Vol. 1 · Summer 2026
Independent travel journalism
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Where to travel in December
Every country scored for the month you can actually travel.
When are you free? Click a month, or drag across several
Jan
J
Feb
F
Mar
M
Apr
A
May
M
Jun
J
Jul
J
Aug
A
Sept
S
Oct
O
Nov
N
Dec
D
Beach
Hiking
City
Photography
Budget
Low crowds
Visa-free for my passport
Your passport
United States
Temperature you want
+
ZW
ZM
YE
VN
VE
VA
VU
UZ
UY
FM
MH
MP
VI
GU
AS
PR
US
GS
SH
PN
AI
FK
KY
BM
VG
TC
MS
JE
GG
IM
GB
AE
UA
UG
TM
TR
TN
TT
TO
TG
TL
TH
TZ
TJ
SY
CH
SE
SZ
SR
SS
SD
LK
ES
KR
ZA
SO
SB
SK
SI
SG
SL
SC
RS
SN
SA
ST
SM
WS
VC
LC
KN
RW
RU
RO
QA
PT
PL
PH
PE
PY
PG
PA
PW
PK
OM
NO
KP
NG
NE
NI
NZ
NU
CK
NL
AW
CW
NP
NR
NA
MZ
MA
EH
ME
MN
MD
MC
MX
MU
MR
MT
ML
MV
MY
MW
MG
MK
LU
LT
LI
LY
LR
LS
LB
LV
LA
KG
KW
KI
KE
KZ
JO
JP
JM
IT
IL
IE
IQ
IR
ID
IN
IS
HU
HN
HT
GY
GW
GN
GT
GD
GR
GH
DE
GE
GM
GA
FR
PM
WF
MF
BL
PF
NC
TF
AX
FI
FJ
ET
EE
ER
GQ
SV
EG
EC
DO
DM
DJ
GL
FO
DK
CZ
CY
CU
HR
CI
CR
CD
CG
KM
CO
CN
MO
HK
CL
TD
CF
CV
CA
CM
KH
MM
BI
BF
BG
BN
BR
BW
BA
BO
BT
BJ
BZ
BE
BY
BB
BD
BH
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AZ
AT
AU
AU
NF
AU
AM
AR
AG
AO
AD
DZ
AL
AF
SX
TV
Prime
Good
Mixed
Challenging
214 curated guides · the rest scored from climate normals
Best this month
95
Oman
Curated
Warm days, cool nights and the clearest skies of the year.
93
Djibouti
Curated
93
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Curated
92
Antarctica
Curated
92
Chad
Curated
92
Egypt
Curated
Cool and clear, with a price and crowd spike over the holidays.
92
Gambia
Curated
92
Guinea-Bissau
Curated
92
Palau
Curated
92
Qatar
Curated
Excellent weather; peak season and peak rates.
92
Saudi Arabia
Curated
Mild and clear, with AlUla's festival season under way.
92
United Arab Emirates
Curated
Excellent weather with a sharp holiday price spike.
91
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
Curated
91
Senegal
Curated
91
Sierra Leone
Curated
90
Bangladesh
Curated
Cool and dry — the best conditions for the mangroves.
90
Cambodia
Curated
Cool, dry and clear; the busiest and priciest fortnight is the last.
90
Eritrea
Curated
90
Ethiopia
Curated
90
Falkland Islands
Curated
Chicks hatching under very long daylight.
90
Guam
Curated
90
Guinea
Curated
90
Laos
Curated
Cool and dry with sharp mornings in the north; peak season in Luang Prabang.
90
Maldives
Curated
Excellent conditions; the holiday fortnight is the most expensive of the year.
90
New Zealand
Curated
90
Northern Mariana Islands
Curated
90
Thailand
Curated
Dry and cool nationwide; the busiest and priciest fortnight is the last one.
90
Yemen
Curated
The best conditions of the year.
89
Côte d'Ivoire
Curated
89
Niger
Curated
89
Togo
Curated
88
Colombia
Curated
Dry season returns; Feria de Cali; prices and crowds surge from mid-December.
88
Costa Rica
Curated
Dry season returns; from mid-month, peak prices and crowds.
