Where’s actually warm in December from Dublin?
Places averaging 20°C or more in December, with direct flights. Warmest first.
Warmest: Cancún and the Riviera Maya, about 28°C. It has the warmest sea too, at 27°C. Driest: Abu Dhabi, about 1 rainy day.
Cancún and the Riviera Maya
28°7/7+20°Cvs home6/10Worth the bother? Could be tempted.“White sand, turquoise sea, Mayan ruins and swimming in cenotes. Long flight, worth it.”Abu Dhabi
26°6/7+18°Cvs home8/10Worth the bother? Sure why not.“Dubai’s calmer, richer cousin. Guaranteed winter sun, theme parks and a mosque you won’t forget.”Dubai
26°5/7+18°Cvs home7/10Worth the bother? Worth a look.“Winter sun turned up to eleven. Skyscrapers, beaches and a mall with an aquarium.”Miami
25°6/7+17°Cvs home6/10Worth the bother? Could be tempted.“Art Deco, South Beach and Cuban coffee. Warm when Ireland is miserable, which is often.”Doha
24°5/7+16°Cvs home7/10Worth the bother? Worth a look.“Winter sun with skyscrapers and a very good museum. Do not go in July.”Tenerife
23°7/7+15°Cvs home10/10Worth the bother? Book it.“Guaranteed sun. You will meet someone you went to school with.”Gran Canaria
23°6/7+15°Cvs home8/10Worth the bother? Sure why not.“Sand dunes, a proper city and sun on demand. Like a continent squashed into an island.”Orlando
23°6/7+15°Cvs home6/10Worth the bother? Could be tempted.“Theme parks, sunshine and outlet shopping. Your wallet will need a holiday after the holiday.”Fuerteventura
22°6/7+14°Cvs home8/10Worth the bother? Sure why not.“Endless beaches and a breeze that never clocks off. Bring a book, not a hairdryer.”Lanzarote
22°6/7+14°Cvs home8/10Worth the bother? Sure why not.“Looks like the moon, feels like July. Half of Carlow is on your flight.”Madeira
21°6/7+13°Cvs home8/10Worth the bother? Sure why not.“Spring all year, cliffs everywhere and walks along water channels. Not a beach island, and that is fine.”Cairo
21°5/7+13°Cvs home7/10Worth the bother? Worth a look.“The pyramids are every bit as good as you think. The traffic is every bit as bad.”Marrakech
20°7/7+12°Cvs home8/10Worth the bother? Sure why not.“Souks, spice, rooftop sunsets and snake charmers. A full-on assault on the senses, in the best way.”Los Angeles
20°5/7+12°Cvs home5/10Worth the bother? Ah… maybe.“Sunshine, beaches and Hollywood. Also traffic you could write a country song about.”December at a glance
| Place | Avg high | Sea | Sun a day | Rainy days | Flight | Dots |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cancún and the Riviera Maya | 28°C | 27°C | 6h | 9 | 10h 45m | 7/7 |
| Abu Dhabi | 26°C | 24°C | 8h | 1 | 7h 20m | 6/7 |
| Dubai | 26°C | 24°C | 8h | 1 | 7h 40m | 5/7 |
| Miami | 25°C | 24°C | 7h | 7 | 9h 40m | 6/7 |
| Doha | 24°C | – | 8h | 1 | 7h 05m | 5/7 |
| Tenerife | 23°C | 20°C | 6h | 4 | 4h 20m | 7/7 |
| Gran Canaria | 23°C | 20°C | 6h | 4 | 4h 15m | 6/7 |
| Orlando | 23°C | – | 7h | 6 | 9h 30m | 6/7 |
| Fuerteventura | 22°C | 19°C | 6h | 3 | 4h 10m | 6/7 |
| Lanzarote | 22°C | 19°C | 6h | 4 | 4h | 6/7 |
| Madeira | 21°C | 19°C | 5h | 8 | 3h 40m | 6/7 |
| Cairo | 21°C | – | 7h | 1 | 5h 30m | 5/7 |
| Marrakech | 20°C | – | 7h | 4 | 3h 35m | 7/7 |
| Los Angeles | 20°C | 16°C | 7h | 4 | 11h 10m | 5/7 |
| Dublin, for comparison | 8°C | 10°C | 1h | 13 | – | – |
Long-term averages, rounded. Rainy days are days with at least 1mm of rain. Sea temperature is shown where there is a beach to swim from.
Irish school holidays in December 2026
- Christmas holidays about 22 Dec – 5 Jan
Fares from Ireland jump for school holiday weeks. If you are not tied to the school calendar, fly the week before or after and you will often save a fair bit.
From Dublin, the cheapest fares we found for December are about 33% below the yearly average.
Long weekend: Christmas and St Stephen’s Day, Fri 25 to Sun 27 Dec
What's on in December
Not every good trip is about the sun. Festivals, carnivals and Christmas markets worth the flight.
Abu Dhabi 26°C
The Formula 1 season finale at Yas Marina, usually late November or early December.
