Seasonal Guide
Where it's hot in December
December splits the world cleanly in two: half of it is turning cold and glittering with fairy lights, while the other half basks in its best sunshine of the year. The trick is knowing which side of that line you want to be on, and then choosing the right city, beach, or mountain to match your mood.
December is the month when travel decisions feel most loaded with meaning. Choose wrong and you are shivering through a grey week in the wrong hemisphere. Choose well and you land in a world of warm trade winds, clear turquoise water, or a Christmas market so beautiful it looks like a film set. The planet's climate bands have never been more usefully mapped than they are in December, when the dry seasons of South and Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, and sub-Saharan Africa align almost perfectly with the northern hemisphere's appetite for escape.
For those who stay closer to home in Europe, December is not without its rewards. Lisbon sits at a civilised 16 degrees, Athens at 15, and the Canary Islands push 22 degrees on a good afternoon. Vienna, Strasbourg, and Prague turn their historic cores into cathedrals of mulled wine and hand-carved ornaments. The Alps open their ski runs mid-month. Edinburgh begins its long Hogmanay preparation. There is, in short, no shortage of reasons to travel even if you refuse to cross a time zone.
The real revelation of December travel, though, is the Southern Hemisphere summer. Sydney's harbour shimmers in early-summer light. Cape Town's winelands are lush and the fynbos is in flower. Buenos Aires is warm and buzzing. Rio de Janeiro is building to its thunderous Reveillon celebrations on Copacabana. For travellers willing to invert their seasons, December offers some of the year's most spectacular conditions. This guide covers the full spectrum, from the Arctic snows of Lapland to the reef waters of the Maldives, so you can find exactly where you should be.
Displaying historical averages for the month of December.
View full interactive mapTop 10 destinations in December
1.Goa, India
33°couplesDecember is Goa's finest month without serious debate. The monsoon is a memory, the Arabian Sea lies flat and luminous, and average highs of 33 degrees arrive without the suffocating humidity of later spring. The Sunburn Festival draws electronic music crowds to Vagator while the state's Catholic heritage means Christmas is celebrated with unusual warmth: midnight masses in Portuguese-era churches, stars hung from every balcony, and beach shacks lit with paper lanterns. Book a north Goa villa early; rates spike sharply from the 20th onward.
2.Maldives
30°divingThe northeast monsoon establishes itself firmly by December, bringing the Maldives its driest, sunniest, and most settled window of the year. Visibility on the reefs reaches 30 metres or more, whale sharks patrol the outer atolls, and the inter-atoll transfers by speedboat are mercifully smooth. The only caveat is price: Christmas and New Year weeks attract a significant premium across all categories of resort. Travel in the first three weeks of December and you catch identical conditions at measurably lower rates. A water villa at this time of year is close to the platonic ideal of beach travel.
3.Sydney, Australia
26°familiesSydney in December is early summer at ease: 26 degrees, long evenings that stretch past 8pm, and the harbour in full social swing. Bondi Beach fills with an international crowd, the coastal walk to Coogee is at its scenic best, and the Blue Mountains offer cool relief on warmer days. The city builds steadily toward its New Year's Eve harbour fireworks display, which remains one of the great free spectacles on earth. Book harbour-view accommodation months ahead for the 31st, but the rest of December is surprisingly accessible.
4.Vienna, Austria
6°couplesVienna does Christmas with the confidence of a city that has been practising for centuries. The Rathausplatz market is the largest, but the ones at Schonbrunn Palace and the Freyung square offer more atmosphere and fewer crowds. At an average high of just 4 degrees, you will need a proper coat, but the cold only sharpens the pleasure of a Gluhwein in a baroque square. The Vienna Philharmonic rehearses nearby, the Kunsthistorisches Museum is half-empty, and hotel rates are surprisingly reasonable outside the week of Christmas itself. Pack layers and arrive hungry.
5.Cancun, Mexico
28°divingDecember marks the firm establishment of Cancun's dry season, with northeast trade winds keeping humidity low and average highs at a comfortable 28 degrees. The cenotes of the Yucatan reach their clearest state of the year as rainfall drops, making this the optimal time for cave diving and snorkelling in those vivid underground river systems. The Tulum ruins are far more pleasant without the spring break crowds, and the ferry to Isla Mujeres runs smoothly in calm conditions. Rates are moderate in early December before the Christmas surge; the first two weeks offer excellent value.
