Iceland's weather cancels tours more often than most visitors expect, especially in winter. If it happens to you, ask for another date first, then look at tours that still run in rough weather, or spend the day indoors in Reykjavík. Perlan, a live lava show, the city's museums, Harpa and the geothermal pools all work well on a wet, windy day.
Why tours get cancelled in Iceland
Most cancellations come down to wind. Strong gusts make driving dangerous, especially for tall buses and on exposed roads along the South Coast and Reykjanes. Rough seas stop whale watching and boat trips, and ferries to the islands can be cancelled too.
Some activities have their own limits. Glacier guides cancel or change an ice cave visit if rain or warm weather makes it unsafe. Snowmobile, dog sledding and super jeep trips depend on snow and visibility. Northern Lights tours are called off when thick cloud covers the whole region. Volcanic activity on the Reykjanes Peninsula can also close roads and sites at short notice.
Operators make these calls for safety, often on the morning of the tour or the afternoon before. It is frustrating, but it is the right decision. The weather can turn from calm to storm in a few hours here.
What happens when your tour is cancelled
If the operator cancels because of weather, you are normally offered another date or a refund. Always ask for a new date first if your trip allows it. Weather in Iceland often clears within a day or two.
Check the terms of your booking before you travel, because they vary between tours. A tour you cancel yourself because you do not like the forecast is treated differently from one the operator cancels. If you booked through us, get in touch and we will help you find a new date or a different tour that fits.
Northern Lights tours often work differently. Many offer a free rebooking if the tour runs but no lights appear, so keep your receipt and check the terms. Our Northern Lights guide explains how to read the aurora and cloud forecasts.
Swap to a tour that still runs
A storm that stops a boat trip does not always stop everything. Wind and sea conditions are very local, so a whale watching cancellation in the north does not mean the Golden Circle will be off near Reykjavík. Ask what else is running that day.
Some options are less affected by weather than others:
- Lava cave tours. Once you are underground, rain and wind do not matter. Raufarhólshellir is about 30 to 40 minutes' drive from Reykjavík. Getting there still depends on the roads, so check before you go. Our Raufarhólshellir lava tunnel tour is an easy swap. See our lava cave tours and our guide to the best lava caves in Iceland.
- Food tours and city walks. A food tour, such as our private Reykjavík food tour, moves between cafés, restaurants and shops, so you spend much of the time indoors. Our city tours are short and close to shelter.
- Museums and exhibitions. Our museum tickets are a simple swap on a stormy day.
- Geothermal lagoons. Sitting in hot water in the rain is a very Icelandic thing to do. Lagoons may close in extreme wind, but they stay open in ordinary bad weather. Browse our hot springs.
Indoor things to do in Reykjavík on a bad-weather day
Reykjavík is small, so you can fill a stormy day with a few indoor stops close together. These are our favourites.
1. Perlan
Perlan is the glass dome on top of six hot water tanks on Öskjuhlíð hill. Inside is a nature museum about Iceland. It has a man-made ice cave, about 100 metres long, built with snow, ice and volcanic ash. There is also Áróra, a Northern Lights film in the planetarium, a volcano show about the 2021 Geldingadalir eruption, a model of the Látrabjarg bird cliff and an exhibition on water in Icelandic nature from the Icelandic Museum of Natural History.
The exhibitions are open from 9:00 to 21:00, so it also works as an evening plan. The observation deck around the dome gives a 360° view of the city, and there is a café, restaurant and bar. It is a good choice for families and for anyone whose ice cave or aurora tour has been cancelled.
2. A live lava show
In the Grandi harbour area of Reykjavík, and in Vík on the South Coast, you can watch real lava being poured into a room in front of you. The rock is heated to about 1,100°C, and you feel the heat as it flows and cools. It is an indoor show, so weather does not matter, and it is a good substitute if you were hoping to see an eruption. Our guide to volcanoes in Iceland explains what is happening on Reykjanes. In Reykjavík, book the Lava Show with us.
3. The National Museum and the city's art museums
The National Museum of Iceland on Suðurgata has a permanent exhibition called Making of a Nation, which runs from the settlement to the present day. It is the best place in the country for Viking-age objects. It is open daily from 10:00 to 17:00, and adult tickets cost 3,300 ISK. Our Vikings in Iceland post lists more history stops, including the Settlement Exhibition in the centre.