88
Cuba
Curated
Excellent weather; prices and occupancy surge from mid-December.
88
French Southern and Antarctic Lands
Curated
88
Norfolk Island
Curated
88
Tanzania
Curated
Rains easing; good wildlife and a holiday price spike.
88
Uruguay
Curated
Season begins; prices ramp toward New Year on the coast.
86
Equatorial Guinea
Curated
86
Ghana
Curated
86
Guatemala
Curated
Clear, festive, cold at altitude; holiday crowds late month.
86
Uganda
Curated
85
Anguilla
Curated
Season opens; Christmas is the dearest fortnight.
85
Antigua and Barbuda
Curated
Dry season returns; festive surge and peak pricing from mid-month.
85
Argentina
Curated
Long southern days; early December beats the holiday crowds and prices.
85
Aruba
Curated
Dry season and the December rush.
85
Barbados
Curated
Dry season returns; festive-season pricing from mid-month.
85
Belize
Curated
Dry season returns; prices spike from mid-month.
85
Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba
Curated
Season opens across all three.
85
British Virgin Islands
Curated
Season opens; Christmas charters book a year out.
85
Cayman Islands
Curated
Season opens; Christmas is the dearest week.
85
Chile
Curated
Long days; early December beats the holiday wave into Paine.
85
Curaçao
Curated
Dry season and the holiday rush.
85
Dominican Republic
Curated
Dry season returns; festive surge from mid-month.
85
Grenada
Curated
Dry season returns; festive premium from mid-month.
85
Guadeloupe
Curated
Dry season returns.
85
Hong Kong
Curated
Cool and dry with the year's best harbour visibility.
85
India
Curated
Peak season in Rajasthan, Kerala and Goa; northern fog disrupts trains.
85
Macau
Curated
Cool, dry and clear with fewer visitors than autumn.
85
Martinique
Curated
Dry season returns before the Christmas rush.
85
Mexico
Curated
Perfect weather; Caribbean prices surge from mid-month.
85
Montserrat
Curated
Dry season returns.
85
Myanmar
Curated
Cool and dry, with cold nights on the Shan plateau.
85
Nicaragua
Curated
Dry season and La Purísima festivities; holiday bump late month.
85
Philippines
Curated
Dry season returns; Christmas is the country's biggest event by a distance.
85
Puerto Rico
Curated
Dry season and the longest Christmas season anywhere.
85
Saint Barthélemy
Curated
Season opens; New Year is the peak of the Caribbean year here.
85
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Curated
Dry season returns; Sugar Mas carnival from mid-month.
85
Saint Martin
Curated
Season opens and the island fills.
85
Sint Maarten
Curated
Season opens and cruise traffic peaks.
85
Sri Lanka
Curated
South and west dry out; high season and holiday prices begin.
85
Turks and Caicos Islands
Curated
Season starts; Christmas is the dearest week anywhere here.
85
United States Virgin Islands
Curated
Season opens; Christmas is the dearest fortnight.
84
El Salvador
Curated
Dry and festive; beach towns busy over the holidays.
84
Jamaica
Curated
Dry season returns; festive and increasingly busy from mid-month.
84
Nigeria
Curated
84
Saint Lucia
Curated
Dry season returns; festive crowds from mid-month.
82
Bahamas
Curated
High season begins; Boxing Day Junkanoo in Nassau. Prices peak over the holidays.
82
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Curated
Dry season returns; Nine Mornings festivities before Christmas.
80
Dominica
Curated
Dry season returns — good hiking before the holiday uptick.
80
Haiti
Curated
Dry, festive month.
78
Panama
Curated
Rains stop mid-month; verano and high-season pricing begin.
78
São Tomé and Príncipe
Curated
76
Central African Republic
Curated
76
Rwanda
Curated
76
Seychelles
Curated
75
Bhutan
Curated
Cold and dry with superb mountain views and very few visitors.
75
Taiwan
Curated
Cool and drizzly in Taipei; the south is at its best.
75
Venezuela
Curated
Dry season returns; Venezuelan holiday peak at Los Roques.