Direct from DublinBasel 5°C
Christmas market on Barfüsserplatz and Münsterplatz, from late November.
Direct from DublinBerlin 4°C
Christmas markets all over the city, from late November.
Direct from DublinBratislava 3°C
Christmas market in the Main Square, from late November.
Direct from DublinBrussels 6°C
Winter Wonders: the Christmas market and light show around the Grand-Place.
Direct from DublinBucharest 4°C
Christmas market in University Square and around the city, from late November.
Direct from DublinBudapest 4°C
Christmas markets at Vörösmarty Square and St Stephen’s Basilica.
Direct from DublinCluj-Napoca 2°C
Christmas market on Union Square, from late November.
Direct from DublinCologne 6°C
Christmas markets at the cathedral, Old Town and Neumarkt, from late November.
Direct from DublinCopenhagen 4°C
Tivoli Gardens dressed up for Christmas, from mid-November.
Direct from DublinDusseldorf 6°C
Christmas markets in the Old Town and on Heinrich-Heine-Allee, from late November.
Direct from DublinFrankfurt 5°C
Christmas market on the Römerberg, from late November.
Direct from DublinHamburg 5°C
Christmas markets in the city centre and at the Rathausmarkt, from late November.
Direct from DublinHelsinki 0°C
St Thomas Christmas Market on Senate Square, usually from late November.
Direct from DublinKraków 2°C
Christmas market in the Main Square, from late November.
Direct from DublinLapland -6°C
Santa Claus Village at its busiest. Trips sell out by the summer.
Direct from DublinLuxembourg 5°C
Christmas market on Place d'Armes, from late November.
Direct from DublinLyon 7°C
Fête des Lumières, around 8 December: four nights of light shows across the city.
Direct from DublinMadeira 21°C
New Year’s Eve fireworks over Funchal, among the biggest in the world. Book early.
Direct from DublinMunich 4°C
Christmas market at Marienplatz, from late November.
Direct from DublinNew York 6°C
The Rockefeller Center tree, the shop windows and the ice rinks.
Direct from DublinParis 8°C
Christmas lights on the Champs-Élysées and markets around the city.
Direct from DublinPoznan 3°C
Christmas market on the Old Market Square, from late November.
Direct from DublinPrague 3°C
Christmas markets in Old Town Square, from late November to early January.
Direct from DublinRiga 0°C
Christmas market in the old town.
Direct from DublinSalzburg and the Austrian Alps 4°C
Christkindlmarkt in front of the cathedral, from late November.
Direct from DublinSalzburg and the Austrian Alps 4°C
Christkindlmarkt in the square in front of the cathedral, from mid-November.
Direct from DublinStockholm 1°C
Christmas market in Gamla Stan, from late November.
Direct from DublinTallinn 0°C
Christmas market in the medieval Town Hall Square, from late November.
Direct from DublinVienna 4°C
Christmas markets at the City Hall and Schönbrunn Palace, from mid-November.
Direct from DublinVilnius 0°C
The Christmas tree and market in Cathedral Square.
Direct from DublinWarsaw 2°C
Christmas lights along the Royal Route and a market in the old town.
Direct from DublinWroclaw 3°C
Christmas market on the Rynek, from late November.
Direct from DublinZagreb 5°C
Advent in Zagreb: one of Europe’s best-rated Christmas markets, late November to early January.
Direct from DublinZurich 4°C
Christmas markets, including one inside the main train station.
Direct from DublinCraiova 4°C
Craiova Christmas Market, voted the best in Europe by European Best Destinations in 2025. Huge lights, a Ferris wheel, mid-November to early January.
No direct flight from IrelandSibiu 2°C
Sibiu Christmas Market in the Large Square, one of the loveliest in Europe, mid-November to early January.
No direct flight from Ireland
Dates move from year to year. Check the event's own website before you book.
Questions people actually ask
Where is warm in December with a direct flight from Dublin?
The warmest places with direct flights from Dublin in December are Cancún and the Riviera Maya (28°C), Abu Dhabi (26°C), Dubai (26°C), Miami (25°C) and Doha (24°C). Those are average daytime highs.
Where is the sea warm enough to swim in December?
Direct from Dublin, the warmest sea is in Cancún and the Riviera Maya (27°C), Abu Dhabi (24°C), Dubai (24°C) and Miami (24°C). The Irish Sea is about 10°C, for comparison.
Where is sunniest in December?
Of the places with direct flights, Abu Dhabi gets the most sunshine in December, about 8 hours a day. Dublin averages about 1.
Are there school holidays in Ireland in December 2026?
Yes: Christmas holidays (about 22 Dec – 5 Jan). Fares from Ireland usually jump for those weeks, so fly the week before or after if you can. Check your own school's dates, as some differ.
What's on in December?
Abu Dhabi: The Formula 1 season finale at Yas Marina, usually late November or early December. Basel: Christmas market on Barfüsserplatz and Münsterplatz, from late November. Berlin: Christmas markets all over the city, from late November. Bratislava: Christmas market in the Main Square, from late November.