6.Cape Town, South Africa
25°luxuryCape Town's December is summer at full confidence. Table Mountain is accessible most days, the Cape Peninsula drives are stunningly clear, and the Winelands around Stellenbosch and Franschhoek are lush and green after the winter rains. At 26 degrees, temperatures are warm without being aggressive. Boulders Beach penguins are at their most active, and Clifton's four beaches fill with a cosmopolitan crowd. The long days (sunset past 8pm) mean you can combine a morning hike, an afternoon at the beach, and a winelands dinner without any sense of rushing.
7.Kyoto, Japan
12°soloThe autumn foliage crowds that descend on Kyoto in November evaporate almost overnight in December, leaving the city's temples and bamboo groves in a state of relative calm. Average highs of 11 degrees mean you need a warm jacket, but the air is crisp and the light is sharp. Kodaiji Temple and Arashiyama run winter illumination events that transform the city after dark. Kaiseki restaurants are easier to book, ryokan rates drop noticeably, and the first dustings of snow on Kinkakuji's golden pavilion constitute one of the year's great travel images. An ideal month for slow, unhurried culture travel.
8.Marrakech, Morocco
19°cultureMarrakech in December is the medina at its walkable best. At 19 degrees, the labyrinthine souks are comfortable to explore without sweating through your shirt, and the Djemaa el-Fna square fills with storytellers and musicians in the cool evening air. Riad rates are significantly lower than in October and November, and the Atlas Mountains on the city's southern horizon often carry a dusting of snow, which makes for a photogenic backdrop on clear days. The Festival of Popular Arts does not run this month, but the city's own rhythms are entertainment enough for anyone curious about Moroccan daily life.
9.Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
29°budgetDecember in Rio is the warm-up act for Reveillon, and the warm-up act is already spectacular. Ipanema and Copacabana beaches fill with locals and visitors alike as temperatures hover around 29 degrees and the ocean reaches its swimming best. Visit Christ the Redeemer in the early morning, before the heat builds and the clouds roll in; the light on the statue is at its cleanest then. The city has a palpable sense of festive anticipation throughout the month. The Reveillon concert on Copacabana on December 31st, with fireworks launched from offshore barges, draws two million people and is entirely free to attend.
10.Rovaniemi, Finland
-5°familiesRovaniemi sits precisely on the Arctic Circle and in December it leans fully into that identity. The Santa Claus Village is the obvious draw for families, but the real gift is the natural infrastructure: reliable snow cover, long dark nights ideal for aurora watching, and reindeer safaris through birch forest that feel otherworldly. Average highs of minus 5 degrees demand serious layering (merino base, down mid-layer, waterproof shell as a minimum), but the reward is a landscape so completely different from any summer destination that it reframes what travel can mean. Book aurora-hunting husky safaris well in advance.
December picks by traveller type
Rovaniemi
The Santa Claus Village on the Arctic Circle is the obvious anchor, but the surrounding activity infrastructure, from reindeer sleigh rides to husky safaris to snowshoe trails, means children are busy from dawn. The elf workshops are charming for younger ages, and the northern lights appearing after 9pm provide a moment of wonder that stays with children long after they stop believing in Santa.
Tenerife
At 22 degrees, Tenerife offers a manageable beach holiday in December without the complexity of long-haul travel for European families. The south of the island around Playa de las Americas is purpose-built for family comfort: calm swimming beaches, water parks, and apartment resorts with generous pools. Teide National Park offers a dazzling volcano excursion for older children who can handle the altitude and the cold at the summit.
Sydney
Sydney's early summer at 26 degrees suits families with school-age children well, particularly those from the Southern Hemisphere finishing the academic year. Taronga Zoo above the harbour, the aquarium at Darling Harbour, and the ferry network that makes the entire harbour accessible all deliver well. The New Year's Eve family fireworks at 9pm (before the midnight event) are a genuine spectacle that does not require keeping children up past midnight.
December by region
Europe: Markets, Mildness, and Mountain Snow
December in Europe is a study in contrasts. In the far north, Rovaniemi sits in full Arctic winter, its birch forests under a metre of snow, the aurora borealis performing overhead on clear nights. In the far south, Lisbon reaches 16 degrees on a good afternoon, Athens manages 15, and the Canary Islands sit at a reliable 22, close enough to feel like a genuine escape from the continental cold.
The Christmas market circuit is Europe's great December tradition. Vienna's Rathausplatz, Strasbourg's Christkindelsmärik (the oldest in France), Prague's Old Town Square, and Cologne's Dom market each offer a different flavour of the same deep pleasure: mulled wine, roasting chestnuts, hand-made ornaments, and the smell of pine boughs in cold air. These are cities that know how to do winter, and they do it with considerable style.
