Direct answer: In December, Iceland gets roughly 4 to 5 hours of real daylight — the sun rises around 11:00 and sets around 15:30, with about an hour of usable twilight on either side. A realistic December self-drive day covers 150–250 km and two or three stops, not five. Roads to the highlands and several northern routes (F-roads, road 862 to Dettifoss east, Krafla, Öxi pass 939) are closed. Rent a studded-tyre 4x4, check road.is every morning before you move, and build the itinerary around short daylight rather than pretending it does not exist. Aurora Car Rental Iceland supplies every winter vehicle on studded tyres with insurance included and free airport transfer from Keflavík.
December is the month people either love Iceland or misjudge it completely. The country is at its most cinematic — frozen waterfalls, snow on black lava, Christmas lights in every window from the end of November, and the best statistical odds of the year for the northern lights. It is also the month with the least daylight anywhere in Europe, and that single fact changes how you plan every hour of a self-drive trip.
This guide is written for people who have already decided to rent a car and drive themselves. It covers exactly how much daylight you get day by day, which roads are shut, what a workable December itinerary looks like, and the practical habits that keep a winter road trip from turning into a stressful one.
How much daylight do you actually get in December?
The honest answer is less than most itineraries assume — but more than the raw sunrise and sunset figures suggest. Iceland sits just below the Arctic Circle, so the sun stays low and travels flat along the horizon. That produces a long, slow twilight at both ends of the day. Civil twilight adds roughly 50–70 minutes of usable, drivable, photographable light before sunrise and after sunset.
| Date (Reykjavík area) | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight | Incl. twilight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 December | ~10:55 | ~15:50 | ~4 h 55 min | ~7 h |
| 10 December | ~11:15 | ~15:32 | ~4 h 17 min | ~6 h 20 min |
| 21 December (solstice) | ~11:22 | ~15:30 | ~4 h 08 min | ~6 h 10 min |
| 31 December | ~11:19 | ~15:44 | ~4 h 25 min | ~6 h 30 min |
Add roughly 20–30 minutes less daylight in Akureyri and the north, and slightly more in the south-west. The practical consequence: your driving window with genuine light runs from about 10:15 to 16:30. Everything outside that is night driving.
Is night driving in Iceland a problem?
Not automatically — Icelanders drive in the dark for months and the main Ring Road is well surfaced and reflectorised. But night driving in December means driving on possibly icy tarmac, with no ambient light outside towns, and with wind that can arrive without warning. The rule most experienced winter visitors settle on is simple: drive the interesting sections in daylight, and only cover flat, familiar, main-road distance after dark.
That means the last hour of the day is for getting to your accommodation, not for finding a gravel turn-off to a waterfall you have never seen.
Two to three stops per day — the December rule
The single most common December mistake is copying a summer itinerary. In June you have 20+ hours of light and can do Seljalandsfoss, Skógafoss, Reynisfjara, Dyrhólaey, Vík and still reach Jökulsárlón. In December, that same list is a two-day plan.
A realistic December day looks like this:
| Time | What you are doing |
|---|---|
| 08:00–09:00 | Breakfast, check road.is and vedur.is, clear snow off the car, defrost properly |
| 09:00–10:15 | Drive in twilight on the main road toward the first stop |
| 10:15–12:00 | Stop 1 in growing light — the big one, the photo stop |
| 12:00–13:30 | Drive + lunch (petrol station or supermarket food, see below) |
| 13:30–15:30 | Stop 2, ideally the one with the golden hour that lasts two hours |
| 15:30–17:00 | Drive to accommodation in twilight and dark, check in |
| 20:00–01:00 | Northern lights window — short drive out of town if the forecast is good |
Note the hidden advantage: December has the longest golden hour on earth. The sun never climbs high, so from about 10:30 to 12:00 and again from 13:30 to 15:30 you get warm, low, raking light that photographers travel here specifically to shoot. Plan your best stop for one of those two windows.
Which roads are closed in December?
