In Europe, December means Christmas markets: mulled wine, lights and wooden stalls in old town squares. Strasbourg, Vienna, Prague, Cologne and Dresden are among the most famous. The markets are busiest at weekends, and most close by Christmas Eve or soon after.
For sunshine, look south. December is the start of summer in Cape Town, Sydney and Buenos Aires, and the dry season in Mexico and the Caribbean. New Year's Eve is a big draw too, from the fireworks over Sydney Harbour to Edinburgh's Hogmanay.
Top picks for December
What December is good for
Christmas markets
Most open from late November until around Christmas.
Strasbourg · Vienna · Prague · Cologne · Dresden
New Year's Eve
Famous celebrations that are worth booking months ahead.
☀️ Warm-weather picks
Cities with a tropical or desert climate that are in season in December.
- 🇹🇭 Chiang MaiTropical savanna
- 🇨🇺 HavanaTropical
- 🇦🇪 Abu DhabiHot desert
- 🇮🇳 UdaipurHot semi-arid
- 🇨🇴 MedellínTropical (spring-like)
- 🇳🇬 LagosTropical
- 🇵🇭 ManilaTropical
- 🇰🇭 Siem ReapTropical monsoon
💰 Good value in December
In season and easy on the budget. Estimate the cost of a trip with the budget estimator.
- 🇹🇭 Chiang Mai€ Budget
- 🇲🇽 Guadalajara€€ Moderate
- 🇨🇺 Havana€€ Moderate
- 🇬🇹 Antigua Guatemala€€ Moderate
- 🇮🇳 Udaipur€€ Moderate
- 🇨🇴 Medellín€€ Moderate
- 🇳🇬 Lagos€€ Moderate
- 🇵🇭 Manila€€ Moderate
🌗 Quieter shoulder-season options
December is just outside these cities' best months: expect fewer visitors and lower prices, with less predictable weather.
- 🇮🇹 RomeBest: March–May, September–November
- 🇺🇸 New YorkBest: April–June, September–November
- 🇯🇵 TokyoBest: March–May, September–November
- 🇯🇵 KyotoBest: March–May (cherry blossoms), October–November (autumn leaves)
- 🇦🇺 SydneyBest: September–November, March–May
- 🇲🇦 MarrakechBest: March–May, September–November
- 🇰🇷 SeoulBest: April–June, September–November
- 🇺🇸 San FranciscoBest: September–November
All 59 cities in season in December
🏰 Europe 5
🏯 Asia 18
- Bangalore
- Bangkok
- Chiang Mai
- Colombo
- Delhi
- Hanoi
- Ho Chi Minh City
- Hong Kong
- Jaipur
- Luang Prabang
- Macau
- Manila
- Mumbai
- Siem Reap
- Taipei
- Udaipur
- Varanasi
- Yangon
🗽 Americas 18
- Antigua Guatemala
- Bogotá
- Cancún
- Cartagena
- Guadalajara
- Havana
- Lima
- Medellín
- Miami
- Montevideo
- Oaxaca
- Panama City
- Quebec City
- Rio de Janeiro
- Salvador
- San José
- San Juan
- Valparaíso
🦁 Africa 7
🕌 Middle East 8
🌊 Oceania 3
How we choose these cities
Every city guide on GuesTheCity lists the months when we think the city is at its best, balancing weather, crowds and prices. A city appears on this page when December is one of those months. Warm-weather picks are filtered by climate, value picks by our budget rating for each city, and shoulder-season options are cities where December falls just before or after their best months.
Weather varies from year to year and festival dates move, so check the forecast and event calendar before you book. To see the full year for any city, use the best time to visit calendar, explore cities by region on the world map, or compare two options with City vs City.