Best destinations to visit in December in Asia
Best destinations to visit in December in Asia
December counts among the best months of the year across much of Asia, even as it becomes one of the busiest.
Southeast Asia holds onto its dry season through December, with clear skies and comfortable humidity drawing large crowds around the Christmas and New Year holidays. South Asia stays in its popular travel season too, with cool, comfortable weather that continues from the months before. East Asia turns properly cold, with ski season getting underway in Japan and South Korea and cities lighting up with winter illuminations after dark. Mountain regions across the continent stay clear and dry, a reliable option throughout the month. Booking well ahead matters here too, given how many travelers plan trips around the same holiday window each year.
The destinations on our list for Asia reflect that same range, from dry season beaches to the start of a proper mountain winter.
Lists by region
State/Prefecture in India
Rajasthan
Desert palaces and vibrant cultural tapestry
Woodsmoke, spiced tea and the clang of camel bells drift through the lanes of Jaisalmer, a golden sandstone fort town in the Thar Desert. December has sunny days and chilly nights, so travellers ride camels across the dunes and visit the palaces of Jaipur and Udaipur.
Country
Singapore
Tropical city-state of hawker food and gardens
From mid November to early January, Orchard Road has Christmas lights, themed displays and street performers, so evening strolls feel like a festival. December is also the wet season, with warm humid air and short afternoon showers, so locals duck into open air food courts called hawker centres for satay and chicken rice.
Country
India
Palaces, temples, backwaters and Himalayan peaks
Mughal emperors built the Taj Mahal in Agra and the Red Fort in Delhi during the 1600s. December is a good time for that northern loop because days are dry and sunny and mornings are cool and misty. The south has warm beaches and backwaters at the same time.
City in United Arab Emirates
Dubai
Glamour, Adventure and Desert Charm
The smell of cardamom coffee and saffron drifts through the old souks along Dubai Creek, where traders still load dhow boats with goods bound for Iran and beyond. Souks are traditional markets. December has sunny, mild days with a light sea breeze, so rooftop dinners and desert dune drives feel comfortable.
City in Thailand
Chiang Mai
Ancient temples and mountain escapes
King Mengrai founded the city in 1296 as the capital of the Lanna kingdom, which is why the old walled square still has dozens of temples. December has cool dry mornings and clear skies, so visitors bundle up for sunrise at Doi Suthep and browse night markets under paper lanterns.
Island in Thailand
Phuket
Beaches, Culture and Nightlife
Chinese families came to mine tin on the island in the 1800s and built the pastel shophouses and shrines that still stand along the streets of Old Phuket Town. December is dry season on the west coast, so Kata and Karon beaches have calm blue water and sunny afternoons.
City in Vietnam
Hanoi
Where tradition meets modern vibrancy
Locals start cool December mornings with egg coffee, a drink of whipped egg yolk and coffee that began in the Old Quarter in the 1940s. Many then eat pho noodle soup on low plastic stools at a pavement stall. Cool grey weather is good for walking around Hoan Kiem Lake and its temples.
City in Japan
Kyoto
Temples, geisha districts and kaiseki dining
In early December the last maple leaves are still red at temples such as Tofukuji and Eikando, where some of them open after dark for special evening illuminations. Crowds are thinner than in November, so walkers stroll the stone paths of Higashiyama in cool crisp air under bare branches.
City in China
Harbin
Ice sculptures sparkle beneath winter’s glow
Similar to Sapporo's snow festival but built from huge blocks of river ice, the Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival usually opens in late December or early January with glowing towers and castles. December is bitterly cold, so visitors wear thick coats to see ice sculptures and the Russian style Saint Sophia Church.
Country
Oman
Ancient heritage meets natural wonders
The Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat has a huge hand woven carpet and white marble courtyards that are pleasant to walk in mild December weather. Beyond the capital, December has sunny days and cool nights so travellers camp in the Wahiba Sands dunes and hike to the green pools of Wadi Shab.
Island in Malaysia
Langkawi Island
Tropical Beaches, Rainforests and Sunsets
Island families tell the folk tale of Mahsuri, a woman said to have cursed the island for seven generations. Visitors see her white marble tomb in the village of Ulu Melaka. December is the dry season, so the sea is calm and the island has sunny skies for boat trips and beach days.
State/Prefecture in Japan
Hokkaido
Volcanoes, powder snow and fresh seafood
Niseko's slopes below the cone shaped volcano Mount Yotei have light dry powder that skiers call Japow. In December snow falls on most days in the mountains, so skiers ride lifts by day and soak in outdoor hot spring baths at night while flakes drift over the water.
Nature Reserve in Ha Long
Ha Long Bay
Vietnam’s Otherworldly Seascape
December is the cool dry season, so the bay has calm water and soft morning mist around its limestone islands that rise straight from the sea. Travellers sleep aboard junks, which are traditional style cruise boats with cabins, then paddle kayaks into quiet lagoons where few other boats go.
Town in Cambodia
Siem Reap
Gateway to Ancient Temples and Culture
The temple complex of Angkor spreads over hundreds of square kilometres of forest just north of the Tonle Sap lake. December is the cool dry season, so travellers climb Angkor Wat for sunrise in clear air and explore Ta Prohm, where giant tree roots grow over the stone walls.
Island in Philippines
Boracay
Powdery white sands and turquoise waters
White Beach is a four kilometre ribbon of powder sand with calm shallows in December, when the dry northeast wind called amihan blows, so skies are mostly clear. At sunset sailors launch colourful paraw sailboats, then diners settle at beach bars where fire dancers perform on the sand.
Country
Maldives
Coral atolls, lagoons and overwater villas
Unlike the stormy summer months, December is part of the dry season, with sunny skies, calm seas and clear water for diving. Divers see reef sharks, turtles and colourful fish on reefs around the atolls, which are rings of coral islands, while others sleep in overwater villas above shallow lagoons.
Region in India
Goa
Beaches, Culture and Portuguese Heritage
On India's west coast along the Arabian Sea, a string of beaches from Baga to Palolem has dry sunny days and calm water for swimming in December. Fish curry is on the menu at beach shacks while locals pack the Portuguese era churches of Old Goa for Christmas midnight Mass.
City in Nepal
Kathmandu
Temples, chaos and Himalayan magic
Juniper incense smoke and the low hum of chanting hang over Boudhanath, a huge white Buddhist shrine called a stupa where pilgrims walk clockwise at dawn. December has crisp clear skies and dry air with cold nights, so trekkers gather here before heading to the Himalayan trails.
Island in Thailand
Ko Phi Phi
Tropical Paradise Awaits You
Limestone cliffs rise straight out of the Andaman Sea at Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi Leh, two islands a ferry ride southeast of Phuket. December has dry sunny days and calm clear water, so snorkellers swim over reefs and hikers climb to the viewpoint for sunset over both bays.
City in Laos
Luang Prabang
Laid-back charm by the Mekong River
Every dawn monks in saffron robes walk barefoot along the old town streets to collect sticky rice from kneeling locals in a ritual called Tak Bat. December is cool and dry with misty mornings over the Mekong, so the sunset climb up the steep steps of Mount Phousi is pleasant.
District in Taipei
Beitou
Vibrant night markets and historic temples
Like a Japanese hot spring town but only a short metro ride from downtown Taipei, Beitou has steaming sulphur pools in Thermal Valley and public baths fed by the same springs. December is cool and often drizzly, so a long soak while mist drifts over the green hills is a favourite winter habit.
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