Where to go in December
December is one of the biggest travel months of the year for Australians — school holidays, Christmas, and New Year all collide, and the appetite to get somewhere spectacular is at its annual peak. The good news is the world obliges: the Maldives, Phuket, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka are all hitting prime season, Hobart is buzzing with summer festivals, and Queenstown is deep in ski season. Book well ahead — December fills fast almost everywhere on this list. Here's where to go.
Maldives
There are places that look better in photographs than in real life, and then there's the Maldives — which somehow manages to exceed every expectation. The water really is that colour, the reefs really are that alive, and the stillness of waking up over the ocean in the middle of the Indian Ocean is something you genuinely don't forget.
Why go to the Maldives in December?
December is peak season in the Maldives — the northeast monsoon brings dry, settled weather, warm sunny days around 30°C, calm seas, and exceptional underwater clarity for snorkelling and diving. It's the most popular time of year to visit, which means the most expensive, so book as far ahead as possible — overwater villas at quality resorts can sell out six to twelve months in advance over the Christmas and New Year period.
Philippines
The Philippines is one of Southeast Asia's great undiscovered treasures for many Australians — more than 7,000 islands offering everything from the dramatic karst seascapes of Palawan and the party energy of Boracay to world-class diving in Tubbataha and some of the warmest, most welcoming people you'll encounter anywhere in the region.
Why go to the Philippines in December?
December is the heart of the dry season across most of the Philippines — the Amihan (northeast monsoon) brings clear skies, gentle breezes, and temperatures of 24–30°C that are ideal for island-hopping, beach days, and reef diving. The Filipinos celebrate Christmas with extraordinary enthusiasm — the streets, villages, and cities are festooned with lights and parol lanterns from as early as September, and the atmosphere in December is genuinely joyful and unlike anywhere else in Asia. Book ahead for popular islands like El Nido and Coron, as December is peak season.
Hobart
Hobart is compact enough to walk, complex enough to keep you busy for days, and honest enough that it doesn't try to be anything other than what it is — a working waterfront city with extraordinary food, one of Australia's most provocative art museums, and a wild, beautiful island on its doorstep that most visitors never fully explore.
Why go to Hobart in December?
December is Hobart's most electric month — the city comes alive with the summer festival season, and the finish of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race (typically arriving from 28 December) transforms Constitution Dock into one of the most celebratory scenes in Australian sport. Dark Mofo (MONA's winter festival) has passed, but MONA itself is in full summer swing and busier than ever. Warm, long summer days of around 22°C, the waterfront buzzing with visitors, and New Year's Eve in Hobart is one of Australia's most enjoyable.
Phuket
Phuket is the kind of place that has something for everyone — and means it. Whether you're after a quiet beachside villa, a family resort with every amenity, a long-tail boat to a deserted island, or a night market with some of Thailand's best street food, Phuket delivers without drama. The Andaman Coast is simply beautiful, and the island's size means there's always a quieter corner to find.
Why go to Phuket in December?
December is peak season on the Andaman Coast, with the dry season delivering reliably sunny skies, warm temperatures around 30°C, calm seas, and excellent visibility for snorkelling and diving around the Similan Islands. It's one of the busiest and most expensive months to visit — Christmas and New Year prices spike significantly at popular resorts — but the conditions genuinely justify it. Book flights and accommodation as early as possible, particularly for the Christmas and New Year weeks.
Queenstown
Queenstown is built for people who want to be outdoors, and built well — whether that means skiing a world-class mountain, jumping off a bridge, cycling a lake trail, or simply sitting on a terrace above one of the most beautiful lake and mountain views on the planet with a Central Otago pinot noir in hand.
Why go to Queenstown in December?
December is the beginning of Queenstown's summer season — ski fields have closed, but the mountains open up for hiking, mountain biking, and scenery that's genuinely spectacular without snow. Temperatures sit around 18–22°C, the lake is glittering, and the town buzzes with Christmas and New Year energy. It's one of the most popular times of year to visit, so book early — Queenstown over New Year fills to capacity and prices reflect the demand.
Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai operates at a different pace to Bangkok — slower, more contemplative, and layered with a cultural and artistic richness that takes time to appreciate. The ancient walled city, the surrounding jungle, the food scene that has developed its own global reputation, and the cooler mountain air all make it a destination that people plan to visit for a week and end up staying for a month.
December is the peak of Chiang Mai's cool season and one of the most beautiful times to be in the city — warm, dry days around 28°C with genuinely cool evenings dropping to 12–15°C, brilliant blue skies, and the surrounding mountains at their clearest and most dramatic. The Christmas period brings a festive atmosphere to the Night Bazaar and Nimman area, and the cool evening temperatures make long outdoor dinners and night market wandering a genuine pleasure. It's a popular month, so book ahead.
Why go to Chiang Mai in December?
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is a small island that contains an almost unfair amount — ancient cities, wildlife safaris where leopards and elephants share the same national park, a hill country of tea estates and waterfalls, and a coast that shifts character depending on which side of the island you're on. Most visitors barely scratch the surface, and most want to come back.
December is the best time to visit Sri Lanka's east coast — Trincomalee and Arugam Bay are in peak dry season, with calm seas, clear skies, and warm temperatures ideal for swimming and diving, while the west and south coasts are affected by the southwest monsoon's tail. The Cultural Triangle in the centre of the island (Sigiriya, Dambulla, Polonnaruwa) is accessible and beautiful in December, and Yala National Park is one of the best months for leopard sightings as the dry conditions concentrate wildlife around waterholes.