December: the longest nights, and where the sky cooperates
Tromsø has 17 dark hours and still ranks last. A long night is not the same as a clear one.
- Best sky: Fairbanks
- 15 to 17 dark hours
- 12 places compared
Most reviewed tour in Fairbanks
Day trip with aurora stop
Chena Hot Springs & Northern Lights Tour
If no aurora shows: the listing does not say. Ask before booking.
from €244
See dates and price
Links go to Civitatis. Scores are Civitatis customer ratings. Check the listing for the current price and conditions.
Where to see the northern lights in December
Places are ordered by how often a five-night stay included at least one dark night with a usable sky.
See the full table
| Destination | Dark hours per night | Nights with a usable sky | At least one in 3 nights | At least one in 5 nights | At least one in 7 nights | Kp for overhead aurora | Night temperature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1FairbanksAlaska, USA | 15.8 h | 87% | 96% | 99% | Kp 2 | -18 °C | |
| 2YellowknifeCanada | 15.3 h | 88% | 95% | 98% | Kp 1 | -27 °C | |
| 3WhitehorseCanada | 15 h | 82% | 94% | 98% | Kp 3 | -16 °C | |
| 4ReykjavíkIceland | 15.7 h | 61% | 76% | 85% | Kp 2 | 0 °C | |
| 5KirunaSweden | 16.6 h | 57% | 74% | 83% | Kp 2 | -11 °C | |
| 6AbiskoSweden | 16.7 h | 55% | 71% | 81% | Kp 2 | -11 °C | |
| 7SaariselkäFinland | 16.7 h | 55% | 71% | 83% | Kp 2 | -11 °C | |
| 8RovaniemiFinland | 16.2 h | 56% | 70% | 79% | Kp 3 | -10 °C | |
| 9LuleåSweden | 15.9 h | 57% | 69% | 78% | Kp 3 | -6 °C | |
| 10LeviFinland | 16.5 h | 46% | 60% | 71% | Kp 2 | -11 °C | |
| 11AkureyriIceland | 16 h | 42% | 57% | 68% | Kp 2 | -7 °C | |
| 12TromsøNorway | 17.1 h | 35% | 50% | 60% | Kp 1 | -6 °C |
A usable sky means at least two dark hours in a row with half the sky or more free of cloud, over an area of about 110 km. It says nothing about solar activity, so it is not the chance of seeing the aurora. How we calculate this
What December is like
December has the longest nights of the year. Mid-month, the sun stays more than 10 degrees below the horizon for 17.1 hours in Tromsø, 16.7 in Abisko, 16.2 in Rovaniemi, 15.8 in Fairbanks, 15.7 in Reykjavík and 15.3 in Yellowknife.
The names differ by place. Tromsø is in astronomical polar night from 28 November to 14 January. Abisko's begins around 7 December, though we could not confirm when it ends. Rovaniemi has no true polar night: the sun barely rises around 21 to 22 December, and the "Polar Night" mid-November to mid-January is a marketing season. Reykjavík has none.
It is also the coldest stretch. Mean air temperature during the dark hours is 0C in Reykjavík, -6C in Tromsø, -10C in Rovaniemi, -11C in Abisko, -18C in Fairbanks and -27C in Yellowknife.
Where the sky is on your side
A usable night means at least two dark hours in a row with half the sky or more free of cloud, averaged over a satellite cell about 110 km across. In December, 96% of five-night stays in Fairbanks and 95% in Yellowknife had at least one usable night. They are almost level. Whitehorse is one point further back on 94%.
Behind them most of the Nordic group is tightly packed. Reykjavík is on 76%, its best month and the best Nordic figure, then Kiruna at 74%, Abisko and Saariselkä at 71%, Rovaniemi at 70% and Luleå at 69%. Levi (60%) and Akureyri (57%) sit lower, and Tromsø trails at 50%, despite the most darkness of any place on the list. That is the clearest sign that hours of darkness are only part of the picture.
How many nights to plan
Fairbanks gives 87% for three nights, 96% for five and 99% for seven. Rovaniemi gives 56%, 70% and 79%. Kiruna gives 57%, 74% and 83%. Tromsø gives 35%, 50% and 60%. A Tromsø week (60%) is still below three nights in Yellowknife (88%). Use the nights calculator for other pairs.
Is it a good month to book a tour?
Expect the highest accommodation prices of the season in Lapland: Yle put the average Lapland hotel room at about EUR 282 a night in December, and Rovaniemi at about EUR 350 in December 2023. The cards below are for Fairbanks and Yellowknife, the month's top two places. The Yellowknife minibus trip is from EUR 74.82 per person for four hours and the Fairbanks viewing lodge evening from EUR 177.66 for five hours (checked 5 October 2026). None of the four listings states a policy for a night without aurora. One Abisko detail: the public bus line 91 does not run from October to January, so plan the train from Kiruna or a private transfer. If you are still weighing the cost, read whether a tour is worth it and what happens if no aurora shows.
Tours in the best-placed destinations for December
The two places with the most usable nights this month, with what each listing says about a night without aurora.
Fairbanks
Viewing lodge
Fairbanks Aurora Viewing Lodge Experience
If no aurora shows: the listing does not say. Ask before booking.
from €178
See dates and priceDay trip with aurora stop
Arctic Circle & Northern Lights Tour
If no aurora shows: the listing does not say. Ask before booking.
from €322
See dates and price
Yellowknife
Minibus tour
Northern Lights Trip
If no aurora shows: the listing does not say. Ask before booking.
from €75
See dates and price
Common questions
Can you see the northern lights in December?
Yes. December has the most darkness of the season, 15 to 17 hours at the twelve places. 96% of five-night stays in Fairbanks had at least one usable night, against 50% in Tromsø. Solar activity is a separate matter.
Is December or January better for the northern lights?
January is better in most places. Abisko rises from 71% to 77%, Tromsø from 50% to 57%, Rovaniemi from 70% to 72% and Fairbanks from 96% to 97%. Reykjavík falls from 76% to 65% and Akureyri from 57% to 47%. These are five-night figures for a usable sky.
Do you need polar night to see the northern lights?
No. Darkness is only one of three conditions, with cloud and solar activity. Reykjavík has no polar night and in December 76% of its five-night stays had a usable night, more than Tromsø's 50%.