What to pack for Iceland in May

We just got back from a whirlwind city break in Iceland. We toured Reykjavik and the Golden Circle at the beginning of May. We were supposed to do this trip back in 2020 and I am sure you can guess how that went. So when things finally looked like we could rebook we decided to do it right after our work busy season. I am going to share everything I packed, what I wished I packed and what I wished I had of left at home. Keep in mind that the high temperature daily was between 10 and 13 degrees Celsius or approximately 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Mornings could be around 3 degrees. This is what to pack for Iceland in May.

What to pack for Iceland in May

1. Belted coat – I wore a belted coat on the days we were sightseeing around Reykjavik as opposed to the more sporty things I packed for the Golden Circle tour. I also wore this coat on the plane. Now if you are tight on space and not fussed about wearing your rain coat out to dinner then this is something you could cut from your packing list. Personally I feel more put together and myself in a coat like this.
2. Hooded jacket – I wore this jacket for the Golden circle tour day. Now I did find this a bit overkill when I was also wearing a sweater and a raincoat. But I was very warm and didn’t suffer in the wind. And I didn’t feel hot until I started climbing back up the steep hills. I would not pack this option if I were a fall winter month. (coat reviewed here)
3. Rain coat – I used my thin packable rain coat that I use all the time at home. And it is easy to layer it up or down. However after a full day of Icelandic rain I found it wasn’t 100% waterproof. So I would recommend investing in a proper waterproof raincoat. If you are travelling in the fall winter months I would switch out the rain coat for a long puffer coat instead.
4. Sweaters – I packed two thin cashmere sweaters that are easy to layer. Basically my outfits were jeans, tee, thin knit and a coat. I also had an alpaca sweater that I wore on the plane. I probably could have gotten away with two sweaters total and some long sleeve tees instead. Especially for the Golden circle tour.
5. Cross body bag – My cross body was my main bag for all our sightseeing days. But we made a rookie mistake as we eased back into international travel. My husband didn’t pack a backpack! We made do and were able to carry what we needed for this short trip but ideally we would have had both.
6. Outdoorsy pants – I used my quilted pants that I use to walk or hike in colder weather. They are like a warmer legging. The other alternative would have been to layer rain pants over regular leggings. You want something that is going to stand up to wind and rain.
7. Jeans – I packed two pairs of jeans for this trip. The exact two I have showing here. I wore jeans on the plane and wore them sightseeing around Reykjavik. I wore my outdoorsy pants on the Golden Circle tour.
8. Straight leg jeans – If I am honest I wore these for 90% of the trip. I prefer the way they look with sneakers.
9. Sneakers – I wore these sneakers for most of the trip. They have a nice thick sole which I find supports my feet. They aren’t as cushy though as Fresh Foam or Hoka sneakers but I find they are more stylish.
10. Boots – I packed a pair of sporty sorel boots. They were overkill. If this was a winter trip they would have been perfect. I think for a May trip either hiking boots or sneakers with a good tread are more appropriate. There are hills and wet slippery parts to walk so you want something with good grip.

I have tried to highlight the areas that I wish I had of packed something different. Definitely my boots were overkill. I also wish I had of packed long sleeved tees to layer instead of only sweaters. Layering is really important in Iceland but having a variety of layers really helps.

In addition to what I have listed as packed here I also had tee shirts for every day, underwear and socks. I also packed a scarf, hat and mitts. I wore the hat once on a cold morning and took it off as soon as it warmed up. I didn’t wear the scarf or mitts. I think this really depends on how sensitive to cold you are. For example for us winter has temperatures well below zero. 13 degrees during the day is not winter temperatures for us. However I saw many people wearing winter hats. I think if you are from a sunny warm country you may want to make sure to pack a hat. Also if you were travelling in the winter a hat would be a must pack.

Have you been to Iceland? What did you pack?