For a warm beach in December, pick Cancún or Punta Cana (dry season has started, hurricane season is over, and nonstops are four hours or less from the East Coast), or Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta from the West Coast, where whale season opens mid-month. For Christmas markets, go to Strasbourg, Nuremberg or Vienna in the first three weeks. For snow, Banff or Quebec City. For culture, Mexico City around the Guadalupe feast on December 12 or London in its lights. For a long-haul splurge, Tokyo in crisp, clear weather or Sydney for summer and the New Year's Eve fireworks.
Wherever you go, the calendar matters as much as the place. The first half of December is one of the best-value stretches of the year; from about December 19 to January 3, prices peak everywhere at once.
December destinations at a glance
Weather is the typical December daytime high and nighttime low. Flight times are typical nonstop times from New York and Los Angeles, or the usual total with one connection where noted. Cost runs from $ (cheap once you arrive) to $$$$.
| Place | December weather | From the East Coast | From the West Coast | Cost | Crowds | Why go |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cancún and Riviera Maya | 84°F (29°C) / 71°F (22°C) | About 4 hr | About 4 hr 45 min | $$$ | Moderate, then peak from Dec 19 | Easy all-inclusive beach week, ruins, cenotes |
| Punta Cana | 85°F (29°C) / 71°F (22°C) | About 3 hr 45 min–4 hr 15 min | No nonstops; 8–11 hr with a connection | $$$ | Moderate, then peak | Calm resort beaches, short East Coast flight |
| Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta | Cabo 81°F (27°C) / 57°F (14°C); Vallarta 85°F (29°C) / 64°F (18°C) | About 6 hr (Cabo) | About 2 hr 20 min (Cabo) | $$$–$$$$ | Busy over the holidays | Reliable sun, humpback whales |
| Costa Rica (Pacific side) | About 90°F (32°C) on the Guanacaste coast | About 5 hr | About 5–6 hr | $$$ | Rising, peak at Christmas | Start of the dry season, wildlife |
| Hawaii | About 80°F (27°C) / 67°F (19°C) in Honolulu | About 11–12 hr | About 5.5–6 hr | $$$$ | Peak at Christmas | Warm beach with no passport |
| Paris and Alsace | Paris 46°F (8°C) / 39°F (4°C); Strasbourg 43°F (6°C) / 33°F (1°C) | 7–7 hr 30 min (Paris) | 10 hr 30 min–11 hr (Paris) | $$$ | Busy market weekends | Christmas markets, Lyon's lights |
| Nuremberg and Vienna | About 39°F (4°C) / 30°F (−1°C) | About 8–9 hr to Vienna | One connection; about 13–15 hr | $$$ | Crowded evenings and weekends | The classic German and Austrian markets |
| Rome and Bolzano | Rome 55°F (13°C) / 40°F (5°C); Bolzano 43°F (6°C) / 25°F (−4°C) | About 8.5–9 hr (Rome) | Usually one connection in winter | $$–$$$ | Quiet until about Dec 20 | Cheap, quiet Rome; Alpine markets |
| London and Edinburgh | London 48°F (9°C) / 37°F (3°C) | About 7 hr | About 10 hr | $$$$ | Busy market weekends | Lights, theater, Hogmanay |
| Mexico City and Oaxaca | Mexico City 70°F (21°C) / 44°F (7°C) | About 5 hr | About 3 hr 45 min | $$ | Moderate; Mexico City quiet at Christmas | Guadalupe, posadas, the Night of the Radishes |
| Quebec City and Banff | Quebec City 25°F (−4°C) / 9°F (−13°C) | About 1.5 hr to Montreal, then train | About 3 hr to Calgary for Banff | $$$ | Quiet until about Dec 18 | Snow, skiing, a storybook old town |
| Tokyo | About 54°F (12°C) / 38°F (3°C) | About 14 hr | About 11–12 hr | $$$ | Moderate; very busy at New Year | Clear skies, winter lights, food |
| Sydney | About 78°F (25°C) / 65°F (18°C) | About 21–24 hr with a connection | About 15 hr | $$$$ | Summer holidays from late December | Summer beaches, New Year's Eve fireworks |
Every country's passport rules are on our entry requirements for US citizens page.
