The 5 Best December Travel Destinations

December is one of Mexico City's driest, sunniest months, with daytime temperatures usually in the low 70s Fahrenheit and cool evenings. That makes it easy to spend full days at the Anthropology Museum, wander Coyoacán, or take a day trip to Teotihuacán without the rainy-season afternoon storms. The city is also in full holiday mode: the Virgin of Guadalupe pilgrimage around December 12, posadas, and elaborate lights along Reforma. It is a big, busy capital rather than a relaxed beach escape, so plan for traffic and give yourself time to adjust to the altitude.

Tokyo in December is crisp, dry and often sunny, with daytime highs around the mid-50s Fahrenheit and cold nights. The payoff is the illumination season: Marunouchi, Roppongi and Shibuya fill with light displays, and department stores and streets go all-in on holiday decorations. It is also a great month for ramen, sushi counters, museums and day trips to Kamakura or Yokohama. The catch is the year-end calendar: many shops and museums close around December 29 to January 3, and New Year's shrine visits bring huge crowds.

December is the start of Sydney's summer: warm days around 80 Fahrenheit, long evenings and ocean temperatures warm enough for a swim. This is the month for Bondi, the Coogee-to-Bondi coastal walk, ferry rides to Manly and day trips to the Blue Mountains. The city's New Year's Eve fireworks over the harbour are the headline event, but the whole month has a holiday-by-the-water feel. Book accommodation and NYE plans early; the last week of December is peak season, and strong UV means you need real sun protection.

Vienna is at its most atmospheric in December, when the Rathausplatz, Schönbrunn and Belvedere courtyards host Christmas markets filled with punch, ornaments and food stalls. Days are cold, often around 40 Fahrenheit, but the city is built for it: coffeehouses, concert halls, museums and thermal baths give you warm places to retreat. It is a compact, walkable city with excellent public transport. Just do not expect the markets to run through Christmas Day; most pack up on or before December 24.

Marrakech offers a December that feels nothing like northern Europe: sunny days near 68 Fahrenheit, blue skies and dry conditions, with chilly nights that call for a jacket. Mornings are ideal for the souks, the Majorelle Garden and the Bahia Palace; afternoons for a rooftop lunch or a hammam. A day trip into the Atlas Mountains or to the Agafay Desert is easy to arrange. It is a full-on, noisy, haggling city, and some riads are poorly heated, so choose your accommodation with winter in mind.