Iceland
Akureyri in May
🌷 SpringCold and some showers.
🎒 Pack: warm jacket for evenings
Why May scores 8.0What goes into the score
How it works- Weather comfort6.1
- !Cold (4.9°C highs / 0.4°C lows)
- ✓Comfortable humidity (dew point -0.6°C)
- ✓Mostly dry (~77 mm rain)
- Air quality10.0
- ✓Good (within WHO guideline) (PM2.5 ~2 µg/m³)
- Seasonal hazards10.0
- ·No notable seasonal hazards
- Safety baseline9.5
- ·Normal precautions
| May | Jul | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 8.0 Very good | 8.9 Excellent |
| Season | 🌷 Spring | ☀️ Summer |
| High / low | 5° / 0° | 13° / 7° |
| Rain | 77 mm | 101 mm |
| Humidity | dew pt -1° | dew pt 6° |
| PM2.5 | 2 µg/m³ | 2 µg/m³ |
Typical-month data: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis) 2015–2024 (modelled, not a forecast).
Holidays & crowdsMay 2027
Long weekendThere's at least one long weekend. Domestic travel picks up and popular spots get busier over those days.
- Pentecost 15–17 May · 3 days off in a row
Other public holidays: Labor Day (1 May) · Ascension Day (6 May)
National holidays only; regional holidays and school breaks aren't included. Source: holidays (open-source public-holiday calendar).
Explore AkureyriEvents, sights, food & souvenirs
Check event dates locallyIceland's largest town outside the capital region, at the head of the Eyjafjörður fjord, used as a base for whale watching, Lake Mývatn and northern lights.
No major events on our calendar for May.
Coming up later
Iceland National DayEvery year17 June every year
Celebrates Icelandic independence with parades and family events.
Why go: Expect a festive atmosphere and some business closures.
Where: Town centre
Ein með ölluDate variesUsually the long weekend at the start of August
Akureyri's family festival over the Icelandic bank holiday weekend, with concerts and events.
Why go: Accommodation in town gets busy that weekend.
Where: Town centre
Northern lights seasonDate variesRoughly September to March, on dark, clear nights
The aurora borealis can appear when solar activity is high and skies are clear.
Why go: Sightings are never guaranteed; check aurora and cloud forecasts nightly.
Where: Outside town lights around Eyjafjörður
Akureyrarkirkja
The town's Lutheran church, designed by Guðjón Samúelsson, at the top of a long flight of steps.
Lystigarðurinn (Akureyri Botanical Garden)
One of the world's northernmost botanical gardens, with Icelandic and foreign plants.
Whale watching in Eyjafjörðurgreat in May
Boat tours from the harbour often see humpback whales in the fjord.
💡 Most reliable in summer; dress warmly even then.
Goðafoss
A wide horseshoe waterfall about 35 minutes' drive east on the Ring Road.
Lake Mývatn
A volcanic lake area with pseudocraters, lava formations, geothermal fields and the Mývatn Nature Baths, about an hour's drive east.
Hlíðarfjall
Akureyri's ski area just above the town.
Kjötsúpa
Icelandic lamb and vegetable soup, a warming traditional dish.
Arctic char
Freshwater fish commonly served pan-fried or smoked in northern Iceland.
Skyr
A thick, high-protein cultured dairy product eaten plain or in desserts.
Icelandic hot dogs
Lamb-based hot dogs with crispy onions and remoulade, sold at kiosks and petrol stations.
Lopapeysa
Traditional Icelandic wool sweater with a patterned yoke.
💡 Wool and craft shops on the main shopping street
Icelandic wool yarn
Lopi yarn for knitters who want to make their own.
💡 Wool shops
Icelandic sweets
Liquorice and chocolate combinations that are a local favourite.
💡 Supermarkets