74
Christmas Island
Curated
74
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Curated
74
Republic of the Congo
Curated
74
Western Sahara
Curated
72
Ecuador
Curated
Coast and islands warming into high season; Quito fiestas early month.
72
South Africa
Curated
Cape peak season and peak prices; the bush green and thick.
72
Vatican City
Curated
The Christmas crib and tree in the square; midnight mass needs tickets.
70
Austria
Curated
Christmas markets and the ski season opening.
70
Japan
Curated
Cold, dry and bright before the New Year week; illuminations everywhere.
70
Namibia
Curated
Hot with the first storms, green shoots and calving.
70
Nepal
Curated
Very clear and very cold; short days and hard freezes at altitude.
70
Pitcairn Islands
Curated
70
Réunion
Curated
70
South Korea
Curated
Cold, dry and bright with very few visitors.
70
Switzerland
Curated
Christmas markets and the ski season opening.
70
Vietnam
Curated
Cool and dry; pleasant in the south, cold and misty in the mountains.
68
Brazil
Curated
Summer ignites mid-month; Réveillon on Copacabana draws two million.
68
Gibraltar
Curated
68
New Caledonia
Curated
68
Trinidad and Tobago
Curated
Rains taper; parang season, then pre-Carnival fetes after Christmas.
66
Eswatini
Curated
66
Gabon
Curated
65
China
Curated
Cold and dry; Harbin's ice festival is the northern draw.
65
Cyprus
Curated
Mild coast, snow in the mountains, and few visitors.
65
Germany
Curated
Christmas markets make the cold and dark worth it.
65
Morocco
Curated
Cool and sometimes wet in the north; clear cold Saharan nights.
65
Singapore
Curated
Wettest month and a busy holiday season.
65
Spain
Curated
Cool cities, Christmas lights and reliable Canary sun.
64
Tunisia
Curated
62
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Curated
62
Iraq
Curated
Cool and wet, with snow in the northern mountains.
62
Israel
Curated
Cool and wet in the north; the Dead Sea and Eilat stay warm.
62
Nauru
Curated
62
San Marino
Curated
The Christmas market fills the centre for several weeks.
62
Somalia
Curated
62
Svalbard and Jan Mayen
Curated
62
Tuvalu
Curated
60
Belgium
Curated
Christmas markets in Brussels, Bruges and Ghent.
60
Brunei
Curated
Wettest month, in heavy bursts rather than all-day rain.
60
Finland
Curated
Christmas in Lapland and polar night in the far north.
60
France
Curated
Christmas markets in Alsace and the ski season opening.
60
Italy
Curated
Alpine Christmas markets; cities cold but atmospheric.
60
Netherlands
Curated
Christmas markets, Sinterklaas and canal-side lights.
60
Pakistan
Curated
Winter in the north; the southern cultural circuit is at its best.
60
Portugal
Curated
Cool and rainy in the north; Madeira's New Year fireworks are the draw.
60
South Sudan
Curated
60
Tokelau
Curated
58
Czech Republic
Curated
Christmas markets in Prague and Olomouc; cold and atmospheric.
58
Hungary
Curated
Christmas markets and steaming outdoor baths.
58
Slovenia
Curated
Ljubljana's Christmas lights and the ski season opening.
58
Turkey
Curated
Cold inland with snow; the coast mild and very quiet.
55
Croatia
Curated
Zagreb's Advent market is among the best in Europe.
55
Denmark
Curated
Christmas markets and Tivoli's winter season.
55
Estonia
Curated
Tallinn's Christmas market and the old town in snow.
55
French Guiana
Curated
The short rains return.
55
Georgia
Curated
Winter in the capital as the ski resorts open.
55
Greece
Curated
Cool and quiet — the best walking weather for the mainland sites.
55
Honduras
Curated
Split country: dry Copán and Yojoa, showery islands; holiday crowds.
55
Iceland
Curated
Under five hours of daylight, though Christmas and aurora make a case.
55
Latvia
Curated
Riga's Christmas market claims the first decorated tree in history.
55
Lithuania
Curated
Vilnius Christmas market and the baroque old town in snow.
55
Norway
Curated
Polar night in the north; Christmas markets and aurora.
