Warm Places for Christmas and New Year: 15 That Are Warm and Dry in Both Months

Which places are warm and dry over Christmas and New Year?

Fifteen places pass our test in both months: an average daytime high of at least 24° and rain on no more than three days in the month (one day in ten or fewer), over eleven years of daily weather. The window people travel in, about 20 December to 5 January, is mostly December with a few days of January, and our weather history is grouped by month. So we show both months side by side and do not invent a figure for 25 December.

Puerto Escondido, Cape Verde and Oaxaca are the safest picks: no rain days in either month. Goa and Bangkok are the hot, dry choices in Asia, and Perth is the summer pick in the Southern Hemisphere. Treat Barbados, Aguadilla and Tamarindo with care: on small trade-wind islands and the Costa Rican coast, the weather model behind our rain-day counts is known to miss part of the rain. Dubai's January high is 24°, so it only just clears the line; its December high is 26°.

We hold no price or crowd data, so this page says nothing about how busy a place gets or what flights and rooms cost over the holidays. Check those before you book.

Where to be next: your month-by-month route, $19

A route for your months with a leave-by date for each stop, a backup, and the seasonal traps on your path. Drafted from 11 years of weather data, every number checked against it, in your inbox within 48 hours. Not included: visas, insurance or bookings.

See a sample plan Get my plan, $19

Is Bali warm over Christmas and New Year?

Warm, yes. Dry, no. Canggu has rain on about 21 of 31 days in December and about 19 in January, and Uluwatu gets 338 mm in December and 391 mm in January. Showers are often heavy and in the afternoon, but for a working stay most people find the rain, humidity and wet roads tiring. Our Bali rainy season guide shows how to make the best of it, and Bali against Thailand in January compares the two directly.

Are the Thai islands warm at New Year?

Warm, but the Gulf and the Andaman coast behave differently, and Bangkok and Chiang Mai are dry through both months. Chiang Mai's smoke season starts after the new year; see the burning season guide for timing.

The Gulf islands (Koh Samui, Koh Phangan) are still wet in December, with rain on about 10 and 9 of 31 days, and ease in January to about 5 and 4. On the Andaman coast, Krabi (about 10 of 31 days), Phuket (about 9) and Ko Lanta (about 8) are showery in December and drier in January, at about 4 each. If you want the islands and can only pick one end of the window, the first days of January look better than the days before Christmas, though we cannot split the month for you. For the full December picture, see Thailand in December.

Is Vietnam warm over Christmas and New Year?

Only the south, and the central coast is the trap. Da Nang is wet in both months and only just warm (24°). Nha Trang has rain on about 11 of 31 days in December, then eases to about 4 in January. Ho Chi Minh City is warm and clearing, at about 5 rainy days in December and about 2 in January. Hanoi is dry-ish but cool, with a 21° high.

Here are the places to skip, in each month:

What about Europe?

Lisbon has a 16° average high in December and 15° in January. Fine for a quiet winter month with light layers, not for a beach. Our Europe in winter guide has the warmest options.

How do I plan a 2 to 4 week stay over the holidays?

Pick for the whole stay, not for the day you land. A stay from 15 December to 10 January touches both months, so use a place that is dry in both. Three shapes work:

• One dry base for the whole stay: Puerto Escondido, Cape Verde, Goa or Santiago. You stay put and the weather will not change your plans.
• A working city plus a week by the sea: Bangkok or Chiang Mai for the working weeks, then the Andaman coast after New Year, when it dries.
• A summer swap: Perth or Santiago if you want the Southern Hemisphere summer and the flights suit.

Our December guide and January guide give the full month-by-month rankings if your stay spills into either side. Staying longer than the holidays, or need to dodge smoke, heat or rain? Pick your months and what to avoid and get your 3 best places, with the numbers.