Iceland in December 2025

Keflavík Airport → South Iceland (Hvolsvöllur) → Southeast Iceland (Höfn) → West Iceland (Snæfellsnes) → Reykjavík → Keflavík Airport

10 Days → 2,300km

[photographs → https://myinnerpeace.blog/iceland-in-december-2025-photographs/]

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trip at a glance

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day 1

Keflavík → Selfoss → Seljalandsfoss → Skógafoss → Hvolsvöllur

landed at Keflavík at 6:05am. picked up Suzuki Jimny from Lava Car Rental. on the road by 6:30am in the dark. roads were icy.

Lava Car Rental [https://lavacarrental.is/] — friendly staff, smooth pickup, car clean and winterized with winter tires. highly recommended.

tip: the Jimny is fun and capable off-road — but feather light against glacial crosswinds of December. consider a heavier 4WD in winter instead.

first stop was Byrja in Selfoss for breakfast — one of the few places open that early in December. ordered the Morning Glory with coffee. friendly, welcoming staff. drove east for two hours on icy roads – barely light outside even at 11am – and reached Seljalandsfoss around 11:30am. strong wind, cold water spray – but moderately crowded despite the season. did not walk behind the falls — too icy in December. walked instead to Gljúfrabúi, a hidden waterfall tucked inside a narrow canyon just north of Seljalandsfoss. drove to Skógafoss at 12:30pm – my favorite falls in Iceland. whenever I come here – I feel calm! hiked the staircase to the top. wide views of the south coast. lunch at Skógafoss Bistro Bar at the base of the falls — Arctic char and lamb soup, both excellent. checked into Airbnb: Seljalandsfoss Horizons just after 4pm.

Seljalandsfoss Horizons [https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/40633415] is cute cozy cottage between Hvolsvöllur and Skógafoss, right off the Ring Road. no road noise despite the location. Drífandi waterfall is visible from the windows. parking right next to the cottage. very responsive host.

drove back to Skógafoss at 11pm for a northern lights hunt — no luck! but the sky was perfectly clear. captured the stars over the falls instead.

day 2

Hvolsvöllur → Þórsmörk → Hvolsvöllur

left Airbnb at 8:15am — still dark. quick stop at N1 station in Hvolsvöllur: Icelandic hotdog and packed breakfast of boiled eggs, cheese, and dry sausage. walked around town for a bit — explored the only souvenir shop that was open. drove to Midgard Adventure base for the 10am Þórsmörk super jeep tour.

Midgard Adventure [https://midgardadventure.is/tours/thorsmork-open-super-jeep-tour/] — guide Ragnar at the wheel with six passengers. incredibly skilled driver on insane terrain. visited Eyjafjallajökull and Þórsmörk valley – packed lunch at Þórsmörk. Ragnar kept the group entertained with Icelandic stories throughout. Midgard Base Camp staff friendly and welcoming.

dinner at Magma Restaurant around 6pm — cozy spot connected to the Lava Centre exhibition. lamb soup was excellent — ordered it twice.

day 3

Hvolsvöllur → Vatnajökull / Skaftafell → Fjallsárlón → Höfn

left Airbnb at 6:45am — still dark. long drive east along the coast. hiked around Vatnajökull/Skaftafell area for hours and tried to understand the unthinkable scale of Europe’s largest glacier – stretching in every direction. then drove to Fjallsárlón glacial lagoon around 12:30pm — extremely windy, difficult to stand upright. gravel and small rocks were hitting in the gusts – didn’t dare take the camera out. icebergs drifting in a steel-grey lagoon with the glacier behind. enjoyed the raw beauty all to myself – no one around. completely different story from summer. later checked into Viking Café Guesthouse in Höfn at 3pm — recently renovated, right at the foot of Vestrahorn. three years ago I came to Höfn and left without a single clear view of the mountain. this time I deliberately booked here for proximity.

Viking Café Guesthouse [https://www.expedia.com/Hofn-Hotels-Viking-Cafe-Guesthouse.h33900533.Hotel-Information] — recently renovated, clean and comfortable. great breakfast with many options. unlimited gate passes to Stokksnes beach included — otherwise you pay per crossing.

drove down to Stokksnes in the afternoon — overcast but the wet black sand at low tide created a near-perfect reflection of the mountain. the shot I came back for. dinner at Kaffi Hornið around 4:30pm — lobster pizza exceptional, flavorful and memorable. paired with ginger beer. very limited restaurant options in Höfn in December — plan ahead.

day 4

Höfn

rainstorm all morning. had breakfast at Guesthouse — good spread, many options. then the waiting game — whenever the rain paused, drove down to Stokksnes, captured a shot or two and ran back to the car from the rain. proximity of the guesthouse and the unlimited gate passes made this possible. dinner at Heppa Restaurant & Horn Brewery in Höfn around 5:30pm — tried the local Lobster beer, fish and potato fries, hearty and good. mostly locals. drove back to Stokksnes at 10pm — storms had cleared. the sky opened just enough: a faint shimmer of green along the horizon. not the full show for Northern Lights, but better than nothing!

day 5

Höfn → Vík → Snæfellsnes → Grundarfjörður

left Guesthouse at 5:45am — still dark, still raining. the longest drive of the trip – crossing from southeast to west Iceland. hailstorms, snowstorms, extreme wind along the way. the Jimny struggled — too lightweight for those conditions. pit stop in Vík around 10am — fast food and coffee. early dinner at Hótel Snæfellsnes around 3pm. I was the only customer at that hour. lamb soup and fish, both excellent. hearty food and warm place on a brutal weather day! checked into Airbnb Nónsteinn-3 (green cabin) in Grundarfjörður at 4:30pm.

