The Iceland Photo Planner shows sunrise, sunset, golden hour, blue hour, moon phase, tidal range and aurora darkness for 15 photography locations in Iceland on any date, in one place. Pick a location and a date, and the planner tells you when the light is best, how dark the night gets, whether the moon is in the way and what the tide is doing.
Darkness by month at this location
Moon dates
What the planner shows
- Light: sunrise, sunset, morning and evening golden hour, blue hour and the length of the day for the location and date you choose.
- Moon: moon phase, illumination, moonrise and moonset.
- Tides: whether the day falls on a spring, neap or moderate tide, with safety notes for coastal locations such as Reynisfjara. The planner shows the tidal range, not the times of high and low water.
- Aurora and darkness: hours of darkness, the moon-free window of the night and the current Kp index.
- Day plan: every event of the day in order, from the end of the previous night through golden hour, sunset and the start of darkness to the next morning.
Sunrise, sunset and daylight in Reykjavík by month
Daylight in Iceland swings from about 4 hours in December to more than 21 hours in June. These are the values for Reykjavík in the middle of each month, in Iceland time (UTC all year). Choose any other location and date in the planner above.
| Month (15th) | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight | Evening golden hour | Evening blue hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 10:56 | 16:18 | 5 h 22 min | all day (sun below 6°) | 68 min |
| February | 09:25 | 17:59 | 8 h 34 min | 79 min | 52 min |
| March | 07:49 | 19:26 | 11 h 38 min | 64 min | 48 min |
| April | 05:58 | 20:59 | 15 h 01 min | 66 min | 56 min |
| May | 04:15 | 22:35 | 18 h 20 min | 84 min | 103 min |
| June | 02:58 | 23:59 | 21 h 01 min | 115 min | none (sun never sets far enough) |
| July | 03:38 | 23:26 | 19 h 48 min | 97 min | none (sun never sets far enough) |
| August | 05:16 | 21:46 | 16 h 30 min | 71 min | 65 min |
| September | 06:48 | 19:56 | 13 h 08 min | 63 min | 49 min |
| October | 08:16 | 18:10 | 9 h 55 min | 70 min | 48 min |
| November | 09:54 | 16:29 | 6 h 35 min | 117 min | 60 min |
| December | 11:15 | 15:29 | 4 h 14 min | all day (sun below 6°) | 78 min |
In December and January the sun never climbs above 6 degrees, so the low, warm light that photographers call golden hour lasts from sunrise to sunset. In midsummer the sun barely drops below the horizon, so there is no blue hour at all.
Golden hour, blue hour and darkness for the aurora
Golden hour is the time when the sun is between the horizon and 6 degrees above it, blue hour the time when it is between the horizon and 6 degrees below it. The aurora needs real darkness: nautical darkness (sun more than 12 degrees below the horizon) is enough for a strong display, astronomical darkness (more than 18 degrees) is the best sky for faint aurora. In Reykjavík astronomical darkness lasts from about 2 September to 9 April. The planner shows all of this for the night that follows the date you choose, and the moon-free part of it.
How to use it for a shoot
Choose the location and the date. The planner shows the day of that date and the night that follows it. Start with the summary line, which tells you whether the night is worth planning around, then use the day plan to place sunset, blue hour and the aurora window. Before you drive, check the cloud cover forecast of the Icelandic Met Office, because clouds decide more nights than any other number here.
For the background on settings, Kp and locations, read How to Photograph the Northern Lights in Iceland and Aurora Season in Iceland: Month-by-Month Darkness, Moon & Weather.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Iceland Photo Planner?
A free tool that combines light, moon, tides and aurora darkness for 15 photography locations in Iceland on any date, so you do not have to look up four different things.
How many hours of daylight does Iceland have?
It depends on the month. In Reykjavík the day lasts about 4 hours in December, about 11.5 hours around the March equinox and more than 21 hours in June. The table above shows every month, and the planner shows any date.
When is golden hour in Iceland?
Golden hour is the time between sunrise and the sun reaching 6 degrees, and between 6 degrees and sunset in the evening. In Reykjavík it lasts roughly 60 to 120 minutes for most of the year, and in December and January the sun never gets higher than 6 degrees, so the golden light lasts all day.
Which locations are included?
Reykjavík, Reynisfjara, Landmannalaugar, Svínafellsjökull, Jökulsárlón, Vestrahorn, Kirkjufell, the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, Hvítserkur, Goðafoss, Mývatn, Dettifoss, Seyðisfjörður, Ísafjörður and Dynjandi.
How accurate are the times?
Sun and moon times are calculated in your browser with standard astronomical formulas and are usually within a few minutes of other sources. Treat the aurora window as a planning guide, not as a promise, because it depends on cloud cover and solar activity.
Does the planner show exact tide times?
No. It shows whether the tidal range is large (spring tide) or small (neap tide) on your date. For the exact times of high and low water, check a live tide table for your location.
Which time zone does it use?
Iceland time, which is UTC all year. Iceland does not use daylight saving time.
Last verified: October 2026. Kp data: NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center. Cloud forecast: Icelandic Met Office (Veðurstofa Íslands).