Updated September 2026
For a December holiday combining beaches with time in a city, Thailand would be my first place to look. For Christmas markets, I would choose Germany and travel before Christmas itself. Japan appeals for city lights and a carefully chosen winter excursion; New Zealand offers a summer walking holiday at the opposite end of the seasonal calendar.
The best countries to visit in December depend on which of those holidays you want—and which week you can travel. A market that closes on December 24 will not help with a trip starting on December 27. A country entering summer can still have a wet tropical north or a rainy safari region.
Use these choices to narrow the search:
- Warm beaches with other places to explore: Thailand, Mexico or Sri Lanka, with the route built around the right coast.
- An island-centred holiday: the Maldives, accepting December’s changeable transition-season weather.
- Christmas markets and city festivities: Germany, the United Kingdom or New York City in the United States. France and Italy offer more specific regional alternatives.
- A northern winter trip: Japan or South Korea for a city-and-ski combination; Finnish Lapland for an Arctic Christmas.
- Summer outdoors: a selected region of New Zealand, southern Australia or South Africa’s Cape Town area.
Warm beaches: choose the coast as carefully as the country
Thailand: Andaman beaches or a cooler northern trip
For December beach time, I would start by comparing Phuket and Krabi on the Andaman side.
Thailand’s seasonal differences matter. The northeast monsoon brings cooler, drier conditions to much of the north and northeast, while the south can remain rainy through December, particularly along its eastern, Gulf-facing side. The southern Gulf and the Andaman coast should be separate choices when you plan a beach holiday.
Chiang Mai offers another kind of December trip: time in the city with outings into the northern mountains. Those higher places can be much colder than the lowlands, so pack for the actual outing as well as the city stay. If cultural sightseeing is the priority, Bangkok’s Grand Palace and a separate visit to Ayutthaya give you a different starting point.
With a short holiday, choose the part of Thailand you most want to see. With more time, add a city or northern stay to the beach portion if it earns its place in the itinerary. December is a popular northern travel period, so settle the important overnight stops early. For a boat excursion, check the conditions and access for that day; a favourable season does not settle whether a particular sailing will run.
Mexico: Caribbean beaches or a highland city Christmas
Mexico needs a regional decision before a packing list. Cancún and the Riviera Maya offer a warm Caribbean beach choice, outside the region’s broadly wetter May-to-October period. Showers remain possible. Mexico City is a different winter setting, with nights and early mornings that can become very cold, sometimes approaching freezing.
For a trip centred on the capital, the Christmas calendar adds interest. Las Posadas runs from December 16 to 24, with traditions that include piñatas, fruit punch and buñuelos. Look for the programme of a public celebration you can attend; the tradition also belongs to families and communities, so access to an individual gathering should not be assumed.
I would choose the Caribbean coast for beach days, or Mexico City for an urban Christmas trip. If you combine them, allow time and money for the transfer.
Sri Lanka: the southwest coast with time in Galle
Sri Lanka would be my choice when I wanted beach days with a substantial cultural stop nearby. December sits within the main visitor season for the southwest coast. Bentota or Unawatuna are starting points to consider, with Galle Fort adding a different kind of day to a coastal holiday. Mirissa is another southern beach option.
Choose a base according to what you want to do each day. I would compare one coastal stay with selected outings against a route with several overnight stops, counting the time spent travelling and checking in.
The central highlands have their own weather conditions. If you add a hill-country stay, plan for that part of the journey separately. The southwest coast’s seasonal appeal does not describe the whole island or guarantee conditions for swimming on a particular beach.
Maldives: an island holiday with a weather compromise
I would consider the Maldives when the island stay matters more than a long sightseeing route.
December is a monsoon transition month. The dry northeast-monsoon season is January to March. Warm, humid conditions continue year-round, and showers can alternate with sunshine, so allow for changeable weather during a December beach holiday.
Compare the complete offer for the island you are considering. Ask what the room price includes, how meals fit your plans and which transfer you need from your arrival point. Check that the transfer works with your flight times before paying.
Christmas cities: check the event calendar before booking
Germany: Nuremberg before Christmas
Germany is my first choice for a holiday focused on a traditional Christmas market. Nuremberg gives that idea a specific destination: the Christkindlesmarkt at Hauptmarkt, with Christmas crafts, gingerbread and local sausages.
The 2026 market runs from November 27 to December 24. I would place the visit before Christmas and leave time to enjoy the city around the market. Arriving after Christmas Day would miss the event that made this particular trip attractive.
