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Where to go in February / Iceland / February

Iceland · Countryside

Iceland
in February.

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

Is February a good time?

Temperature unit

Cold days.
More overnight stays than January.

February averages 36°F afternoons and 40°F seas, with about 17 rain days. Later February is typically warmer.

Afternoons
36°F
Sea
40°F
Visitor demand
36%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

4.6/10 · scores & priorities

What matters most?

Weather 50% · Crowds 30% · Cost 20%

#8 of 12 months here · Balanced mix

Weather2.6/10Poor
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 February

What to expect.

What should I pack?

Afternoons around 36°F (2°C): a winter coat, hat and gloves. Bring rain gear: about 17 days with at least 1 mm of rain. About 8 hours of daylight.

Can I swim in February?

The sea averages 40°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 8 hours of daylight.

Sunrise 09:17Sunset 17:4028°F36°F00:0006:0012:0018:0024:00

The sun rises about 09:17 and sets about 17:40 (local time, mid-month). Mornings start around 28°F (−2°C); afternoons reach about 36°F (2°C). Expect rain on about 17 days in a typical February.

Typical afternoon
36°F (2°C)
average daily high, 15 recent Februarys
Night low
28°F (−2°C)
average daily minimum
Sea
40°F (4°C)
very cold; open water near the coast, NOAA satellite record 2011–2025
Daylight
8h 22m
on the 15th, computed from latitude

Early, middle or late?

Early or late February?

Late February is typically warmer. The afternoon high averages 33°F on the 1st, versus 38°F on the 28th. Historical wet-day frequency falls from 59% to 56% between those dates.

Early February 1 February

33°F

Typical afternoon high

59% historical wet-day frequency

Mid February 15 February

36°F

Typical afternoon high

56% historical wet-day frequency

Late February 28 February

38°F

Typical afternoon high

56% 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 datesFebruary 2027 · historical weather & dated holidays Show calendarHide calendar

February 2027 calendar

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

MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
133°233°333°434°534°634°735°
835°935°1035°1135°1236°1336°1436°
1536°1636°1736°1837°1937°2037°2137°
2237°2337°2438°2538°2638°2738°2838°

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

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

Afternoons warm from about 34°F (1°C) in the first week to 38°F (3°C) in the last. The chance of a wet day runs 56–62%.

Elsewhere in February 2027, the share of people living where schools are out on a typical day: France 42%, Netherlands 46%, Belgium 25%, Czechia 18%. (School holidays: OpenHolidays, ODbL.)

Crowds, cost and getting there

Visitor season

Will it be busy?

Moderate season. February averages 36% of July's overnight stays per day. More overnight stays than January.

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, Baltimore and Seattle and 6 more; 2024 schedule, Eurostat

Year-to-year variation

How much does February vary?

Across the recorded years

In the 15 years from 2011 to 2025, the month's afternoons averaged between 31°F (−1°C) and 41°F (5°C); in 6 of them they were within 3°F (1.5°C) of the typical 36°F (2°C). Rain days ranged from 8 to 23; half the years had 13–20.

Rain days in each February

Historical rain days; exact figures in the table below. 2011: 19 rain days1920112012: 23 rain days232013: 18 rain days182014: 8 rain days82015: 16 rain days162016: 13 rain days132017: 22 rain days222018: 22 rain days222019: 15 rain days152020: 15 rain days152021: 12 rain days122022: 17 rain days172023: 20 rain days202024: 12 rain days122025: 18 rain days182025
Rain days
17
at least 1 mm, typical year; about 22 in a wet year
Mostly sunny days
1 of 28
cloud cover under 30%
Years with a 95°F+ day
0 of 15
no February in the last 15 years had a day at or above 95°F (35°C)
Good weather days
0 of 28
rated very good or better
See every recorded FebruaryHistorical monthly averages, year by year Show detailsHide details
Historical monthly averages, not daily extremes.
YearAfternoon highRain days
201137°F19
201239°F23
201341°F18
201435°F8
201533°F16
201631°F13
201740°F22
201836°F22
201934°F15
202034°F15
202139°F12
202231°F17
202339°F20
202431°F12
202540°F18

Checked against official climate averages for Reykjavik. How we check

Compare dates

January, February
or March?

Historical regional averages. Overnight demand vs July peak, measured as average stays per day.
Typical conditionsJanFebMar
Afternoons33°F36°F39°F
Sea41°F40°F40°F
Rain days181717
Overnight demand26%36%38%

January: Cooler afternoons than February. Less overnight demand. January guide →

March: Warmer afternoons than February. March 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 February Show comparisonHide comparison

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

April has a Weather score at least 1.0 point higher than February, without a substantially busier visitor season.

Your comparison

February or January?

Overnight stays are 26% of the busiest month.

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

Read the January guide →
February compared with another month
Typical conditionsFebruaryJanuary
Afternoons36°F33°F
Nights28°F27°F
Sea40°F41°F
Rain days1718
Visitor seasonModerate seasonLow season
Overall / 104.64.6
Month rank#8#7
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 February 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 February

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

It's moderate season, 36% of the busiest month and 31% below its average month. That means about 18,000 overnight visitors on a typical February night across the region, 19% of them from Iceland itself. Rentals booked through Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor add up to 4,900 more: 27 for every 100 counted above. Some are the same properties counted twice.

Climate suitability (HCI:Urban, 0–100)48
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 day46
Busiest month hereJuly · 129
Visitors as share of people present4.4%
Rank among Europe's regions this month96th percentile
Domestic share of nights19%
Platform rental nights per 100 counted nights27
Visitor share if every platform night were extra5.6%
National hotel-price seasonIceland historical 2024–2025 index: Well below usual (−13% 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.