Warm beaches
Cancún and the Riviera Maya, Mexico
Clear water, little sargassum, the most nonstops from the US and Mexico's biggest Christmas resort scene. Expect a few windy days when cold fronts (nortes) pass, which can cancel boat trips. Rates are shoulder-level until about December 18. No form to fill in by air; the federal visitor fee is in your airfare, and Quintana Roo's Visitax, about MX$290 (about $16) per person, is paid online before you fly home. See our Cancún guide, Is Cancún safe? and Punta Cana vs Cancún.
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
December is the start of high season: the east coast dries out, the seaweed is usually gone and resorts decorate for Christmas. Showers are frequent but short. The first half of the month gives high-season weather at shoulder prices; from about December 18, flights fill with Dominican families going home. Fill in the free e-Ticket for arrival and departure, and use only the official site. See Punta Cana, the DR in December and e-Ticket.
Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
The best December beach choice from the West Coast, with about one or two rainy days all month. Humpback whale-watching opens in Banderas Bay (Puerto Vallarta) from about December 8 and in Los Cabos from about December 15, going by last season's official dates. Cabo is the priciest holiday spot in Mexico and its Pacific water is brisk, about 72°F (22°C); Vallarta adds the Guadalupe processions through December 12. Baja California Sur charges a visitor fee of MX$488 (about $27). See Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta.
Costa Rica
December is when the Pacific side turns dry, so you get Guanacaste's beaches still green from the rainy season. The Caribbean coast stays wetter. Christmas week is peak season, with prices to match. No visa: you need a return or onward ticket, which airlines check before boarding, and a passport valid at least one day past entry (carry far more).
Hawaii
The warm-weather trip with no border at all: a REAL ID-compliant license or a passport is enough for the flight. Winter brings big surf to Oahu's North Shore, best watched from the sand, and the season's first humpbacks. Holiday rates are among the highest of the year, and the flight from the East Coast is about as long as one to Europe. The Honolulu Marathon is usually held on the second Sunday of December; check the 2026 date.
Christmas markets and winter cities
Strasbourg, Colmar and Paris, France
Strasbourg's market runs November 27 to December 24, 2026 and Colmar's November 23 to December 29; Paris has the Tuileries market to January 3 and the lit Champs-Élysées. Lyon's Fête des Lumières runs Saturday, December 5 to Tuesday, December 8, free. French school holidays start December 19, filling trains and museums, and most sights close December 25 and January 1. Expect about eight hours of daylight. Schengen rules apply: photo and fingerprints at your first entry; ETIAS has not started (see ETIAS). See France's Christmas markets and France in December.
Nuremberg, Germany, and Vienna, Austria
Nuremberg's Christkindlesmarkt, the most famous in Germany, runs November 27 to December 24, 2026, daily 10 am to 9 pm, opening with a ceremony at 5:30 pm on November 27. Vienna's market on the Rathausplatz runs November 13 to December 26, 10 am to 10 pm (to 6:30 pm on December 24), with an ice rink to January 6. There are no US nonstops to Nuremberg, so fly to Munich or Frankfurt and take the train; Vienna has nonstops from the New York area. Both are Schengen countries with the same entry rules as France. Go on a weekday afternoon to beat the evening crowds.
Rome and Bolzano, Italy
Early December is a quiet, low-price time for Rome, Florence and Naples, apart from the December 5–8 long weekend around the December 8 holiday. In the Alps, Bolzano's market opens Thursday, November 26, and runs to January 6, closed December 25; Merano and Trento are short train rides away. Milan's La Scala opens its season on December 7. December 25, 26 and January 1 close most museums. Skip the Amalfi Coast and the islands, which are largely shut. See Italy's Christmas markets, Italy in December and Paris vs Rome.
London and Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Hyde Park's Winter Wonderland runs November 19, 2026 to January 3, 2027, closed only on Christmas Day, alongside the West End lights and pantomime season. Edinburgh's Hogmanay runs December 29 to January 1. Plan around two things: sunset before 4 pm, and a Christmas Day with no Tube or national trains. Boxing Day's bank holiday is observed Monday, December 28. Get your UK ETA before you fly: £20 (about $27), babies included. See Christmas in London, UK ETA and London vs Paris.
Culture and fiestas: Mexico City and Oaxaca
Mexico City and Oaxaca, Mexico
Bright, dry days and cold nights, with the year's biggest religious feast: millions of pilgrims reach the Basilica of Guadalupe for Saturday, December 12. Posadas, nightly Christmas processions and parties, run December 16–24, and over Christmas the capital empties and gets pleasantly quiet. Oaxaca's Night of the Radishes, with scenes carved from giant radishes, fills the Zócalo on Wednesday, December 23; book Oaxaca hotels for that week now. Museums close on Mondays, and Frida Kahlo's Casa Azul is closed December 25 and January 1. See our Mexico City itinerary and Mexico in December.
