Mexico City December — posada procession with lanterns through a colonial neighbourhood street at Christmas

Mexico City · Mexico

December

Dry-season clarity returns for Christmas — posadas, piñatas, and 21°C days with cold nights.

Strong option

#6 of 12 months

There are better months for Mexico City — see the full ranking below.

See when to go instead →

Climate

High

21°C

Low

6°C

Rain

9mm

Sun

7.2hrs/day

30-year climate normals · Open Meteo ERA5

How December scores in Mexico City

Weather
Excellent
Value
Above average
Crowds
Above average
Events
Very good
Atmosphere
Excellent

What you gain in December

  • Posadas season (16–24 December): the nine nights of pre-Christmas neighbourhood processions with lanterns, pastorelas (nativity plays), and piñata breaking in plazas across the city — a uniquely Mexican Christmas atmosphere
  • Near-perfect dry-season weather: 9mm of rain all month, 21°C days, clear mountain views, and the same photography conditions as the best months of January–February
  • Mercado de Artesanías Cidart and the Bazar Sábado in San Ángel at their most stocked: the city's finest craft and folk art markets before Christmas are worth the visit for Mexican textiles, talavera, and Oaxacan crafts

What you sacrifice

  • Christmas week and New Year bring significant domestic tourism: accommodation in Roma Norte and Polanco books out, and prices peak again in the last week of December
  • Traffic is at its absolute worst in the week before Christmas — the Viaducto and Reforma gridlock; budget extra time for everything
  • 6°C overnight lows: the altitude means Mexico City's December nights are genuinely cold — restaurants with outdoor terraces require blankets or heaters

How December compares to November (best month)

FactorDecemberNovember
Weather
8
9
Value
5
5
Crowds
5
4

December in other destinations

Climate data: 30-year normals (1991–2020) from Open Meteo ERA5 reanalysis. Scores compare months within Mexico City, not across destinations. Methodology →