Seychelles · Seychelles
December
Peak season with peak rain — the worst weather-to-price ratio of the year, but Christmas in the Indian Ocean has its own energy.
Worth considering
#12 of 12 months
There are better months for Seychelles — see the full ranking below.
See when to go instead →Climate
High
30°C
Low
25°C
Rain
238mm
Sun
6.5hrs/day
30-year climate normals · Open Meteo ERA5
How December scores in Seychelles
Weather
Above average
Value
Below average
Crowds
Below average
Events
Good
Atmosphere
Good
What you gain in December
- ↑West-facing beaches are at their calmest and most sheltered in December: the northwest monsoon protects the coastlines that define the Seychelles' postcard imagery, and in clear windows between the rain Beau Vallon, Anse Lazio, and Anse Source d'Argent deliver the flat, warm, gin-clear water that the Seychelles is famous for
- ↑Christmas and New Year in the Seychelles is a genuinely extraordinary experience for those with the budget: private island dinners under the stars, lagoon kayaking at dawn, and the sound of Sega music drifting from the beach bar create a festive experience with no European equivalent; the resort atmosphere in December is the most celebratory of the year
- ↑Seychelles New Year's Eve celebrations at the major resorts and on the Victoria waterfront (Mahé's capital) draw Seychellois and tourists alike; the fireworks over the harbour and the outdoor concerts at the Quay represent the island's annual social peak
What you sacrifice
- ↓December is the wettest month: 238mm is very heavy, second only to January, and sustained rain periods lasting 2–3 days are possible; the famous turquoise water and blue sky images of Seychelles are difficult to reproduce in December without significant luck
- ↓December is also the most expensive month: Christmas week accommodation at the best Seychelles properties (Fregate Island, North Island, Raffles Praslin) is extraordinary in cost and requires booking 6–12 months in advance; budget and mid-range travellers visiting in December will find the accommodation premium severe
- ↓The combination of northwest monsoon rain and Christmas crowds means December has both the worst weather and the most visitors of any month — the ratio of cost-to-experience is at its least favourable for any rational traveller who has a choice of month
How December compares to April (best month)
| Factor | December | April ★ |
|---|---|---|
| Weather | 5 | 9 |
| Value | 3 | 6 |
| Crowds | 3 | 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)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)Oslo (2°C)Auckland (22°C)
Climate data: 30-year normals (1991–2020) from Open Meteo ERA5 reanalysis. Scores compare months within Seychelles, not across destinations. Methodology →