r/VisitingIceland • u/Law-of-Poe • May 04 '25
Trip report Iceland Trip - Late April - Weather Gods Were Not With Us
I wanted to make this post for people traveling to Iceland with concerns about sub-optimal weather forecasts.
TL; DR: travelled to Iceland with our toddler. Rained some every day. We all still had a BLAST, despite my initial apprehension with the weather before our trip
We booked our dream vacation and were, probably like many, very disappointed to see rain forecasts for every day of our trip. Bittersweet also that it was blue clear skies the week before we came!
And the day that we landed it did, in fact, pour the entire morning, which was okay because we were driving directly out to Vik.
By the time we got there and settled it stopped and was just cloudy and a little drizzly for the rest of the day until late afternoon. This was the general theme of the trip: 60% rain forecast for every day. The actual time it was raining was for a few hours here and there for the first three days.
We were, thus able to get out and see things around she showers and rarely were actually in the rain for more than 5-10 min. We all came prepared with waterproof outdoor raincoats so we never got drenched or anything.
And then, for the rest of the days, the forecast was just wrong and we enjoyed either no rain and even some sunny skies.
Overall though, the dreary weather ended up adding to the vibes and our enjoyment of the scenery and landscapes. It didn’t impede us from going to see everything we planned and having an absolute blast.
So, if you find yourself embarking on your trip with rain in the forecasts, fear not! You will still have a blast! Just bring waterproof raincoats, and try to build some flexibility into your schedule. On no day during our trip did it rain all day.
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u/GateAgent May 04 '25
Was there from the 23rd to the 29th. Just finishing editing photos… we have the same photos from the exact same spots… down to the weeds 🤣
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u/giocondasmiles May 04 '25
20-26th. Couple cloudy days, but we only got (light) rain the last day.
Every night was cloudy though, so no northern lights.
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u/Green_Serve2192 May 04 '25
How warm of clothes did you guys bring? Going at the end of May!
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u/Mental_Dingo2271 May 04 '25
I was there 23.-30. and i usually wore merino thermals, wool sweater and waterproof wind jacket+ waterproof wind pants. When hiking i just took layers off. In late may you probably will be fine with just thermal base + outer wind and rain proof layer but def bring a sweater just in case!
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u/Tanglefoot11 May 04 '25
Sounds to me like the weather gods WERE with you - just a little rain every day & I notice not a single mention of wind, snow, ice.....
It sounds like most days this spring, & this spring has been VERY gentle, nice and warm.
Imho you got damn lucky with the weather in Iceland in April.
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u/Law-of-Poe May 04 '25
You make good points. The winds were never bad at all! Given the transitional season I suppose it could’ve been much worse
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u/No-Place1275 May 04 '25
It’s amazing how it still looks so beautiful even on days like that. Amazing place
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u/ConstableGrey May 04 '25
I was just there there first full week of April and it was overcast/foggy/drizzly pretty much every day and I thought it added a great flair. Especially around the beaches and cliffs in Snaefellsnes, lots of drama in the photos I got
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u/whiteholewhite May 04 '25
Better weather than I had
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u/Law-of-Poe May 04 '25
Did you still have a good time?
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u/whiteholewhite May 05 '25
Oh yeah. Only a few places the weather prevented us from what we wanted to do. In Vik it was foggy and still bright with the sun. It was like another planet
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u/Florideal May 04 '25
This is a great post. When we arrived, same expected forecast (but it has also rained for several weeks beforehand). Arrived, overcast, and then poured....tired, we headed out to Kerid, and up toward Gulfoss - and got drenched doing Gulfoss but the experience in the rain was spectacular (we went back on a nicer day and both agreed, the rain made the falls more powerful). We had flexibility in our scheduled (as we stayed in one place) and ended up with great weather (almost as if small rain and high winds just didn't matter). Rain pants, Rain jacket, kept a change of clothes and socks in the car...and all good! glad you were able to see the beauty that the varied weather brings. Great pictures
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u/TheGarnisher May 04 '25
Just finished our trip… April 25 - May 2nd… clearest day was the day we left 😂. and someone on here posts that they got to see aurora that night lol.
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u/marckezy May 04 '25
Just got back - was there from the 27th to the 3rd. I had a similar experience - was worried about the weather, but the trip turned out amazing anyway.
Nice photos btw.
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u/Innovatix May 04 '25
So sad to hear that! :-( We were there Mid-April and the weather gods were definitely with us. So many sunny clear sky days and we even reached around 15 degrees Celsius one day.
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u/Nesi20 May 04 '25
This April was the 5th warmest on record. Sunshine hours above average. Rain, wind and snow below average.
The weather gods were working overtime.
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u/CoffeeNoob19 May 05 '25
Have no idea what you’re talking about. This is the Iceland I love the most. Stark and dramatic. Love it.
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u/Law-of-Poe May 05 '25
Fair enough! Yes, there was a certain allure and vibe to the dreary weather that just felt…right.
We even found ourselves complaining on the last two days when we were blasted with sunlight lol
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u/Resident_Engine3467 May 06 '25
I was there from 23rd-30th Apriland I have to say it was the exact same experience. The rains were more like a heavy drizzle most of the time. The weather forecasts weren’t as accurate as i had heard of. And yes, the gloomy weather was a vibe in itself.
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u/lame-duck-7474 May 07 '25
Were we in the same country???
I was there 18th - 26th April and it was clear and sunny every day and we only had some rain in Reykjavik on the 26th. Few cloudy spells here or there but nights were clear and saw the Northern Lights twice
Went to South Coast, Westman Islands, Golden Circle, then finished up in Reykjavik for a few days.
I even got sunburned twice, I thought it couldnt have been better weather!
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u/Law-of-Poe May 07 '25
We arrived 25 and, as I said, the weather the week before us was clear and sunny!
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u/blackinblighty May 04 '25
So glad to see this post. I am heading to Reykjavik next weekend and was so disappointed to see a lot of rain in the forecast. Hopefully this will help me to plan around it!
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u/Mental_Dingo2271 May 04 '25
It was foggy/cloudy/rainy tje whole week i was there, but i acctually think iceland looks best with the moody clouds and fog! As long as ur dressed right ofc..
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u/PriorityBeautiful679 May 04 '25
OP any tips on rain gear for your toddler? I'm going with my 4.5 year old In a few weeks and I have rain pants for myself, but only have a rain jacket and boots for him. Wondering if it's worth investing in more rain gear for him.
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u/Law-of-Poe May 04 '25
We didn’t have rain pants for our little one (3.5 YO). Just a waterproof raincoat and shoes but it never was an issue for us. But if you could pick up a waterproof shell pants, that’s probably be good. If you’re self-driving you could probably find it in a sports store in Iceland when you land.
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u/shortandproud1028 May 05 '25
Not OP, but I swear by the “muddy buddy” full suit waterproof outer layer. With rubber boots it is fool proof.
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u/PriorityBeautiful679 May 05 '25
Thank you! We had one when he was younger but I didn't realize it went up to 5t. Going to grab one!
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u/Just-Replacement8284 May 04 '25
There is no bad weather in Iceland, only bad clothes