Vík (Vík) weather in May
May in Vík: cold, soaked, with clean air — a gamble, with 19 rainy days.
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
#4 of 12 months in Vík · #1182 of 1413 destinations to visit in May · comfort 60/100 (tier C)
- Days
- 8°C
- Nights
- 5°C
- Wet days
- 19
- Sun
- 10.5 h
- Humidity
- 82%
- Daylight
- 18 h

Traveller notes on Vík in May
Other months in Vík
Regulars are specific this month still demands real preparation for high wind and rain even at the height of summer, campers describing having to pitch and strike a tent in the rain, one traveler reporting gusts near 110 kph passing through nearby in a recent June. Our row backs that cold, genuinely wet read, 8.7C reading as a chilly 7C, over 7.3C nights feeling 4C, with a substantial 118.2mm of rain across 15.5 days and a real 21.6 kph wind. Regulars are consistent nearly 20 hours of daylight is the real draw of this month regardless of the weather, campsites here running first-come without reservations except around the occasional local festival. The sea sits at a cold 9.5C. The record: 11.2 hours of sun, humidity 84.1 percent and AQI 33.
Forum posters describe January as genuinely extreme, with average temperatures around 0C but any given day capable of swinging anywhere from -10C to 10C, and snow, sleet, hail and rain all realistic - sometimes simultaneously - alongside frequently high wind. Posters note the south coast toward Vik rarely gets fully snowed in for long, though a mountain pass just before town and the Hellisheiði pass east of Reykjavik are named as the two spots most likely to see serious snow and ice. Posters are direct that driving conditions can swing from entirely possible to genuinely impossible within the same trip, with road closures a real risk during a storm. Posters consistently recommend wind- and waterproof outer layers plus warm insulation underneath, and flag extremely limited daylight (as little as 4.5 hours) as a real planning constraint for a January visit.
Vik's forum calls July Iceland's best weather month on average, but regulars are quick to add that "best" still means highly variable — sun and reasonable temperatures one day, wind and rain the next. Long bright evenings and good road conditions make it a solid month for a road trip regardless, as long as layers and rain gear come along.
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Vík climate normals — May
Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.
Crowds in Vík in May
How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.
Shoulder seasonschool holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Best months for Vík's weather
Ranked by this destination's own climate comfort score across the year — a different thing from how busy it gets (see Crowds above).
Fair weatherVík's weather peaks June–August, best around July.
Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather
What's on in Vík in May
Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.
- Closure
Dyrholaey closed for nesting
1 May – 25 Jun · usuallyThe reserve is restricted through the nesting season — the upper road and the lighthouse area shut overnight, and walkers are kept to marked paths by day. Dates move with the birds. Source ↗
- Nature
Puffins on the cliffs
1 May – 10 Aug · usuallyBirdlife seasonThe colonies are on the Dyrholaey and Reynisfjall cliffs from early May until the second week of August, then gone overnight. Evening is when they are on the grass rather than out at sea.
Nearby, and something's on
Within 300 km of Vík — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.
Where is Vík?
Vík in May — FAQ
- Is May a good time to visit Vík?
- May in Vík: cold, soaked, with clean air — a gamble, with 19 rainy days. It ranks #4 of 12 months for Vík on SeasonMap's comfort score (60/100).
- What is the weather like in Vík in May?
- In May, Vík averages a daily high of 7.7°C and a low of 4.9°C, with about 177.7 mm of rain over roughly 18.9 rainy days.
- What is the air quality in Vík in May?
- Vík has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 38 in May.
- Does it snow in Vík in May?
- Vík sees roughly 25.4 cm of snowfall in May.
Within 300 km: Reykjavík's Whale watching season around 1 Apr – 15 Oct, and Akureyri's Whales in Eyjafjordur around 1 May – 30 Sep.