Reykjavik in May
Long, bright days, snow melting in the highlands and very few visitors; many mountain roads are still closed.
Is May a good time to visit Reykjavik?
May is a middling month in Reykjavik — crowds around 50/100. Not the worst, but November is noticeably calmer.
Book things to do
Tours and tickets in Reykjavik, from our booking partner.
What’s on in May
No major events this month — one of the reasons it stays calm.
Best days in May
Weekdays are almost always calmer than weekends.
Tue is normally the calmest day of the week.
Best hours in May
The daily rhythm, hour by hour.
The 9:00 AM window is usually the calmest of the day.
Weather in May
Typical highs, lows and wet days.
How May compares
Every month in Reykjavik, ranked by how calm it is.
Quieter alternatives
If your dates are flexible, these months are calmer in Reykjavik.
Frequently asked questions
Is May a good month to visit Reykjavik?
May is a middling month in Reykjavik — crowds around 50/100. Not the worst, but November is noticeably calmer.
How crowded is Reykjavik in May?
Reykjavik sits at roughly 50/100 in May on our crowd scale, which is 10 points below the yearly average. The quietest month is November.
What is the weather like in Reykjavik in May?
Expect highs around 10°C and lows near 4°C in May, with about 14 wet days across the month.
Sources
Weather: 1995–2024 averages from the Reykjavík weather station (NOAA GHCN-Daily); rain days count days with at least 1 mm.
Crowd scores are modelled estimates, not live counts.How the model works
Events, holidays and practical notes are checked against these official pages: