Looking for some sun to brighten up the holiday season? There are plenty of warm places to visit in December. To find real heat, long-haul travel is your best bet. That may mean more airport stress, but it also means far-flung paradises. Keep reading to find a selection of the hottest destinations to visit this December.
The best warm places to visit in December
| Country | Destination | Avg. temp December | Avg. hours of sun |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grenada | Grenada | 78°F | 12 |
| Uruguay | Sierras de Rocha | 69°F | 15 |
| Australia | Byron Bay | 76°F | 14 |
| South Africa | Cape Town | 69°F | 15 |
| UAE | Dubai | 69°F | 11 |
| Cook Islands | Cook Islands | 77°F | 14 |
| Indonesia | Raja Ampat | 83°F | 13 |
| Chile | Valparaíso | 67°F | 15 |
| Vietnam | Ho Chi Minh City | 80°F | 12 |
1. Grenada
- Average September temperature: 78°F
- Average hours of daily sun: 12 hours
Tiny Grenada is a Spice Island for all the senses. Aromas of nutmeg and cinnamon waft lazily in the breeze. The panoply of reds, greens, and blues in St. George’s idyllic harbor make it one of the Caribbean’s most beautiful. The crunch of sand underfoot on glorious Grand Anse beach, just one of 45 that fringe Grenada’s coast.
December is the time to go for winter sun. It’s the shoulder month before January weather drives sun-seeking tourists in from the US and UK. Temperatures regularly climb into the high 80s and the rains are all but gone. Go earlier in the month for low-season prices and room to stretch out on the beach.
Base yourself near St. George’s. I love the spread of hotels that border Grand Anse Beach and make the most of its unfettered beauty. Restock spice racks at Market Square. Eat, drink, and people-watch along the Carenage waterfront promenade. And if it gets too busy, visit the tropical interior or one of those wild and wonderful beaches.
2. Sierras de Rocha, Uruguay
- Average September temperature: 69°F
- Average hours of daily sun: 15 hours
The rolling hinterlands of the Sierras de Rocha come into their own in the warm bright days of December. There’s no better way to immerse yourself in them than on a trail ride. A slow unwinding of time and stress under sunny and starry skies soundtracked by the clomp of hooves.
At Caballos de Luz, three hours north of Montevideo, you’ll find a horse whisperer named Lucie. Join her for a few days on a horseback expedition into the Uruguayan backcountry. Huge landscapes, wild swimming, campfires, luminous starscapes and surprisingly good wine. It’s the stuff of vacation dreams.
Spend a few days recouping on the golden beaches of the laid back surf town La Paloma, an hour away. Or do as I did and head north to Punta del Diablo. Rent a beach house near the dunes of Playa de la Viuda and explore the houses being engulfed by the sands.
3. Byron Bay, Australia
- Average September temperature: 76°F
- Average hours of daily sun: 14 hours
Sure, Byron Bay may have become something of a travel cliché, but there’s a good reason behind its popularity. Peel back the tourist layers – frothing surfers, wellness warriors, wide-eyed backpackers – and you’ll discover the magic is still there.
Cape Byron Conservation Park and lighthouse have lost none of their wild majesty. Join a tour to its top and don’t forget your binoculars for dolphin and turtle spotting. Let it all hangout at Belongil Beach where naked tanning is optional. Probably best to wear something if you’re surfing the perilous Wreck break at its eastern end though.
Spending Christmas and New Year’s in Byron is a one way ticket to the big party. Book a room at beach-chic The Lord Byron and follow the crowds to the street parties around Dening Park.
4. Cape Town, South Africa
- Average September temperature: 69°F
- Average hours of daily sun: 15 hours
There’s never really a bad time to visit Cape Town. It’s one of the world’s more beautiful cities whatever the weather with its crashing mountains and roiling seas. And in December, when early summer sets Table Mountain aglow, there’s nowhere else like it. Because of that, be prepared for peak season crowds and prices.
It’s warm enough to do whatever you want. Make for Camps Bay Beach or False Bay to bronze on the sands and cool down in the Atlantic. Ride the cable car or hike the Platteklip Gorge Trail to the top of Table Mountain. At Maclear’s Beacon, the views over Cape Point and beyond will take your breath away more than any hike ever could.
It wouldn’t be a proper SA visit without wine. In the city, head to Groot Constantia, makers of Napoleon’s deathbed tipple. For true Cape Wine, a day trip to the vineyards of Stellenbosch or Franschhoek should sate the palate.
5. Dubai, UAE
- Average September temperature: 69°F
- Average hours of daily sun: 11 hours
The UAE’s city of gold is an oasis of technology and opulence in the middle of the desert. It’s also a beacon of Arabic culture and entertainment. Home to the biggest and the best of everything, Dubai is a hell of a place to go all out in the festive season. And, of course, it’s hot.
