Las Vegas · United States
December
New Year's Eve on the Strip — the biggest NYE celebration in the United States.
Strong option
#9 of 12 months
There are better months for Las Vegas — see the full ranking below.
See when to go instead →Climate
High
14.7°C
Low
4.4°C
Rain
11mm
Sun
7.5hrs/day
30-year climate normals · Open Meteo ERA5
How December scores in Las Vegas
Weather
Above average
Value
Above average
Crowds
Average
Events
Perfect
Atmosphere
Outstanding
What you gain in December
- ↑New Year's Eve in Las Vegas is the largest New Year's celebration in the United States by any measure. The Strip hosts approximately 400,000 people on the night of December 31 — the road is closed to vehicles and becomes a pedestrian boulevard. Eight minutes of fireworks launch simultaneously from the rooftops of eight major casino resorts (MGM Grand, Caesars, Bellagio, the STRAT, and others) at midnight, creating a display visible from 30 miles away. Every casino hotel runs a ticketed NYE event, and residency artists schedule their biggest nights of the year for December 31.
- ↑The weeks of December (excluding the NYE period itself) deliver mid-tier hotel prices at pleasant conditions. A solid Strip hotel on December 8–20 midweek can run $80–$120/night — excellent value for the property quality and Christmas-themed casino floor decorations that the major resorts invest significantly in.
- ↑Christmas in the casinos is a distinctly Las Vegas version of the holiday. The Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Garden's Christmas display (changed seasonally at $15–$20 million cost) is a free attraction that draws 2 million visitors annually. The Wynn and Encore both invest heavily in Christmas displays along their internal shopping esplanades.
What you sacrifice
- ↓New Year's Eve weekend is the absolute peak of Las Vegas hotel pricing. December 31 rates at the Cosmopolitan, Bellagio, and Wynn routinely reach $1,000–$2,500/night minimum, often with 3–4 night minimum stay requirements. Budget and mid-range properties off-Strip spike proportionally. Book 4–6 months ahead for manageable NYE accommodation costs.
- ↓December outdoor conditions — 14°C days, 4°C nights — are cold for a pool and outdoor entertainment destination. The pool culture that defines Las Vegas in April–October is entirely absent, and the outdoor Strip experience on a cold December night requires appropriate winter clothing. The interior casino culture works perfectly year-round, but December outdoor Vegas is a different and more limited experience.
How December compares to April (best month)
| Factor | December | April ★ |
|---|---|---|
| Weather | 5 | 9 |
| Value | 5 | 6 |
| Crowds | 4 | 5 |
December in other destinations
Lisbon (14.4°C)Barcelona (13.8°C)Tokyo (12°C)Bali (30.3°C)Santorini (14.5°C)Paris (6.9°C)New York (5.1°C)Marrakech (18.1°C)Amsterdam (6.4°C)Maldives (30°C)Rome (11.7°C)Bangkok (30.4°C)Istanbul (9.4°C)Vienna (3°C)Seoul (3.7°C)Dubrovnik (11.6°C)Rio de Janeiro (29.5°C)Kyoto (11.3°C)Phuket (31.8°C)Cape Town (25.6°C)Prague (3°C)Amalfi Coast (13°C)Mexico City (21°C)Medellín (28°C)Fiji (30°C)London (8°C)Sydney (26°C)Iceland (2°C)Tulum (28°C)Dubai (25°C)Singapore (30°C)Hoi An (24°C)Chiang Mai (27.5°C)Miami (25.6°C)Florence (9.8°C)Queenstown (21°C)Madrid (9.5°C)Porto (14°C)Edinburgh (7°C)Copenhagen (5°C)Budapest (5°C)Kraków (2°C)Tbilisi (7°C)Palawan (29°C)Hanoi (20°C)Osaka (11°C)Goa (32°C)Cusco (20°C)Buenos Aires (29°C)Mykonos (14°C)Zanzibar (31°C)Sri Lanka (30°C)Costa Rica (25°C)Cancun (28°C)Krabi (32°C)Athens (14°C)Seville (15°C)Cartagena (31°C)Siem Reap (28°C)Havana (26°C)Split (11°C)Taipei (20°C)Kuala Lumpur (32°C)Valletta (16°C)Ho Chi Minh City (31°C)Hawaii (27°C)Cappadocia (6°C)Dominican Republic (28°C)Jamaica (30°C)Tanzania (27°C)Seychelles (30°C)Nepal (17°C)Jordan (14°C)Azores (18°C)Bora Bora (30°C)Los Angeles (20.4°C)Cairo (20.8°C)Kenya (26°C)Jaipur (22.8°C)San Francisco (13.8°C)Madeira (20°C)Vancouver (7.1°C)Muscat (27.8°C)Lima (24.2°C)Cinque Terre (12°C)Kotor (11°C)Tel Aviv (19°C)Santiago (29°C)Bogotá (18°C)Bruges (6.8°C)Penang (30.9°C)Lombok (30.9°C)Cape Verde (26.8°C)Fez (15.2°C)Kerala (31°C)Kigali (26°C)Hong Kong (19°C)Oslo (2°C)Auckland (22°C)
Climate data: 30-year normals (1991–2020) from Open Meteo ERA5 reanalysis. Scores compare months within Las Vegas, not across destinations. Methodology →