For those who find the cold actively unwelcome, Seville at 17 degrees and Malaga at the same offer proper Spanish sunshine and emptied tourist sites. Malta at 18 degrees and Funchal on Madeira at 18 offer some of the warmest European territory in December. The ski resorts of the Alps open from mid-December onward, with Verbier, Chamonix, and Innsbruck offering reliable snow by the third week of the month.
- Vienna4°
- Tenerife22°
- Lisbon16°
- Strasbourg5°
- Athens15°
Asia and the Pacific: The Dry Season Opens
December is the finest month to travel across South and Southeast Asia. The monsoon has retreated, skies are reliably clear, and the temperatures across the region are at their most manageable. Goa peaks at 33 degrees with low humidity. Phuket matches it. Bangkok sits at 31 degrees with almost no rain. The Maldives enters its clearest, calmest window. This alignment of good weather across such a vast arc of the world is December's greatest gift to the long-haul traveller.
Japan occupies a different corner of the December story. Kyoto at 11 degrees and Tokyo at 12 are cold by the end of the month, but both cities repay the effort with winter illumination events of great beauty, dramatically reduced crowds compared to autumn, and a quality of light that photographers prize. Ryokan and hotel rates drop meaningfully after the November foliage peak.
In the Pacific, the Southern Hemisphere summer means Sydney at 26 degrees, Auckland at 22, and Queenstown at 21 and opening its full trail and lake season. The Great Walks of New Zealand are at their peak. Bali at 30 degrees is entering its wet season, but mornings remain sunny and the cultural life of Ubud carries on regardless of afternoon showers.
- Maldives30°
- Goa33°
- Bangkok31°
- Kyoto11°
- Sydney26°
The Americas: Trade Winds and Summer Fireworks
The Caribbean enters December in its best possible mood. The northeast trade winds establish dry, settled conditions across the arc from Cancun to Barbados. Cancun averages 28 degrees with low humidity, the cenotes of the Yucatan run crystal-clear, and the offshore reefs off Cozumel are at their most vivid. Cuba at 27 degrees offers Havana's colonial architecture without the summer heat. Barbados and the Windward Islands sit at 29 degrees under reliable blue skies.
Miami's humidity drops in December to its most comfortable level of the year, making the Art Basel crowds (early month) and the general South Beach scene pleasant rather than sticky. The festive season brings excellent restaurant bookings and outdoor events to a city that excels at both.
In South America, the summer is building. Buenos Aires at 28 degrees is animated and sociable in the long evenings. Rio de Janeiro at 29 degrees is preparing its Reveillon, the New Year's Eve celebration on Copacabana that draws millions to the beach for fireworks and all-white outfits. Patagonia opens fully for trekking: the Torres del Paine W circuit is at peak access, and the famous winds are at their relatively most forgiving.
- Cancun28°
- Barbados29°
- Rio de Janeiro29°
- Buenos Aires28°
- Miami25°
Africa and the Middle East: Dry Season Gold
December is one of Africa's finest travel months across an enormous range of latitudes. Cape Town is in high summer at 26 degrees, the winelands are lush, and the city's beaches and mountain trails are in peak condition. Zanzibar at 31 degrees sits at the edge of its transitional period: the first weeks of December still offer reasonable conditions before the short rains become more reliable. The Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater are accessible and the wildebeest calving season is approaching.
North Africa offers a different but equally compelling proposition. Marrakech at 19 degrees is the best it ever is for walking: the medina is manageable, the Atlas Mountains behind the city carry snow, and riad rates are at their lowest point of the year. Cairo at 21 degrees is ideal for the antiquities circuit, with the Valley of the Kings near Luxor offering comfortable sightseeing in what would be unbearable heat in summer.
In the Middle East, Dubai at 26 degrees and Doha at 25 are both at their most pleasant, with outdoor terraces, desert safaris, and beach clubs all operating at full capacity. Beirut at 18 degrees offers a cooler but culturally rich alternative, and Jordan's Petra is dramatically empty of summer crowds and perfectly walkable at around 13 degrees in the Wadi Rum canyon country.
