in Reykjavik over the last few years. I don’t really know what it is but I’ve always been the type that wants to experience activities in the most unique way possible. And that’s why the Puffin Rib Safari tour stood out the most to me instead of being on a big slow boat, packed with a huge crowd of other tourists. The Puffin Safari takes place on a small rib safari boat that has been customized to both get you to the puffin colony faster than any other tour but there is also no other puffin tour in Iceland that gets you closer to the puffins – which I thought was awesome!

If you’re interested in joining a Puffin adventure boat tour then I’ve made a special collaboration with the tour operator to be able to offer our readers the tour at the lowest possible price.

You’ll find all the info and be able to secure your spot right through this link here – HAVE FUN AND ENJOY THE PUFFINS!

ICELANDIC FESTIVALS AND EVENTS IN JUNE

The summer is the ultimate time for festivals and every kind of gathering and events in Iceland. Therefore there is always something fun happening in each of the summer months. It is the perfect opportunity to blend in with the locals, have fun and explore Icelandic culture first hand.

Here I have listed my top three favourite local events in June along with a short description:

17th. of June – OUR ICELANDIC NATIONAL DAY

17th. of June is always a special day for Icelanders as this is when we celebrate our independent from Denmark and the foundation of the Republic of Iceland which happened on this day in 1944. Today, thousands of Icelanders will get together in down town Reykjavik, parades will march down Laugavegur main shopping street, kids will proudly wave the Icelandic flag and unusual amounts of candy floss, balloons and ice cream are sold!

THE MIDNIGHT SUN RUN!

Participants meet up in the heart of Reykjavik and run together into the midnight sun!

Afterwards, everybody is invited to dip into Laugardalslaug geothermal swimming pool for free and soak in the views and start their recoveries in the hot tub.

You can find more info about the run here. 

WHALE SEASON IN ICELAND

Another thing definitely worth mentioning for your Iceland holiday in June is that the peak summer season is also your best window to spot whales in Iceland!

Although whales can be spotted all year round in Iceland the summer is definitely the peak season with the highest chance of seeing something remarkable! Iceland is the perfect location for visitors to view these magnificent animals in their natural habitat. April to September is the best time of the year to see whales and in the summer you can see more than 20 species of whales – Including Minke, Humpback, Blue whale and so many more.

Find our handpicked Whale Watching tour from Reykjavik here.

Or, HERE you can find a Whale watching + Puffin tour combo!

NATURAL HOT SPRINGS IN ICELAND

Finally, this is probably my personal single most favourite thing to do in all of Iceland, hunt for natural hot springs!

Because of Iceland’s incredible geothermal energy, we have hidden natural hot springs scattered literally everywhere around the island, some well known while others are still a secret and only a few individuals know their exact location.

The most famous natural hot spring in Iceland is without a doubt … yup, you guessed it! The Blue Lagoon. No one will argue that the Blue Lagoon is absolutely amazing, truly an incredible experience and I can 100% understand why almost every single traveller in Iceland wants to visit. However, Iceland has so much more to offer and as mentioned above, natural hot springs are found all around the country.

The only hot springs that can be accessed with tours (that I know of) are the Blue Lagoon, The Secret Lagoon & Reykjadalur hot spring. Or if course, the geothermal baths in Mývatn if you find yourself in the North of Iceland.

So, for exploring any other natural hot spring this is what you need:

• Rent a Car! You can start by checking out our great car deal here.
• Bathing suits … or go skinny dipping of course!
• I think it ALWAYS makes the experience more fun to have snacks & perhaps some drinks along the way to enjoy while driving, in the nature or literally while you are bathing in the warm spring :)
• And a camera of course!

And if you are going for a natural hot spring hunt, you should definitely start by getting inspired by our special blog about Natural Hot springs and where to find them! 

LAST WORDS ON YOUR ICELAND IN JUNE HOLIDAY …

I really hope that my Iceland in June blog inspired you, gave you any helpful information and maybe got you just tiny bit more excited for your Iceland holiday!

Furthermore, I hope from the bottom of my heart that you will absolutely love it here in Iceland and enjoy your trip to the fullest. June is a fantastic time to visit where you will hopefully find green fields, long days and many happy Icelanders!

I’m also guiding the Reykjavik Food Walk this summer – so maybe I’ll see you there :)

Happy planning & I’ll see you soon in Reykjavik!