15 days in Iceland in the fall: bookings and weather

Hello, I’m planning our trip for two weeks in late September to early October. We’ll be renting a car and want to stay in hotels. I understand the weather starts to change and that the choice of places to visit depends on it. So, is it a good idea to book hotels now, or is it better to wait until we’re there? And in that case, is it easy to find hotels? (We’re 75 and 70 years old and really appreciate our comfort now🙂).

I have plenty of other questions and would love your advice. For example, I’ve heard the roads to the Westfjords can be closed, but is the Latrabjarg area doable in October? I’d also like to avoid changing locations every day, so is it a good idea to stay put for 2-3 days and explore the region?

Thanks in advance for your replies! Marie José

Hi there,

choice of places to visit depends on the weather.

Icelandic climate weather is simple: it’s four seasons in one day! Of course, it’ll be colder and there’ll be more snow in winter, but no matter the time of year, what defines Icelandic weather is its unpredictability. You can get storms in any season. The north is a bit less rainy than the south.

So, weather shouldn’t be a deciding factor for your hotel bookings—unless maybe when it comes to heating.

Hi there,

For me, the best way to visit Iceland in the summer is by vanlife, which lets you choose your spot based on the weather. In winter, hosts didn’t ask us to pay in advance because the weather can be terrible—it wasn’t even certain we’d be able to reach the place. But for late September to early October, I’m not sure whether to advise booking your accommodations or not, since I’m not familiar with tourism during that time.

For all info on roads, weather, volcanic eruptions, or the northern lights, you *must* have these sites on your phone: https://safetravel.is/, https://umferdin.is/, https://en.vedur.is/, and My Aurora Forecast.

Cheers! !

I’d also like to avoid changing places every day, so is it a good idea to stay put for 2/3 days and explore the region?

Not a great idea in my opinion, except around Lake Mývatn, where there’s enough to do for three days. Most people who spend two weeks in Iceland do the full ring road. But if you want to include the Westfjords (which aren’t part of the classic loop) in your trip, you might run out of time. Will you have a 4x4?

Thanks for your reply.

Thanks, I’ll only book the first two nights to stay flexible, and I’ll keep the link you shared for the mefeo and volcano.

Thanks for the tip. After thinking it over, we’ll just do the south this time. We’ll go back another time to see the western fjords.

Only the south in 15 days? Not even a full island tour? Personally, I’d recommend the latter option, including a detour to the Snæfellsnes Peninsula in the west. Especially since by late September, Lakagígar will be closed and Landmannalaugar might be too.