Early December 1 December
58°F
Typical afternoon high
42% historical wet-day frequency
Albania · Countryside
Tirana & central Albania
in December.
Is December a good time?
Cool days.
Fewer overnight stays than November.
December averages 56°F afternoons and 63°F seas, with about 11 rain days. Later December is typically cooler.
- Afternoons
- 56°F
- Sea
- 63°F
- Visitor demand
- 26%of August peak
Historical Qender regional averages, not a forecast or a measure of queues. Overnight demand compares average stays per day. Covers Tirana and Elbasan; conditions vary within the region.
Overall match
8.0/10 · scores & prioritiesWhat matters most?
Weather 50% · Crowds 30% · Cost 20%
#8 of 12 months here · Balanced mix
Weather6.3/10Good
CrowdsLow seasonvs its own year; overnight stays do not measure queuesFor its size, quieter than most of Europe this month
CostCheapfor Europe; Albania-wide price level
Overall combines weather, overnight demand and cost. It does not include sea temperature.
Plan your December
What to expect.
What should I pack?
Afternoons around 56°F (13°C): a sweater and a light jacket; nights around 40°F (4°C): a warm coat. Bring rain gear: about 11 days with at least 1 mm of rain. About 9 hours of daylight.
Can I swim in December?
The sea averages 63°F. Our swimming guide: cold: short dips, or a wetsuit. Your comfort will vary. This is open water near the coast, not a beach-specific reading.
Monthly coastal averages from NOAA, 2011–2025. Sea temperature is separate from the weather and Overall scores.
A typical day: temperatures & daylightAfternoons, nights, sea temperature & daylight Show detailsHide details
About 9 hours of daylight.
The sun rises about 06:58 and sets about 16:12 (local time, mid-month). Mornings start around 40°F (4°C); afternoons reach about 56°F (13°C). Expect rain on about 11 days in a typical December.
Typical afternoon
56°F (13°C)
average daily high, 15 recent Decembers
Night low
40°F (4°C)
average daily minimum
Sea
63°F (17°C)
cold; open water near the coast, NOAA satellite record 2011–2025
Daylight
9h 14m
on the 15th, computed from latitude
Early, middle or late?
Early or late December?
Early December is typically warmer. The afternoon high averages 58°F on the 1st, versus 54°F on the 31st. Historical wet-day frequency falls from 42% to 24% between those dates.
Mid December 15 December
56°F
Typical afternoon high
32% historical wet-day frequency
Late December 31 December
54°F
Typical afternoon high
24% historical wet-day frequency
Historical daily averages from 2011–2025, smoothed over two weeks. A seasonal pattern, not a forecast. This does not establish which week has the lowest prices or fewest visitors.
Public holidays · 2026: 8 Dec Youth Day; 25 Dec Christmas Day.
Daily calendar & holiday datesDecember 2026 · historical weather & dated holidays Show calendarHide calendar
December 2026 calendar
Weather shows historical patterns, not a forecast. Holidays and events use the dates shown for 2026.
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 158° | 258° | 358° | 458° | 558° | 657° | |
| 757° | 857° | 957° | 1057° | 1157° | 1256° | 1356° |
| 1456° | 1556° | 1656° | 1756° | 1856° | 1956° | 2056° |
| 2156° | 2256° | 2355° | 2455° | 2555° | 2655° | 2755° |
| 2855° | 2955° | 3055° | 3154° |
Afternoon high rain likely (25%+) local school holidays public holiday event
Afternoons cool from about 58°F (14°C) in the first week to 55°F (13°C) in the last. The chance of a wet day runs 18–44%.
School-holiday dates for December 2026 aren't available in our data yet. A day without a school marker doesn't mean schools are open. Public holidays: 8 Dec Youth Day; 25 Dec Christmas Day. Elsewhere in December 2026, the share of people living where schools are out on a typical day: France 39%, Germany 29%, Italy 35%, Spain 32%. (School holidays: OpenHolidays, ODbL.)
Crowds and cost
Visitor season
Will it be busy?
Low season. December averages 26% of August's overnight stays per day. Fewer overnight stays than November.
Overnight stays across Qender do not measure queues, day visitors or congestion at individual sights. For its size, quieter than most of Europe this month.
