Early May 1 May
48°F
Typical afternoon high
34% historical wet-day frequency
Iceland · Countryside
Iceland
in May.
Is May a good time?
Cool days.
More overnight stays than April.
May averages 51°F afternoons and 43°F seas, with about 12 rain days. Later May is typically warmer.
- Afternoons
- 51°F
- Sea
- 43°F
- Visitor demand
- 47%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 & prioritiesWhat matters most?
Weather 50% · Crowds 30% · Cost 20%
#1 of 12 months here · Balanced mix
Weather4.8/10Fair
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 May
What to expect.
What should I pack?
Afternoons around 51°F (11°C): a sweater and a light jacket; nights around 37°F (3°C): a winter coat, hat and gloves. Bring rain gear: about 12 days with at least 1 mm of rain. About 19 hours of daylight.
Can I swim in May?
The sea averages 43°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 19 hours of daylight.
The sun rises about 03:52 and sets about 22:28 (local time, mid-month). Mornings start around 37°F (3°C); afternoons reach about 51°F (11°C). Expect rain on about 12 days in a typical May.
Typical afternoon
51°F (11°C)
average daily high, 15 recent Mays
Night low
37°F (3°C)
average daily minimum
Sea
43°F (6°C)
very cold; open water near the coast, NOAA satellite record 2011–2025
Daylight
18h 36m
on the 15th, computed from latitude
Early, middle or late?
Early or late May?
Late May is typically warmer. The afternoon high averages 48°F on the 1st, versus 54°F on the 31st. Historical wet-day frequency rises from 34% to 42% between those dates.
Mid May 15 May
51°F
Typical afternoon high
41% historical wet-day frequency
Late May 31 May
54°F
Typical afternoon high
42% 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 datesMay 2027 · historical weather & dated holidays Show calendarHide calendar
May 2027 calendar
Weather shows historical patterns, not a forecast. Holidays and events use the dates shown for 2027.
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 148° | 248° | |||||
| 349° | 449° | 549° | 649° | 749° | 849° | 950° |
| 1050° | 1150° | 1251° | 1351° | 1451° | 1551° | 1652° |
| 1752° | 1852° | 1952° | 2053° | 2153° | 2253° | 2353° |
| 2453° | 2554° | 2654° | 2754° | 2854° | 2954° | 3054° |
| 3154° |
Afternoon high rain likely (25%+) local school holidays public holiday event
School-holiday dates for May 2027 aren't available in our data yet. A day without a school marker doesn't mean schools are open.
Afternoons warm from about 49°F (9°C) in the first week to 54°F (12°C) in the last. The chance of a wet day runs 34–48%.
Elsewhere in May 2027, the share of people living where schools are out on a typical day: Germany 13%, Greece 29%. (School holidays: OpenHolidays, ODbL.)
Crowds, cost and getting there
Visitor season
Will it be busy?
Moderate season. May averages 47% of July's overnight stays per day. More overnight stays than April.
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?
A little 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 Seattle and 10 more; 2024 schedule, Eurostat
Year-to-year variation
How much does May vary?
Across the recorded years
In the 15 years from 2011 to 2025, the month's afternoons averaged between 47°F (9°C) and 56°F (14°C); in 12 of them they were within 3°F (1.5°C) of the typical 51°F (11°C). Rain days ranged from 8 to 24; half the years had 10–14.
Rain days in each May
Rain days
12
at least 1 mm, typical year; about 18 in a wet year
Mostly sunny days
2 of 31
cloud cover under 30%
Years with a 95°F+ day
0 of 15
no May in the last 15 years had a day at or above 95°F (35°C)
Good weather days
6 of 31
rated very good or better
See every recorded MayHistorical monthly averages, year by year Show detailsHide details
| Year | Afternoon high | Rain days |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 51°F | 13 |
| 2012 | 51°F | 8 |
| 2013 | 49°F | 16 |
| 2014 | 53°F | 14 |
| 2015 | 47°F | 11 |
| 2016 | 51°F | 8 |
| 2017 | 55°F | 14 |
| 2018 | 50°F | 24 |
| 2019 | 53°F | 10 |
| 2020 | 51°F | 11 |
| 2021 | 50°F | 10 |
| 2022 | 53°F | 12 |
| 2023 | 51°F | 20 |
| 2024 | 51°F | 14 |
| 2025 | 56°F | 11 |
Checked against official climate averages for Reykjavik. How we check
Compare dates
April, May
or June?
| Typical conditions | Apr | May | Jun |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 45°F | 51°F | 57°F |
| Sea | 41°F | 43°F | 46°F |
| Rain days | 12 | 12 | 11 |
| Overnight demand | 37% | 47% | 73% |
April: Cooler afternoons and cooler sea than May. Less overnight demand. April guide →
June: Warmer afternoons and warmer sea than May. More overnight demand. June 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 May Show comparisonHide comparison
Yellow marks the top three months on the Balanced mix. May stays as your reference.
