Santiago · Chile
December
Summer returns — hot, dry, and the city buzzing toward the Christmas and New Year festive season.
Strong option
#9 of 12 months
There are better months for Santiago — see the full ranking below.
See when to go instead →Climate
High
29°C
Low
13°C
Rain
5mm
Sun
10.5hrs/day
30-year climate normals · Open Meteo ERA5
How December scores in Santiago
Weather
Very good
Value
Above average
Crowds
Above average
Events
Good
Atmosphere
Very good
What you gain in December
- ↑December's long summer evenings (sunset after 9pm) make evening dining and outdoor culture exceptionally pleasant. The rooftop bar at the W Hotel in Las Condes, the restaurant terraces in Barrio Italia, and the night market at the Barrio Bellavista start becoming the city's main evening venues as the temperature stays warm into the night.
- ↑The Christmas and New Year season brings festive markets and events to the Plaza de Armas and the Providencia retail streets. Parque Arauco and Mall Costanera Center have elaborate Christmas displays. The city has a genuine festive energy.
What you sacrifice
- ↓December's 29°C and the approach of summer means the smog risk reappears occasionally (though less severely than winter) and the midday heat returns to limit outdoor exploration from about 11am–5pm. The summer pattern of late nights and late mornings that the city adapts to can be disorienting for first-time visitors.
- ↓Prices rise toward the summer season levels and the domestic Chilean holiday calendar means some businesses and government services begin operating on holiday hours from mid-December.
How December compares to March (best month)
| Factor | December | March ★ |
|---|---|---|
| Weather | 7 | 9 |
| Value | 5 | 6 |
| Crowds | 5 | 6 |
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)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 Santiago, not across destinations. Methodology →