Iceland in January

How much daylight does Iceland have in January?

Computed, not copied — sunrise and sunset for 2026 at Reykjavík’s own coordinates (64.15, -21.94), NOAA solar algorithm. Read the last column downwards: the day gains 2 h 32 m across the month — winter’s fastest growth, and the reason late January feels like a different season from New Year.

The normals are the year’s coldest, and honestly mild by latitude: daily high 3.2°C, daily low −1.7°C, 87.1 mm over 15.3 wet days, 22.6 h of sunshine. The number that bites is none of these — it is wind chill, which is why the packing list starts with a windproof layer, not a thermometer.

What happens on 6 January — and what is Þorri?

Þrettándinn, the thirteenth day of Christmas, closes the season with two standing rules meeting on one date: the last Yule Lad walks back to the mountains (they depart one per day from Christmas, the final one on the 6th — the same sourced schedule on our December page), and the Imagine Peace Tower goes dark after its New Year lighting, by the tower’s own published calendar. Many towns mark the night with bonfires and the winter’s last fireworks.

Then comes Þorri — a month of the old Icelandic calendar running “mid January to mid February” — and with it Þorrablót, the midwinter feast: fermented shark, sour ram, smoked lamb, dried fish, taken with brennivín and considerable national pride. Our food guide explains each item honestly, so you can choose your bites with informed courage.

Can you see the northern lights in January?

On any clear night, emphatically — darkness runs from late afternoon to mid-morning all month. The limiter is January’s weather: this is the stormy heart of winter, and clear windows come and go fast. Watch the live Kp and cloud forecast, keep evenings flexible, and treat a forecast gap in the cloud as an appointment.

Ice caves, at their best

January is peak season for the blue ice caves under the glaciers — the deepest cold stabilises them, and the colour is at its most saturated in the low winter light. They remain guide-only, weather-dependent visits; a rescheduled tour is the glacier answering honestly. Book with slack in your schedule and the caves will fit.

Driving in January

The most demanding driving month alongside December: ice as default, storms that shut roads, and daylight that opens late. The pattern that works: a 4x4 on winter tyres, the live road state every morning, one region per day, and a storm-day plan that is a pool and a book rather than a white-knuckle drive. Surface-by-surface detail lives in our winter-driving guide — and January’s one mercy is price: deep-winter rates on exactly the 4x4 you should not skip.