Best Warm Places to Travel in December (2026 Guide)
The best warm places to visit in December are Thailand’s Andaman coast, Vietnam’s south, Kerala in India, the Philippines, and Egypt’s Nile Valley, where December falls in the dry season with daytime highs from 24°C to 32°C.
Last updated: October 2026
How we picked these places: We count a destination as warm when our own guide states December daytime highs of about 24°C (75°F) or more. Every figure below comes from our month-by-month destination guides.
Quick Answer: Best Warm Places to Travel in December by Priority
- Best for dry-season beaches: Thailand’s Andaman coast, Costa Rica’s Pacific coast and Peru’s desert coast, each in its December-to-April dry or sunny window.
- Best for sightseeing with almost no rain: Egypt’s Nile Valley, where “Luxor goes most years with virtually none.”
- Best for culture and cities in dry-season warmth: Southern Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City about 28-30°C) and Kerala, where the guide says the best time is December through February.
- Warm, but expensive: The Maldives, Bora Bora and Hawaii, where December brings peak pricing (the Maldives guide cites 30-50% above already-high peak rates from December 20).
Which Places Are Warm in December?
Thailand’s Andaman coast, Costa Rica’s Pacific coast, Mexico’s Caribbean coast, the Philippines, Peru’s desert coast, southern Vietnam, Kerala and Egypt’s Nile Valley are warm and in season in December. The table below gives each December high as our guide states it, with its scope. “Warm and in season” means December falls inside the guide’s own best window; “warm, with a catch” means December is warm but the guide flags rain, cyclone risk, crowds or prices.
| Destination | December highs | Conditions and catch | Crowds and prices | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thailand (Andaman coast) | Phuket: 32°C (cooler-months typical high) | Dry, favorable on the Andaman coast; the Gulf coast (Koh Samui) is wet, gradually easing in December | Peak-season crowds mid-Nov–Feb (nationwide, per our Thailand guide) | Thailand guide |
| Costa Rica (Pacific coast) | Guanacaste: 24-35°C (daytime range) | Dry season returns on the Pacific coast; the Caribbean side is rainier, one of its wettest months at roughly 400mm | Peak pricing starts in December | Costa Rica guide |
| Mexico (Caribbean coast) | Cancún: up to 28°C | November through April is the best all-round window; Mexico City is cool at 7–21.9°C | December 15–January 5 is the year’s priciest fortnight | Mexico guide |
| Philippines | Manila: up to 31°C | Low rain; December and January are the most comfortable temperature-wise, dry and busy | Peak season: flights and hotels typically run 30–50% higher, steepest around Christmas and New Year | Philippines guide |
| Peru (desert coast) | Peru’s coast: highs can reach the 30s°C | Best — hot, sunny beach season on the coast; Cusco and the Andes have heavy December rain | Lima and coast: most guides call Dec–Apr the highest-demand, priciest window (a loose rule of thumb) | Peru guide |
| Vietnam (south) | Ho Chi Minh City: about 28-30°C | Dry season, comfortable, low humidity in the south; the north is cold with foggy mornings on Halong Bay, and the central coast is in typhoon season through December | December through February is peak season, so book accommodation well ahead | Vietnam guide |
| India (Kerala) | Kochi: up to 31.8°C | The best time to visit Kerala is December through February; Delhi is cool at 8.3–23°C | December and January carry the steepest premiums | India guide |
| Egypt (Nile Valley) | Luxor and Aswan: 24°C (Cairo 21°C) | Excellent; peak season begins; desert nights are cold (Luxor’s December low averages 9°C) | Prices are highest from December to February, especially around Christmas and New Year | Egypt guide |
| Fiji | Nadi: 31°C | Hot, wet (about 210mm rain); cyclone season runs November 1–April 30 | Rising for Christmas; festive but wet and pricey late month | Fiji guide |
| Maldives | Maldives: about 30°C | Low rain by late month; December is a transition month into the dry season | Peak from about December 20; rates 30–50% above already-high peak prices | Maldives guide |
| Bora Bora | Bora Bora: about 29-30°C | About 285mm of rain across 12 rainy days; highs near 30°C with humidity — hot rain, not cool rain | High crowds, peak prices; peak prices meet near-peak rainfall | Bora Bora guide |
| Hawaii | Hawaii: up to 27°C (81°F) | Moderate-high rain, the wettest of the winter months | Holidays, premium pricing, book 6+ months ahead | Hawaii guide |
| Mauritius | Not stated in our guide (described as hot and humid) | Hot, humid; cyclone season runs November 15 to May 15 | Peak holiday period — Christmas/New Year | Mauritius guide |
Where Is Warm and in Season in December?
Thailand’s Andaman Coast
December falls inside the Andaman coast’s most favorable window — November through April, with daytime highs around Phuket of about 32°C. The Gulf coast runs the opposite schedule, wet roughly October through December. See our full Thailand guide.
Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast
December through April is the Pacific coast’s driest and sunniest window, with Guanacaste at 24–35°C. December brings dry season return — and peak pricing. The Caribbean side is opposite: one of its wettest months at roughly 400mm. See our full Costa Rica guide.
Mexico’s Caribbean Coast
November through April is Mexico’s best all-round window; Cancún runs 19–28°C in December with no real winter on the coasts. The trade-off: December 15 to January 5 is the year’s priciest fortnight. See our full Mexico guide.
The Philippines
December through February is the most comfortable stretch temperature-wise, with Manila at 23–31°C and low rainfall — dry and busy. Peak season (December–April) brings flights and hotels 30–50% higher, steepest around Christmas and New Year. See our full Philippines guide.
Peru’s Desert Coast
December through April brings Peru’s coastal summer — warm, sunny beach weather with highs reaching the 30s°C, before the garúa fog sets in. Inland differs: Cusco sees heavy December rain. Most guides call December–April the priciest window for Lima and the coast, a loose rule of thumb. See our full Peru guide.
Southern Vietnam
Southern Vietnam’s dry season runs December–April; December–January are the most comfortable months, with Ho Chi Minh City around 28–30°C and low humidity. The north is cold and foggy, the central coast still in typhoon season through December. Peak season — book ahead. See our full Vietnam guide.
Kerala, India
The best time to visit Kerala is December through February — driest and most comfortable, with Kochi up to 31.8°C and minimal rain. The north differs: Delhi runs 8.3–23°C with foggy mornings. December and January carry the steepest premiums. See our full India guide.
Egypt’s Nile Valley
November to February is Egypt’s best window; December is rated excellent as peak season begins, with Luxor and Aswan at 24°C and Cairo 21°C. Luxor gets virtually no rain most years. Desert nights are cold (Luxor’s December low averages 9°C). Prices peak December–February, especially Christmas/New Year. See our full Egypt guide.
Where Is Warm in December, With a Catch?
Fiji
December in Fiji is hot at 31°C in Nadi — and wet, with about 210mm of rain as cyclone season (November 1–April 30) gets underway. Crowds rise for Christmas, and the guide calls late December “festive but wet and pricey.” If you can be flexible on rain days, the heat is the real deal. See our full Fiji guide.
The Maldives
December averages about 30°C with rain low by late month, as the islands transition into the January–March dry season. The catch is price: the most expensive window of the year runs December 20 to January 5, with resort rates 30–50% above already-high peak-season prices. Book months ahead. See our full Maldives guide.
Bora Bora
Bora Bora in December averages about 29–30°C — but brings roughly 285mm of rain across 12 rainy days, and the year’s highest prices anyway. As our December guide puts it: “Peak prices meet near-peak rainfall — worth it only if the holidays are the reason you’re going.” The Liquid Festival adds watersports and beach parties to the festive season. See our full Bora Bora guide and our Bora Bora in December guide.
Hawaii
December in Hawaii runs 19–27°C (67–81°F) statewide — warm, but the wettest of the winter months with moderate-to-high rain. The payoff: whale sightings build through December and big-wave season peaks on Oahu’s North Shore. The winter holidays bring premium pricing, so book six or more months ahead. See our full Hawaii guide.
Mauritius
December in Mauritius is described in our guide as hot and humid — though no December temperature figure is stated. The island sits inside its official cyclone season, which runs November 15 to May 15, and December is a peak holiday period around Christmas and New Year. See our full Mauritius guide.
Where Is Mild, Not Hot, in December?
If you want pleasant rather than hot weather, New Zealand’s summer, Spain’s Canary Islands and Morocco’s Marrakech all sit around 20-22°C in December.
New Zealand
December opens New Zealand’s summer — the warmest, longest days of the year, and also the busiest and most expensive season. Auckland averages 22°C and Queenstown 20°C in December. Late December to March offers the best weather odds across both islands. See our full New Zealand guide.
Spain’s Canary Islands
The Canary Islands sit at a comfortable 68°F (20°C) in December, rated “Very good” in our Spain guide’s December row — while Madrid is cold and the north coast is in its wettest stretch (October–May). It’s mild winter sun rather than beach heat. See our full Spain guide.
Morocco
Marrakech averages about 20°C in December — rated “good value, mild days” — and the Sahara runs 18–22°C by day, though nights drop close to freezing. It’s also the start of ski season at Oukaimeden in the High Atlas. See our full Morocco guide.
How Do You Choose Where to Go in December?
Pick your coast before your country. Thailand’s Gulf coast is wet when the Andaman side is dry; Costa Rica’s Caribbean gets ~400mm while the Pacific is dry; Vietnam’s south is dry while the north is cold.
December warmth comes with December prices. Most warm destinations on this list hit peak-season pricing around Christmas and New Year — the Philippines, Egypt, Bora Bora, Hawaii and the Maldives all say so explicitly in their guides.
If heat isn’t the priority, the mild list is shorter. New Zealand’s summer, the Canary Islands and Marrakech all sit around 20–22°C, and Marrakech is rated good value, though New Zealand’s summer is its priciest season.
