Whether you’re reading this blog because you’re going to Iceland in March and want to know what it will be like, or you simply want to satisfy your wanderlust, we hope you’ll love these 41 photos of Iceland in March just as much as we do.
Iceland in March: The True Land of Ice and Fire
Even as late as mid-March in Iceland, thick snow covers the landscape, lakes are turned to ice and icicle droplets form near glorious waterfalls.
These icy landscapes are then severely contrasted with the boiling hot natural springs that grace the land, erupting steam and jets of boiling hot water into the cold air.
If you’re going to Iceland in March then spring is on the horizon. But in Iceland, this still means thick snow and ice everywhere you look and sometimes bright blue skies reflected in the glistening lakes.
Iceland really is the land of ice and fire. Let us prove it to you with these 41 photos of Iceland in March.
Real Talk
At the time, most of our photos of Iceland were taken using our Sony Cybershot bridge camera. Bridge cameras are perfect for beginners as you can try out different settings like you would on a full DSLR camera but without the need to change lenses. We chose this compact bridge camera for ourselves as the 50x zoom and 20.4mp lens is a really powerful combination – and perfect for capturing beautiful pictures of Iceland’s landscapes.
When we were in the car, we quickly snapped photos with an iPhone. And we occasionally used our Sony 360 Camera outside for some truly unique shots.
Check out more travel photography recommendations in our shop >>>
Although we don’t use Photoshop, our photos do receive a small touchup in Google Photos. Editing things like straightening the horizon line, brightening up dark photos and warming up the colours is usually enough for us.
Photos of Iceland in March: Waterfalls
One of Iceland’s many attractions is its dramatic (and unspoiled) landscapes, which of course includes some pretty impressive waterfalls.
Epic waterfalls can be found throughout Iceland. We’d recommend renting a car and heading out on a road trip, but if you can’t do that, then take a look at coach tours so you don’t miss out!
These beautiful pictures of Iceland in March focus on five incredible waterfalls you can find in the Golden Circle and along the South Coast of Iceland – including a secret one!
Gullfoss in March
Gullfoss is the A-list star and crown jewel of the Golden Circle. But is it really that special? Why yes, yes it really is.
As you head down from the visitor centre, you’ll need to climb down some steps to see your first proper glimpse of Gullfoss otherwise known as ‘Golden Falls’. And we can bet your first words (or thoughts) will be “Wow!”
Thanks to long wooden walkways (and lots of steps), it’s possible to see Gullfoss from a number of different angles meaning you’ll exclaim “Wow!” maybe five or six times over.
To see Gullfoss at its best, we’d always recommend visiting during the colder months. In the summer, the water turns a muddy brown (hence the name of ‘Golden Falls’) due to various types of sediment winding its way through the crevasse.
But during the colder months like March and throughout the winter, you’ll find the water to be a mix of green and cool blue – and ever so beautiful!
Skógafoss in March
Found close to some black sand beaches is Skógafoss, which comes from the Icelandic for ‘Forest Falls’. No one is quite sure where this name came from though as there are no forests, woods or trees near it!
Anyway, it’s possible to get up close and personal with this waterfall when down on the ground as there’s nothing stopping you from going right up to it. Apart from maybe the powerful water soaking you as soon as you step 20 feet within its range.
And in March, that water is pretty cold! So cold in fact that the ground surrounding it turns to ice while ice crystals form on the rocks nearby.
You can also climb 500 steep steps and see Skógafoss from above. You’ll probably be panting by the time you reach the top but the views are well worth it!
Seljalandsfoss in March
Seljalandsfoss is around 30 minutes in the car from Skógafoss. Its name in Icelandic roughly translates to ‘Selling the Land of Waterfalls’.
And we think they got the name just right with this one as you can… wait for it… walk behind it! When visiting Seljalandsfoss in March, you may see closed off fences and warning signs about ice and slipping so you may not be able to walk behind it. But if you do get the chance, it’s fun (and cold!) to do it.
Even if you can’t walk behind Seljalandsfoss; at over 60 feet tall, you’ll still think it’s a real beauty from the front too!
Öxarárfoss in March
Found within the stunning Thingvellir National Park is Öxarárfoss, sometimes known as ‘Axe Falls’.
Öxarárfoss can be difficult to find if you’re not in the know as it’s hidden behind some towering rocks away from the main paths in Thingvellir. We stumbled upon it by accident simply because we had seen some signs pointing out a waterfall nearby so we went in search of it.
And we’re so glad we did! This small but perfectly formed waterfall is amazing. In March, you’ll hopefully have the pleasure of seeing snow draping the rocks all around it, which adds to the whole pretty-as-a-postcard experience.
