December splits travel into two completely different vacations: the Christmas-market-and-snow circuit — Vienna, Copenhagen (some good fashion shops here), the Alps, Salzburg (some nice spa hotels in the Dolomites) — and the warm-weather escape — the Maldives, Mauritius, Egypt, South America. Both peak now. Prices spike hard around December 22–28 and again at New Year’s; December 1–15 is the genuine value window.
Austria — Europe’s Reference Christmas Markets
| Trip types | Christmas markets · City break · Culture · Romance |
| Weather | -3°C to 5°C (27°F to 41°F) |
| Best for | Couples, families, culture and music travelers |
| Getting there | US via a European hub; Europe by short flight or rail |
Why go: Austria‘s Christmas markets are the European reference — Vienna’s main market and Salzburg’s cathedral-square Christkindlmarkt — and the classical-music season at the Musikverein and State Opera is at its peak.
Good to know: Markets run from late November through Christmas Eve, so early December delivers the atmosphere with better value than the final pre-holiday rush.
What’s new & trending: Vienna’s coffee-house culture and museum quarter make it a full city break beyond the markets.
Eat & drink: Sip Glühwein between market stalls, take afternoon Sachertorte at the Hotel Sacher, and book a historic cocktail at Loos American Bar.
Plan it: 1–3 days — a Vienna markets-and-music weekend. A week — add Salzburg and an Alpine day.
Recommended hotel in Vienna: Hotel Sacher Vienna (5-star)
Recommended hotel in Salzburg: Hotel Sacher Salzburg (5-star)
The Maldives — Dry-Season Peak
| Trip types | Beach & sun · Wellness · Romance · Diving |
| Weather | 25°C to 30°C (77°F to 86°F) |
| Best for | Honeymooners, divers, wellness travelers |
| Getting there | US via a Gulf/Asian hub; Europe ~10–11h direct to Malé |
Why go: December is the Maldives at its absolute peak — low humidity, the dry monsoon at its driest, and underwater visibility at its annual maximum.
Good to know: This is also peak-pricing season, the year’s high-water mark for resort rates, so book early for the December window.
What’s new & trending: JOALI BEING, the Maldives’ first dedicated wellness island, has reset what an over-water retreat can be.
Eat & drink: Resort dining is the experience — over-water breakfasts, private-sandbank dinners, the occasional underwater restaurant.
Plan it: 1–3 days — a short over-water reset on one island. A week — a full wellness-and-diving stay.
Recommended wellness resort: JOALI BEING (5-star, Bodufushi, Raa Atoll)
Recommended alternative: Soneva Jani (5-star)
Check out our luxury guide to the Maldives or explore Mauritius, where we stayed a week in an almost empty hotel.
Switzerland — The Alps in Full Ski Season
| Trip types | Skiing & snow · Wellness · Romance · Family |
| Weather | -10°C to 5°C (14°F to 41°F) |
| Best for | Skiers, families, alpine-wellness travelers |
| Getting there | US via Zurich/Geneva; Europe by rail or short flight |
Why go: Swiss ski season is in full swing by mid-December, with reliable snow and the glamour of St. Moritz, Zermatt, Gstaad and Verbier.
Good to know: The resorts sit at peak rates over the holidays; early December lift-and-stay value is the smarter play if dates are flexible.
What’s new & trending: The Park Gstaad, Four Seasons’ first European alpine hotel, is the season’s most significant new opening.
Eat & drink: Long mountain-hut fondue lunches and a Gstaad fine-dining dinner bookend the ski day; the Dolder Grand offers a Zurich base for non-skiers.
Plan it: 1–3 days — a single resort for a ski-and-spa weekend. A week — a full alpine ski stay.
Recommended hotel in Gstaad: The Park Gstaad, A Four Seasons Hotel (5-star)
Recommended hotel in St. Moritz: Badrutt’s Palace (5-star)
Recommended hotel in Zurich: The Dolder Grand (5-star)
Egypt — The Cool Season and a Record-Breaking Museum
| Trip types | Culture · History · Cruise · Family |
| Weather | 12°C to 24°C (54°F to 75°F) |
| Best for | History travelers, families, Nile cruisers |
| Getting there | US via Europe/Gulf; Europe ~4–5h direct to Cairo |
Why go: December is Egypt at its most temperate, which makes the pyramids and Luxor’s temples genuinely pleasant to explore.
Good to know: The Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, fully opened in 2025, is now the largest archaeological museum in the world and houses the complete Tutankhamun collection.
What’s new & trending: With the GEM open, a classic Cairo-plus-Nile itinerary has never been stronger.
Eat & drink: Eat koshari in Cairo and dine Nile-side; the Old Cataract’s terrace in Aswan is the romantic set-piece.
