Northern Lights in December: Where to Go, and the Tours
Where to see the northern lights in December: ten destinations ranked on clear dark hours, with darkness, cloud, activity and the tours as of October 2026.
In December, the best odds of a clear dark sky on this site are in Yellowknife (Canada): about 6.4 clear dark hours a night on average, against 3.5 in Iceland (Reykjavik), the best of the European destinations. These are averages, dark hours times the cloud-free share of the night from NASA’s climatology, not a forecast. Across the European destinations, 21% of December’s dark hours had a Kp index of 3 or more in 2015 to 2025. The pick for December is Northern Lights Bus Tour with Photos, from US$62 as of October 2026.
Check December dates in Yellowknife →
December at a glance
December has the longest nights of the year and the Christmas season in Lapland. It is also busy and, on the coasts, often cloudy, so book early and book a tour with a second chance. Reykjavik gets about 14.8 hours of darkness a night in December and Tromsø about 16.0.
| # | Destination | Clear dark hours (est.) | Dark hours | Night cloud | Dark hours with Kp 3+ | Tours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yellowknife (Canada) | ≈ 6.4 h | 14.6 h | 57% | 18% | Check dates → |
| 2 | Fairbanks (Alaska) | ≈ 6 h | 15 h | 60% | 18% | Check dates → |
| 3 | Whitehorse (Yukon) | ≈ 4.7 h | 14.3 h | 67% | 17% | Check dates → |
| 4 | Iceland (Reykjavik) | ≈ 3.5 h | 14.8 h | 76% | 19% | Check dates → |
| 5 | Abisko and Kiruna (Sweden) | ≈ 3.4 h | 15.6 h | 78% | 21% | Check dates → |
| 6 | Rovaniemi (Finland) | ≈ 2.8 h | 15.2 h | 82% | 21% | Check dates → |
| 7 | Alta (Norway) | ≈ 2.7 h | 16.1 h | 83% | 21% | Check dates → |
| 8 | Lofoten (Norway) | ≈ 2.7 h | 15.6 h | 83% | 21% | Check dates → |
| 9 | Tromsø (Norway) | ≈ 2.4 h | 16 h | 85% | 21% | Check dates → |
| 10 | Levi and Saariselkä (Finland) | ≈ 2.4 h | 15.6 h | 84% | 21% | Check dates → |
Darkness: sun more than 12° below the horizon, computed with JPL DE421 via Skyfield. Night cloud: NASA POWER, 2001–2025. Kp 3+: share of dark 3-hour windows from 2015-01-01 to 2025-12-31 with Kp 3 or more, GFZ Kp index (CC BY 4.0). Checked October 2026.
Where to go in December
Yellowknife (Canada)
The most clear dark hours on this site in December.
Check dates →Iceland (Reykjavik)
The European destination with the most clear dark hours in December.
Check dates →Prices, ratings and review counts as listed on GetYourGuide in October 2026; operators change prices with the season, so treat them as the shape of the market, not a quote.
Is a tour worth it in December?
The forecast is free, and on a clear night you can see the lights from the edge of most towns on this site. What a tour adds in December is the drive to the clear patch, a guide who reads tonight’s cloud and the aurora forecast, warmth for hours outside and photos of you; many also give a free retry or a refund if the night is blank. Book early in your stay so a second chance still fits.
Book Your Experience
Check Availability & Prices
Select your preferred date and time. Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Other months: September October November January February March April. Or read the best time to see the northern lights.
Book the Top-Ranked December Tour
The best value tour in Yellowknife (Canada), the top-ranked destination for December on this site.
Check Dates