Around the time autumn starts setting in, most of us find ourselves googling temperatures in the Med from our desks, desperate to chase after a last burst of sun. But if a tan top up is low on your agenda, consider a trip to Iceland over the coming months; just two and a half hours’ flight from London, the views and the culture will provide some of the best escapism money spent on short haul flights can buy. A return flight to Reykjavik during October and November can set you back as little as £60 return from WOW Air and EasyJet.

During winter months, daylight hours are slim (as little as four in December) and icy weather means you have to wrap up. However, there’s still plenty to do in Reykjavik and the surroundings areas. Most obviously, September to April are the best months to see Iceland’s famous aurora borealis, aka the Northern Lights, one of the country’s biggest tourist attractions. Best seen in the dead of night, there are even hotels that will wake you up if they appear (but more on that later).

Then there’s the fact that Icelanders are so accustomed to cold weather, most of their activities involve somehow warming yourself up. A trip to Iceland is not complete without an evening spent drinking Viking beer in a cosy bar, or morning spent in an outdoor hot tub at one of Reykjavik’s many public pools. And an added bonus: many hotels and tourist attractions lower their prices during winter.

So, whether you want to make like a tourist or a local, ahead we’ve laid out where’s good to stay, what’s good to visit and how to make the most of a trip to Iceland over the winter months. Click through the slides for a run down.