Other German markets have their own calendars. Check the opening dates of each one you intend to visit before joining several cities into a route. For Nuremberg, use the market’s visitor information to confirm the hours for your day. Choose the place and date first; treat a snowy setting as something the weather may add.
United Kingdom: London festivities or Edinburgh for Hogmanay
Hyde Park Winter Wonderland is an option for a London Christmas break, with a 2026–27 season from November 19 to January 3. It is closed on Christmas Day.
Book an arrival slot for Winter Wonderland, especially if a particular date matters, and check the tickets needed for the attractions you want inside. The ticket guide lets you plan the visit around the actual sessions. A stay over December 25 needs a plan that accounts for the closure.
Edinburgh becomes the more compelling choice if welcoming the New Year is the purpose. The 2026–27 Hogmanay festival runs from December 29 to January 1. Choose the event you want before committing to the rest of the stay.
Families need to check the named event, not simply the festival label. The main Street Party, Concert in the Gardens and Night Afore events are for ages 12 and above; under-16s must be accompanied by an adult over 18. Other family events have different arrangements. Use the Hogmanay event FAQs to choose an appropriate programme for your group.
United States: a New York City Christmas
For the United States, my December recommendation is a focused New York City stay. Rockefeller Center’s Christmas tree and skating rink, the Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall and the city’s holiday markets provide specific reasons to choose the month.
I would decide which shows and activities to reserve, then choose accommodation that suited those plans. Leave some time free for the city. For the tree and rink, check the Rockefeller Center holiday information for the season you are visiting.
New Year’s Eve in Times Square is a separate choice. If that celebration is your main reason to travel, build the stay around it. If you mainly want Christmas sights, shows and skating, choose dates that suit those plans without assuming you need to stay through the countdown.
France and Italy: Alsatian markets or Neapolitan craft
France offers a regional alternative in Strasbourg, where Christmas markets, local crafts and Alsatian food give the trip its focus. I would arrange the stay around the market calendar for my travel year, confirming the dates before booking.
In Italy, Naples offers a different Christmas interest: the nativity-figure artisans of San Gregorio Armeno. The workshops and shops are an established, year-round part of the city. I would choose Naples for a city holiday with time for that craft tradition.
Snow and northern winter: pick the experience, then the base
Japan: city lights, Chichibu or an early ski trip
Japan offers several distinct December holidays. For a city stay, Tokyo’s Ginza and Marunouchi areas give you seasonal lights alongside the rest of the city. I would choose that trip because I wanted Tokyo, with the illuminations adding to the evenings.
For a specific early-December event, Chichibu’s Night Festival in Saitama takes place on December 2 and 3. Decorated floats, music and fireworks give it a different character from a Christmas celebration. If attending is a priority, fit the programme and the return journey into your plans before fixing the rest of the day.
For skiing, start with the resort. Some Japanese ski areas begin operating in mid-to-late December, while major Hokkaido resorts may open earlier. The date and available slopes vary with the year and snow conditions. Hokkaido and the mountain areas of Nagano or Niigata are a different planning choice from a city holiday; check the operation of the resort you actually intend to use.
At the other end of the month, the usual Oshogatsu holiday period falls around December 29 to January 3. Domestic travel is busy, and some businesses close for several days. Check the opening dates of your essential stops and make the important travel arrangements ahead.
Food traditions also belong to particular days. Toshikoshi soba is associated with New Year’s Eve; osechi dishes are normally eaten in the first three days of January. A trip that crosses the year can include that cultural interest, but it needs a different plan from a visit in early December.
South Korea: Seoul with a planned ski excursion
South Korea is a useful choice if you want city time alongside skiing. December is within the main winter ski season, but the operation of individual slopes still depends on weather and maintenance.
Elysian Gangchon in Chuncheon is a rail-accessible option to consider from Seoul. Mona Yongpyong in Pyeongchang offers a different proposition: a stay focused on a Gangwon ski resort. I would decide how much skiing I wanted before choosing between a city base with an excursion and accommodation closer to the slopes.
Check the resort’s calendar for your travel year, then arrange the accommodation and transport that fit it. If you need a lesson, equipment or a shuttle, include those in the plan before comparing the cost with a city-only holiday.
Finland: Lapland for an Arctic Christmas
I would choose Finnish Lapland for an Arctic Christmas holiday, particularly when Santa Claus Village and winter activities were part of the appeal. Rovaniemi gives that trip a clear focus.
December has only a few hours of daylight there. Farther north in Lapland, the sun can remain below the horizon for weeks. That changes the shape of an outdoor day, so plan the activities you care about around the available light and the operator’s programme. Snow arrives at different times from year to year; check the operation of the snow-based outings you want.