Reykjavík Art Museum has three sites: Hafnarhús near the Old Harbour, Kjarvalsstaðir by Klambratún park, and Ásmundarsafn, the sculptor Ásmundur Sveinsson's former home and studio. Hafnarhús stays open until 22:00 on Thursdays.
4. Harpa and Hallgrímskirkja
Harpa, the concert hall on the harbour, opened in 2011. Its glass façade was designed with the artist Ólafur Elíasson and is inspired by basalt columns. The building is home to the Iceland Symphony Orchestra. Walk through the foyer, watch the rain on the glass, and check the programme for a concert or show that evening.
Hallgrímskirkja is within walking distance, uphill from the harbour. The church is worth a quick look inside, but the tower view is best on a clearer day.
5. A public swimming pool
Locals go to the pool in all weather, and a hot tub in the rain is a very good way to spend an hour. Reykjavík has eight public pools. Sundhöllin on Barónsstígur is the oldest, opened in 1937 and designed by Guðjón Samúelsson, with an indoor pool and, since 2017, an outdoor pool and hot tubs. Laugardalslaug is the largest, with outdoor pools and plenty of hot tubs. A single adult ticket costs 1,500 ISK, and children under 10 swim free with an adult.
Shower without swimwear before you get in. It is the rule in every pool and lagoon.
6. Geothermal lagoons
Sky Lagoon, on the coast just outside central Reykjavík, is the easiest lagoon to reach from the city. Warm water, cold rain and a view of the stormy sea can be a fun mix, although strong wind makes it less comfortable. The minimum age is 12. The Blue Lagoon is on Reykjanes, close to the airport. It has closed for short periods during nearby eruptions, so check its website and safetravel.is before you go. Our Sky Lagoon vs Blue Lagoon guide compares the two. You can book Sky Lagoon tickets with us.
7. Eat, drink and shop
A long lunch is a good use of a stormy day. Try Icelandic lamb soup, fresh fish, rye bread and skyr, and see our guide to traditional Icelandic food. Laugavegur and Skólavörðustígur have wool shops, design stores and bookshops, and our souvenir guide has ideas. A guided food tour or beer tasting puts it all together.
How to plan so a cancellation does not ruin your trip
- Book weather-sensitive tours, such as ice caves, whale watching, snowmobiling and Northern Lights, early in your trip. If one is cancelled, you still have time to rebook.
- Leave at least one spare day, especially from October to April. Our guide to how many days you need in Iceland helps with this.
- Avoid booking a weather-dependent tour on the day you fly home.
- Check vedur.is for forecasts and warnings, road.is (umferdin.is) for road conditions and safetravel.is for alerts every morning. Do not drive in an orange or red wind warning.
- Pack for rain and wind, so a grey day does not stop you walking around town. See our Iceland packing list.
- Read our list of common Iceland itinerary mistakes before you finalise your plans.
Tours to book
If your plans have just changed, these are the swaps we suggest most.
- Raufarhólshellir Lava Tunnel Tour: underground, so rain and wind matter far less once you are inside.
- Lava Show in Reykjavík: real molten lava indoors, a good stand-in for an eruption.
- Private Reykjavík Food Tour: a guided afternoon of Icelandic food, mostly spent indoors.
Questions people ask
Do I get a refund if my Iceland tour is cancelled because of the weather?
If the operator cancels, you are normally offered another date or a full refund. Terms vary between tours, so read them before you book. A tour you cancel yourself is usually covered by the normal cancellation policy.
Which tours are least likely to be cancelled?
Lava cave tours, food tours, city walks and museum visits are the least affected, because most of the time is spent indoors or underground. Boat trips, ice caves, snowmobiling and Northern Lights tours are the most weather-dependent.
What is there to do in Reykjavík when it rains?
Visit Perlan, watch a live lava show, see the National Museum or the Reykjavík Art Museum, walk through Harpa, and go to a public swimming pool or a geothermal lagoon. Reykjavík is small, so you can combine several of these in one day.
Are swimming pools and lagoons open in bad weather?
Yes, in ordinary rain and wind they stay open, and locals swim in all weather. Lagoons may close during a severe storm or, in the case of the Blue Lagoon, during volcanic activity nearby, so check their websites on the day.
When are tours most often cancelled in Iceland?
From October to April, when storms and strong winds are most common. Summer cancellations happen too, mostly for boat trips and highland tours. Leave a spare day whenever you travel.
