Find out when local businesses may be closed
Most shops and businesses are closed on public holidays in Iceland. Shops and restaurants in Reykjavík may remain open, but you’ll need to check locally.
Banks and government offices (including the liquor store “Vínbúðin”) are always closed on public holidays.
If a public holiday falls on a weekend, the day off will be observed on a substitute weekday (usually the following Monday).
Here is the list of public holidays with set dates and guidance on those that change yearly:
| Celebrations | Dates |
|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | 1 January |
| Easter (including Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Monday) | March or April (depending on the year) |
| First Day of Summer | First Thursday after 18 April |
| Labour Day | 1 May |
| Ascension Day | May (40 days after Easter) |
| Whit Sunday and Monday | Late May, early June (observed 10 days after Ascension Day) |
| National Day of Iceland | 17 June |
| Merchant’s Day | First Monday of August |
| Christmas Eve | 24 December from noon |
| Christmas Day | 25 December |
| Second Day of Christmas | 26 December |
| New Year’s Eve | 31 December from noon |
- Visit Iceland during the winter holidays on a Christmas or New Year tour of Iceland.
- Or explore the Icelandic landscape on a summer tour.
Need more info? Ask our local travel consultants for help.
