Best places to visit in Asia in December

Asia

Vietnam · 22°C (72°F) · 5 rainy days

Hanoi

Guild streets, lakeside temples and street food on plastic stools. Cool and mostly dry, with occasional chilly spells; air pollution can be high on still days.

Vietnam · 31°C (88°F) · 5 rainy days

Ho Chi Minh City

Colonial landmarks, war history and late-night street food on the Saigon River. Dry, breezy and pleasant with Christmas lights along Đồng Khởi and Nguyễn Huệ.

China · 20°C (68°F) · 4 rainy days

Hong Kong

Harbour skyline, dim sum and mountain trails minutes from the towers. Cool, dry and clear with festive lights; hotel prices rise around Christmas and New Year.

Taiwan · 21°C (70°F) · 13 rainy days

Taipei

Night markets, temple incense, hot springs and mountain trails by MRT. Cool and damp but mild; hot-spring season, Christmas lights in Xinyi and New Year's Eve fireworks.

Thailand · 31°C (88°F) · 1 rainy days

Bangkok

Gilded temples, river boats, street food and rooftop bars. Dry, sunny and pleasant, with peak crowds over Christmas and New Year.

Thailand · 31°C (88°F) · 6 rainy days

Phuket

Andaman beaches, island-hopping and a Sino-Portuguese old town. Dry season settles in, with calm water and busy beaches; Christmas and New Year are the most expensive weeks.

Nepal · 20°C (68°F) · 0 rainy days

Kathmandu

Stupas, Newar temple squares and the gateway to the Himalaya. Dry and sunny with cold nights; a quieter month for valley sightseeing and lower-altitude treks.

China · 20°C (68°F) · 3 rainy days

Macau

Portuguese squares, Macanese cooking and the resorts of the Cotai Strip. Cool and dry; festive lights decorate the Historic Centre and resorts.

Philippines · 30°C (86°F) · 7 rainy days

Manila

Spanish-era Intramuros, free national museums and Binondo food crawls. Pleasant and festive, with lights, carols and long Christmas celebrations; traffic is heavy.

Malaysia · 31°C (88°F) · 12 rainy days

Penang

Hawker food, shophouse streets and clan temples in George Town. Rain eases through the month and the dry season begins; Christmas and year-end holidays fill hotels.

Cambodia · 30°C (86°F) · 3 rainy days

Phnom Penh

Royal Palace, riverside promenades and Cambodia's modern history. Dry, sunny and the least humid month; busy with holiday visitors.

India · 24°C (75°F) · 1 rainy days

Agra

The Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Mughal tombs along the Yamuna. Cool and busy over Christmas and New Year; fog often delays morning trains and hides the Taj at dawn.

Thailand · 28°C (82°F) · 1 rainy days

Chiang Mai

Lanna temples, night markets and mountain day trips in northern Thailand. Sunny days and cool nights; the busiest and most expensive time, with Thai holidaymakers heading to the mountains.

Sri Lanka · 30°C (86°F) · 10 rainy days

Colombo

Colonial Fort streets, Buddhist temples and seafront sunsets on the Indian Ocean. Drier weather returns and the west coast's high season starts; Christmas lights decorate Galle Road and the malls.

India · 33°C (91°F) · 1 rainy days

Goa

Portuguese-era churches, 100 km of beaches, fish curry rice and beach shacks. Peak season: dry, sunny and festive, with the highest prices and crowds between Christmas and New Year.

India · 24°C (75°F) · 1 rainy days

Jaipur

Pink City bazaars, hilltop forts and Rajput palaces in Rajasthan's capital. Sunny days and cold nights; Christmas and New Year are the busiest and most expensive weeks of the year.

Thailand · 31°C (88°F) · 8 rainy days

Krabi

Limestone cliffs, longtail boats and island-hopping on the Andaman coast. Mostly dry and calm; Christmas and New Year are the busiest and most expensive weeks.

Malaysia · 31°C (88°F) · 9 rainy days

Langkawi

Duty-free island of rainforest peaks, mangroves and west-coast sunset beaches. The dry season returns with calm seas; school holidays and Christmas make it the busiest month.

Laos · 27°C (81°F) · 2 rainy days

Luang Prabang

Gilded monasteries, dawn alms rounds and the Mekong in Laos's old royal capital. Cool, dry and busy, with cold early mornings; book rooms early around Christmas and New Year.

Maldives · 30°C (86°F) · 12 rainy days

Maldives

Overwater villas, house reefs, manta rays and local-island guesthouses. Drier, sunny weather returns; Christmas and New Year are the most expensive weeks of the year.

India · 33°C (91°F) · 0 rainy days

Mumbai

Victorian Gothic and Art Deco, Bollywood, sea-facing promenades and vada pav. Dry, sunny and comfortable; the busiest and most expensive time, especially around Christmas and New Year.

Cambodia · 30°C (86°F) · 2 rainy days

Siem Reap

Gateway town to Angkor Wat, the Bayon and the temples of the Khmer Empire. The coolest and driest month and one of the busiest; book hotels early for Christmas and New Year.

Beach, city or budget: December picks by trip type

What's on in December

Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.

• Hanoi: Christmas Eve crowds and decorations around St Joseph's Cathedral (24 December)
• Ho Chi Minh City: Christmas Eve crowds around the cathedral and along Đồng Khởi (24 December)
• Hong Kong: Christmas lights along the harbourfront and in malls (December)
• Taipei: New Year's Eve fireworks from Taipei 101 (31 December)
• Bangkok: Father's Day and the late King Bhumibol's birthday — public holiday (5 December)
• Phuket: King's Cup Regatta sailing in Kata (usually early December)
• Kathmandu: Yomari Punhi — Newar harvest festival with yomari dumplings (usually December)
• Macau: Macao Light Festival — illuminations in the Historic Centre (usually December)
• Manila: Simbang Gabi — nine dawn or evening masses before Christmas (16–24 December)
• Penang: Christmas and New Year's Eve celebrations along the Esplanade (late December)
• Chiang Mai: Christmas and New Year events along the Ping River
• Colombo: Christmas decorations along Galle Road and in the malls

Daylight in December

Day length on these trips ranges from about 10.4 hours in Agra to 11.9 hours in Maldives (sunrise to sunset on 15 December). Longer days mean more sightseeing time; shorter ones favour museums, food and evenings.

December weather compared

Questions travellers ask