With a budget most cities can only dream of, its skyscrapers and parks are decked in festive excess. Yet nothing is as spectacular as the Museum of the Future. A mind-bending showcase of modern architecture, step inside and you can travel to the moon and gaze back on Earth.
When it comes to accommodation, you’re spoiled for choice. If you really want to splurge for the holiday season, there’s only one address: Atlantis The Royal. Opened in 2023, it bills itself as the “most ultra luxury experiential resort in the world”. You’d be hard pressed to argue.
6. Cook Islands
- Average September temperature: 77°F
- Average hours of daily sun: 14 hours
A trip to the Cook Islands takes commitment. Some 2,000 miles from the nearest landmass, it’s the definition of long haul. December is a fun time to visit, with air and water temperatures often in the 80s.
While it does rain and is officially cyclone season, showers are short and cyclones rare. I’ve visited twice at this time of year and have never seen more than a strong breeze.
Christmas goes by largely unnoticed. Indeed, the sedate island time pace of life never really changes. On main island Rarotonga, nature is in full bloom, celebrated with the Te Mire Tiare flower festival. On Aitutaki, a scenic plane hop away, dive into the world’s most gorgeous lagoon.
Spend a day boating and swimming with big friendly turtles as you drift between motus (islets). Many are connected by below the surface sandbars that give the illusion of people walking on water. Stop off to eat barbecue on Tapuaeta’i, known as One Foot Island. Before you go, search out the ramshackle Post Office to get your passport stamped with the island’s barefoot logo. It’s one of my favorite ever souvenirs.
7. Raja Ampat, Indonesia
- Average September temperature: 83°F
- Average hours of daily sun: 13 hours
If it’s island paradises you seek, look also to Raja Ampat. A scattering of mushroom-shaped rocky outcroppings on the northwest tip of Papua Island, they’re technically part of Indonesia. In truth, they’re remote from any international identity.
As is so often in such parts of the world, it’s a luxury or budget experience with few options in-between. Fly into bustling Sorong from Jakarta and you’ll find homestay offers spread across islands, but more popular are the boat tours. The region is a diving mecca, home to some of the most vibrant and abundant reefs in the oceans.
December is when many of the best tours set sail. Gather enough friends and family together and you can treat yourself to a week of magic on Prana by Atzaro. The largest and most luxurious phinisi yacht is a liveaboard palace that sleeps 18. Spend a week diving with manta rays, climbing island peaks and swimming glass still lagoons in one of Earth’s least visited regions.
8. Valparaíso, Chile
- Average September temperature: 67°F
- Average hours of daily sun: 15 hours
Two hours west of Chilean capital Santiago is the shabby but charming port of Valparaíso. Go back 200 years and, fat from the pre-Panama Canal shipping trade, it’s among the richest cities in South America. Today, with past glories faded, it’s a colorful if dilapidated curio ripe for exploration.
It’s also a popular vacation retreat for Chileans. Especially in December, where long sunny days and beach weather warmth are magnets to wealthy Santiaguinos. Its rebellious spirit too, has made New Year’s Eve celebrations here the stuff of legend.
Valpo looks intimidating with its tangled cobbled streets tumbling randomly down steep hillsides. Riddled with steep staircases and grumbling funiculars, it’s both challenging and rewarding to explore.
Start in picturesque Cerro Alegre, full of wonderful boutiques and amazing street art. Grab an empanada or two and embrace the bohemian vibes. Ride the funicular up to Reina Victoria for spectacular views then ride the playground slide back down. For beach time, Viña del Mar, 20 minutes away, is the local’s choice.
9. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Average September temperature: 80°F
- Average hours of daily sun: 12 hours
Ho Chi Minh City is Vietnam’s modern metropolis. A city weighted by history, it has emerged as a commercial and cultural powerhouse that defines a new Vietnamese identity. Set foot on its hectic streets and it’s impossible not to get swept along for the ride.
December is the best time to visit; hot, a bit sticky but settled enough that you can explore in comfort. Take things slow where you can. HCMC is full of contrasts, quiet spaces of reflection amid the roaring motorcycle mayhem.
The War Remnants Museum gives somber and eye-opening context to the Vietnam War. Pass by the Reunification Palace whose gates were famously breached by a North Vietnamese tank – the photo of which came to represent the fall of Saigon.
For authentic street food, finish your city walk in District 4. A web of narrow lanes, market stalls and kerbside cooks, dip in at your pleasure and trust the local crowds. They always know where’s best.
Where else is hot?
Just because it’s winter in the Northern Hemisphere, it doesn’t mean there aren’t many warm places to visit in December. For the full lowdown, here’s where is hot in October and November.
December also means the holiday season is in full swing. Here are my picks for the 10 best places to visit in December to enjoy them. There’s plenty happening pre-Christmas too, from spectacular fall vacations in October to Thanksgiving vacations in November. Planning ahead? Here are the best places to travel in January.
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