- Cape Town26°
- Marrakech19°
- Dubai26°
- Cairo21°
- Zanzibar31°
Average temperatures by destination
Showing 5 of 77 destinations
| Destination | Country | Avg high | Swings | Rain days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Djibouti City | Djibouti | 36° | - | - |
| Abuja | Nigeria | 35° | - | - |
| Bamako | Mali | 34° | - | - |
| Dar es Salaam | Tanzania | 33° | - | - |
| Goa | India | 33° | - | - |
Readings come from the last ten years of daily weather data, so they reflect the climate as it is now, not as it was decades ago. Data: Visual Crossing global historical archive. How we compute this
What to pack for December
December packing depends entirely on your destination band. For tropical destinations like Goa, Phuket, and the Maldives: light linens, reef-safe suncream, and a packable rain layer for occasional evening showers. For the Caribbean and Cape Town: add a light fleece for evenings. For Mediterranean December in Lisbon, Athens, or Seville: bring a proper jacket, a mid-layer, and comfortable walking shoes. For Vienna, Prague, or Strasbourg: a wool coat, thermal underlayers, waterproof boots, gloves, and a hat are essential, not optional. For Lapland: treat clothing as safety equipment and pack merino base layers, down insulation, and a waterproof outer shell rated to minus 20.
Where to avoid in December
Skip Koh Samui and the Gulf coast of Thailand in December: this is their wettest month, with heavy rain and rough seas making the ferry crossings to the island unreliable. The Pacific coast of Central America is still shedding the tail of its wet season in early December, making beach conditions variable. Vietnam's Mekong Delta and central coast receive their heaviest northeast monsoon rains in December, with Hoi An prone to flooding. The Philippines outside Palawan can still catch typhoon edges in early December. Northern Madagascar faces its own cyclone risk from mid-month onward.
Frequently asked
- Where is hot and sunny in December?
- The reliable hot and sunny choices in December sit across a broad tropical belt. Goa, Phuket, and Bangkok in Asia all exceed 31 degrees with low humidity. The Caribbean (Cancun, Barbados, Havana) sits between 27 and 29 degrees under clear trade-wind skies. The Maldives offers 30 degrees and the year's best sea clarity. In the Southern Hemisphere, Sydney and Cape Town are in early summer at 26 degrees. Dubai and Doha offer 25 to 26 degrees with virtually no rain.
- Where to go in December for Christmas markets?
- Vienna, Strasbourg, Prague, and Cologne are the four most celebrated Christmas market destinations in Europe. Vienna's Rathausplatz market is the largest and most elaborate. Strasbourg's Christkindelsmärik claims to be the oldest in France and has an excellent medieval setting. Prague's Old Town Square market is picturesque but crowded. Cologne's cathedral market is compact and central. All four cities are cold (between 4 and 7 degrees average high) but manageable with the right clothing.
- What is the best beach destination in December?
- The Maldives is the strongest single answer for pure beach quality in December: settled skies, flat seas, 30-degree water, and exceptional visibility for snorkelling and diving. For more active beach holidays with culture nearby, Goa, Cancun, and Barbados are excellent. Cape Town and Sydney offer world-class city beaches in early summer. For budget beach travel, Thailand's Andaman coast (Phuket, Krabi) and Cape Verde both deliver reliably at lower cost.
- Is December a good time to visit Japan?
- December is an underrated month for Japan. The autumn foliage crowds leave Kyoto and Tokyo by early December, hotel rates drop, and the cities run beautiful winter illumination events at temples and parks. Kyoto averages 11 degrees and Tokyo 12 degrees, so warm layers are essential. Onsen (hot spring) towns such as Hakone and Nikko are at their most atmospheric with cold air and steaming baths. Ski resorts in Hokkaido and Nagano open from mid-December with excellent powder conditions.
- Where should travellers go for New Year's Eve in December?
- Sydney's harbour fireworks on December 31st are widely considered the world's most breathtaking, with the Opera House and Harbour Bridge as the backdrop. Rio de Janeiro's Reveillon on Copacabana draws two million people for beach fireworks and is free to attend. Edinburgh's Hogmanay festival runs over several days with torchlight processions and street concerts. Dubai launches fireworks from multiple skyscrapers simultaneously. For a quieter but beautiful New Year, Kyoto's temple bell ceremonies at midnight are atmospheric.
- Which warm-band destinations are reliably dry in December?
- The driest warm-band picks in December, all with a wider day-to-day swing, are: Shibam (27 degrees, about 0.0 rain days, swings plus or minus 6 degrees); Luxor (24 degrees, about 0.0 rain days, swings plus or minus 7 degrees); Abu Simbel (25 degrees, about 0.0 rain days, swings plus or minus 8 degrees); Timimoun (21 degrees, about 0.1 rain days, swings plus or minus 7 degrees).