bigfootwanders
Where to go in April / Iceland / April

Iceland · Countryside

Iceland
in April.

Illustration of Skógafoss waterfall, mossy cliffs and river foreground
Skógafoss, southern IcelandDestination view, not month-specific.

Is April a good time?

Temperature unit

Cold days.
Similar overnight stays to March.

April averages 45°F afternoons and 41°F seas, with about 12 rain days. Later April is typically warmer.

Afternoons
45°F
Sea
41°F
Visitor demand
37%of July peak

Historical Ísland regional averages, not a forecast or a measure of queues. Overnight demand compares average stays per day. Covers Reykjavík, Golden Circle, Blue Lagoon and Vík; conditions vary within the region.

Overall match

5.3/10 · scores & priorities

What matters most?

Weather 50% · Crowds 30% · Cost 20%

#2 of 12 months here · Balanced mix

Weather4.0/10Fair
CrowdsModerate seasonvs its own year; overnight stays do not measure queuesFor its size, one of Europe's busiest this month
CostExpensivefor Europe; Iceland-wide price level

Overall combines weather, overnight demand and cost. It does not include sea temperature.

Plan your April

What to expect.

What should I pack?

Afternoons around 45°F (7°C): a warm coat; nights around 33°F (1°C): a winter coat, hat and gloves. Bring rain gear: about 12 days with at least 1 mm of rain. About 15 hours of daylight.

Can I swim in April?

The sea averages 41°F. Our swimming guide: very cold: wetsuit weather. Your comfort will vary. This is open water near the coast, not a beach-specific reading.

Monthly coastal averages from NOAA, 2011–2025. Sea temperature is separate from the weather and Overall scores.

A typical day: temperatures & daylightAfternoons, nights, sea temperature & daylight Show detailsHide details

About 15 hours of daylight.

Sunrise 05:42Sunset 20:4733°F45°F00:0006:0012:0018:0024:00

The sun rises about 05:42 and sets about 20:47 (local time, mid-month). Mornings start around 33°F (1°C); afternoons reach about 45°F (7°C). Expect rain on about 12 days in a typical April.

Typical afternoon
45°F (7°C)
average daily high, 15 recent Aprils
Night low
33°F (1°C)
average daily minimum
Sea
41°F (5°C)
very cold; open water near the coast, NOAA satellite record 2011–2025
Daylight
15h 05m
on the 15th, computed from latitude

Early, middle or late?

Early or late April?

Late April is typically warmer. The afternoon high averages 42°F on the 1st, versus 48°F on the 30th. Historical wet-day frequency falls from 46% to 33% between those dates.

Early April 1 April

42°F

Typical afternoon high

46% historical wet-day frequency

Mid April 15 April

45°F

Typical afternoon high

48% historical wet-day frequency

Late April 30 April

48°F

Typical afternoon high

33% historical wet-day frequency

Historical daily averages from 2011–2025, smoothed over two weeks. A seasonal pattern, not a forecast. This does not establish which week has the lowest prices or fewest visitors.

Daily calendar & holiday datesApril 2027 · historical weather & dated holidays Show calendarHide calendar

April 2027 calendar

Weather shows historical patterns, not a forecast. Holidays and events use the dates shown for 2027.

MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
142°242°342°443°
543°643°743°844°944°1044°1144°
1245°1345°1445°1545°1646°1746°1846°
1947°2047°2147°2247°2347°2447°2547°
2647°2748°2848°2948°3048°

Afternoon high rain likely (25%+) local school holidays public holiday event

School-holiday dates for April 2027 aren't available in our data yet. A day without a school marker doesn't mean schools are open.

Afternoons warm from about 43°F (6°C) in the first week to 48°F (9°C) in the last. The chance of a wet day runs 33–49%.

Elsewhere in April 2027, the share of people living where schools are out on a typical day: France 47%, Netherlands 23%, Belgium 29%, Greece 23%. (School holidays: OpenHolidays, ODbL.)

Crowds, cost and getting there

Visitor season

Will it be busy?

Moderate season. April averages 37% of July's overnight stays per day. Similar overnight stays to March.

Overnight stays across Ísland do not measure queues, day visitors or congestion at individual sights. For its size, one of Europe's busiest this month.

Hotel price season

Will it be cheaper?

Well below usual. Estimated from national hotel prices and local visitor demand; no measured regional room rate is available.

Fewer overnight stays do not automatically mean cheaper rooms. Check actual quotes for your trip.

Iceland as a whole
Well above EU average
2024 restaurants and hotels price level: 167 where the EU average is 100. A relative index, not a room rate.
Recorded US nonstop flights · 2024
Recorded this month
from Boston, New York JFK, Washington Dulles and Baltimore and 9 more; 2024 schedule, Eurostat

Year-to-year variation

How much does April vary?

Across the recorded years

In the 15 years from 2011 to 2025, the month's afternoons averaged between 41°F (5°C) and 49°F (10°C); in 11 of them they were within 3°F (1.5°C) of the typical 45°F (7°C). Rain days ranged from 8 to 24; half the years had 10–16.

