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Trend report · December 2026
Where to go in December for winter sun
Five warm, reliable escapes from the UK this December, ranked with our own search data and the five-star prices we found for 12 to 17 December.
At a glance
- Warmest pick
- Maldives, about 30°C
- Sunniest pick
- Muscat, 8.6 hours a day
- Best value five-star
- Doha, typical £115 a night
- Most searched on Hotelusso
- Dubai
Why the Gulf and the Indian Ocean lead this December
Real winter sun from the UK in December means flying south-east. The Gulf cities sit at 25 to 27°C with only a few rainy days, and the Maldives is warmer still at 30°C. Marrakech, closer to home at under 4 hours, peaks at about 20°C, and since Morocco moved to GMT in September 2026 it is now on UK time.
On Hotelusso, Dubai has been the most searched destination of the last three months, followed by Barcelona, Muscat and Doha. On Palm Jumeirah, the typical five-star night in December was lower than in November or January in our price checks.
Below are the five places we would book for December, with the facts that decide it: temperature, sea, flight time and what a five-star night actually costs.
01 The data
Where Hotelusso travellers are searching
The most searched destinations on Hotelusso from 30 July 2026 to 27 October 2026, ranked by the number of people searching.
- 01Dubai
- 02Barcelona
- 03Muscat
- 04Doha
- 05Antalya
- 06Abu Dhabi
- 07Maldives
- 08Marrakech
Source: Hotelusso Google Analytics, all searches on hotelusso.com.
02 The picks
Top 5 winter sun destinations for December
Ranked by how many Hotelusso travellers searched for each, most searched first. Each pick shows the best-rated five-star hotels in our inventory.
01Dubai Photo: giggel, CC BY 3.0- December high
- 27°C
- Sea
- 25°C
- Sunshine a day
- 8.3 h
- From Heathrow
- 6h 45m to 7h 45m
- Time difference
- +4 hours
- Typical 5-star night
- £148
The surest winter sun about seven hours from London: a December high of 27°C, only 3 rainy days on average and a 25°C sea. It also has the widest choice of five-star hotels on Hotelusso.
See all Dubai hotels
02Muscat Photo: Mostafameraji, CC BY-SA 4.0- December high
- 27°C
- Sea
- 26°C
- Sunshine a day
- 8.6 h
- From Heathrow
- 7h 10m to 7h 15m
- Time difference
- +4 hours
- Typical 5-star night
- £165
Dubai’s temperatures with a slower pace and the most sunshine on this list, 8.6 hours a day. A smaller hotel market, so the best rooms go first.
See all Muscat hotels
03Doha Photo: P. Hughes, CC BY 4.0- December high
- 25°C
- Sea
- 23°C
- Sunshine a day
- 8 h
- From Heathrow
- 6h 40m to 7h 35m
- Time difference
- +3 hours
- Typical 5-star night
- £115
The best value of the five: the lowest typical five-star price we found and the driest December, with about 1 rainy day.
See all Doha hotels
04Abu Dhabi Photo: Florian Kriechbaumer, CC BY-SA 4.0- December high
- 27°C
- Sea
- 25°C
- Sunshine a day
- 8.2 h
- From Heathrow
- 6h 50m to 7h 50m
- Time difference
- +4 hours
- Typical 5-star night
- £201
The same December weather as Dubai, 27°C and a 25°C sea, with a calmer feel. Five-star rates ran higher than Dubai’s in our December search.
See all Abu Dhabi hotels
05Maldives - December high
- 30°C
- Sea
- 28°C
- Sunshine a day
- 6.9 h
- From Heathrow
- 10h 20m to 10h 45m
- Time difference
- +5 hours
- Typical 5-star night
- £596
The warmest pick by a distance: 30°C days and a 28°C sea. December still averages about 12 days with some rain, and it is the most expensive pick by far, so book early.
See all Maldives hotels
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03 When to book
When to book December for the best rate
The prices on this page are for 12 to 17 December, before the festive weeks. Some UAE hotels, Atlantis The Royal among them, warn in their booking terms of compulsory gala dinner fees over the festive period.
If your dates are flexible, compare the first half of December with the Christmas weeks before you book. The weather is the same and the gala dinner fees do not apply.
- Compare 1 to 18 December with the Christmas weeks before you book.
- Check whether a gala dinner fee applies on 24 or 31 December.
- Pick a rate with free cancellation if you are booking months ahead.
- Sign in to see insider prices on these hotels.
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Create a free accountDid you know?
4 things worth knowing
Morocco moved permanently to GMT on 20 September 2026, so Marrakech is now on the same time as the UK.
Time in Morocco, WikipediaMuscat gets the most December sunshine of our five picks: 8.6 hours a day on average.
Muscat climate, WikipediaThe sea around the Maldives averages 28°C in December, the warmest sea of our five picks.
Malé climate, Wikipedia and Weather AtlasIn December, Doha is 3 hours ahead of the UK; Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Muscat are 4 hours ahead; the Maldives is 5.
Time zones, Wikipedia
Questions
What travellers ask
Where is hot in December from the UK?
The warmest December weather within a direct flight of London is in the Gulf and the Maldives. Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Muscat average highs of about 27°C, Doha 25°C and the Maldives 30°C, with sea temperatures from 23 to 28°C.
Is Dubai warm enough for the beach in December?
Yes. Dubai averages a daytime high of 27°C in December, a sea temperature of about 25°C and only 3 rainy days, so beach days are comfortable. Nights drop to about 17°C, so pack a light layer for dinner outdoors.
Is December a good time to visit the Maldives?
For heat, yes: Malé averages 30°C highs and a 28°C sea in December. It is not completely dry, with about 12 days of some rain on average. It is peak season, and the typical five-star night we found was £596, the highest of our five picks.
How long is the flight from London to Dubai?
A direct flight from Heathrow to Dubai takes 6 hours 45 minutes to 7 hours 45 minutes, with Emirates and British Airways. Dubai is 4 hours ahead of the UK in December, so a morning departure lands in the evening, local time.
Is Doha cheaper than Dubai in December?
In our search for 12 to 17 December, the typical five-star night in Doha was £115 against £148 in Dubai, for two adults. Dubai has far more five-star hotels, so it also has more choice at the top end.
When should I book a December holiday?
Book as soon as your dates are fixed, especially for the Maldives and for Christmas week, when the best rooms sell first. Choose a free-cancellation rate if you book months ahead, and check for gala dinner fees on 24 and 31 December.