Northern lights sightings depend on clear skies and suitable geomagnetic conditions, and are never guaranteed. I would choose a Lapland stay that offered enough to enjoy if the lights never appeared, with time for the Christmas visit and the winter activities that suited the group.
Summer outdoors in the Southern Hemisphere
New Zealand: a summer walking holiday
December is summer in New Zealand. I would choose it for coastal walks and time outdoors; the country’s ordinary ski season runs from roughly mid-June to mid-October, with individual fields setting their dates.
The Abel Tasman Coast Track in the Nelson/Tasman region gives a summer holiday a concrete walking option. Decide whether you want a day walk or a journey with overnight stops. Huts and campsites require advance reservations throughout the year, while a day visit is a different undertaking. If you use a water taxi as part of the route, arrange that ahead as well.
A walk involving the Awaroa Inlet crossing depends on daylight and the low-tide window, and there is no alternative track around that crossing. Use the Abel Tasman route and booking information to check the current notices, tides and the part of the track you intend to walk.
For the wider holiday, secure the accommodation and transport essential to your route. The summer travel period can fill popular stays, rental cars and ferries. I would give a chosen region enough time before adding another long stretch of the country.
Australia: choose a southern region for the summer trip
December is also summer in Australia, but the tropical north and the southern regions need different plans. Tasmania is a place I would consider for a walking holiday in milder summer conditions. Choose the region and the walks that appeal, then check the arrangements for those specific outings.
The north has a tropical summer. Around Cairns and the Whitsundays, high humidity, storms and marine stingers are part of the seasonal picture. A Great Barrier Reef trip therefore needs a different assessment from a southern city or Tasmanian walking stay. The Red Centre can be very hot, and some providers close seasonally.
Adding the reef, the Red Centre and a southern city creates several separate travel decisions; being in the same country does not make them a compact holiday. Summer also brings Australian family holidays, so check the relevant school-holiday period and book the stays or excursions you particularly want.
South Africa: Cape Town and a separate decision about safari
Cape Town is my South African choice for a summer city-and-coast holiday. Its November–December period is warm and relatively dry, though wind is part of the season. December is a busy time to visit, so make the accommodation fit the places you plan to spend time.
Kruger National Park has a different seasonal pattern. Summer is hot and rainy, and denser vegetation can make animals harder to spot. A December safari remains a possible part of the holiday, but it should be chosen with those conditions in mind.
I would decide whether the trip was mainly about Cape Town or whether a safari mattered enough to add another region. Give that choice its own time and budget. The summer conditions that make the Cape attractive do not describe every part of South Africa.
Match the December week to the trip
Start with the event or activity you most want, confirm its dates and access, then compare flights and accommodation. If your dates are flexible, early December has opportunities that disappear before the main Christmas holiday. Chichibu belongs to the beginning of the month. In Colombia, Día de Velitas is celebrated on the evening of December 7, with candles and lanterns marking the Christmas season. Bogotá is one place to consider for that tradition; check the programme for your travel year if you want to attend a particular public event.
For a Christmas-week departure, check what will still be open when you arrive. Nuremberg’s market closes before a post-Christmas trip begins, and London’s Winter Wonderland has a Christmas Day closure within its longer season. A festive city can still make a good choice, but the dates must fit the attraction that persuaded you to go.
For the turn of the year, choose the celebration deliberately. Edinburgh’s Hogmanay and Japan’s New Year period call for different plans, tickets and opening-day checks. Make the essential arrangements before filling the itinerary with optional outings.
Compare the cost of the trip you will actually take
I would compare two realistic routes for the same travel dates. Include the journey to the country, accommodation, the internal transfers you need and the activities that make the holiday worthwhile. For an island stay, understand the meals and transfers in the offer. For skiing, include the equipment, passes, lessons and transport you need.
A low room price is only part of that comparison. Check what is included, which reservations are separate and what happens if a key activity cannot operate. If you can travel in different weeks, price those actual weeks rather than assume all of December has the same demand or cost.
Keep the itinerary workable for your group
For a short stay, I would choose a city or region that already gives me the holiday I want. More time can justify a second base, provided it adds a specific experience worth the journey. Count usable days after arrival and between transfers before adding another stop.
For a family trip, work from the activities the group will enjoy and can take part in. Check age requirements for the chosen event, the travel between the accommodation and the activity, and how much of the day you want to spend outside. Lapland’s short December daylight and an Edinburgh event’s admission rules are more useful details than a broad claim that an entire country is family-friendly.