Where to travel in December

As nights linger and the cold closes in on the Northern Hemisphere, the itchy footed can either escape south to sun-lathered landscapes or wrap up warm for winter fun. Frosty Christmas festivities spread their cheer across Europe in December, from German-style markets pouring steamy mugs of mulled wine to carol singers on cathedral steps.

The month also offers higher chances for polar play with the midnight sun illuminating days for wildlife spotting in Antarctica. Meanwhile, the Northern Lights dance across clear skies around the Arctic Circle and fresh powder heralds the opening of the slopes in ski resorts across North America and Europe.

December goes out with a bang as countries across the globe celebrate New Year’s Eve. Choose from a sky of fireworks in Sydney, beach fun in Rio de Janeiro, the multiday Hogmanay festivities across Scotland, the ball drop in Times Square, New York, or Miami for bottle-popping parties.

1. Edinburgh, Scotland

The Scottish capital is riotously cheerful in the run-up to Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Days may be darker, but Edinburgh is alight with a sprinkling of fairy lights and a series of eye-widening displays throughout its honeyed streets. Crowning an extinct volcano in the city centre, Edinburgh Castle rings in the season with Castle of Light, an after-dark trail of stunning projections on its stone walls from late November until early January. Meanwhile, at the Royal Botanic Garden, you’ll find illuminated canopies, a laser garden, a one-mile path shimmering with more than a million ethereal lights — and plenty more themed spectacles. The German-style Christmas Market in East Princes Street Gardens is lined with stalls selling mulled Irn Bru and festive kitsch, plus free-wheeling rides in Santa Land. Come for Christmas, but stay for New Year’s Eve. Hogmanay’s three days of revelry include a torchlight procession, street parties with performances, a firework display over the castle and a frigid dip in the Firth of Forth.

(Where to find the best Sunday roast in Edinburgh.)

2. Cuba

Cuba’s patchwork pastel hues and palm-fringed streets are the stuff of dreams in dark December. The month sits comfortably in the dry season, meaning reliably warm days and scant rain, ideal for sun-soaked south coast beaches; hiking the hills across western Viñales and Pinares de Mayarí; watching seasonal birds in spots like Parque Nacional Ciénga de Zapata as they head to Cuba’s wetlands and forests; and sightseeing in musical Havana or Trinidad, where the Spanish colonial architecture is pristinely preserved.

Cuba also celebrates with a slew of festivals and events in December. The art-laden Havana Biennial runs throughout the month, while things get a little wilder at Las Parrandas firework competition in Remedios (and smaller villages across Villa Clara), which also features parade float processions and street parties with rumba percussion ensembles. Snag a ticket to the New Year’s Eve al fresco cabaret show and dinner at Cathedral Plaza in atmospheric Old Havana for a classy celebration. 

3. Finnish Lapland

Finland’s frosty weather facilitates multiple seasonal activities. Stay cool in an ice hotel, such as the forest-ringed Arctic SnowHotel, which is rebuilt by hand every winter. Adrenaline levels can be raised by snowmobiling, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, Arctic swimming or skating on frozen lakes. And when you start to shiver, slip into a steamy sauna, as is Finnish tradition. With the weather drying out in December, chances also increase to catch the Northern Lights, which dance across clear Arctic Circle skies.

More twinkling lights can be seen at Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi, where the man in red apparently lives. Head here with tiny tots in the run up to Christmas for a magical meeting with Father Christmas in his hometown. Visitors can also send a card with an Arctic Circle stamp from Santa’s post office and head to artisan workshops for handcrafted knives and souvenirs made from northern materials, including birch, reindeer leather and juniper.

(Chasing the Northern Lights? Here is where to see them in Europe.)

4. Antarctica

This world of white comprises mountains, valleys and plains blanketed beneath a thick sheet of ice. At its fragile edges are thousands of glaciers extending towards an iceberg-peppered sea. For most of the year, this frozen continent is inaccessible to travellers, but sea ice has retreated enough by December to welcome back expedition ships, which traverse these waters until March. Travel earlier in the month for peak benefits with shoulder season prices.

In December, temperatures increase to 0C and the sun never sets — Antarctica is the only southern spot that witnesses this phenomenon. These longer, warmer days result in more wildlife encounters. The rookeries clustered along the coast are bursting with the first hatching penguin chicks, while hungry humpbacks are returning home from tropical waters. Seals of the Weddell, crabeater and leopard variety steal away for downtime on ice floes, while pups parade the beaches of South Georgia island. The breeding season for seabirds, such as albatross, cormorants and petrels, is also in full swing as chicks emerge and learn how to live in this remote wilderness.

(Photo story: a water-borne adventure into fragile Antarctica)

5. Austria

Seek out the slopes before the snow-crazed crowds. Early December is the start of Europe’s ski season, but the masses won’t arrive on the mountains until the middle of the month. Austria is relatively snow-sure compared to surrounding countries, and you can be certain of fresh powder at loftier peaks, including glacial Hintertux, Obergurgl or Ischgl, which have reliable snow records due to their elevation. Family-friendly Kitzbühel, St Anton am Arlberg and Lech Zürs are also reliable, with dreamy mountain towns that serve steamy pots of feelgood fondue.

And if snowy peaks aren’t scenic enough, a dusting of lights and seasonal Christmas markets give Austria that festive feeling. Market booths across the country groan under the weight of wooden toys, hand-blown glass ornaments, gingerbread biscuits and vats of warming glühwein.

6. Konya, Turkey

The holy city of Konya comes to life this month with poetry, dance, and music. This December marks the return of the Şeb-i Arûs ceremonies, an annual celebration honoring the life of 13th-century scholar Rumi. Throughout the 10-day festival, visitors can hear celebratory tunes ringing all around Turkey’s sixth largest city, however, the main attraction of the Şeb-i Arûs ceremonies is the captivating performance of the whirling dervishes. Otherwise known as the Mevlevis, they’re an Islamic order which practices whirling as a meditative prayer.

During the Şeb-i Arûs, attendees are welcome to revel in the powerful and captivating dance of the dervishes who perform in order to bless the audience. It’s said the practice first came about after Rumi heard the words of god as he was strolling around Konya’s coppersmith workshops. Transfixed in a moment of joy and spirituality, Rumi began spinning in celebration. Over seven centuries later, the Mevlevis continue to whirl in honour of the scholar. This year, the ceremonies begin on 7 December and end on 17 December, but make sure to book your accommodation well in advance.

(Why you should see Turkey's whirling dervishes in Konya during Şeb-i Arus.)