Oslo · Norway
December
Oslo Christmas and the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony — Scandinavian winter at its most atmospheric.
Strong option
#8 of 12 months
There are better months for Oslo — see the full ranking below.
See when to go instead →Climate
High
2°C
Low
-4°C
Rain
53mm
Sun
1.6hrs/day
30-year climate normals · Open Meteo ERA5
How December scores in Oslo
Weather
Average
Value
Above average
Crowds
Above average
Events
Excellent
Atmosphere
Outstanding
What you gain in December
- ↑The Nobel Peace Prize ceremony (December 10 at Oslo City Hall, Nobel Peace Center) is Oslo's most internationally significant annual event — tickets to the ceremony are government-issued, but the week surrounding it includes open lectures, exhibitions, and a Nobel Concert. Staying in Oslo during Nobel Week offers a distinctly different city atmosphere.
- ↑Oslo's Christmas market at Spikersuppa (Einar Gerhardsens plass) and the Julemarked at Frogner Park deliver genuine Norwegian Christmas atmosphere: gingerbread houses, hot gløgg, lutefisk, and a Christmas tree donated annually by Oslo to London (on display in Trafalgar Square — Oslo's most internationally visible gift). The markets are not as large as German Christmas markets but feel more authentic.
- ↑If snow arrives (typically December, though timing varies year to year), the Nordmarka cross-country trails light up with headlamp skiers from after-work on weeknights — uniquely Norwegian urban winter culture.
What you sacrifice
- ↓Just 1.6 hours of usable daylight per day — December beats even January's darkness. The sun barely crests the horizon before setting again, and the combination of cold, dark, and Christmas prices makes Oslo in December an expensive proposition requiring psychological preparation.
- ↓Christmas week and New Year's Eve drive hotel prices sharply upward. The Nobel Peace Prize ceremony week (around December 10) also tightens accommodation availability in central Oslo.
How December compares to May (best month)
| Factor | December | May ★ |
|---|---|---|
| Weather | 4 | 8 |
| Value | 5 | 6 |
| Crowds | 5 | 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)Las Vegas (14.7°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)Auckland (22°C)
Climate data: 30-year normals (1991–2020) from Open Meteo ERA5 reanalysis. Scores compare months within Oslo, not across destinations. Methodology →