All F-roads and the entire highland interior are closed from roughly late September until June. That is non-negotiable and not a matter of vehicle capability — it is a legal closure. Beyond that, several regular roads shut or become unreliable in December:
| Road | Status in December | What to do instead |
|---|---|---|
| All F-roads (F35, F26, F208, F249…) | Closed | Save Landmannalaugar and Þórsmörk for summer |
| Road 862 (east side of Dettifoss) | Closed in winter | Use the paved west side, which is usually served |
| Krafla / Víti crater road | Usually closed or unserviced | Mývatn area still accessible; stick to roads 1 and 848 |
| Road 939 (Öxi pass) | Frequently closed | Take the longer Ring Road around the fjords |
| Westfjords minor roads (619, 622, 624) | Often closed or impassable | Westfjords are best avoided in December unless experienced |
| Road 550 (Kaldidalur) | Closed | Standard Golden Circle route via 36 / 37 / 35 |
Two websites decide your day, and both are free: road.is (Vegagerðin — live road condition map, colour-coded by surface and closure) and vedur.is (Icelandic Met Office — wind, precipitation and the aurora forecast). Check road.is after breakfast, not the night before. Conditions in December change between 07:00 and 09:00 more often than people expect.
Studded tyres, 4x4 and what your rental should have
Winter tyres are legally required in Iceland from 1 November to 14 April. Studded tyres are permitted in that window and are what you want in December — the problem in Iceland is rarely deep snow on the Ring Road, it is polished ice and packed snow on a road that has been driven all day and refrozen at dusk. Studs are what stop you on that surface.
Do you need 4x4? On paper, no — the Ring Road is cleared and a 2WD with studs can do it. In practice, yes, and most experienced winter visitors do not debate it. Snow accumulates on accommodation driveways, gravel side roads to sights, and unplowed car parks. A 4x4 also handles crosswinds better thanks to extra weight and stability. If your December trip goes beyond the immediate Reykjavík area, take the 4x4.
Every Aurora Car Rental Iceland vehicle runs on studded winter tyres in December, with insurance already in the price and no deposit taken at pickup. You can see the full winter fleet on our cars page.
Which vehicle for a December trip?
| Vehicle | From (low season, per day) | Best for in December |
|---|---|---|
| SsangYong Tivoli | 12,000 ISK | Couples staying south-west: Golden Circle, Reykjanes |
| Dacia Duster 2018 | 12,500 ISK | Best value 4x4 for a south coast winter run |
| Dacia Duster 2022/23 | 13,000 ISK | Newer cabin, same capability — the popular winter pick |
| Kia Sportage | 14,000 ISK | Longer legs, comfortable for 4 adults plus winter luggage |
| SsangYong Korando | 14,000 ISK | Similar to the Sportage, good load space |
| Bus, 9 seats | 30,000 ISK | Groups and families travelling together over the holidays |
| Toyota Hilux / Musso 2026 | 65,000 ISK | Serious ground clearance, deep snow, remote accommodation |
Roof tents and campervans are not a December proposition — sleeping outside in an Icelandic winter is genuinely unsafe and most campsites are closed. Keep those for May through September.
A realistic 5-day December itinerary
This is built around short daylight, not against it. Every driving leg is under three hours, and every day has an evening aurora window.
Day 1 — Arrival and Reykjanes. Land at Keflavík, take the free transfer to our base at Suðurbraut 890 in Keflavík (about 10 minutes) and pick up the car. Do not attempt a long drive on day one. Loop the Reykjanes peninsula — Brimketill, Gunnuhver, Reykjanesviti — then Blue Lagoon or Sky Lagoon in the dark, because steam and darkness is the whole point. Overnight in Keflavík or Reykjavík.
Day 2 — Golden Circle. Þingvellir, Geysir, Gullfoss, roughly 250 km in total. Gullfoss partly frozen in December is worth the day on its own. Leave Reykjavík at 09:30 to be at Þingvellir for first light. Overnight around Selfoss or Hella to get ahead for day 3.
Day 3 — South coast to Vík. Seljalandsfoss (the path ices over — crampons help), Skógafoss, then Reynisfjara black sand beach. Two stops in daylight, the third in twilight. Never turn your back on the waves at Reynisfjara. Overnight in Vík.
