The 2026 Solar Eclipse in Iceland: 99.55% in Reykholt, Blaskogabyggd – or Take the Short Drive to Totality

Stay in the heart of the Golden Circle, experience an extraordinary 99.55% eclipse from your doorstep – or head west to witness one of nature's rarest spectacles.

On August 12, 2026, Iceland will experience something truly extraordinary.

A total solar eclipse will sweep across parts of western Iceland, briefly turning day into darkness as the Moon completely covers the Sun.

People from around the world are travelling to Iceland for the event, and accommodation within the path of totality has understandably become increasingly difficult to find.

But you don't necessarily need to sleep inside the path of totality to experience it.

In Reykholt, Blaskogabyggd, South Iceland, home to Blue Hotel Fagrilundur and Blue View Cabins, the eclipse will reach an extraordinary 99.55%.

And the edge of the path of totality is only a relatively short drive west.

That gives our guests two very interesting choices on eclipse day.

Option 1: Experience a 99.55% solar eclipse in Reykholt

You don't have to go anywhere.

On August 12, the partial eclipse in Reykholt will last almost exactly two hours:

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At maximum eclipse, just 0.45% of the Sun will remain unobscured.

The light will become remarkably dim and unusual. Shadows will change. The landscape may take on an eerie appearance and temperatures may noticeably drop as almost the entire surface of the Sun disappears behind the Moon.

Experiencing a 99.55% solar eclipse from the Icelandic countryside will undoubtedly be something to remember.

But there is something important you should know.

99.55% and 100% are not quite the same thing

Mathematically, they sound almost identical.

In reality, they are very different experiences.

Even the tiny 0.45% sliver of the Sun that remains visible during a 99.55% eclipse produces a surprising amount of light.

At 100% totality, that final sliver disappears.

And then everything changes.

For a brief moment, daylight dramatically fades. The Moon becomes a black disc in the sky and the normally invisible solar corona appears around it. Bright planets or stars may become visible, the horizon can glow like sunset, and the landscape is plunged into an extraordinary twilight.

It is one of the great natural spectacles.

So if experiencing a total solar eclipse is the reason you came to Iceland, our recommendation is simple:

Go and experience the 100%.

Stay in Reykholt. Chase the eclipse. Come home afterwards.

This is perhaps the best reason to use Reykholt as your base for the 2026 eclipse.

You can stay away from the busiest accommodation areas while still being within driving distance of the path of totality.

On eclipse day, check the weather forecast, choose your viewing location and leave early.

Drive west into the path of totality and find your spot well before the eclipse.

Experience those extraordinary moments when the Sun completely disappears.

And afterwards?

Come home to Reykholt.

Instead of ending your eclipse experience amongst the crowds, you can return to the countryside, have dinner, relax and spend the night in the heart of Iceland's Golden Circle.

It's an eclipse road trip with a comfortable bed waiting at the end.

And Icelandic weather may make the decision for you

There is, of course, one important character in every Icelandic travel story:

the weather.

For an eclipse, cloud cover matters enormously.

A theoretically perfect viewing location under thick Icelandic cloud may be considerably less exciting than a 99.55% eclipse beneath clear skies.

So rather than deciding months beforehand exactly where you will stand at 17:49 on August 12, flexibility may be your greatest advantage.

Watch the forecast.

If skies look promising to the west, drive into the path of totality.

If South Iceland offers the better conditions, you already have a remarkable alternative waiting outside your door:

99.55% in Reykholt.

Sometimes Iceland makes the itinerary for you.

Make August 12 an Icelandic adventure

Another advantage of staying in Reykholt is that eclipse day doesn't have to consist of waiting around for 17:49.

You are already in the heart of the Golden Circle.

Geysir, Gullfoss and several other attractions are nearby, and the surrounding countryside offers plenty to explore before the eclipse begins in the late afternoon.

Have breakfast.

Explore the Golden Circle.

Watch the weather.

And then decide:

Stay in Reykholt for 99.55% — or head west for 100%.

Either way, August 12 won't be an ordinary day in Iceland.

One important thing: protect your eyes

Whether the Sun is 50%, 90% or 99.55% eclipsed, it is still dangerous to look directly at it without appropriate eye protection.

During a partial eclipse, including the entire eclipse as seen from Reykholt, you should use certified solar eclipse glasses whenever looking directly at the Sun.

If you travel into the path of totality, eclipse glasses are still required during all partial phases. They may only be removed during the brief period of complete totality, when the Sun is entirely covered.

Put them back on as soon as the Sun begins to reappear.

A very rare afternoon

Total solar eclipses are rare.

Experiencing one in Iceland – surrounded by mountains, lava fields, glaciers and enormous open landscapes – makes August 12, 2026 particularly special.

And you don't need to spend your entire Iceland holiday chasing the narrow line on an eclipse map.

Make Reykholt your base.

Stay at Blue Hotel Fagrilundur or Blue View Cabins in the heart of the Golden Circle.

If conditions are right, head west and experience 100% totality.

If you decide to stay, step outside and watch 99.55% of the Sun disappear above Reykholt.

Either way, you'll have a story to tell.

August 12, 2026

Eclipse begins in Reykholt: 16:47
Maximum eclipse: 17:49
Maximum coverage: 99.55%

Stay in Reykholt. Watch the skies. Chase the 100% if you can.

Remember that there are two Reykholts in Iceland 😊!  Our Reykholt is in Blaskogabyggd, Southern Iceland.

Gratitude and complements to the fantastic website: www.eclipse2026.is which combines all relevant info and covers all you want to know to prepare for the August 12th solar eclipse in Iceland.