Where are the best places to travel in December?

Vienna: Christmas markets in a cold, fairly dry city

Vienna suits December because of its market calendar. The Vienna Tourist Board lists the main Christmas market on Rathausplatz as running from 13 November to 26 December 2026, with a skating attraction on the same square open until 6 January 2027, and closed on 31 December. Other markets listed on the same page, such as the one at Schönbrunn Palace, run into early January.

The weather is plain winter. At the Vienna station, the WMO lists an average December high of 4.0 degrees Celsius and a low of minus 0.5, with 44.4 mm of rain over 8.2 days (1971 to 2000 normals). Pack for cold and damp, and plan indoor stops. If you are staying a week, Vienna has the usual city range of stays, and a kitchen lets you skip a restaurant on the coldest evenings.

Tromsø: polar night and the northern lights

Tromsø is the choice for darkness rather than warmth. Visit Tromsø, the destination marketing body, says the polar night lasts approximately from 27 November to 15 January and gives the northern lights season as late August to early April. The sun usually stays hidden from central Tromsø until later in January because of the surrounding mountains.

Expect cold and a lot of wet weather. The WMO lists a December average high of minus 1.3 degrees Celsius and a low of minus 5.4, with 106 mm of precipitation over 20 days (1961 to 1990 normals). Cloud can block the lights regardless of the season, so allow several nights and read the forecast. See Tromsø for stays.

Edinburgh: Hogmanay at the end of the month

Edinburgh earns its place for the New Year festival. The festival organiser lists the 2026/27 programme over four days: a torchlight procession on 29 December, a party in Princes Street Gardens on 30 December, and the street party and a concert with fireworks under the castle on 31 December. A free live music trail follows on New Year's Day.

The climate is cool rather than freezing. The WMO gives a December average high of 7.0 degrees Celsius and a low of 1.3 at Edinburgh, with 60.8 mm of rain over 11.4 days (1981 to 2010 normals). Rain is frequent, so waterproofs matter more than heavy coats. Browse Edinburgh stays early, because the end of the year is a busy period for the city.

Sydney: early summer and the harbour fireworks

In the southern hemisphere, December is summer, and Sydney is the clearest example. The WMO figures for the Observatory Hill station show an average December high of 25.5 degrees Celsius and a low of 18.3, with 79.2 mm of rain over 11.2 days (1981 to 2010 normals). That is warm enough for beaches, though showers are common.

The city's official New Year's Eve site says fireworks light the harbour at 9pm and again at midnight, with a list of vantage points and a separate ticketed option. The trade-off is that this is a peak travel date, so transport and viewing spots need planning. Longer stays suit Sydney, where a kitchen helps once the novelty of eating out wears off.

Cape Town: a dry summer month

Cape Town suits travellers who want sun without extreme heat. The WMO lists an average December high of 24.9 degrees Celsius and a low of 14.9, and only 17 mm of rain over 6.2 days (1961 to 1990 normals). By comparison, the same table shows Tromsø receiving more than six times that rainfall in the month.

Cool nights are part of the picture: a low near 15 degrees means a light layer after dark. As these are decades-old normals, treat them as a guide to the pattern, not a forecast. See Cape Town for stays, and check the official government advice for South Africa before you travel.

Tenerife: mild winter sun in the Canary Islands

Tenerife is a pick for mild rather than hot weather. At Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the WMO lists an average December high of 22.1 degrees Celsius and a low of 16.6, with 43.2 mm of rain over 9.4 days (1981 to 2010 normals). That is a short-sleeve day for many visitors and a very small temperature gap between day and night.

Rain is not absent, and the figures describe one station on the coast, so the interior and the mountains differ. A mild climate also suits visitors who prefer to walk and sightsee rather than lie on a beach. Compare stays across Tenerife.

Chiang Mai: dry weather and cool mornings in northern Thailand

Chiang Mai in December is dry. The WMO lists an average December high of 28.3 degrees Celsius and a low of 15.3, with 18.3 mm of rain over 1.6 days. The page does not state the period used for these figures. The gap between daytime and night is large, so mornings and evenings feel cool.

Dry figures like these belong to the cool, dry months in northern Thailand, but the pattern differs by region: Phuket and the southern coast, for example, record several times the rain. Check an official forecast close to your dates. For a long stay, see Chiang Mai, where a kitchen helps on days spent working or resting.

Marrakech: pleasant days, cold nights

Marrakech is a city-break pick for people who find summer there too hot. The WMO lists an average December high of 20.2 degrees Celsius and a low of 7.3, with 24.2 mm of rain over 6 days (1991 to 2020 normals). Days suit walking the old city; nights can be cold, and many buildings are not heavily heated.

Ask about heating before you book, since a mild daytime figure hides the low. Our guide on winter long stays covers what to check for cold-season stays. Browse Marrakech for options.

December climate at a glance

The table collects the December figures quoted above so you can compare them. All come from the WMO World Weather Information Service pages for each station, and the normals period differs by station.

How we chose, and the limits of this list

We looked for places where December has a verifiable reason to go: a dated event on an official page, or a climate figure from a national weather service reported through the WMO. We did not use traveller votes, and we did not rank the places. The list leans on well-known destinations, so it leaves out many good options, and it says nothing about prices or availability.

Normals are averages over long periods, some now decades old, and each is one station. Events can be changed or cancelled, so check the organiser's page. Book early for Christmas and New Year weeks, which are busy in most of these places; our when to book guide explains timing. If travelling with children, see travelling with kids. The table below shows our own aparthotel figures for the countries on this list.