Where to go in December

The best destinations to visit in December, ranked by weather, crowds, prices and events — with the data behind every pick.

December rewards travellers who match the destination to the season. Below, every place is scored on real climate normals, typical crowd levels and price trends for December — so you can trade heat for value, or crowds for perfect weather, with your eyes open.

Best destinations for December

1 Ideal Maldives Maldives · 30° · $$$ 2 Ideal Siem Reap Cambodia · 30° · $$$ 3 Ideal Cape Town South Africa · 25° · $$$

Top tours in the best places to go in December

The most popular tour in each of the month's top picks, from our booking partner.

Free cancellation

Siem Reap

Private Full-Day Tour of Angkor Wat

4.7(310)9h

from$55

Book for December

Free cancellation

Cape Town

Cape Peninsula Private Tour

5(260)9h

from$247

Book for December

Sydney

Free Walking Tour in Sydney

4.9(418)2h30

Book for December

Free cancellation

Tulum

Tulum & Coba Day Trip

4.4(1406)12h

from$93

Book for December

Free cancellation

Phuket

Phi Phi Islands & Maya Bay Day Trip

4.5(573)10h

from$60

Book for December

Miami

Downtown Miami Free Tour

4.5(635)2h

Book for December

More good picks for December

4 Ideal Sydney Australia · 26° · $$$ 5 Ideal Sri Lanka Sri Lanka · 30° · $$ 6 Ideal Tulum Mexico · 29° · $$ 7 Ideal Phuket Thailand · 31° · $$$ 8 Ideal Miami United States · 24° · $$$ 9 Ideal Cancún Mexico · 28° · $$$

Best value in December

Luxor Egypt · $$ Save 0% Cairo Egypt · $$ Save 0% Varadero Cuba · $$ Save 12% Cartagena Colombia · $$ Save 3%

Maybe skip these in December

Santorini Greece · 15° Avoid Dubrovnik Croatia · 13° Avoid