Four hours of daylight, and the reason to come
Iceland in December: Four Hours of Daylight, Christmas and the Northern Lights
December is the darkest month in Iceland, and the one that sells best in pictures. Snow on turf roofs, candles in every window, the northern lights over a frozen field. The pictures are true. They leave out the clock.
At the winter solstice, the sun near Selfoss is up for about four hours. Plan for that, and December is one of the best months of the year. Ignore it, and it is a month of driving in the dark.
The short answer
December in South Iceland means about five hours of daylight at the start of the month and about four at the solstice. It brings Christmas traditions from the twelfth onward, fireworks and bonfires on New Year's Eve, a strong chance of snow and ice, and long nights for the northern lights. One short trip out a day is the realistic plan.
Daylight in December
Sunrise and sunset near Selfoss, about an hour southeast of Reykjavík:
- 1 December: sunrise 10:39, sunset 15:45. About five hours.
- 15 December: sunrise 11:09, sunset 15:28. About four and a quarter hours.
- 21 December: sunrise 11:15, sunset 15:28. About four hours and twelve minutes.
- 31 December: sunrise 11:14, sunset 15:40. About four and a half hours.
Twilight adds usable light on either side, roughly an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon. Even so, a full south coast day to Vík, up to about two hours each way from Selfoss, is not realistic in late December. It is not a quick loop. In December it is not a loop at all.
What December is good for
The sun never climbs far above the horizon. From late morning to mid-afternoon, the light is the color of a summer sunset, and it lasts.
The country is quiet before Christmas. Waterfalls, the Þingvellir (Thingvellir) rift and the Geysir field are far less crowded than in summer.
And the nights are long. Clear, dark nights from mid-afternoon onward give the northern lights more hours to appear than any other month. No night is guaranteed, and cloud is the real constraint.
Christmas in Iceland
Icelandic Christmas starts early and lasts long.
The Yule Lads. Thirteen mischievous figures from folklore arrive one at a time, one each night from 12 December to 24 December. Children leave a shoe in the window to collect small gifts.
Þorláksmessa, 23 December. The day before Christmas Eve. Traditionally, fermented skate is eaten, and the smell fills kitchens across the country.
Christmas Eve, 24 December. The main day of Icelandic Christmas. Church bells ring in Christmas at six in the evening, and families sit down to dinner and open presents afterward.
Holiday hours. Much of Iceland closes or shortens hours on 24, 25 and 26 December. Check opening times for restaurants, shops, pools and tours before you plan a day around them.
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve in Iceland is loud. Communities light large bonfires in the evening, and at midnight fireworks go up from almost every town and garden in the country. From a hilltop in the South Iceland countryside, the view runs across the lowlands, with Selfoss below.
1 January is quiet. Plan nothing for the morning.
Driving in December
Snow and ice are likely, and the hours of darkness outnumber the hours of light by a wide margin.
- Check road.is and safetravel.is before every drive.
- Leave at first light and turn back with time to spare before sunset.
- Keep days short. One main stop is a full day.
- Allow a spare day. Storms can close Hellisheiði, the plateau between Reykjavík and Selfoss, and stretches of Ring Road 1.
At Reynisfjara, sneaker waves arrive without warning and have killed visitors, in every season. Stay well up the beach and never turn your back on the sea.
What to do near Selfoss in December
Within minutes. Urriðafoss, Iceland's most voluminous waterfall, is five minutes from 360 Hotel Boutique & Spa, and often framed in ice in December. Miðbær Selfoss, the rebuilt historic center, is about fifteen minutes away. The complimentary house car runs guests there and back, subject to availability.
Within an hour. The Golden Circle, with Þingvellir, Geysir and Gullfoss, about an hour away. Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss on the south coast, also about an hour away. Either fits a December day with care. Both do not.
Why the base matters more in December
With four hours of daylight, around twenty hours of each day happen where you sleep. In December, that is not a weakness of the trip. It is most of the trip.
360 Hotel Boutique & Spa sits on a hilltop near Selfoss with an open horizon in every direction and no light pollution. The spa is included in the room rate: outdoor pools, a cold plunge, an outdoor sauna cabin, an outdoor infrared cabin, an adults-only quiet zone with day beds, a gym and a yoga room. Snow on the ground, steam on the water, a black sky above. It is the same pool as in summer. It is not the same experience.
Indoors, there is a private cinema room, a library, board games, a billiard table and Móri's Winter Garden, glass-walled and looking out over the countryside. Hnaus, the hotel's restaurant, is open to everyone.
Plan your stay
The December pictures leave out the clock. Four hours of daylight is a real constraint, and it is also the reason December works. Short days out, long evenings in, and a sky that stays dark long enough to look up. At 360 Hotel Boutique & Spa, the dark is part of the stay.
Frequently asked questions
How many hours of daylight does Iceland have in December?
Near Selfoss in South Iceland, daylight falls from about five hours on 1 December to about four hours and twelve minutes at the winter solstice on 21 December (sunrise 11:15, sunset 15:28). Twilight adds about an hour of usable light on either side.
Is December a good time to visit Iceland?
Yes, for travelers who want Christmas traditions, long nights for the northern lights, and quiet sites. Daylight is very short, so plan one main outing per day, allow a spare day for storms, and check road.is before driving.
What is Christmas like in Iceland?
Icelandic Christmas begins on 12 December, when the first of thirteen Yule Lads arrives. 23 December is Þorláksmessa. The main celebration is Christmas Eve, 24 December, when church bells ring in Christmas at six in the evening, followed by dinner and presents. Many businesses close or shorten hours from 24 to 26 December.
What happens on New Year's Eve in Iceland?
Communities across Iceland light bonfires in the evening of 31 December, and at midnight fireworks are set off from almost every town. 1 January is a quiet public holiday, and many businesses are closed.
Can you see the northern lights in Iceland in December?
Yes. December has the longest nights of the year, which gives the northern lights the most hours to appear. Sightings depend on clear skies and solar activity, so no night is guaranteed. Dark countryside locations away from Reykjavík, such as near Selfoss, give a better chance.