55
Poland
Curated
Christmas markets in Kraków and Wrocław; cold and atmospheric.
55
Slovakia
Curated
Christmas markets and the ski season opening.
55
Suriname
Curated
Short rains return; Owru Yari street party closes the year.
55
Sweden
Curated
Christmas markets and the start of the Arctic season.
55
United Kingdom
Curated
Christmas markets and lights against very short days.
54
Fiji
Curated
52
Bulgaria
Curated
Ski season opening; Sofia cold and atmospheric.
52
Cook Islands
Curated
52
French Polynesia
Curated
52
Mozambique
Curated
52
Romania
Curated
Maramureș Christmas traditions are among the most intact in Europe.
52
Samoa
Curated
50
Indonesia
Curated
Wet, and Bali prices spike over the holidays regardless.
50
Ireland
Curated
Christmas in Dublin and Galway against very short days.
50
Malaysia
Curated
Monsoon peak in the east; the west coast and Borneo still function.
50
Peru
Curated
Wet sierra, sunny coast; holiday surcharges around Cusco.
50
Serbia
Curated
Cold and atmospheric; Belgrade's New Year is a serious event.
48
American Samoa
Curated
48
Comoros
Curated
48
Niue
Curated
48
United States
Curated
Festive New York and ski-season openings against short days and peak fares.
48
Vanuatu
Curated
48
Wallis and Futuna
Curated
46
Solomon Islands
Curated
46
Tonga
Curated
46
Zimbabwe
Curated
45
Bermuda
Curated
Cool and quiet.
45
Bolivia
Curated
Wet returns; mirror season begins again late in the month.
45
Canada
Curated
Ski season opens fully; festive Québec City is a picture.
45
Guyana
Curated
Short wet season returns; Georgetown's Christmas season compensates on the coast.
45
Timor-Leste
Curated
Wet season resumes and road conditions deteriorate quickly.
44
Mayotte
Curated
44
Papua New Guinea
Curated
44
Zambia
Curated
42
Iran
Curated
Cold and grey, with Tehran smog and mountain snow.
40
Armenia
Curated
Cold and short-dayed with limited mountain access.
40
Azerbaijan
Curated
Cold and windy with short days.
40
Syria
Curated
Cold and wet.
40
Turkmenistan
Curated
Cold, windy and short-dayed.
40
Uzbekistan
Curated
Cold, grey and short-dayed.
38
Montenegro
Curated
Cold and wet with little open.
38
Russia
Curated
Deep winter with very short days.
36
Jersey
Curated
35
Albania
Curated
Cold and wet, with little open outside Tirana.
35
Belarus
Curated
Cold and dark.
35
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Curated
Cold and polluted in the valleys; ski season opening.
35
North Korea
Curated
Winter, with very limited operation.
35
North Macedonia
Curated
Cold and polluted; ski season opening at Mavrovo.
35
Paraguay
Curated
Summer furnace; the country winds down for the holidays.
34
Guernsey
Curated
32
Isle of Man
Curated
32
Moldova
Curated
Cold and dark; rural travel unrewarding.
30
Afghanistan
Curated
Winter closes the central highlands entirely.
30
Kazakhstan
Curated
Winter proper with short days and hard cold.
30
Kyrgyzstan
Curated
Winter, with access limited to the ski areas.
30
Ukraine
Curated
Cold and dark with power supply under pressure.
28
Faroe Islands
Curated
26
Åland Islands
Curated
25
Greenland
Curated
Polar night north of the circle.
25
Tajikistan
Curated
Winter, with the Pamirs inaccessible.
20
Mongolia
Curated
Deep cold, short days, camps closed.
20
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Curated
Winter; the ferry has stopped.
0
Sudan
Curated
Scores suspended — active conflict.
95
Bahrain
Climate estimate
95
Benin
Climate estimate
95
Botswana
Climate estimate
95
Burkina Faso
Climate estimate
95
Cabo Verde
Climate estimate
95
Cameroon
Climate estimate
95
Kenya
Climate estimate
95
Liberia
Climate estimate
95
Mali
Climate estimate
95
Malta
Climate estimate
95
Mauritania
Climate estimate
90
Algeria
Climate estimate