December in Iceland means short days, long nights, snow on the mountains and some of the best chances of the year to see the northern lights. It can also bring a storm that closes a road for a day. We hand over campers at our desk in Keflavík all through December, and with a heated camper, studded tyres and short driving days, it's a wonderful month for a road trip. Here's what to expect and how we'd plan it.
December in Iceland at a glance
| Daylight | About 4 to 5 hours in Reykjavík. On the shortest day, 21 December, the sun rises around 11:20 and sets around 15:30. The north gets less. |
|---|---|
| Temperature | Around 0 °C in Reykjavík and on the south coast, colder in the north and inland. The wind makes it feel a lot colder. |
| Weather | Changeable. You can get calm frosty days, rain, snow and a storm in the same week. |
| Roads | The Ring Road is cleared, but it can close for hours in a storm. All highland roads (F-roads) are closed, so don't plan on them. |
| Northern lights | Long dark nights, so every clear night is a chance. |
| Holidays | On 24, 25, 26 and 31 December and 1 January, a lot of shops and attractions close early or don't open at all. |
Plan around 4 to 5 hours of daylight
The sun comes up late and goes down early, but twilight gives you about an extra hour of usable light at each end, and the low sun stays soft and golden all day. Do your sightseeing and most of your driving in the light hours. We'd keep driving days to about 2 or 3 hours and save the dark hours for hot pools, dinner and the northern lights. A shorter route with time to stop beats a long one in a rush.
Driving in Iceland in December
- Studded tyres: every Foxie camper runs on studded winter tyres.
- Wind's the main danger, more than snow. The Icelandic Met Office posts yellow, orange and red weather warnings on vedur.is. On an orange or red day, stay where you are.
- Check the roads every morning on road.is or by calling 1777, and look at safetravel.is for alerts.
- Highland roads (F-roads) are closed all winter, and some mountain passes in the east and the Westfjords close after snow.
- Fuel: most fuel stations have card pumps that work around the clock (you'll need a card with a PIN). Fill up when the tank is half empty. Your rental comes with an N1 fuel-discount keychain.
- Never stop on the road for photos or the northern lights. Pull into a car park or lay-by.
There's more in our guide to driving in Iceland.
Where to sleep: campsites open in December
Most campsites close for the winter, but you'll still find some open. These say they're open right through the winter:
- Near Keflavík: Garðskagi and Sandgerði
- Reykjavík and the Golden Circle: Reykjavík (Laugardalur), Þingvellir (the Nyrðri-Leirar site), Úthlíð, Hraunborgir in Grímsnes (with hot tubs) and Selfoss
- South coast: Hellishólar in Fljótshlíð
- Glacier country: Skaftafell
Winter facilities are often simpler than in summer. Outdoor taps may be off because of frost and some showers close, and campsites do change their plans, so check the campsite's own page or call before you go. Our campervan map shows all the campsites in Iceland. At night, sleep only at campsites. It's the rule in Iceland, and it keeps you off dark roads.
Staying warm in the camper
Most of our campers have a diesel night heater that runs without a campsite hook-up, plus an electric heater for nights on campsite power, and the bedding's included. Run the heater on low all night rather than high in short bursts, and air the camper for a few minutes in the morning so condensation doesn't build up.
A 7-day December route from Keflavík
Day 1: Reykjanes. Pick up your camper at our desk in Keflavík. We're open 24/7, and the airport transfer is free. Take it easy after the flight: the Bridge Between Continents and the Gunnuhver hot spring are close by (check safetravel.is first, as the peninsula has had volcanic activity). Sleep at Garðskagi or Sandgerði, where the sky gets properly dark for your first northern lights night.
Day 2: Golden Circle. Þingvellir National Park, the Geysir area and Gullfoss, with about 3 hours of driving in all. End the day in a hot pool like the Secret Lagoon at Flúðir, then sleep at Úthlíð, about 10 minutes from Geysir, or at Hraunborgir in Grímsnes, which has its own hot tubs.
Day 3: Seljalandsfoss. About 2 hours of driving to Seljalandsfoss, where the path behind the waterfall closes when it's icy. Sleep at Hellishólar in Fljótshlíð, about 20 minutes away.
Day 4: South coast to Skaftafell. Skógafoss, the black sand beach at Reynisfjara and the village of Vík, then on past the lava fields of Eldhraun to Skaftafell. That's about 3.5 hours of driving with stops in between. At Reynisfjara, stay well back from the waves; read our Reynisfjara safety guide. Sleep at Skaftafell.
Day 5: Svartifoss and the glacier lagoon. In the morning, walk to Svartifoss, about 1.5 to 2 hours there and back. Then drive about 45 minutes east to Jökulsárlón and Diamond Beach. From November to March you can also join a guided tour into a natural ice cave under Vatnajökull. Sleep at Skaftafell again.
Day 6: Back west. About 4 hours with stops to Selfoss. Vík's a good place to break the drive.
Day 7: Reykjavík. A last soak at a lagoon or a Reykjavík swimming pool, then bring the camper back to us.
Our free trip planner comes with every booking and builds a day-by-day route like this for your own dates.
Christmas and New Year in Iceland
- The Yule Lads: Iceland has 13 mischievous Christmas trolls, the Yule Lads, who come to town one by one from 12 to 24 December.
- 23 December (Þorláksmessa): a lot of Icelanders eat fermented skate, and the shopping streets in Reykjavík stay busy late into the evening.
- 24 December: Christmas Eve is the big night. Shops and supermarkets close in the early afternoon, and most restaurants and attractions close too.
- 25 and 26 December: almost everything's closed on Christmas Day. The 26th is a holiday too, and some shops open with shorter hours.
- 31 December: shops close early. In the evening towns light bonfires, and at midnight the sky over Reykjavík fills with fireworks. The volunteer rescue teams (ICE-SAR) sell them, so buying yours supports their work.
- 1 January: a quiet day, and a lot of places stay closed.
Stock up on food before the 24th and the 31st; our groceries guide lists the supermarkets. Fuel station card pumps keep working through the holidays, and so do we: our desk is staffed 24/7, holidays included.
Things to do in December
- Northern lights: long nights give you lots of chances. Read the best time to see the northern lights in Iceland.
- Hot pools and lagoons: local swimming pools and lagoons like the Sky Lagoon stay open in winter (check their holiday hours). See our hot springs guide.
- Ice caves: you can visit natural ice caves under Vatnajökull from about November to March, but you'll need a guided tour; they're not safe to enter on your own.
- Waterfalls in ice: Seljalandsfoss, Skógafoss and Gullfoss framed by snow and ice. See our waterfalls map.
- Glacier lagoon: Jökulsárlón and Diamond Beach, with icebergs on black sand.
- Reykjavík at Christmas: lights, Christmas markets and late shopping in the days before Christmas.
What to pack
- Thermal base layers and a wool sweater
- A waterproof, windproof jacket and trousers
- A warm hat, gloves and a neck warmer
- Ice cleats (microspikes) for icy paths and car parks
- A headlamp
- Swimwear for the hot pools
- A USB cable to charge your phone in the camper
Bedding, a cooking kit and a camping table and chairs come with every Foxie camper, so you don't need to pack those.
Is December a good time for a campervan trip?
Yes, if you want the northern lights, quiet roads and winter landscapes, and you're happy with short days and a flexible plan. Keep the route short, check the weather every morning, and leave a spare day in case a storm closes the road. If you'd like more daylight for driving, February and March still have dark nights and much longer days.
You'll find our campers and live December prices on the Iceland campervan rental page.