The Midnight Sun in Iceland: What it’s Like & How to Make the Most of It

In this article, we’ll take a deep dive into the phenomenon of the midnight sun in Iceland. We’ll explore why it happens and what it feels like to experience it, as well as show you how to plan your trip so that the tours you choose capitalise on the possibilities associated with these longer days. Extended daylight can be both a blessing and a curse, but we’ll share plenty of tips and advice so that you can turn seeing the midnight sun in Iceland to your advantage.

From the middle of May to the middle of July, it never really gets dark in Iceland. The sun barely slips below the horizon before it rises again, leaving the sky in a state of twilight rather than the inky blackness you’d experience at other times of year. It’s a curious phenomenon and one that draws tourists each summer keen to find out what it’s like to try to fall asleep when your body is telling you that the day’s not yet finished.

At this time of year, the position of the earth relative to the sun means that above the Arctic Circle, where the latitude is 66.5°N or more, the sun is always in view. The earth is tilted on its axis at an angle of 23.4 degrees. This means that the closer you are to one of the Poles, the more you’ll be affected because you’ll either be facing towards the sun in summer or away from the sun in winter.

As you move away from the Arctic, such as in the contiguous U.S. or on mainland Europe, you’ll notice the change in the length of the day; winter nights draw in far earlier. But whereas in the mid-latitudes night time exists in summer, in Nordic countries like Iceland complete darkness is elusive and you never get beyond twilight.

Iceland’s mainland is located just south of the Arctic Circle, so the country experiences exceptionally long days during this period. However Grimsey Island, in the north of the country, lies within the Arctic Circle. Though it requires a bit of effort to reach, this unique location makes it one of the best places to see the midnight sun in Iceland. For a whole month from June 6th, the sun never sets at all there – it’s up all day.

The further north you travel in Iceland, the shorter the nights become. This leads to some regional variations. In Akureyri, for instance, around the summer solstice sunset is about 1am and sunrise is around half an hour later. In contrast, as Reykjavik is situated further south, the effect will be diminished. However, there’s still almost three hours between sunset and sunrise in midsummer. That’s certainly enough for you to notice it’s not dark if you’re still awake.

If you’re unused to extreme daylight, it can take a bit of adjustment. Our body clocks have a natural rhythm and for some, that means waking as the sun comes up. That’s fine where the sun doesn’t make its presence felt until six in the morning, but it’s a whole other matter if your body is telling you it’s time to get up at three.

To minimise the effect of this unwanted light, once you’ve finished the day’s activities you could spend time in your room with the curtains drawn prior to bedtime to acclimatise. It also helps to stay focused on the actual time as you go about your day and force yourself to go to bed and get up in the morning at what’s close to your normal routine.

Similarly, driving can be problematic as you may not realise just how tired you are in this mixed-message environment. Be mindful of how much sleep you’ve had and its quality; don’t hesitate to take a break if you know it’s late and you should be tired. Better still, leave the driving to a local who’s used to it and nap on a comfortable coach in between sightseeing stops on one of Icelandia’s tours.

To be able to get sufficient rest to enjoy your holiday, you’re likely to need to be proactive in how you intend to block out the sun. If you’re a light sleeper, contact potential accommodation providers to find out whether the room is fitted with blackout blinds. Bring a handful of clothes pegs to clip curtains together if you find there’s a gap. Some travellers swear by eye masks which they wear when sleeping.

While the disadvantages of the midnight sun might be mildly irritating, what you stand to gain by travelling at this time of year is considerable. If you’ve started to investigate what there is to see and do in Iceland as part of your itinerary planning you’ll perhaps have been overwhelmed by how much there is to choose from.

On a short trip, so long as you have the stamina, you can go big on activities and sightseeing, cramming far more into a single day than you would be able to at other times of the year. If you intend to visit Iceland for a longer trip – anything more than a few days – we wouldn’t recommend you do so, as you’ll burn out pretty quickly.

Instead, use the long days to your advantage by spreading out your sightseeing. Relish the indulgence of leisurely lunches and frequent breaks. Best of all, do so guilt-free without feeling like your budget is going to take a massive hit as it would if you tried this in winter when you’d need countless extra days to cover the same ground.