Things to Do in Reykjavik in January
January weather, activities, events & insider tips
Shoulder Season · Good Value
January Weather in Reykjavik
Temperature, rainfall and humidity at a glance
37°F (3°C)
High Temp
28°F (-1°C)
Low Temp
3.4 inches (86 mm)
Rainfall
70%
Humidity
⚠ Near-freezing temperatures, pack warm layers
Is January Right for You?
Weigh the advantages and considerations before booking
Advantages
- + Northern lights season peaks, 62% chance of clear skies on any given night, with aurora visible from downtown Reykjavik if you walk 10 minutes away from Laugavegur's neon signs.
- + Hotel rates drop 35-40% from December peak, the same boutique guesthouse that charges premium rates over New Year's suddenly has rooms available two weeks later.
- + January 6th marks Þrettándinn (Thirteenth Night) when locals torch massive bonfires along Faxaflói Bay and sing traditional songs, tourists rarely know this happens.
- + Swimming culture hits its stride, locals spend 2-3 hours daily at Laugardalslaug's outdoor thermal pools while steam rises into sub-zero air, creating a scene straight from Nordic noir.
Considerations
- − Only 4-5 hours of useful daylight, sunrise at 11:30 AM, sunset by 3:45 PM means you'll plan everything around the light, or lack of it.
- − Storm systems roll in fast, Atlantic lows can drop visibility to 50 meters (164 feet) on the Golden Circle route in under an hour, stranding rental cars.
- − Most highland roads remain closed until May, the interior F-roads that access Landmannalaugar and Þórsmörk are completely inaccessible, limiting day trip options.
Best Activities in January
Top things to do during your visit
Northern Lights Photography Tours
January's darkness works in your favor, with 19 hours of potential aurora time, guides know exactly when geomagnetic activity peaks (usually between 9 PM and 2 AM). Reykjavik's light pollution drops significantly after 11 PM when most restaurants close, making it possible to capture the lights from the city's edge near Grótta Lighthouse.
Booking Tip: Book 3-5 days ahead during clear weather forecasts. Licensed operators provide tripods and teach manual camera settings, avoid tours that promise 'guaranteed sightings' since that's physically impossible.
Lava Cave Exploration
Leiðarendi Cave's 900-meter (2,953-foot) lava tube stays a constant 37-39°F (3-4°C) year-round, making January's surface temperatures irrelevant. Ice formations inside create natural chandeliers that don't exist in summer. The cave entrance 25 minutes from downtown Reykjavik often has snow piled 3-4 feet deep, requiring guides to dig access tunnels.
Booking Tip: Small group tours (max 8 people) provide proper helmets and headlamps. Check recent TripAdvisor reviews, cave access changes weekly due to ice conditions.
Reykjavik Food Walk
January's darkness makes the city's food scene glow and figuratively, restaurant windows steam up from lamb soup and fresh-baked rúgbrauð while locals queue at Bæjarins Beztu for pylsur at 2 AM. The food walk works well in January because restaurants aren't slammed with summer tourists, so chefs have time to explain why they bury rye bread near hot springs.
Booking Tip: Afternoon tours (starting 2 PM) catch the golden hour light and end before everything closes. Most walks include 5-6 stops over 3 hours with moderate walking distances.
Winter Whale Watching
Killer whales follow herring into Faxaflói Bay through January, sightings peak between 10 AM and 2 PM when the weak sun sits low, creating dramatic backlighting for photography. Winter seas run rougher. But the payoff is pods of 20-30 orcas feeding within 30 minutes of Reykjavik's old harbor.
Booking Tip: Morning departures (9 AM) have 40% higher sighting rates. Dress in full ski gear, boats don't turn back for underdressed passengers. See current tours in the booking section below.
Reykjavik Pub Culture Tours
January's early darkness creates a 12-hour drinking window where locals shift from after-work beers at 4 PM to serious whiskey sessions by 10 PM. Microbreweries like Bryggjan Brugghús release winter stouts aged in bourbon barrels, and traditional bars serve brennivín alongside fermented shark that locals eat (but only in January for some reason).
Booking Tip: Small group tours (6-8 people) visit 4-5 venues over 4 hours. Most include beer/shot pairings with traditional bar snacks. Tours typically start 6 PM to catch both happy hour and evening crowds.
Where to Stay in Reykjavik in January
Hand-picked hotels across price tiers for January travellers.
★★★★
Luxury
Iceland Parliament Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton
From $280 / night
Check Prices on Trip.com →
Public Holidays in January
Dates that affect opening hours, transport and crowds
Nýársdagur
Known in English as New Year's Day. Observed nationwide as a public holiday.
Nýársdagur
Known in English as New Year's Day. Observed nationwide as a public holiday.
Packing Checklist
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Need the full list with shopping links?
Climate-specific gear, brand recommendations, and what to leave at home.
View Reykjavik Packing List →Essential Tips
Insider knowledge and common pitfalls to avoid
Insider Knowledge
Downtown Reykjavik's geothermal pipes run under sidewalks, follow the steam rising from metal grates to find the warmest walking routes.
Most museums offer half-price admission on Wednesdays after 2 PM during January because locals are at work and tourists are scarce.
The best northern lights viewing isn't on tours, it's from the free parking lot at Perlan after 11 PM when tour buses have left.
Soup Company (open since 1996) serves unlimited bread bowls with their lamb soup from 11 PM to 4 AM specifically for January bar crowds.
Avoid These Mistakes
Lock in your northern lights tour for the very first night. Weather here flips fast, and Reykjavik folk routinely wait 2, 3 days for the forecast to line up before they even bother heading out.
Turn up in jeans during January rain and you'll regret it. Cotton needs four-plus hours to dry inside even a well-heated guesthouse, leaving you damp and cranky for whole days.
Never tackle the Golden Circle without glancing at road.is first. A sudden dump, two feet of snow overnight, can close Route 35 and leave you spinning your wheels.
Ready to plan your trip to Reykjavik?
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Top-rated things to do in Reykjavik this January
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