December is the most generous month of the travel year. The dry season starts across Central America, most of South and Southeast Asia is comfortable, and Egypt becomes bearable again after the summer. The difficulty is not finding somewhere good, it is that everyone else has worked this out too, so the last two weeks of the month carry a real premium.

The short answer

For guaranteed sunshine and wildlife, Costa Rica and Panama. For heat without humidity and the best light of the year, Egypt. For culture at a comfortable temperature, India and Vietnam. For reef, Belize. Travelling in the first half of December rather than over the holidays typically means the same weather at noticeably lower prices.

Costa Rica

December opens the dry season on the Pacific side, and the landscape is still green from the rains that have just ended, which is the best of both. Wildlife concentrates around shrinking water sources and becomes easier to see. It is also peak season, so lodges book early. See our Costa Rica itineraries.

Panama

Same seasonal shift, considerably fewer people. The archipelagos come into their reliable window, and the trade winds that make Guna Yala uncomfortable later in the season have not yet built. If you want the December weather of Costa Rica without the December crowds of Costa Rica, this is the trade. See Panama, and our comparison of Costa Rica or Panama.

Egypt

Arguably December’s strongest case. Summer in Upper Egypt is punishing, and December brings temperatures that make walking around Luxor and Karnak in the middle of the day actually pleasant. Low winter sun does remarkable things to sandstone, and the Red Sea stays warm enough to dive. See Egypt.

India

The classic season for Rajasthan and the north, dry and clear, though northern nights get genuinely cold and the mornings can be hazy. The south, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, sits at the tail of its own monsoon early in the month and improves as December goes on. See India.

Vietnam

Vietnam in December is not one climate but three. The south around Ho Chi Minh City is dry and warm and at its best. The centre is emerging from its rainy season. The north, including Hanoi and Halong Bay, is cool and often misty, which is atmospheric rather than sunny. A north to south itinerary in December works, but the order matters. See Vietnam.

Belize

Hurricane season is over and the dry season is beginning, so reef visibility improves through the month. December is the start of Belize’s high season, and the cayes are small, which means capacity is limited and prices respond quickly. See Belize.

Guatemala

Dry, clear and cool in the highlands, which is ideal for volcano walking and for Lake Atitlan, where December haze is at its lowest and the volcanoes are actually visible. Bring warm layers for the evenings. See Guatemala.

Patagonia and Uruguay

The Southern Hemisphere summer opens in December, which makes it one of the few workable windows for Patagonia and the start of the season on the Uruguayan coast. Worth knowing if your dates are fixed by school holidays. See Uruguay and Iguazu.

Two places December is oversold

East Africa in December sits between the short rains and the long dry season. Game viewing is decent and the landscape is beautifully green, but it is not the July to October spectacle, and the migration is heading south rather than crossing rivers. If safari is the whole point of the trip, wait.

And the Caribbean coasts of Costa Rica and Panama do not follow the Pacific pattern. December is often wetter on that side. Any itinerary that promises reliable Caribbean sun in December is glossing over something.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the best weather in December?

Egypt, Costa Rica’s Pacific coast, Panama, Guatemala’s highlands and southern Vietnam are all at or near their best. December marks the start of the dry season across Central America and the most comfortable temperatures of the year in Upper Egypt.

Is December a good time for a safari in Kenya or Tanzania?

It is acceptable rather than ideal. December falls between the short rains and the long dry season, so the landscape is green and game viewing is decent, but it is not the concentrated dry-season spectacle of June to October.

How far in advance should you book a December trip?

Four to six months for the second half of December, because the holiday period is the peak of the year in Central America and capacity at small lodges is genuinely limited. The first half of the month is easier and cheaper.

Is it cheaper to travel in early December?

Usually yes, and often significantly. The first two weeks of December generally deliver the same weather as the holiday period at lower prices and with far fewer visitors in the parks.

Planning December

Tell us your dates and whether they are fixed by school holidays, because that single answer changes the shortlist completely. We will come back with the destinations that genuinely work for your window, not the ones that are easiest to sell. Request your quotation.