March in Iceland | ULTIMATE Travel Guide

If you are planning a March trip to Iceland, then you, my friend, are in the exact right place, because today, I have the most comprehensive guide about March travel in Iceland. Hello, Team Iceland. Welcome back to my channel. My name is Jeannie, and I am your tour guide for all of the Iceland planning things. Today, we are talking about every single thing that you would need to know in order to plan your March trip to Iceland, so let’s get into it.

Daylight Hours

All right, so daylight hours. March is such a nice month in that it’s finally starting to feel like normal daylight hours around the country. In the beginning of the month, there are 10 hours of daylight, and towards the end of March, you’re up to 13 hours. Of course, this amount of daylight hours means for a lot of exploring time.

Weather in March

For the weather, average temperatures are going to be from minus two up until four degrees centigrade, or 28 to 38 degrees Fahrenheit. March is still very much considered winter, but I would say that the winter is starting to get a little bit lighter in March. Definitely could still have some very heavy winter days, but spring is almost in the air? Definitely expecting lots of snow, wind, sun, and possibly rain. Around the landscapes, you can expect snow-covered mountains, and if the snow has started to melt, then definitely brown, barren landscapes. March is also amazing because it is one of the best months of the year to see the northern lights. Because of the perfect balance between enough darkness and the weather starting to cooperate a bit more, the skies are usually going crazy with the aurora.

Packing for March in Iceland

If you’re wondering what to pack for your March trip, then I would go ahead and follow the exact guidelines that I have laid out in my winter packing video, because as I said, it’s still winter. It’s still cold. Layers. Snow. Wet protection. All of that stuff is so super important. Of course, my very important winter tip is that you need to pack crampons in your suitcase for the month of March. March is still very cold. You’re getting snow. You’re getting spray from the waterfalls. Crampons are going to keep you protected and safe so that you don’t slip and fall and break any bones when you’re trying to walk around the waterfall, so please, you guys, trust me. Make the minimal investment. I’ve linked my favorite pair in the description below. You’ll thank me later.

Sightseeing in March

Okay. For sightseeing around Iceland in the month of March, areas that are in the clear and easy to explore around include Reykjavik, the Golden Circle, South Iceland, and borderline, Snæfellsnes Peninsula. Areas that are accessible but will need extreme caution include East Iceland and the north, and areas that are absolutely not accessible include the Highlands and the Westfjords.

Driving in March

Just with any of the other winter information that I’ve given, the roads in March are very slippery. They’re very snowy, and always require a lot of caution. There could still be major storms that are causing road closures, and so you always, always, always have to check road.is before you head out traveling for the day. Remember that I’m always suggesting a four-wheel drive during the month of March no matter where you’re traveling in the country because I do think that it’s a better option for being really, really safe in your vehicle as you’re driving through and exploring all of the roads. Also, keep in mind that although you have the long daylight hours in March, you still might need to plan a bit of a slower itinerary, because you can have the delays, or the road closures, or the bad weather that creeps up in March.

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March Activities in Iceland

Now, on to festivals, events, and fun holidays going on in Iceland in March. There are definitely a few to keep in mind. As a quick note, some of the events that I list in these videos change dates every year, so I’m going to put a link in the description for this video so that you can check based on what year you’re traveling. As one of my readers so kindly pointed out to me, I made a mistake on the dates in the February video, so I’m human too, friends. Even I can make mistakes.

Bolludagur, Sprengidagur, and Öskudagur, those days can fall on different dates, so in 2018, those dates fell in February. In 2019, they fell in March. Unless it’s an actual holiday or an Icelandic-specific holiday, always have to check with the link in the description for the dates for that year.

March 1st is what’s known as Beer Day in Iceland. This is when the locals will celebrate the end of the prohibition, which was in 1989, so not that long ago, alcohol, beer, was prohibited in Iceland. Definitely, the locals are celebrating on this day, and you can head to a pub around Reykjavik, and it will probably be so much fun.

Sónar Music Festival is another music festival that happens in March in Reykjavik. This is such a fun festival that combines music with a brilliant light show, featuring artists locally and internationally, so if you are in Reykjavik during this time, this would be super fun to check out.

Next is called DesignMarch. This is an event that celebrates design from fashion, architecture, and even food. If you are into design, or fashion, or anything like that, then you’re definitely going to want to check this out in Reykjavik. The Food and Fun Festival also happens in March, so hello, foodies. Take note. This is an event where world-renowned chefs come to Iceland, and they have to prepare dishes using only Icelandic local ingredients. So awesome.

Last but not least, I did want to mention that the Easter holiday sometimes falls in March, sometimes falls in April. Obviously just depends on the year, but this is a holiday that Icelanders take very seriously, so depending on which month it falls in, make sure to take Easter into account, because similar to the Christmas holiday, a lot of locals will be closing down their businesses, and things will have limited availability.