Where to find the sun in December?

The 10 best destinations for a sunshine trip in December, ranked on the weather actually recorded.

For a sunshine trip in December, we kept destinations with at least 25 °C in the afternoon and no more than six days of rain in the month. Temperatures and rainfall are real records, averaged from 2015 to 2024 at each destination's reference point, and the sea is measured at the nearest coastal point. 10 destinations pass this filter, in Africa, Asia and Americas. Top of the ranking: Saly (33 °C in the afternoon, 0 days of rain, sea at 24 °C).

The ranking at a glance

#DestinationAfternoonRainy daysSea (°C)Budget
1🇸🇳 Saly33 °C024 °C€55-100 a day
2🇮🇳 Goa32 °C229 °C€30-70 a day
3🇨🇱 Chile29 °C113 °C€90-160 a day
4🇦🇪 Dubai and Abu Dhabi27 °C124 °C€150-300 a day
5🇹🇭 Bangkok31 °C4-€30-70 a day
6🇱🇦 Laos28 °C2-€30-55 a day
7🇪🇬 Luxor and the Nile Valley25 °C0-€50-90 a day
8🇴🇲 Oman26 °C126 °C€110-180 a day
9🇰🇭 Angkor and Siem Reap30 °C4-€30-60 a day
10🇲🇽 Baja California25 °C124 °C€70-130 a day

The 10 destinations in detail

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1 🇸🇳 Saly

🌡️ 33 °C in the afternoon, 0 days of rain, sea at 24 °C · 💶 €55-100 a day

Senegal's first beach resort, raised from the sand of the Petite Côte from 1978 onwards, Saly lines up hotels and apartment complexes over some ten kilometres north of Mbour. Bandia reserve and its giraffes are 20 minutes away, the mangrove lagoon of the Somone 15 km.

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2 🇮🇳 Goa

🌡️ 32 °C in the afternoon, 2 days of rain, sea at 29 °C · 💶 €30-70 a day

Goa lines up 100 km of beaches on the Arabian Sea, listed baroque churches in Old Goa and ochre Portuguese houses in Fontainhas. India's smallest state is explored by scooter, is best visited from November to March and costs less than €50 a day if you stay in guesthouses.

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3 🇨🇱 Chile

🌡️ 29 °C in the afternoon, 1 day of rain, sea at 13 °C · 💶 €90-160 a day

Chile means the lunar landscapes of the Atacama Desert, the granite towers of Torres del Paine, and the moai of Easter Island. A corridor of a country 4,000 km long, from the most arid to the most southerly.

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4 🇦🇪 Dubai and Abu Dhabi

🌡️ 27 °C in the afternoon, 1 day of rain, sea at 24 °C · 💶 €150-300 a day

The Emirates mean the view from the top of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the white marble Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi, and a dune safari at sunset. Futuristic luxury, unashamedly, on the edge of the desert.

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5 🇹🇭 Bangkok

🌡️ 31 °C in the afternoon, 4 days of rain · 💶 €30-70 a day

Bangkok means the gold of the Grand Palace, Wat Arun on the riverbank and steaming street food in the markets late into the night. An electric megacity through which almost every trip to Thailand passes.

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6 🇱🇦 Laos

🌡️ 28 °C in the afternoon, 2 days of rain · 💶 €30-55 a day

Laos means the procession of monks at daybreak in Luang Prabang, the turquoise pools of Kuang Si Falls, and the Mekong setting the rhythm of life. A peaceful, unspoilt country where time slows down.

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7 🇪🇬 Luxor and the Nile Valley

🌡️ 25 °C in the afternoon, 0 days of rain · 💶 €50-90 a day

Luxor means the Valley of the Kings and its painted tombs, the giant columns of Karnak, and the Nile explored by felucca. An open-air museum, magical at daybreak from a hot-air balloon.

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8 🇴🇲 Oman

🌡️ 26 °C in the afternoon, 1 day of rain, sea at 26 °C · 💶 €110-180 a day

Oman means the turquoise pools of Wadi Shab, the ochre dunes of the Wahiba Sands where you sleep in a desert camp, and the mud-brick forts of Nizwa. An authentic Gulf, far from the bustle, all the way to the fjords of Musandam.

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9 🇰🇭 Angkor and Siem Reap

🌡️ 30 °C in the afternoon, 4 days of rain · 💶 €30-60 a day

Angkor means sunrise over the towers of Angkor Wat, the stone faces of the Bayon and the giant roots entwining Ta Prohm. The Khmer jewel, explored from the lively town of Siem Reap.

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10 🇲🇽 Baja California

🌡️ 25 °C in the afternoon, 1 day of rain, sea at 24 °C · 💶 €70-130 a day

A 1,250 km desert peninsula between the Pacific and the Sea of Cortez, where grey whales come to calve in the lagoons from January to March and you swim with whale sharks off La Paz. Cardón cacti, Jesuit missions, the empty beaches of Bahía Concepción and the vineyards of the Valle de Guadalupe.

Frequently asked questions

Where to find the sun in December?

Saly, Goa, Chile, Dubai and Abu Dhabi and Bangkok top our ranking for a sunshine trip in December. In first place, Saly: 33 °C in the afternoon, 0 days of rain, sea at 24 °C on average over 2015-2024.

Which is the closest sunshine destination in December?

Saly, about 5h30 by air from Paris, with 33 °C in the afternoon, 0 days of rain, sea at 24 °C in December.

Where does it rain least in December among these destinations?

Saly: 0 days of rain on average in December, with 33 °C in the afternoon.

Where is it hottest in December?

Among these destinations, Saly, with 33 °C in the afternoon on average in December: plan your sightseeing for early morning and late afternoon.

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