Perhaps the best bit about this little waterfall is that the water is so clean that you can drink out of it if you’re brave enough! In March, the water will also be ice cold.
Gljúfrabúi in March
And finally we come to Gljúfrabúi, the ‘Canyon Dweller’ or ‘Dweller of the Gorge’. This is the secret waterfall we alluded to earlier. But what makes it so secret?
Well… the only way to see it is to either climb over some steep rocks and cliffs or trudge through knee-deep (freezing!) water. Found in the middle of an open-topped cave, this is where you’ll find one of Iceland’s deepest secrets.
Now if rock climbing or wading through rivers isn’t really your thing, you can still catch a glimpse of this waterfall by peeking through the two rock crevices in front of it (like we did to get this photo).
The issue is that you’ll only see the bottom of it from this angle so you’ll miss all of its beauty.
Perhaps another reason why Gljúfrabúi is so secret is because it’s not signposted, not often referred to in blogs, (we had to read over ten dedicated Iceland blogs before we could even find its name!) and it’s also often eclipsed by its famous neighbour – none other than Seljalandsfoss.
So when you walk behind Seljalandsfoss in March, spare a thought for its lesser known neighbour and come and pay this secret waterfall a visit too!
Photos of Iceland in March: Hot Springs
Hot springs have long been a part of the Icelandic culture and often give places in Iceland their names. For example, reyk means smoke or steam, laug means pool and varm is (surprise, surprise!) warm.
Bathing in Iceland’s hot springs is the utmost in relaxation and the hot water mixed with the cold air is designed to open and clean your pores resulting in soft skin. So when you have your zen moment in Iceland in March, just think about how much love and attention your skin will be getting.
During our trip to Iceland in March, we visited the Secret Lagoon in the Golden Circle, which is a natural hot spring and one of the oldest swimming pools in all of Iceland.
And it was snowing the whole time we were there!
It was also not too busy and so quiet that we could just focus on each other and our beautiful surroundings.
Something else we discovered at the time were wooden walkways surrounding the pool. After our hour-long dip, we got dressed and walked around and found bubbling hot springs and mini geysers all around the Secret Lagoon, which reminded us just how wonderful it is to come to this particular hot spring.
As you can see, the snow had melted in this part of Iceland because of all the steamy heat. This was great as it gave a glimpse into what spring in Iceland would look like – lush, green and mossy!
Photos of Iceland in March: Geysirs
Another of Iceland’s biggest draws is its geysirs. And The Geysir Hot Spring Area in the Golden Circle is your chance to see lots of them as they bubble and boil like witches’ cauldrons.
Some of the geysirs are such incredible colours that it really is a marvel to see them as up close as this.
But it’s probably safe to say that Strokkur Geysir (also known as The Churn) truly steals the show. Strokkur erupts steam every few minutes over 20 metres in the air with little to no warning! The steam spurts so fast that you’ll miss it in the blink of an eye if you’re not careful.
Until you get a bit closer and realise a large blue bubble forms just as Strokkur is about to erupt…
Photos of Iceland in March: Black Sand Beaches
Iceland is one of the most famous places with which to see black sand beaches also known as volcanic ash beaches. Because that’s all that the black sand is really – just glorified volcanic ash.
Most first time visitors head to the beaches in Vik where you can spot ancient rock formations similar to Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland. But there is another black sand beach that should be on your must-see list in Iceland as well.
Sólheimasandur is a vast black sand beach and is such an incredible landscape to marvel at. From the black waves that the sand has created on the ground to the stormy seas behind you to the snow-capped mountains in the distance, this beach will have you totally spellbound.
But these aren’t the only things to see here.
This beach is also home to a plane crash from the 1970s, which has surprisingly become a bit of a tourist trap now. During our visit, we had no idea the plane was here. We thought we were just here to marvel at black sand so it was a pretty cool surprise. You are free to photograph the plane as well as explore inside it – how unique! It may even inspire you to get engaged here – like we did!
Photos of Iceland in March: Landscapes
When driving the Golden Circle route or along the Ring Road, you’ll be treated to so many stunning views and beautiful pictures of the Iceland landscape.
The roads will be fairly clear outside of Reykjavik and mountains will peek out at you from the side of the road.
And hopefully the sun graces you with its presence just long enough to help you create beautiful sunburst photos.
During your drive, you may even glimpse the hills looking like they’re on fire as steam from natural hot springs dance into the sky.
Iceland in March is also a great time to see beautiful mountains in the distance. It’s cold enough for them to be topped with a dusting of snow but the clear visibility you’ll hopefully get enables you to fully appreciate them – and take photos of them!