July to August have a Weather score at least 1.0 point higher than May, but more overnight stays.
Your comparison
May or April?
Overnight stays are 37% of the busiest month.
National hotel prices and local visitor demand suggest well below usual. No measured regional room rate is available.
Read the April guide →| Typical conditions | May | April |
|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 51°F | 45°F |
| Nights | 37°F | 33°F |
| Sea | 43°F | 41°F |
| Rain days | 12 | 12 |
| Visitor season | Moderate season | Moderate season |
| Overall / 10 | 5.3 | 5.3 |
| Month rank | #1 | #2 |
Every month, in detail Show detailsHide details
| Month | Overall | Rank | High | Low | Sea | Rain days | Weather | Visitor season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 4.6 | #7 | 33°F | 27°F | 41°F | 18 | 2.6 | Low season |
| February | 4.6 | #8 | 36°F | 28°F | 40°F | 17 | 2.6 | Moderate season |
| March | 4.9 | #5 | 39°F | 29°F | 40°F | 17 | 3.2 | Moderate season |
| April | 5.3 | #2 | 45°F | 33°F | 41°F | 12 | 4.0 | Moderate season |
| May | 5.3 | #1 | 51°F | 37°F | 43°F | 12 | 4.8 | Moderate season |
| June | 4.9 | #4 | 57°F | 43°F | 46°F | 11 | 5.6 | Busy season |
| July | 4.5 | #9 | 60°F | 46°F | 49°F | 12 | 6.1 | Peak season |
| August | 4.5 | #10 | 59°F | 46°F | 50°F | 12 | 5.8 | Peak season |
| September | 4.4 | #12 | 52°F | 42°F | 48°F | 17 | 4.3 | Busy season |
| October | 4.5 | #11 | 44°F | 36°F | 45°F | 13 | 3.7 | Moderate season |
| November | 5.1 | #3 | 38°F | 32°F | 44°F | 15 | 3.2 | Low season |
| December | 4.8 | #6 | 33°F | 27°F | 42°F | 16 | 2.8 | Low season |
Elsewhere in Europe
Better May 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.
Trondheim & TrøndelagNorway · about 890 miles
Good weather (6.3): 6°F warmer afternoons, cheaper
Southern Norwayabout 950 miles
Very good weather (7.2): 10°F warmer afternoons, 5 fewer rain days, quieter for its season (low season), cheaper
Dalarna & North Middle Swedenabout 1070 miles
Very good weather (7.4): 10°F warmer afternoons, 3 fewer rain days, quieter for its season (low season), cheaper
FlevolandNetherlands · about 1200 miles
Very good weather (7.9): 14°F warmer afternoons, 3 fewer rain days, busier for its season (busy season), cheaper
DrentheNetherlands · about 1210 miles
Very good weather (7.9): 14°F warmer afternoons, 4 fewer rain days, busier for its season (busy season)
How we knowSources, regional scope & scoring method Show detailsHide details
It's moderate season, 47% of the busiest month and 11% below its average month. That means about 23,000 overnight visitors on a typical May night across the region, 19% of them from Iceland itself. Rentals booked through Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor add up to 5,600 more: 24 for every 100 counted above. Some are the same properties counted twice.
| Climate suitability (HCI:Urban, 0–100) | 59 |
| How our weather was checked | Official 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 day | 60 |
| Busiest month here | July · 129 |
| Visitors as share of people present | 5.6% |
| Rank among Europe's regions this month | 94th percentile |
| Domestic share of nights | 19% |
| Platform rental nights per 100 counted nights | 24 |
| Visitor share if every platform night were extra | 6.9% |
| National hotel-price season | Iceland historical 2024–2025 index: A little below usual (−6% vs its average month). Not a local room quote. |
| Population used | 389,000 |
| Statistical region | IS00 · 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.