Warm places in December: 20 destinations

December brings the shortest days of the year in northern Europe, and between Christmas and New Year many people finally have time off. That is exactly when a trip to the sun pays off – either over the holidays or as a break in the grey weeks before them. We looked at the weather of the ten Decembers from 2015 to 2024 for 20 destinations: how warm does it get by day, how cool at night, and how much rain falls?

To be honest from the start: nowhere in Europe feels like summer in December. The warmest places within a short flight reach 21 to 22 °C – enough for lunch on a terrace and long walks, but too cool for most people to swim. If you want a reliable 25 °C or more, you need to fly at least to Cape Verde, the Red Sea or the Gulf.

The table: 20 destinations in December

Temperature and rain: average of the Decembers 2015–2024 from the ERA5 reanalysis (via Open-Meteo), rounded. The values describe a grid cell of about 25 km and are often 1 to 2 degrees below what you measure on the beach. For islands such as the Maldives, the grid cell includes a lot of open sea. Flight times: typical direct flights, rounded.

1. Gran Canaria 22.3°
2. Tenerife 21.5°
3. Fuerteventura 21.3°
4. Madeira 19.7°
5. Málaga 17.6°
6. Hurghada 22.6°
7. Sharm el-Sheikh 24.2°
8. Dubai 26.4°
9. Muscat 25.8°

Base map: Natural Earth

Christmas and New Year on a short flight: Canaries and Madeira

The Canary Islands are the closest place with reliably mild weather in December. Southern Gran Canaria averages 22.3 °C by day, and at 16.5 °C the nights are as warm as a summer night in London. Fuerteventura, with 7 mm of rain a month, is the driest of the three islands we measured. On Tenerife it is worth choosing your side of the island: the north around Santa Cruz and Puerto de la Cruz gets more cloud and rain, while the south around Los Cristianos is usually sunnier.

Madeira is cooler and wetter at just under 20 °C and 81 mm, but it has a special reputation for New Year: the fireworks over the bay of Funchal are among the best known in Europe, and the town is lit up for the whole of December. If that appeals, book early – flights and hotels around New Year's Eve sell out quickly.

On the mainland, Málaga is the warmest large city at 17.6 °C by day. That is plenty for walks along the seafront, tapas in the old town and a visit to the Alcazaba – you only need a jacket in the evening.

Málaga trip planDay by day, with map and tips

24 to 26 degrees: Red Sea, Cape Verde, Dubai and Oman

In December the reliably dry places are in the desert. Sharm el-Sheikh on the Sinai is warmer at 24.2 °C than Hurghada across the Gulf of Suez (22.6 °C); practically no rain falls in either. Nights drop to around 15 °C, though – bring a jumper for evenings by the harbour.

On Cape Verde, the island of Sal lies off West Africa, much further south than the Canaries. It reaches 26 °C by day and almost 22 °C at night in December, with 3 mm of rain. The island is flat and windy, which suits kitesurfers and keeps beach days pleasant. There is little in the way of towns or sights on Sal – it is a place for beach and quiet.

Dubai and Oman are in their most pleasant season in December: 26 °C by day instead of 41 °C in summer. Dubai is a good choice if you want Christmas in the warmth combined with a city, shopping and trips into the desert. Oman is quieter, with mountains, wadis and the old harbour district of Muscat.

Dubai trip planDay by day, with map and tips

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Above 27 degrees: Thailand, Goa and the Caribbean

For real summer weather in December you have to fly far, but for many long-haul destinations this is exactly when the best season begins. Bangkok has left the monsoon behind with 31 °C and only 19 mm of rain. Goa on India's west coast is even drier at almost 32 °C and 13 mm.

Phuket on the Andaman Sea is coming out of its rainy season: an average of 239 mm falls in November, 133 mm in December and only 76 mm in January. The islands in the Gulf of Thailand such as Koh Samui are different – December is still a rainy month there, with more than 220 mm on average.

Bangkok trip planDay by day, with map and tips

The Caribbean enters its dry season in December, and the hurricane season officially ends on 30 November. Barbados is the most balanced place in the table with 46 mm of rain and 28 °C; Havana in Cuba cools down a little more at night (21 °C). Punta Cana and Cancún get a bit more rain at 75 and 83 mm, mostly as short showers.

A word of caution for three popular long-haul places: the Maldives and southern Sri Lanka (Galle) still average around 200 mm of rain in December – both become noticeably drier only from January. On Mauritius the southern summer starts with 30 °C, but so does the rainy and cyclone season, which lasts into March.

Planning a holiday over Christmas

Flights to the sun are in demand over Christmas and New Year. Rather than fixing on one place, compare two or three destinations from the table with similar temperatures – Fuerteventura instead of Gran Canaria, or Sharm el-Sheikh instead of Hurghada, can make a big difference. For one week around Christmas, places up to about 6 hours away make sense; from two weeks, Thailand or the Caribbean are worth it.

In YesTrip you enter your destination and travel dates and get a day-by-day plan with a map. The packing list suggests clothes for the weather on your travel days and the right plug adapter, and if you travel as a family or with friends, you share the trip and split the expenses together.