Rain days in each April

Historical rain days; exact figures in the table below. 2011: 24 rain days2420112012: 11 rain days112013: 11 rain days112014: 15 rain days152015: 15 rain days152016: 8 rain days82017: 17 rain days172018: 14 rain days142019: 16 rain days162020: 11 rain days112021: 12 rain days122022: 9 rain days92023: 16 rain days162024: 10 rain days102025: 10 rain days102025
Rain days
12
at least 1 mm, typical year; about 16 in a wet year
Mostly sunny days
2 of 30
cloud cover under 30%
Years with a 95°F+ day
0 of 15
no April in the last 15 years had a day at or above 95°F (35°C)
Good weather days
2 of 30
rated very good or better
See every recorded AprilHistorical monthly averages, year by year Show detailsHide details
Historical monthly averages, not daily extremes.
YearAfternoon highRain days
201145°F24
201245°F11
201341°F11
201447°F15
201542°F15
201647°F8
201743°F17
201846°F14
201949°F16
202044°F11
202144°F12
202247°F9
202347°F16
202444°F10
202548°F10

Checked against official climate averages for Reykjavik. How we check

Compare dates

March, April
or May?

Historical regional averages. Overnight demand vs July peak, measured as average stays per day.
Typical conditionsMarAprMay
Afternoons39°F45°F51°F
Sea40°F41°F43°F
Rain days171212
Overnight demand38%37%47%

March: Cooler afternoons and more rain days than April. March guide →

May: Warmer afternoons and warmer sea than April. More overnight demand. May guide →

Overnight demand measures accommodation stays, not queues. Sea temperatures are monthly coastal averages.

Compare any of the 12 monthsChoose another month and compare it with April Show comparisonHide comparison

Yellow marks the top three months on the Balanced mix. April stays as your reference.

June to August have a Weather score at least 1.0 point higher than April, but more overnight stays.

Your comparison

April or March?

Overnight stays are 38% of the busiest month.

National hotel prices and local visitor demand suggest well below usual. No measured regional room rate is available.

Read the March guide →
April compared with another month
Typical conditionsAprilMarch
Afternoons45°F39°F
Nights33°F29°F
Sea41°F40°F
Rain days1217
Visitor seasonModerate seasonModerate season
Overall / 105.34.9
Month rank#2#5
Every month, in detail Show detailsHide details
All 12 months. Scores and ranks follow your priorities. Explore the whole year.
MonthOverallRankHighLowSeaRain daysWeatherVisitor season
January4.6#733°F27°F41°F182.6Low season
February4.6#836°F28°F40°F172.6Moderate season
March4.9#539°F29°F40°F173.2Moderate season
April5.3#245°F33°F41°F124.0Moderate season
May5.3#151°F37°F43°F124.8Moderate season
June4.9#457°F43°F46°F115.6Busy season
July4.5#960°F46°F49°F126.1Peak season
August4.5#1059°F46°F50°F125.8Peak season
September4.4#1252°F42°F48°F174.3Busy season
October4.5#1144°F36°F45°F133.7Moderate season
November5.1#338°F32°F44°F153.2Low season
December4.8#633°F27°F42°F162.8Low season

Elsewhere in Europe

Better April weather than Iceland

Iceland's weather ranks 117 of 117 countryside regions this month. These countryside regions outside Iceland have clearly better weather on your dates, nearest first, each compared with Iceland.

Everywhere in April

How we knowSources, regional scope & scoring method Show detailsHide details

It's moderate season, 37% of the busiest month and 30% below its average month. That means about 18,000 overnight visitors on a typical April night across the region, 20% of them from Iceland itself. Rentals booked through Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor add up to 4,700 more: 26 for every 100 counted above. Some are the same properties counted twice.

Climate suitability (HCI:Urban, 0–100)55
How our weather was checkedOfficial climate averages for Reykjavik from the national weather service, every month: afternoon highs typically within 3°F (1.7°C), night lows within 1°F (0.7°C).
Tourist nights per 1,000 residents per day47
Busiest month hereJuly · 129
Visitors as share of people present4.5%
Rank among Europe's regions this month94th percentile
Domestic share of nights20%
Platform rental nights per 100 counted nights26
Visitor share if every platform night were extra5.6%
National hotel-price seasonIceland historical 2024–2025 index: Well below usual (−14% vs its average month). Not a local room quote.
Population used389,000
Statistical regionIS00 · Ísland

Crowds: Eurostat nights spent at tourist accommodation, by month and NUTS 2 region, 2023 only. Overnight visitors per night is the month's nights divided by its days; the per-1,000 figure is Eurostat's, against each year's population. Platform rentals: Eurostat nights booked via Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor, 2023 only, shown separately because some properties are in both counts. Weather: Holiday Climate Index computed from ERA5 reanalysis with daily highs, night lows and rain days corrected from open national weather-service station records, 2011–2025, population-weighted to the region; day-by-day figures are the same data averaged by date. Heat and rain odds are counted across those years. Sunrise and sunset: NOAA solar equations, local time. Prices: Eurostat price level index and HICP, national. Full method · this region's data.