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Winter in Iceland: The icy northern shores
Date
17. Dec 201917. Dec 19
Reading time
3 min
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There’s never a bad time to visit Iceland
There’s something for everyone all year round in Iceland. Come and see for yourself!
Date
17. Dec 201917. Dec 19
Reading time
3 min
Share
There’s something for everyone all year round in Iceland. Come and see for yourself!
Photographer Benjamin Hardman explores the wondrous winter landscapes of the north of Iceland.
Known for its distinct winter season, Iceland’s north makes a great setting for a winter experience in Iceland. With thick snow blanketing the area every winter, adventurers of all types are drawn to the region for the vast range of winter activities on offer.
Last winter I joined two friends for a road trip around Tröllaskagi, known as the ‘Troll Peninsula’ in English, situated high up in the north.
This beautiful area takes travelers on a quest through winding fjord roads, mountain passes, and dramatic sea cliffs to experience a unique side of Iceland’s winter landscape. In such stark white surrounds, the focus moves from the vivid colors of the summer months to the rugged and dynamic formations in the mountains, visible only by their contours in the snow.
After making our way up from Reykjavík, we chose to make our first stop in Akureyri for a ski session on the slopes of Hlíðarfjall, one of Iceland’s premier ski resorts. Skiing is a popular sport around Tröllaskagi; from backcountry touring to heli-skiing, the options are practically limitless.
With an amazing night ski session in the bag, we then spent a few days driving around the east side of the peninsula, passing through the small towns of Dalvík and Ólafsfjörður before reaching Siglufjörður. Each town has its quirks, from cozy coffeehouses to the local swimming pools, and you’ll gain a true sense of the Icelandic culture in these areas.
Approaching the coast at the northern tip of the peninsula, we were treated to an endless view of the blue Arctic Ocean. Hiking up through the snow to a viewpoint overlooking the water, it was hard to fathom that the next land would be the remote northeastern tip of Greenland and beyond that, the North Pole – a world of Arctic sea ice and polar bears.
With daylight fading, the short days of winter in the north provide a special ambience that is hard to find elsewhere. The combination of sweeping fjords and snow-covered mountain peaks will immerse you in what feels like a distant frozen world, with hues of blue and white in all directions.
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Travel notes: Winter conditions can be very unpredictable in Iceland. It’s important to check road.is regularly for local road conditions while you’re traveling to ensure that the roads are passable and safe for driving. Read more tips for winter travel in Iceland.
Check out Benjamin’s other seasonal photo essays, including fall in Þórsmörk and Iceland’s transition from winter to spring. For more information on the seasons in Iceland – including average temperatures and daylight hours – see our guide to the best time to visit Iceland.
This article first appeared in Icelandair’s in-flight Stopover magazine, and was updated in summer 2026.
Benjamin Hardman
Benjamin’s core focus is to tell deeper visual stories of nature in the Arctic and sub-Arctic, both as a traveler and a local. He forged a career as a photographer, filmmaker, and field guide after beginning to travel around Iceland and later moving from his home in Australia in 2015. Read more at benjaminhardman.com.
