Reykjavík: Your Base for Short Winter Days
Most December visitors land at Keflavík and stay in Reykjavík. From downtown hotels around Laugavegur and Skólavörðustígur, you can walk to Hallgrímskirkja, Harpa and the Sun Voyager before lunch. Daylight runs roughly 11:00 to 16:00 around 21 December, so plan indoor museums for the dark hours: the National Museum of Iceland by Suðurgata, Perlan's observatory, or the Settlement Exhibition on Aðalstræti. If you are booking, choose a hotel between Hverfisgata and the old harbour rather than out by Kringlan mall, because tour buses collect from central stops and you will not need a car for the first two days.
Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and St. Stephen's Day (24–26 December) are public holidays. Many shops and restaurants close or run limited hours, and some day tours pause. Check the official site of any operator for exact schedules. In practice, 25 December is the quietest day of the year; use it for a hotel breakfast, a walk along the Sculpture and Shore Walk to Höfði, and an evening meal you booked weeks ahead. New Year's Eve is the opposite: bonfires across the city and private fireworks until well past midnight, best viewed from Öskjuhlíð hill or the Grandi harbour area. Book a room with a window or rooftop view by September — that is when Reykjavík demand peaks.
Golden Circle and South Coast: Do One, Not Both
The Golden Circle — Þingvellir National Park, Geysir and Gullfoss — sits about 100 km east of Reykjavík, a 1.5 to 2-hour drive each way on winter roads. A guided coach tour takes 7 to 8 hours; a self-drive with a 4x4 costs less but demands confidence on ice. My recommendation for late December is a guided small-bus tour that leaves around 09:00, because you get daylight at Þingvellir's Almannagjá gorge and still reach Gullfoss before the 16:00 sunset. Skip the Fontana geothermal bath at Laugarvatn if your schedule is tight; it eats two hours you will want for the waterfall.
The South Coast is a bigger commitment: Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss waterfalls, the black sand at Reynisfjara near Vík, and a drive of 180 to 190 km from Reykjavík, roughly 2.5 hours each way. In December this is a 10 to 12-hour day. I would book it on 27, 28 or 29 December — after the holiday closures but before New Year's Eve traffic. Stay overnight in Vík or Hvolsvöllur rather than returning in the dark. If you must choose one long day trip from Reykjavík, take the South Coast; the Golden Circle is more convenient but busier and less dramatic in winter light.
Northern Lights, Snorkelling and Glacier Walks
Northern lights hunting is the classic winter add-on. Tours leave Reykjavík between 20:00 and 22:00 and return around 01:00, driving 30 to 90 minutes out to darker spots such as Þingvellir or the Reykjanes Peninsula. Success is weather-dependent, so book a tour with a free re-try policy and keep two or three evenings open. September and March offer better odds than deep December, but the December skies are darker for longer. Pair a lights tour with a late-afternoon soak at Sky Lagoon in Kópavogur or the Secret Lagoon at Flúðir, both about 20 to 60 minutes from the city. Check the official site for holiday opening times.
Adventure trips run year-round from Reykjavík: snorkelling or diving in Silfra at Þingvellir, glacier walking on Sólheimajökull, and ice cave tours under Vatnajökull, which start from the Jökulsárlón area about 370 km east — too far for a day trip, so book a two-night stay in Höfn or the Vatnajökull region instead. For families, the Lava Tunnel at Raufarhólshellir, 30 minutes from Reykjavík, is a gentler option with no climbing. I would skip horse riding on 24 and 25 December, when many farms pause; book it for 27 December onward.
New Year's Eve and Where to Sleep
New Year's Eve in Reykjavík is the single busiest night of the winter. Bonfires are traditionally lit around 20:30, then families gather for dinner before fireworks fill the sky from about 23:00 until 00:30. Good viewing points include Öskjuhlíð, the Grótta lighthouse path, and the area around Hallgrímskirkja. Restaurants sell out by early November, and hotel rates triple compared with mid-January. If you have not booked by October, consider staying in Hafnarfjörður or Mosfellsbær, 10 to 20 minutes by car from the centre, where availability is better. New Year's Day is a public holiday; most tours do not run, so plan a slow morning and a walk along the Seltjarnarnes coastline.
For the rest of the week, Akureyri in the north is a strong alternative base if you have five or more days: it is a 4.5 to 5-hour drive from Reykjavík, or a 45-minute domestic flight, and offers whale watching, the Christmas Garden and easy access to Lake Mývatn, about an hour east. Mývatn's nature baths and the Krafla area are quieter than the Golden Circle. My pick for a first Iceland Christmas is three nights in central Reykjavík plus one South Coast overnight; add Akureyri only if you have a full week and accept winter driving risk. Book accommodation and any tour with a free-cancellation policy, and check official sites for holiday schedules.
Good to know
Questions, answered
Are day tours running on Christmas Day in Iceland?
Most operators pause on 24–26 December, and many restaurants close. A few small-group tours run on 24 and 26 December; 25 December is the quietest day. Check each operator's official site for exact holiday schedules before you book.
How much daylight is there around New Year in Iceland?
Near the solstice, Reykjavík gets roughly four to five hours of usable light, around 11:00 to 16:00. Plan scenic stops for that window and use the long dark hours for museums, geothermal pools or northern lights tours.
Can I do the Golden Circle and South Coast in one Iceland trip?
Yes, but not on the same day. The Golden Circle takes 7–8 hours from Reykjavík; the South Coast is a 10–12-hour drive. Spread them over two days and sleep in Vík or Hvolsvöllur if you want the full South Coast.
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