What's on in Vík (Vík), Iceland through the year

Busy — Christmas break in Iceland, school holidays in 7 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in January.

Still on: Aurora season (1 Sep – 10 Apr (usually)), Sneaker waves at Reynisfjara (15 Sep – 30 Apr (usually)), Ice cave season (1 Nov – 31 Mar (usually)), Wind and ice on Route 1 (1 Nov – 31 Mar (usually))

Busy — Spring winter break in Iceland, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in February.

Still on: Aurora season (1 Sep – 10 Apr (usually)), Sneaker waves at Reynisfjara (15 Sep – 30 Apr (usually)), Ice cave season (1 Nov – 31 Mar (usually)), Wind and ice on Route 1 (1 Nov – 31 Mar (usually))

Busy — Easter break in Iceland, school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in March.

Still on: Aurora season (1 Sep – 10 Apr (usually)), Sneaker waves at Reynisfjara (15 Sep – 30 Apr (usually)), Ice cave season (1 Nov – 31 Mar (usually)), Wind and ice on Route 1 (1 Nov – 31 Mar (usually))

Busy — Easter break in Iceland, school holidays in 6 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in April.

Still on: Aurora season (1 Sep – 10 Apr (usually)), Sneaker waves at Reynisfjara (15 Sep – 30 Apr (usually))

Shoulder season — school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

• Closure

  Dyrholaey closed for nesting

  1 May – 25 Jun · usually

  The 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 season

  The 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.

Peak crowds — South coast coach season, Summer holidays in Iceland

• Holiday

  South coast coach season

  15 Jun – 31 AugSchool holidaysCrowded

  Vik is the lunch stop on every south coast day tour out of Reykjavik, so the car parks at Reynisfjara and Skogafoss are full from about eleven to four. Before nine the coast is yours. Source ↗

Still on: Dyrholaey closed for nesting (1 May – 25 Jun (usually)), Puffins on the cliffs (1 May – 10 Aug (usually))

Peak crowds — South coast coach season, Summer holidays in Iceland

Nothing new starts in July.

Still on: Puffins on the cliffs (1 May – 10 Aug (usually)), South coast coach season (15 Jun – 31 Aug)

Peak crowds — South coast coach season, Summer holidays in Iceland

Nothing new starts in August.

Still on: Puffins on the cliffs (1 May – 10 Aug (usually)), South coast coach season (15 Jun – 31 Aug)

Shoulder season — school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

• Nature

  Aurora season

  1 Sep – 10 Apr · usually

  Dark from September to April with sea and glacier on either side and almost no town light. What it does not have is reliable clear sky; the south coast catches the weather first.

• Hazard

  Sneaker waves at Reynisfjara

  15 Sep – 30 Apr · usually

  The black beach kills people. Waves run far higher up the sand than the previous twenty did, and the biggest Atlantic swells arrive between autumn and spring. Watch the warning light and stay well back. Source ↗

Busy — Autumn winter break in Iceland, school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in October.

Still on: Aurora season (1 Sep – 10 Apr (usually)), Sneaker waves at Reynisfjara (15 Sep – 30 Apr (usually))

Quiet — school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

• Season

  Ice cave season

  1 Nov – 31 Mar · usuallyIce seasonBook early

  Most of Iceland's natural ice caves are only safe in the cold half of the year; the one under Myrdalsjokull up the road runs longer but closes at short notice for weather and glacier movement. Source ↗

• Hazard

  Wind and ice on Route 1

  1 Nov – 31 Mar · usuallyClosures

  The ring road over Myrdalssandur east of the village closes for wind and ice several times a winter, sometimes with no warning and no detour. Check the road authority before setting off, not after. Source ↗

Still on: Aurora season (1 Sep – 10 Apr (usually)), Sneaker waves at Reynisfjara (15 Sep – 30 Apr (usually))

Busy — Christmas break in Iceland, school holidays in 7 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in December.

Still on: Aurora season (1 Sep – 10 Apr (usually)), Sneaker waves at Reynisfjara (15 Sep – 30 Apr (usually)), Ice cave season (1 Nov – 31 Mar (usually)), Wind and ice on Route 1 (1 Nov – 31 Mar (usually))