Plan it: 1–3 days — Cairo, the pyramids and the GEM. A week — add a Luxor-to-Aswan Nile cruise.
Recommended hotel near the Pyramids: Marriott Mena House (5-star, the 1869 palace beside Giza)
Recommended hotel in Aswan: Sofitel Legend Old Cataract (5-star, Agatha Christie’s Nile-side haunt)
Argentina — Buenos Aires Summer and Patagonia Opens
| Trip types | City break · Hiking & adventure · Food & wine · Nightlife |
| Weather | 18°C to 30°C (64°F to 86°F) in Buenos Aires |
| Best for | City-and-trek travelers, food lovers, night owls |
| Getting there | US/Europe direct or one-stop to Buenos Aires |
Why go: December is full southern summer: Buenos Aires runs at a slower, locals-on-holiday pace, while Patagonia opens its prime trekking window with Torres del Paine fully accessible.
Good to know: The W Trek and the longer O Circuit are at their seasonal best, and BA’s milongas and restaurants hum late into the warm nights.
What’s new & trending: Buenos Aires’ restaurant and natural-wine scene keeps drawing global attention to Palermo and Chacarita.
Eat & drink: Eat your way through a Palermo parrilla (and a Malbec); in Patagonia, it’s lamb and Andean views after the trail.
Plan it: 1–3 days — a Buenos Aires summer city break. A week — pair it with a Patagonia trek.
Recommended hotel in Buenos Aires: Palacio Duhau – Park Hyatt (5-star)
Recommended lodge in Patagonia: Tierra Patagonia (5-star)
December · quick reference
Where to Go in December — Pick Your Trip by Mood & Region
A side-by-side of where to go this month depending on what you want and where you’re flying from. US picks favor short-to-medium-haul; Europe picks favor short-to-medium-haul within Europe.
| Why to go | From the US | From Europe |
|---|---|---|
| City break | New York holidays Tree, windows, Rockefeller skating | Vienna Christmas markets Rathausplatz, opera season |
| Beach & sun | Florida + Caribbean Peak winter sun, no hurricanes | The Maldives Driest month, visibility peak |
| Adventure | Aspen & Park City US ski opens, December peak | Gstaad (Park Gstaad opens) Four Seasons debut Dec 2026 |
| Wellness | Sedona winter retreats Quiet red-rock season | Maldives JOALI BEING World’s best wellness island |
| Festival | Art Basel Miami (Dec 4-7) World’s biggest art fair | Vienna New Year Concert Vienna Phil, Jan 1 broadcast |
| Family | Disney Christmas (FL) Mickey’s Very Merry overlays | Lapland Santa visit Rovaniemi, the original Santa village |
Editor’s pick · New & noteworthy
Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Most travelers land in Tashkent and leave immediately for Samarkand; do the opposite. We did the sam,e, but return to Tashkent for a few days. The city’s Soviet-modernist architecture is finally drawing international attention, helped by projects such as Tashkent Modernism XX/XXI and international (mostly Chinese investments). They built new a-la Paris neighborhoods next to fancy hotels and Tashkent Mall in the park with a-la Dubai fontains that gather local families and hipsters. We like National theater, built by the same architect as Lenin’s mausoleum in Moscow, very interesting brutalism abuilding but with beautiful halls representing regions of Uzbekistan. Ride the metro just to see stations like Kosmonavtlar, spend time at Chorsu Bazaar, and book a table at one of the new-generation Uzbek restaurants reworking traditional cuisine. Crisp winter air and few tourists make December an atmospheric, contrarian choice — and it may be the most underrated capital in Central Asia.
December is the most-traveled month of the year, and the Christmas–New Year window is the absolute peak for both prices and crowds. The trick is to either go in the first two weeks (genuine value) or commit fully to the season’s highlights. Either path works — just plan ahead, because December books faster than any other month.
See our selection of the best and most beautiful Christmas markets in Europe. Try Malta, a warm Mediterranean island next to Sicily, with fireworks and an young international vibe.
Happening in December 2026
Annual festivals and ticketed events live this month, refreshed daily.
- Strasbourg Christmas Market — Strasbourg Late Nov to Dec 24
- Vienna Christmas Markets — Vienna Late Nov to Dec 24
- Art Basel Miami — Miami Beach First weekend of December
- Sydney NYE Fireworks — Sydney Harbour December 31
- Christmas Burns Red VII — Lancaster, United States Of America Dec 3
- I Love Dance 2026 — Monterrey, Mexico Dec 4
- Bingo Loco — Clive, United States Of America Dec 19
- Hoolie in the Hydro — Glasgow, Great Britain Dec 12
Already planning the new year? Check where to go in January for snow, sun and auroras, or browse our February travel ideas for Carnival and winter escapes.