Photos of Iceland in March: Thingvellir National Park
Of all our Iceland landscape photos, the ones we took in Thingvellir National Park are among our favourites.
When we visited Iceland in March, we had arrived at Thingvellir during a blizzard and complete whiteout. As you can see, my optimism to get a good photo tried to shine through.
But as we turned the corner into the visitor centre and parked up, the clouds cleared almost instantly to reveal bright sunny skies (albeit still cold!) This was just in time for our ramble through the great Almannagjá fault and along the Öxarárfoss Waterfall Trail. Given the weather and the stunning views, this hike was one of our top highlights in Iceland.
Near to the visitor centre is a viewing platform offering such beautiful views across Thingvellir and Thingvallavatn Lake. As we were taking a zoomed-in shot of the church, this couple holding hands wandered into the frame. Thank you, whoever you are, because this is still our most favourite photo from the whole trip! If you look closely in the distance, you might even be able to see someone swimming in one of the lakes found in this area!
Remember those snow-capped mountains in the distance we were telling you about? Well you can see them from Thingvellir National Park too – don’t they look stunning?!
Here’s the church from earlier. The great thing about this hiking trail is that you can wander right up to the church and through its cemetery if you want. It’s a small church but beautiful and very traditional to what you’ll see throughout Iceland.
Candles and loving words pop up through the snow in Iceland in March, which are a reminder that spring is on the horizon and that light can always be found in even the darkest of places.
Photos of Iceland in March: Our Golden Circle Cabin
When we were planning our first trip to Iceland, we knew we wanted to stay in the Golden Circle.
The elusive Northern Lights, beautiful Icelandic landscapes and cute wooden cabins (some with private hot tubs!) were just some of the reasons why. And we were not at all disappointed!
Not only did we have stunning views of the Icelandic landscape all around us, which just so happened to be snowy every single day…
But we also had our very own private hot tub overlooking these views, which we of course used every evening after seeing the sights. We also saw epic sunsets from this hot tub, which looked just like someone had painted the sky especially for us!
And we even saw a fleeting glance at the Northern Lights from our hot tub too. They were sadly only a 1 on the visibility scale, so were simply green wisps dancing over us like clouds, but we still saw them! As well as thousands upon thousands of stars thanks to no light pollution!
And at least a couple of times during our stay, we also saw a beautiful pink sunrise…
They say that the weather in Iceland changes rapidly. We can certainly attest to that ourselves after seeing freak snowstorms and bright sunshine within just a few minutes of each other. But what caught us off guard most was the icy nights following the patches of bright sunshine and clear skies… so much so that on several occasions, we struggled to get the key to our cabin out of the lock box outside as it was frozen shut!
Photos of Iceland in March: Views from the Plane
Iceland’s final gift to us were the views we saw of the icy landscape mixed with black sand beaches during our plane journey back home…
Why Visit Iceland in March
Just in case these beautiful pictures of Iceland in March haven’t convinced you that this is a great time to visit Iceland, we’ve got a few more words of wisdom to leave you with.
Our trip to Iceland in March was every bit as magical as we’d hoped. It wasn’t too busy on the roads or at top attractions. We like to think this is because March is a weird time in between winter and spring and so doesn’t get as much attention as it deserves.
Visiting Iceland in March meant we saw beautiful glimpses of the snowy winter weather as well as the sunshine and blue skies of spring on its way.
If this blog post reads like a love letter to Iceland then good. This beautiful little country holds such a dear place within both our hearts – not just because we got engaged there – but because it was every bit as beautiful and magical as everyone told us it would be.
We went to Iceland knowing we would love it and we left knowing we would return again one day. Iceland really is the perfect destination for nature lovers and we couldn’t recommend it enough.
Plan Your Own Trip To Iceland In March
Is your heart now set on going to Iceland in March? Check out our other Iceland travel blogs for everything you need to know:
- Iceland Travel Tips & Important Things To Know Before Visiting
- Top Things To Avoid in Iceland (and what to do instead!)
- The Complete Guide to Visiting Iceland in Winter
- Where To Stay In Iceland For First Time Visitors
- Easy 5 Day Iceland Road Trip Itinerary
- Magical Golden Circle Itinerary
- Useful Iceland Food Packing List
- Iceland Photography Tips For Beginners
- Hiking in Thingvellir National Park
- Authentic Souvenirs From Iceland
- Must Read Books About Iceland
Didn’t we tell you Iceland is ‘The Land of Ice and Fire’? Do you believe us now? We hope you adored our lovely little collection of photos of Iceland in March just as much as we’ve loved looking back on the magical memories we made there. Now tell us… when will YOU be visiting?
Feeling inspired? Share the wanderlust around now!
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