Things to Do in Reykjavik in October
October weather, activities, events & insider tips
Low Season · Budget Friendly
October Weather in Reykjavik
Temperature, rainfall and humidity at a glance
45°F (7°C)
High Temp
36°F (2°C)
Low Temp
3.1 inches (79 mm)
Rainfall
70%
Humidity
⚠ Winter barges in after October 15. Storms slam without warning. Bookmark road.is. Refresh before every drive. Sudden closures strand travelers.
⚠ Wind roars past 20 m/s (45 mph) most days. Hold the car door tight. Unlatched doors bend like foil. Walking feels like uphill swimming. Lean in.
Is October Right for You?
Weigh the advantages and considerations before booking
Advantages
- + October is when the Northern Lights season kicks into gear. For the first time since April, nights turn dark, by the 30th, the sun drops at 7:30pm and the odds of a green flare over Þingvellir and the Reykjanes Peninsula climb fast. Locals tap the Aurora forecast app around the 10th. You should too.
- + Shoulder-season pricing flips the script. Reykjavik hotels that demand booking months ahead in June and July suddenly have rooms, real availability. Rates drop, noticeably lower than summer. You still get the same geothermal pools. Same views over Faxaflói Bay. All at a fraction of the peak premium.
- + Crowds vanish. The Golden Circle and South Shore routes thin out from summer saturation, finally. Gullfoss waterfall runs heavier now, autumn rain pushing more water over the edge, and the viewing platforms aren't clogged with selfie sticks anymore. Þingvellir National Park, where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates rip apart in a rift valley 50 km (31 miles) east of the city, can be experienced at the contemplative pace it deserves.
- + Through most of October, whale watching from Reykjavik Old Harbour still works. Minke whales and humpbacks crowd Faxaflói Bay for their last feed before winter migration. Boat captains cancel rather than run trips that'll make passengers miserable, honest, and you'll thank them later.
Considerations
- − Wind isn't background noise in October, it owns the stage. Sustained gusts of 60-80 km/h (37-50 mph) slam in from the southwest across the North Atlantic, and when they hit, even a five-minute walk from Laugavegur to the Harpa Concert Hall turns brutal. Your plans will collapse. Accept this before you land and leave every single day loose.
- − October locks the highland interior gate by gate. By mid-month, most F-roads, those highland routes demanding four-wheel-drive, are either impassable or legally barred to rental vehicles. Landmannalaugar's geothermal area and the Þórsmörk highlands? Accessible only via scheduled super-jeep tours. Even those hinge on weather. If highland landscapes are why you're coming to Iceland, September wins.
- − Daylight bleeds away at 5 minutes a day through October. You'll drop from 12 hours of workable light to under 9 by the 31st, no negotiation. Summer-style evening plans? Scrap them. Leave after noon for Seljalandsfoss and you'll be steering home in pitch black.
Best Activities in October
Top things to do during your visit
October in Reykjavik brings a sharp, clean cold, with temperatures between the mid-thirties and mid-forties. The long northern day contracts fast. This quickening twilight offers the first real dark needed for celestial displays. Sidewalk cafes empty as locals seek the warm glow of Bíó Paradís cinema. The Reykjavik International Film Festival spills into early October, filling the Old Town with a quiet, cinephile energy. Weather is reliably variable. Sudden salt-smelling squalls give way to crisp, still afternoons. The low sun turns the city's corrugated metal roofs into panels of muted color. It is a time of transition. It is good for those who find beauty in moody skies and the promise of an aurora.
Private Silfra Snorkeling 6 p. group - Meet on Location - with Underwater Photos
adventureA private group descends into the glacial fissure of Silfra. You float between two continents in water so clear it feels like flying. The cold is a full-body shock. It fades as you focus on the volcanic rock walls, impossibly close and detailed in hues of emerald and rust. A guide captures your submerged form against this otherworldly geology, your breath bubbling upwards.
This is the only place on earth you can snorkel directly in the meltwater of a glacier, within a crack in the tectonic plates.
Insider tip: Wear the thinnest possible thermal base layers beneath the provided drysuit. Bulkier layers compress and reduce insulation.
This month: Water clarity in Silfra is exceptional year-round. The October chill makes the post-snorkel hot chocolate taste earned.
Private 2-Day Glacier Lagoon, Ice Cave and Northern Lights
otherThis two-day private expedition pushes far beyond Reykjavik. It traverses the south coast to where icebergs calve from Vatnajökull glacier into the Jökulsárlón lagoon. You will walk inside a crystal-blue ice cave, its walls glowing. You spend an evening scanning inky black skies, with guides using real-time forecasts to chase the aurora.
It condenses the raw, elemental highlights of southern Iceland into a single journey, with a heightened chance of northern lights in the October dark.
Insider tip: Pack a thermos. Having your own hot tea while waiting for the lights beside a glacier lagoon transforms the experience.
Reykjavík All In One Food Tour - Eat, Drink & Explore with Locals
foodThis Reykjavik food tour is a paced crawl through the city's compact core. Stops include family-run bakeries for warm rye bread and fish markets for slabs of peppered smoked salmon. You visit old harbour stalls for creamy lobster soup. You will taste fermented shark with a chaser of local schnapps. The sharp tang cuts through the pungent fish. You finish with skyr so thick it must be eaten with a spoon.
It provides a curated, edible key to Iceland's culinary evolution from necessity to innovation.
