We visited Iceland for one week at the end of February and it was a little chilly to say the least! Daily temperatures ranged from -3 to 6 degrees Celsius, but the wind chill in Iceland is no joke. At times it felt like -10 degrees (or less)!
Joe and I took one small backpack with us (as per EasyJet’s personal item policy) plus one cabin bag (suitcase) to share. It wasn’t much, but it really did the trick.
We are light packers anyway and don’t own many clothes between us. I’m sure many people would be horrified to learn that we share a small wardrobe and chest of drawers — I mean it, we really don’t have many clothes!
If you’re able to pack as light as we did, you’ll find it easy to store your luggage (if travelling in a campervan like we did), plus it cuts costs down for the flights. Honestly, you will end up wearing the same layers pretty much every day so you’re better off packing light and not caring about having different outfits. Warmth and comfort is absolutely key here.
Without further ado, here is my packing list for a week in Iceland during winter…
Footwear
I’ll start with what footwear to pack for Iceland as this is easy. I took one pair of shoes for the whole trip: Merrell Moab GTX walking shoes. They were brilliant, but if you have the space in your luggage, I would suggest taking high top walking boots in case of deep snow. Then a pair of trainers to chuck on whilst at campsites or walking around town in drier weather.
Clothing
- Underwear – I’m not going to go in depth with this one, I think everyone knows how much underwear to pack. Just chuck in a couple of extras in case they get wet.
- Walking socks – a couple of pairs of thick walking socks is essential for staying warm and keeping your feet blister-free whilst wearing walking boots all day every day. I swear by Bridgedales as I am very blister prone and they help loads.
- Thermals – two thermal long sleeve tops and two pairs of thermal bottoms. I took leggings to wear under my trousers. I recommend taking two of each in case one set gets wet!
- T-shirts – I recommend three or four regular t-shirts for your Iceland holiday. During winter you’re not likely to get super sweaty (even when going on short hikes) so pack light and re-wear your tops every now and then.
- Fleeces – I packed three fleeces but to be honest I could’ve coped with just two. I often wore two at once; one thinner fleece and then one fluffy fleece jacket over the top.
- Down jacket – a good down jacket is absolutely essential when packing for your trip to Iceland in winter. I recommend paying a little extra for a good brand, such as this Rab Microlight jacket or this Berghaus Nula jacket.
- Walking trousers – cargo trousers of some kind are the ideal outer wear for a winter trip to Iceland.
- Waterproof trousers – these waterproof over trousers are perfect for any outdoors holiday when the weather is unreliable. They saved my trousers and leggings from getting absolutely soaked on a couple of occasions and they’re mega cheap.
- Waterproof coat – another essential waterproof (and windproof) item, with plenty of options no matter your budget. This Craghoppers coat is similar to the one I have.
- Buff and/or scarf – I took both a buff and a big woolly scarf and altered between the two depending on how wet and windy is was each day. Buffs are especially versatile for travelling and hiking and are perfect for packing light.
- Thick gloves – make sure to pack thick thermal gloves for your winter trip to Iceland. If they are water resistant, even better. I got these exact Sealskinz gloves which are brilliant as you can still use your phone whilst wearing them.
- Woolly hat – I took a woolly hat and a headband. The jazzier the better I say!
- Cosy pyjamas
- Swimwear
Additional note — this is MY packing list so gents, you might have a few different preferences. For example, Joe took a pair of joggers and a pair of shorts for relaxing/sleeping/walking around Reykjavik.
TOP TIP!
The key to travelling Iceland in winter is layering your clothes. Every day I wore a thermal top or t-shirt (depending on the weather, sometimes both), thin fleece, fluffy fleece and down jacket. Then I wore leggings and walking trousers, plus waterproofs if necessary.
Toiletries
My best tip for toiletries for your one week trip to Iceland in winter is to buy an airline-friendly liquids bag like this one for £5.99 on Amazon. You can fit more in these than the flimsy bags at the airport, you don’t have to faff about waiting in line at security and everything is neatly organised. Just take the following:
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- Mini shower gel, shampoo and conditioner – I decanted some into reusable 100ml bottles like these
- Moisturiser (also decanted into a small container)
- Lip balm – really important because it’s so cold and windy, I swear by Carmex
- Small makeup items (optional – I took concealer and mascara)
- Reusable makeup remover pad like these
- Roll-on deodorant
- Contact lenses and/or solution (if needed)
One thing I didn’t bother with was perfume as there was really no point. I also have a Tangle Teezer which is compact and perfect for travelling.
Extras
The usual extras that you’ll need to remember to pack for your holiday are USB charging cables (perhaps a universal adapter if you think you need one but we just took USB), sunglasses (we forgot ours and needed them with all the snow!), pack of cards and a book (if that’s your thing). You might also need to bring a travel towel if you’re unable to rent them from your camper rental company or use what’s in your accommodation.
I cannot emphasise enough that you should pack snacks and dry food items to take to Iceland. Even if you’re not travelling on a budget like us, you will appreciate having snacks from home that don’t cost a bomb. A few ideas:
- Noodles
- Pasta n sauce
- Protein bars or cereal bars
- Porridge sachets
- Nuts
- Sweets
- Dried fruit
It really is worth packing as light as possible for your winter trip to Iceland. This may seem like a long list, but it’ll all condense down nicely — especially if you wear your biggest layers on the flight out there. If you don’t have any restrictions, feel free to add extra items and spares of everything. But this packing list should be a good starting point.
Happy travels!
Be the first to read new articles. Sign up here!
*There are some affiliate links in this post which don’t cost you a penny, but if you do purchase anything using the links, I get a small commission from them!*
Where's Liv 
This is such a brilliant post! It can be quite challenging to figure out what to wear and bring for a trip to Iceland in winter, especially given how the temperatures plus wind chill in Iceland are no joke. Thanks for sharing, and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx
LikeLiked by 1 person
It was a challenge packing with hand luggage only but we managed it, just about! Haha x
LikeLiked by 1 person