When we first decided to visit Iceland in April I was clueless on the weather and temperatures we would be facing. I did a ton of research on what I needed to take and for the most part it worked well.
We visited for 2 weeks and didn’t plan on doing any washing so I felt it was harder to work out how many of each item we would need.
I did end up overpacking slightly (as I always do!) so I have refined my list below to what I actually used.
In April when we visited the temperatures we experienced ranged from -8 degrees up on the mountain passes to 10 degrees on sunny days.
The key for this sort of weather is layers! I know you have heard it all before so let me just get into what you need to actually pack!
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What to Pack for Iceland – 2 Weeks in April
Outerlayers
- Warm down filled jacket – I took a fitted ski jacket which fitted underneath my waterproof shell jacket (actual)
- Waterproof & windproof shell jacket – it rains alot! (very similar)
- Combination 3-in-1 jacket (optional) – for variation, i do get bored. I brought a more casual looking parka coat for walking around town which was still waterproof (actual)
- Gilet – to wear over jumpers or casual shirts for warmer days (actual)
Tops
- 5 x long sleeve thermal tops – wear these everyday underneath your jumpers/shirts/coats (actual / similar)
- A thermal vest top – in case you want a thermal underneath a regular fitted top and the long sleeved ones are too bulky (actual / similar)
- 2 x jumpers
- A denim shirt – goes with everything
- A flannel shirt – to wear a pop of colour under your gilet
- A blouse or dressy top – for eating out
- A couple of polo neck tees or casual tees for hanging out or casual dinners.
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Bottoms
- 4 x thermal leggings – to wear under waterproof trousers or jeans (actual – Uniqlo not currently available / similar)
- Waterproof fleece lined trousers – I basically wore these everyday on the road and they don’t need washing because you wear your leggings underneath (very similar – not sure if these particular ones are fleece lined)
- A pair of casual jeans – for days you aren’t doing any hiking. I only wore these two or three times in 2 weeks and one time regretted it as it was so cold!
- A pair of dressy jeans – for eating out.
Shoes
- Hiking boots – non negotiable, you will need these or your trainers will get ruined! (similar)
- Snow boots (optional) – we didn’t see snow everyday but there was a couple of occasions they would have been useful but not necessary (actual)
- Waterproof ankle boots – for exploring the towns and eating out where you don’t want to look like a hiker! Mine were fleece lined too so super warm (actual)
- Flip Flops – for the geothermal pools! (actual)
Other
- 6 x wool blend hiking socks – you can rotate these unless your feet get realllllly sweaty! Mine don’t! (actual)
- A few pairs of normal socks – for your ankle boots (mine were fleece lined so already warm)
- Bras and knickers – you don’t need me to tell you this! Preferably quick drying in case you fall into a waterfall! Who does that?
- 3 x Bobble Hats – for variation in photos! Fleece lined if you want to be extra warm.
- Waterproof & windproof gloves – non negotiable or your hands will fall off (actual – they don’t have good reviews on amazon but I loved them)
- 2 x Bikinis or swimsuits – for the geothermal pools
- A quick dry lightweight travel towel (actual)
- Pyjamas & fluffy socks
- Sunglasses – you WILL need these its bright!
- Backpack & waterproof cover (backpack actual – but mines black, cover similar)
- Small handbag (optional) – I used my backpack all the time as I was carrying camera equipment around.
- Toiletries & medications – don’t go overboard Iceland has lots of supermarkets if you need anything.
- Camera equipment, Iceland is so photogenic!
- A torch – you never know!
Documents etc
- Passport – obviously!
- Driving licence – for hiring a car
- Currency – you don’t need a lot of cash they take card everywhere!
Thats it, everything you need to pack for Iceland if you are visiting for 2 weeks. If you found this guide helpful please let me know in the comments!
Have I missed anything? Let me know!
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