Best places to visit in Asia in December
Where Asia is at its best in December — ranked from each destination's real seasonal weather, crowds and festivals. Pick a destination, then build a free day-by-day plan.
Great time to visit
The best weather — roughly 23–33°C with low humidity and clear skies. Highest — book ahead, especially over New Year.
Warm days (24–30°C) and cool, comfortable nights (can dip to ~13°C) — the prime window. Peak season.
Cool, dry and sunny, 18–26°C — Hong Kong at its finest, with clear skies and great visibility. Peak tourist season.
The most pleasant time, ~22–32°C, dry and clearer, with cooler evenings for the riverside. Peak season.
The most pleasant time, ~22–32°C, dry and clear, with cooler mornings ideal for sunrise and temple walking. Peak season — Angkor Wat sunrise and the….
Mild, drier and pleasant, 18–26°C — generally Taipei's most comfortable, clearest stretch. Pleasant and moderately busy.
Hot and mostly dry, roughly 27–33°C, with calm, clear Andaman water — the prime window. Peak season.
Cold but milder than Seoul, ~0–10°C, dry and often sunny. Quietest and cheapest.
Good — shoulder season
Cool, damp and grey, roughly 3–12°C. Quiet, except around Chinese New Year (6 Feb 2027): trains, the Panda Base and day trips are packed for a week o….
Cool, damp and grey, roughly 6–12°C. Low in December and January.
Mild and dry: average highs of about 19–21°C and lows of 11–12°C, with occasional cold snaps near 5°C. Quiet until Lunar New Year (6 Feb 2027), when….
Cold and dry, roughly 2–10°C. Lower outside New Year.
Hot and humid, roughly 24–32°C, with somewhat less rain. Busiest around Chinese New Year (Jan/Feb), when Kek Lok Si is spectacularly lit.
Mild and dry: average highs of about 20–22°C and lows of 13–15°C, with occasional cold snaps near 8°C. Quiet until Lunar New Year (6 Feb 2027), when….
Cold and dry, roughly 2–12°C. Lower outside New Year.
Cold and dry, roughly -4 to 8°C. Quiet, except Chinese New Year (6 Feb 2027) and the City Wall lantern festival around it, when trains, the Terracott….
Hot and mostly rain-free, roughly 24–34°C. Peak tourist season around Dec–Jan and Lunar New Year (Tết).
Cold and very dry: daytime highs around 0–5°C and nights around −5 to −10°C. Low, except around Lunar New Year (Spring Festival holiday provisionally….
Cold and damp, roughly 1–10°C, with frosty mornings and occasional light snow. The quietest season on the lake, except New Year's Day and Chinese New….
Cool to cold, roughly 10–18°C, often grey and damp. Lower.
Cold and dry, roughly −8 to 5°C. Lower (except holidays).
Cold and damp, roughly 1–10°C, with occasional frost and rare snow. Quiet except around New Year and Chinese New Year (6 Feb 2027), when Yu Garden's….
Off-peak — fewer crowds, lower prices
Warmer-to-mild (20–30°C) with heavy rain, especially Oct–Nov. Quieter.
Warm and humid, 24–32°C, with the heaviest rain and choppier seas. Busy over Christmas/New Year and Chinese New Year long weekends.
Warm and humid, 24–32°C, with the heaviest rain and choppier seas. Busy over Christmas/New Year and Chinese New Year.
Warm and humid, 24–31°C, with the year's heaviest rain — frequent afternoon downpours and the occasional all-day wet spell. Busy over Christmas/New Y….
Hot and humid, ~26–32°C, with frequent afternoon/evening downpours (and rougher seas). Quieter and cheaper (except Christmas/New Year).
Warm and humid, 23–32°C, with the heaviest rain and choppier east-coast seas. Busy around Chinese New Year (Jan/Feb) — the Chingay parade is a highli….
Hot and humid, 23–33°C, with frequent afternoon and evening thunderstorms. Year-round steady.
Hot and humid, 23–33°C, with frequent afternoon and evening thunderstorms. Steady.
Hot and humid, ~23–31°C, with heavy afternoon-to-evening downpours. Quieter and cheaper outside the December holidays.
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