11 Cheap Warm Places to Visit in December – Hotels From $24 to $98

The Caribbean is the obvious choice for many North Americans looking for warm December weather, so it’s useful to establish a few typical prices before looking farther afield.

Cancún, Mexico

Cancún is one of the best places in the Caribbean region for affordable all-inclusive resorts, with around 200 properties to choose from. One of the better beachfront values I found was $241 per night for two people in early December, including taxes, meals and alcoholic drinks.

Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic

Some of the cheapest all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean are in the old-school Puerto Plata resort area. I found a reasonably nice beachfront all-inclusive resort for only $112 per night for two people in early December.

Cartagena, Colombia

For travelers who don’t need an all-inclusive resort, Cartagena can be considerably cheaper. A well-reviewed boutique hotel in the historic district was only $65 per night, including taxes.

Those prices provide an interesting comparison with the destinations below, particularly if you’re planning to stay for a week or longer.

Here are four places on or near beaches with affordable hotels and great December weather to consider.

December marks the transition into Panama’s dry season. Days are warm, although brief showers are still possible, particularly early in the month.

Panama City is much more modern than many first-time visitors expect. Its metropolitan area has nearly 2 million residents, including many expats from the United States and Canada, and the downtown area has excellent restaurants, shopping and one of Latin America’s most impressive skylines.

If you’re considering a longer winter stay, Pacific beach communities begin outside the city and offer everything from simple condos to full-service resorts.

I found a well-reviewed hotel near downtown with a rooftop swimming pool for only $38 per night in early December, including taxes. Even considerably nicer hotels can be surprisingly inexpensive, making Panama City a realistic option for spending several weeks or even months somewhere warm.

Tenerife is the largest of Spain’s Canary Islands, located off the coast of Morocco. For travelers starting in Europe, it’s probably the easiest destination on this list to reach.

December weather is warm rather than tropical, but it’s generally pleasant enough to enjoy sunshine beside a swimming pool or on one of the island’s volcanic beaches.

Tenerife is dominated by enormous Mount Teide, and the island also offers historic towns, dramatic coastal scenery, excellent hiking and popular whale-watching trips. The southern coast tends to be sunnier and drier, while northern Tenerife is greener and somewhat cloudier.

I found a well-reviewed hotel with a swimming pool in the northern resort town of Puerto de la Cruz for $81 per night in early December. It’s about a six-minute walk from the waterfront and nearest beach.

Tenerife isn’t as inexpensive as many destinations farther down this list, but cheap flights from European cities can make the overall trip an excellent value.

Rio de Janeiro is one of the most spectacular coastal cities in the world. Famous beaches such as Copacabana and Ipanema sit beneath dramatic mountains, and the scenery seems impressive from almost every angle.

Rio was once considered quite an expensive destination. Some major attractions can still be pricey, but Brazil’s currency has weakened enough over the years that hotels and many other expenses can now fit into a fairly modest travel budget.

I found a well-reviewed ibis budget hotel only three blocks from Copacabana Beach for $80 per night in early December.

December is late spring moving into summer in Rio, so expect hot and humid weather along with occasional thunderstorms.

Visitors should also pay attention to current safety advice and be thoughtful about where they walk, particularly after dark. Still, the combination of famous beaches, extraordinary scenery and relatively affordable hotels makes Rio one of my favorite warm-weather destinations.

Cape Town is the only destination on this list that I haven’t personally visited, but it remains very high on my own travel list. Well-traveled friends routinely describe it as even more beautiful—and less expensive—than they expected.

December brings warm and generally dry early-summer weather. Cape Town combines beautiful beaches and dramatic coastal scenery with Table Mountain and excellent wine regions nearby.

Many visitors also combine Cape Town with a safari elsewhere in southern Africa, which can help justify the long and sometimes expensive flights from North America and Europe.

I found a highly rated boutique hotel in the central Long Street district with a rooftop terrace for only $75 per night in early December.

As in Rio, visitors should follow current local safety advice and be thoughtful about walking around after dark.

The next four destinations aren’t primarily beach resorts. Instead, they offer excellent sightseeing, food and nightlife along with some of their most comfortable weather of the year in December.

December marks the beginning of summer in Buenos Aires, bringing warm days and generally mild evenings.

Buenos Aires feels a bit like an elegant European capital transplanted to South America, but with a distinctive personality of its own. The restaurant scene is outstanding, particularly for anyone who enjoys beef and red wine.

Argentina has experienced years of economic instability and extreme inflation. Conditions have improved somewhat, but prices and exchange rates can still change quickly. Some things are no longer as cheap as they once were, while hotels, restaurants and wine can still represent excellent value by North American and European standards.

I found a highly rated hotel in a central shopping district for only $58 per night in early December.

Buenos Aires also combines nicely with Iguazú Falls, several days in the Mendoza wine region or even a separate trip to Rio de Janeiro.

December is one of the best times of year to visit Cairo because temperatures are relatively mild while sunshine remains abundant. You avoid the extreme heat that can make sightseeing difficult during warmer months.

Seeing the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx in person is an unforgettable experience. Many visitors combine several days in Cairo with Luxor or a Nile cruise between Luxor and Aswan.

Perhaps most surprising is how inexpensive accommodation can be. I found a small, highly rated hotel in Giza with a rooftop terrace overlooking the pyramids for only $24 per night in early December.

There are even cheaper rooms nearby, but when prices are this low, paying a little extra for consistently strong reviews is usually money well spent.

Egypt is also known for persistent touts selling tours, souvenirs and camel rides, which some visitors find exhausting. Knowing this beforehand and arranging important tours through reputable operators can make a trip much more enjoyable.