Nónsteinn-3 [https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/12132982] is right opposite of Kirkjufell with grand views through large glass walls. owner’s Border Collie came over gently for a pat. best place to stay to photograph Kirkjufell. Kirkjufell parking is walking distance.

drove to Grundarfjörður town in the evening — quiet, almost everything closed in December, but strung with Christmas lights.

day 6

Grundarfjörður → Stykkishólmur → Kirkjufell → Grundarfjörður

drove to Stykkishólmur this morning. a popular summer destination, known for its colorful harbor, boat tours – almost empty in December. had coffee at Café Sjávarborg. walked around the empty streets. later drove back to Kirkjufell parking. the bridge over Kirkjufellsfoss was closed due to snow. still managed to capture strong reflection shots of the mountain. dinner at Kaffi 59 in Grundarfjörður — only restaurant within 15 miles in mid-December. chicken salad was really good.

day 7

Grundarfjörður → Búðardalur

left Airbnb at 10am in the dark. icy, frozen roads throughout the drive. arrived Búðardalur around 1:30pm — explored the area on foot. no other tourist around. checked into Mystic Light Lodge at 2:30pm.

Mystic Light Lodge [https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1104246660273438823] is a high-end Scandinavian tiny house, private and remote yet 5 minutes from town. glass rooftop, reflective exterior. thanks to hosts for letting me check-in early. best Airbnb I have stayed in Iceland so far.

dinner at Blys Cafe — only restaurant within 25 miles in December. good pizza, warm atmosphere, mostly locals.

day 8

Búðardalur → Þingeyrakirkja → Búðardalur

woke up to overnight snowfall — everything white by morning. spent the early hours driving around snow-covered roads before heading to a last-minute booking at Dalahestar for an Icelandic horse riding session at noon. one hour, first time on an Icelandic horse. the riding experience was somewhere between exhilarating and quietly terrifying — mainly while my horse picked its way along steep, icy, rocky trails next to deep cliff edges.

Dalahestar [https://www.dalahestar.is/] – very responsive and friendly service. awesome collection of horses. highly recommended.

after the ride, drove to Þingeyrakirkja — an old stone church that I photographed back in 2022 summer. had to drive through deep snow. back to Blys Cafe for dinner — second evening in a row – only dining option in town, but food was good. went to bed early — not expecting much. woke up at midnight to Northern Lights dancing across the glass ceiling — what an experience! went outside in −10°C to photograph it. the reflective cabin walls caught the aurora from multiple angles. the show continued until 3am. I was frozen but completely happy!

day 9

Búðardalur → Borgarnes → Reykjavík

left Airbnb at 7:30am for the last long drive of the trip — south toward Reykjavík. stopped at Geirabakarí Kaffihús in Borgarnes for breakfast, a well-known bakery. reached Reykjavík around 10:30am and headed straight to Perlan [https://perlan.is/] — a museum with interactive exhibits on glaciers, volcanoes and northern lights, with a 360° observation deck that gives the best panoramic view of the city. checked into Tower Suites Reykjavík at 3:30pm.

Tower Suites Reykjavík [https://www.expedia.com/Reykjavik-Hotels-Tower-Suites-Reykjavik.h14729526.Hotel-Information] is a boutique hotel with only 8 suites on the 20th floor of Höfðatorg Tower, tallest contemporary building in Reykjavík after Hallgrímskirkja. panoramic windows on every side! in-room breakfast is a nice touch.

spent the afternoon walking to Hallgrímskirkja and along Laugavegur street — Reykjavík’s main shopping and dining strip, quiet in December compared to summer but still lively enough. ended the evening at Matarkjallarinn / Food Cellar — a popular Icelandic grill and cocktail bar. a good last dinner.

day 10

Reykjavík → Sky Lagoon → Keflavík

breakfast at hotel. left at 11am for one last stop before the airport — Sky Lagoon. arrived at 11:30am and soaked for two hours in warm water against cold December air. a perfect way to end a ten-day winter road trip.

Sky Lagoon [https://www.skylagoon.com] — infinity geothermal pool. less crowded than the Blue Lagoon, still busy but comfortable. ideal last stop before the airport — on the way to Keflavík.

dropped the Jimny at Lava Car Rental and took the shuttle to Keflavík Airport. departed at 5:15pm. bye Iceland until next time!

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trip budget

flight · ~USD $1,800
car rental · 10 days · ~$1,300
Airbnb: Seljalandsfoss Horizons (2 days) · ~$675
Expedia: Viking Café Guesthouse · Höfn (2 days) · ~$375
Airbnb: Nónsteinn-3 · Grundarfjörður (2 days) · ~$550
Airbnb: Mirror Cabin · Búðardalur (2 days) · ~$800
Expedia: Tower Suites Reykjavík (1 day) · ~$625
tour · Þórsmörk super jeep · Midgard Adventure · ~$325
total · ~USD $6,450 (excl. food & misc.)

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winter Iceland — tips

1. driving in the dark — in extreme conditions. daylight lasts only 3–4 hours in December. expect to drive in complete darkness, on icy roads, through hailstorms, snowstorms, and fast glacial crosswinds. take it slow, always plan for extra travel time beyond what Google Maps suggests, and park at a gas station and wait it out if conditions get too severe.
2. stay close to your target. with short daylight and unpredictable weather, proximity matters. book accommodation near the places you want to photograph.
3. restaurant options are very limited. outside Reykjavík, few restaurants are open in December — and those that are close early. always plan your dinner option ahead of time.
4. N1 gas stations are your friend. in December the Icelandic hotdog is sometimes the most reliable food option.

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