Day 4 — Jökulsárlón, or turn back. Vík to Jökulsárlón is about 190 km each way. If road.is is green and the wind is under 15 m/s, go — the glacier lagoon and Diamond Beach in December light is usually the best photograph of the trip. If the map is orange or red, stay west and do Fjaðrárgljúfur and Dyrhólaey instead. This is the day where flexibility earns its keep.
Day 5 — Back to Keflavík. Return west along road 1, allow twice the time you think you need, hand back the car and take the free transfer to the airport. We monitor your flight, so a delay does not turn into a problem.
Practical December habits that matter
- Refuel at half a tank. Petrol stations get further apart east of Vík and some rural ones keep limited winter hours.
- Never open the car door in wind without holding it. Wind-torn doors are the most common rental damage claim in Iceland and are not covered by standard insurance.
- Download the 112 Iceland app and leave a travel plan on safetravel.is if you are heading anywhere remote.
- Keep the tank, the phone and a thermos full. If a road closes ahead of you, you may be waiting a few hours, not a few minutes.
- Buy food at Bónus or Krónan before leaving Reykjavík — rural options in December are limited and expensive.
- Book accommodation with parking you can actually reach. A steep unplowed driveway is worse than a long walk.
Northern lights in December
December is statistically excellent: long nights, high aurora activity, and the practical freedom a rental car gives you. Cloud, not aurora strength, is what usually ruins a viewing night — and a car lets you drive 40 minutes to a clear patch while everyone on a fixed tour stays put. Check the cloud cover map on vedur.is, aim for a KP of 2 or above, and plan for the 21:00–01:00 window. Get away from town lights; ten minutes out of Vík or Hella is enough.
Frequently asked questions
How many hours of daylight does Iceland have in December?
Between about 4 hours 08 minutes at the winter solstice on 21 December and about 4 hours 55 minutes on 1 December, measured sunrise to sunset in the Reykjavík area. Civil twilight adds roughly another two hours of usable light across the day, so your practical driving window runs from about 09:30 to 16:30.
Do I need a 4x4 to drive in Iceland in December?
It is not legally required — winter tyres are. But a 4x4 is strongly recommended for any December trip that leaves the Reykjavík area. Snow on side roads, unplowed car parks, accommodation driveways and strong crosswinds all favour a 4x4. Every Aurora Car Rental Iceland winter vehicle comes on studded tyres with insurance included.
Which roads are closed in Iceland in December?
All F-roads and the highland interior are closed. Road 862 on the east side of Dettifoss, the Krafla crater road, road 939 over the Öxi pass and road 550 through Kaldidalur are typically closed or unserviced, and many minor Westfjords roads are impassable. The Ring Road itself stays open but can close temporarily during storms. Check road.is each morning.
How far should I drive per day in Iceland in December?
Plan for 150–250 km and two or three stops per day. Winter driving times run roughly 1.3 to 1.5 times longer than Google Maps estimates because of surface conditions, wind and reduced speeds. A summer itinerary copied into December is the most common planning mistake visitors make.
Is December a good month to see the northern lights in Iceland?
Yes — it is one of the best. Long nights give a wide viewing window, roughly 21:00 to 01:00, and cloud cover rather than aurora strength is usually the limiting factor. Having a rental car is the main advantage: you can drive out from under a cloud band to a clear area, which a fixed tour cannot.
Can I drive the whole Ring Road in December?
It is possible but demanding, and it needs at least 9 or 10 days in December rather than the 7 that works in summer. Most visitors get a better trip from a south-coast-and-back itinerary of 5 to 7 days, which keeps every driving leg short and leaves room to wait out a storm day.
Where do I pick up the car and is airport transfer included?
Pickup is at Suðurbraut 890, 262 Keflavík — about 10 minutes from Keflavík International Airport. Transfer between the airport and our base is free in both directions, we monitor your flight for delays, and payment is in cash on collection in ISK or EUR with no deposit required.
Planning a December self-drive in Iceland?
Studded winter tyres, 4x4 where you need it, insurance included, no deposit and free Keflavík Airport transfer. Check availability for your dates.
Or browse the full winter fleet on our cars page.
Please note: all vehicles are unavailable from 10 to 15 August 2026.
Aurora Car Rental Iceland — Suðurbraut 890, 262 Keflavík | WhatsApp: +48 729 854 633 | carrentalaurora@gmail.com