Snow: Quebec City and Banff
Quebec City and Banff, Canada
Old Québec looks like a holiday card, and its German Christmas Market runs November 19 to December 23; days top out around 25°F (−4°C). In the Rockies, Banff Sunshine, Lake Louise and Norquay have been open since early November, lifts run about 9:30 am to 4:30 pm, and early December is one of the cheapest weeks of the ski season. Christmas week is the most expensive, and some resort hotels set minimum stays. US citizens need no eTA; fly with a passport book. Quebec requires winter tires on rental cars from December 1. See Canada in December, Quebec City and the Rockies.
Long-haul splurges: Tokyo and Sydney
Tokyo, Japan
December is one of Tokyo's driest, clearest months, with winter light displays across the city and a food scene that alone justifies the flight. Early and mid-December are calmer than the New Year holiday, when many businesses and some museums close for several days around January 1 and trains fill with people heading home. No visa for stays of up to 90 days; Japan's departure tax, ¥3,000 (about $20) since July 1, 2026, is built into your ticket. Visit Japan Web is optional.
Sydney, Australia
December is early summer: beach weather at Bondi and Manly, long evenings and outdoor dining. The headline event is New Year's Eve, when fireworks over the harbor traditionally go off at 9 pm and at midnight; harbor-front viewing spots fill early in the day. Australia's long summer school holidays begin around Christmas, so book beach towns early. You need an Australian ETA before you fly, applied for only through the official AustralianETA app, which charges an A$20 service fee; sites charging more are not the government.
When to book holiday flights
Today is November 1, 2026. If you want to travel between December 19 and January 3, you are already late for the best fares and rooms, so book this week. Many US school breaks run from about December 19, 2026 to January 3, 2027, and they overlap with Mexican and European holidays.
- Now: holiday-week flights and hotels anywhere, Hogmanay and New Year's Eve tickets, Christmas Eve dinners at resorts, and ski lodging for Christmas week.
- By mid-November: whale-watching trips in Mexico for the holidays, Oaxaca hotels for December 23, and timed museum tickets for the holiday weeks.
- Watch Thanksgiving: Thursday, November 26, 2026 brings its own price spike, so start an early-December trip after that weekend.
Since Spirit stopped flying in May 2026, some Florida and Caribbean routes have fewer low-cost options; see what replaced Spirit.
How to avoid the peak
- Go December 1–11. In Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Canada, Italy and France, this is high-season weather (or full market season) at shoulder prices.
- Fly on the holiday itself. Flights on Christmas Day and New Year's Day are often cheaper than the days around them.
- Come home on January 5 or later. January 2 and 3 are among the most expensive return dates of the year.
- Pick weekdays for markets. Strasbourg, Nuremberg and Vienna are calmest on weekday afternoons; Saturday evenings are packed.
- Check minimum stays. Some Caribbean and ski resorts require a set number of nights over Christmas and New Year.
What to skip in December
- Europe's beach coasts and islands. The Amalfi Coast, Capri, the Cinque Terre's boats, Corsica and most French and Italian beach towns are largely closed until spring.
- Rainy but hurricane-free coasts. The Dominican Republic's north coast around Puerto Plata averages about 15 rainy days in December, against about 11 short showers in Punta Cana. Costa Rica's Caribbean side is wetter than the Pacific.
- Far-north road trips. The Scottish Highlands get about 6.5 hours of daylight at the solstice, and the Icefields Parkway between Banff and Jasper requires winter tires from November 1.
- The Michoacán monarch sanctuaries and the Copper Canyon in Mexico. The first is in a Level 4 state (go to the State of Mexico side instead); the second has freezing nights and is off-limits to US government staff.
- Sightseeing on December 25 and January 1 almost anywhere in Europe and Canada: most museums close, and the UK runs no trains on Christmas Day.
Bottom line
For guaranteed warmth on a short flight, Cancún or Punta Cana from the East Coast and Los Cabos or Puerto Vallarta from the West Coast are the easiest December trips. For Christmas atmosphere, Strasbourg, Nuremberg and Vienna in the first three weeks are hard to beat, with London if you want theater too. For snow, Banff or Quebec City; for culture, Mexico City around December 12. If your dates are flexible, travel December 1–11 and come home after January 4. If they are fixed to the holidays, book now.
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