December weather in Dubai is about as good as it gets, which also makes it one of the city’s most popular months for visitors.

Before my first trip, I wasn’t convinced that I would enjoy Dubai. Nearly everything has been built within the last few decades, and I worried that it might feel something like Las Vegas without the casinos.

After several visits, however, I find Dubai fascinating. The architecture is extraordinary, there seems to be an endless supply of attractions, and the public transportation system makes getting around relatively easy.

Dubai is probably the most expensive destination on this list, particularly because December is high season. Even so, I found a reliable ibis hotel directly across from a major shopping center and only a few minutes from the Metro for $98 per night.

One of the best ways to keep costs under control is to eat where local workers eat. Inexpensive Indian, Pakistani, Filipino and Middle Eastern restaurants can be dramatically cheaper than restaurants in luxury hotels and international chains. Apartment-style hotels with kitchens are also widely available.

I’ve lived in Bangkok for several months in addition to making numerous shorter visits, and December is probably my favorite month to be there. It’s one of the driest and least humid times of the year.

Bangkok is also an excellent introduction to Southeast Asia. It feels wonderfully exotic while offering outstanding tourist infrastructure, and English-speaking visitors generally find it relatively easy to get around.

The major temples and historic sights are spectacular, the Siam district has an enormous concentration of shopping malls, and Bangkok’s famous food scene ranges from inexpensive street food to some of Asia’s finest restaurants.

I found a stylish hotel in a relatively quiet area near Khao San Road and the historic temples with outstanding reviews, a swimming pool and evening movies for only $41 per night in early December.

It’s possible to spend considerably less.

For a longer Thailand trip, I’d usually combine several days in Bangkok with one of the country’s tropical islands—which brings us to the final three destinations.

These final three destinations are considerably farther from North America and Europe, but they combine beautiful tropical beaches, excellent December weather and remarkably affordable hotels.

For a trip of a week or longer, the savings on accommodation can offset at least some of the additional airfare.

Phuket is Thailand’s largest and most popular island, and December is one of the best months to visit. Early December can still be wetter than later in the month, but conditions are generally excellent for exploring the island’s many beaches.

Phuket has more than 30 named beaches, and the individual resort areas have very different personalities.

Patong Beach is the main tourist and nightlife center. Its huge selection of restaurants, shopping and famously adult-oriented nightlife might make it your ideal base—or exactly the area you’d prefer to avoid.

I found a small waterfront resort with two swimming pools, including a beautiful infinity pool overlooking Chalong Bay, for only $58 per night in early December. Chalong Bay itself isn’t ideal for swimming, but Phuket’s famous beaches are within easy reach.

Basic hotels near Patong can cost roughly half that amount, while luxury resorts are also plentiful, so Phuket works with almost any travel budget.

Goa is on India’s west coast and was governed by Portugal for more than 450 years. As a result, it combines Indian culture with Portuguese architecture, food and Catholic traditions.

Although Goa is India’s smallest state, it has around 50 named beaches spread among roughly a dozen beach towns. Choosing the right area is important because they have dramatically different personalities.

The northern beaches tend to be busier and have more hotels, including the famous hippie and party areas around Anjuna and Vagator. Southern Goa tends to be quieter and more relaxed.

December weather is hot and remarkably dry, which is one reason Goa has long attracted European visitors staying for several weeks or even months.

I found a hotel in Anjuna with a gorgeous swimming pool for only $36 per night. Breakfast for two was just $2 more, which gives you an idea of how inexpensive some everyday costs can be.

Alcohol is also unusually inexpensive in Goa, and the region’s Portuguese and Catholic heritage means pork and beef dishes are more widely available than in most of India.

Boracay is only about four miles long, but it contains one of the most beautiful tropical beaches I’ve ever seen.

December days are perfectly warm for the beach. Early December can still be rainy, although conditions generally improve as the month progresses.

The island’s west coast is dominated by spectacular White Beach, while Bulabog Beach on the eastern side has ideal wind conditions for kitesurfing and windsurfing.

One of the most appealing things about White Beach is that there’s no road separating the hotels from the sand. Instead, visitors stroll along a sandy path lined with resorts, restaurants and bars, while electric tricycles use the main road farther inland.

Because Boracay is so narrow, even many inland hotels are only a few minutes’ walk from a beach.

I found a highly rated property directly on White Beach and surrounded by inexpensive restaurants and bars for only $42 per night in early December.

Prices rise later in the month as the weather improves and the Christmas and New Year’s holidays approach, but Boracay remains remarkable value for somewhere this beautiful.

These 11 destinations demonstrate just how far a December travel budget can stretch once you look beyond the most obvious winter vacation spots.

For travelers coming from North America, Panama City can provide an inexpensive warm-weather escape without flying halfway around the world. Europeans have easy access to Tenerife, while Rio de Janeiro and Cape Town combine spectacular scenery with Southern Hemisphere summer weather.

For sightseeing and culture, Buenos Aires, Cairo, Dubai and Bangkok all have excellent December weather and surprisingly affordable hotel options.

And if your priority is tropical beaches on a modest budget, Phuket, Goa and Boracay offer some extraordinary values.

The airfare to Asia may cost considerably more than a flight to the Caribbean, but for a week or longer, paying $36, $42 or $58 per night for a well-reviewed hotel can make the total cost difference much smaller than you might expect.

As always, compare current hotel prices and weather conditions for your specific dates. Early December is generally much cheaper than the Christmas and New Year’s period, when prices in many warm-weather destinations can roughly double.