Insider tip: Come hungry and skip breakfast. The portions are substantial and designed to be a full meal.
This month: October is a prime month for hearty dishes like kjötsúpa (lamb soup), which often feature on these tours.
Visit the Volcanoes - Half Day Private Tour - up to 9 passengers
private_tourA private vehicle carries your group to the still-warm landscapes of the Reykjanes Peninsula. Here the earth's crust is thin and steam vents hiss from cracked, black soil. You will stand on cooled lava flows from recent eruptions, feeling residual warmth through your bootsoles. You smell the faint, acrid scent of sulphur from bubbling mud pots.
It has a direct, guided encounter with Iceland's most powerful and current geological forces, away from larger coach tours.
Insider tip: Wear sturdy, ankle-covering hiking boots. The terrain is uneven and sharp across the lava fields.
Reykjavik Private Northern Lights Tour with Pro Photographer
guided_experienceThis private tour dedicates an entire evening to the pursuit of the aurora. It leaves Reykjavik behind for pockets of darkness along the coast or within surrounding valleys. A photographer guides you through camera settings to capture the green ribbons reflected in still lakes. They then share the images so you can simply watch the sky dance.
The expertise of a dedicated photographer vastly increases your chances of not just seeing. But properly capturing, the northern lights.
Insider tip: Dress in multiple layers, including a windproof outer shell. You will be standing still for long periods in open, often breezy areas.
This month: The lengthening nights of October provide a larger window of darkness for aurora hunting compared to earlier autumn months.
Full Day Golden Circle - Guided Tour
day_tripA full-day circuit from Reykjavik takes in the geothermal theatre of Geysir. Boiling water erupts skyward with a loud thump. You see the mighty cascade of Gullfoss, feeling mist from the double waterfall on your face. The tour culminates at Þingvellir National Park. You walk the rift valley to see the raw gap between the North American and Eurasian plates.
It efficiently delivers the classic trio of Icelandic natural wonders in a single, complete day trip.
Insider tip: Secure a seat on the left side of the coach when departing Reykjavik for the best initial views.
Where to Stay in Reykjavik in October
Hand-picked hotels across price tiers for October travellers.
★★★★
Luxury
Iceland Parliament Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton
From $280 / night
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October Events & Festivals
What's happening during your visit
Late September to early October
Reykjavik International Film Festival (RIFF)
Eleven days, late September into October, RIFF takes over Reykjavik. Films you can't see anywhere else in Iceland premiere at Bíó Paradís cinema on Hverfisgata. The lineup leans hard into world cinema and docs, anything Nordic or Arctic. Queues stay short, venues feel like living rooms, and directors fly in to linger for Q&As that stretch on, Icelandic-style, no one checks the clock. Mark the festival site in August; Old Town rooms vanish fast once the programme drops.
Packing Checklist
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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
Locals treat the veður (weather) like a daily soap opera, they'll reshuffle plans at 6am if the plot twists. Download the Vedur app from the Icelandic Met Office. It gives hyperlocal wind direction and speed forecasts that matter far more than temperature when planning outdoor activities. A 10°C (50°F) morning at 15 km/h (9 mph) is a lovely day. The same temperature at 70 km/h (43 mph) is a different experience.
Grab your lopapeysa on day one, everyone else does. The Handknitting Association of Iceland sits on Skólavörðustígur, a short uphill stroll from the city center. Hand-knitted versions cost more than machine-made ones. They are practical artifacts of Icelandic domestic culture and nearly weatherproof. You'll spot the buyers for the rest of their trip, they look impossibly comfortable.
KP index hits 4 and Reykjavik itself lights up. No tour needed. Just walk 4 km (2.5 miles) west to the Grótta lighthouse on Seltjarnarnes Peninsula, cyclable too. Locals head there on clear evenings. The dark ocean horizon strips away city glare. Aurora jumps out. Clouds? They kill everything. Partial cover, total blackout. Flex beats fixed plans every time. Keep nights loose, that's the real Northern Lights strategy.
Mid-October. Every serious kitchen in Iceland has fresh mountain lamb. The réttir, the traditional roundup of free-range sheep from highland pastures in late September and early October, delivers meat that is stronger in flavor, more mineral, noticeably different from year-round supply. Order the slow-braised shoulder. Ask for the thick kjötsúpa. Hunt down the smoked hangikjöt that appears at this time of year. But only at a restaurant that lists provenance. October is when Icelandic lamb season peaks. This is the month the food matches the landscape.
Avoid These Mistakes
Iceland will shred your hour-by-hour itinerary. October storms cancel 30% of whale watching days. The Þórsmörk road can slam shut with two hours' notice. Build one unscheduled buffer day for every three planned, those travelers see Iceland as they imagined. Skip the buffer, and you'll spend it scrambling in a Laugavegur hotel lobby, rebooking everything you thought was fixed.
10°C (50°F) in continental Europe is not 8°C (46°F) in Reykjavik. Add 60 km/h (37 mph) gusts and the gap widens fast. Travelers who pack for mild October mornings land unprepared, wind cuts through every layer. They'll spend their first afternoon panic-buying on Laugavegur. Prices bite. The racks favor souvenir fleece over real gear.
The Blue Lagoon isn't walk-in ready, even in shoulder season. It sells out most days year-round and routinely shows no availability two to three weeks out even in October. Book before you finalize your flights. This is the single most consistent source of Iceland trip disappointment, arriving at Keflavik with no Blue Lagoon reservation and no available slots.
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