Best Places to Visit in December
December is the month of choices, and I love it precisely because of that. You can strap on skis and chase snow, you can trade winter for palm trees, or you can wrap yourself in the glow of a festive city. I have done all three, and each version of December has shaped a memory I still think about months later. Here is where I go when December comes around.
Lapland, Finland
The real snow experience lives in Lapland. I fly to Rovaniemi when the landscape is deep in white and the sun barely rises, and it feels like stepping into a winter world painted for the season. Dog sledding through the forest in the soft blue light is the most alive I have ever felt in the cold. The northern lights dance overhead, the cabins are warm, and everything smells of pine and fire. It is December at its purest.
Vienna, Austria
Vienna in December is a festival of light. The Christmas markets are the finest in Europe, with the Rathausplatz one glinting wonder. I walk between the stalls with a mug of mulled wine in my gloved hands, listening to the choirs and the hum of the crowd. The coffee houses are warm and velvet, the pastry is sublime, and the whole city glows. It is cozy, cultured, and completely romantic.
Bali, Indonesia
If your December needs sun, Bali delivers. It is the wet season, but the rains are short and dramatic, and the island stays lush and green. I base myself near Ubud in the rice terraces, doing yoga at dawn and taking cooking classes in the afternoon. The beaches, the temples, the warmth, the humidity all work their medicine. December is the perfect time to trade the cold for a different kind of holiday rhythm.
Quebec City, Canada
Quebec is winter made beautiful. In December the old town is buried in snow, the streets glow with lights, and everything looks like a scene from a storybook. I skate on the rink in the square, warm up with poutine and hot cider, and spend long evenings in atmospheric cafes. There is no place in North America that does a European winter quite as well. It is a December I never regret.
New York City, USA
New York is at its most magical in December. The Rockefeller tree, the windows on Fifth Avenue, the ice rink at Bryant Park, the glow of the city at night. I walk everywhere, taking in the lights and the crowds with a cup of hot chocolate from a street cart. Yes, it is busy, but the energy is part of the magic. If you only do one December in a great city, make it this one.
Costa Rica
For an active, warm December, Costa Rica is hard to beat. December is the start of the dry season, so the weather is ideal across the country. I split my time between the rainforest, where the wildlife is active, and the Pacific coast, where the sunsets are long and warm. Ziplining, surfing, hot springs, it is a holiday built around being outside and never once thinking about the cold.
Making December Count
December is expensive and it books up fast, so I plan early and stay flexible. If you want the festive markets, go in the first half of the month before the peak days. If you want the beaches, consider heading after the holiday rush to save money. However you spend it, the key is to commit. December rewards the traveler who picks one vision of the season and goes all in.
The Month of Magic
December is a month of strong feelings, and travel makes them stronger. Whether I am in the snow, the sun, or the city lights, the end of the year always feels bigger when I am somewhere new. It is a time to be moved, to celebrate, to close the year with purpose. Whatever kind of December you want, the world has a corner of it waiting for you.
