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Best destinations to visit in December

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New York City
Five boroughs of skyline, food and museums
9.5
The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting draws large crowds to Manhattan each December. Ice skating rinks open at Rockefeller Center and Bryant Park through the winter. Fifth Avenue store windows fill with elaborate holiday displays. Central Park stays scenic for walks even in the colder weather.
Highlights:
  • 🌃 Visit Times Square at night for unforgettable neon views
  • 🎭 Watch a Broadway musical in the Theater District
  • 🏙️ Admire skyline views from the Top of a skyscraper
Kyoto
Temples, geisha districts and kaiseki dining
9.2
Late autumn foliage can linger into early December in Kyoto's temple gardens. The Philosopher's Path follows a canal lined with maples that hold color late into the season. Fushimi Inari's thousands of vermilion torii gates climb a wooded hillside. Fewer crowds in December make popular temples easier to visit.
Highlights:
  • ⛩️ Climb the vermillion torii gates at Fushimi Inari Shrine
  • 🍱 Experience Japan’s beautifully presented Kaiseki dining at a traditional restaurant
  • 🎋 Stroll through the magical Arashiyama bamboo forest early in the morning
Cologne
Gothic cathedral, Roman ruins and Kölsch
8.4
Cologne Cathedral's twin spires rise 157 meters above the old town, among Germany's tallest church towers. A Christmas market fills the square in front of the cathedral each December. Mulled wine stalls and wooden huts line the Rhine riverside markets. The cathedral took more than 600 years to complete, finishing in 1880.
Highlights:
  • 🍺 Taste authentic Kölsch beer in a traditional brewhouse
  • 🌇 Stroll along the Rhine River promenade at sunset
  • ⛪ Climb the Cologne Cathedral towers for panoramic Rhine views
India
Palaces, temples, backwaters and Himalayan peaks
7.5
Mild December weather across northern India suits visits to the Taj Mahal in Agra. Goa's beaches fill with visitors during the cooler, drier winter months. Camel safaris cross the dunes near Jaisalmer in the Thar Desert. Houseboats drift along the calm backwaters of Kerala.
Highlights:
  • 🛶 Sail on the serene backwaters of Kerala
  • 🛺 Take a colorful rickshaw ride through Old Delhi’s lanes
  • 🌅 Watch sunrise over the majestic Taj Mahal
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