Hotel price season
Will it be cheaper?
A little above usual. Estimated from national hotel prices and local visitor demand; no measured regional room rate is available.
Fewer overnight stays do not automatically mean cheaper rooms. Check actual quotes for your trip.
Albania as a whole
Well below EU average
2024 restaurants and hotels price level: 52 where the EU average is 100. A relative index, not a room rate.
Year-to-year variation
How much does December vary?
Across the recorded years
In the 15 years from 2011 to 2025, the month's afternoons averaged between 53°F (12°C) and 61°F (16°C); in 10 of them they were within 3°F (1.5°C) of the typical 56°F (13°C). Rain days ranged from 0 to 14; half the years had 5–13.
Rain days in each December
Rain days
11
at least 1 mm, typical year; about 14 in a wet year
Mostly sunny days
11 of 31
cloud cover under 30%
Years with a 95°F+ day
0 of 15
no December in the last 15 years had a day at or above 95°F (35°C)
Good weather days
18 of 31
rated very good or better
See every recorded DecemberHistorical monthly averages, year by year Show detailsHide details
| Year | Afternoon high | Rain days |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 55°F | 14 |
| 2012 | 53°F | 14 |
| 2013 | 56°F | 5 |
| 2014 | 56°F | 11 |
| 2015 | 57°F | 0 |
| 2016 | 53°F | 0 |
| 2017 | 54°F | 14 |
| 2018 | 54°F | 11 |
| 2019 | 58°F | 12 |
| 2020 | 59°F | 11 |
| 2021 | 54°F | 12 |
| 2022 | 61°F | 10 |
| 2023 | 58°F | 8 |
| 2024 | 56°F | 13 |
| 2025 | 59°F | 4 |
Checked against official climate averages for Tirana. How we check
Compare dates
November, December
or January?
| Typical conditions | Nov | Dec | Jan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 64°F | 56°F | 53°F |
| Sea | 68°F | 63°F | 59°F |
| Rain days | 10 | 11 | 11 |
| Overnight demand | 38% | 26% | 22% |
November: Warmer afternoons and warmer sea than December. More overnight demand. November guide →
January: Cooler afternoons and cooler sea than December. Less overnight demand. January guide →
Overnight demand measures accommodation stays, not queues. Sea temperatures are monthly coastal averages.
Compare any of the 12 monthsChoose another month and compare it with December Show comparisonHide comparison
Yellow marks the top three months on the Balanced mix. December stays as your reference.
April to July and September to November have a Weather score at least 1.0 point higher than December, but more overnight stays.
Your comparison
December or November?
Overnight stays are 38% of the busiest month.
National hotel prices and local visitor demand suggest a little above usual. No measured regional room rate is available.
Read the November guide →| Typical conditions | December | November |
|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 56°F | 64°F |
| Nights | 40°F | 48°F |
| Sea | 63°F | 68°F |
| Rain days | 11 | 10 |
| Visitor season | Low season | Moderate season |
| Overall / 10 | 8.0 | 8.2 |
| Month rank | #8 | #5 |
Every month, in detail Show detailsHide details
| Month | Overall | Rank | High | Low | Sea | Rain days | Weather | Visitor season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7.6 | #10 | 53°F | 37°F | 59°F | 11 | 5.6 | Low season |
| February | 8.0 | #9 | 57°F | 40°F | 59°F | 9 | 6.2 | Low season |
| March | 8.3 | #4 | 62°F | 43°F | 59°F | 11 | 7.1 | Low season |
| April | 8.7 | #3 | 69°F | 49°F | 61°F | 7 | 8.8 | Moderate season |
| May | 8.9 | #2 | 76°F | 55°F | 66°F | 9 | 9.4 | Moderate season |
| June | 8.1 | #7 | 85°F | 63°F | 73°F | 4 | 8.4 | Busy season |
| July | 7.1 | #11 | 90°F | 67°F | 77°F | 2 | 7.4 | Peak season |
| August | 6.8 | #12 | 91°F | 67°F | 79°F | 3 | 7.2 | Peak season |
| September | 8.1 | #6 | 82°F | 61°F | 76°F | 6 | 8.6 | Busy season |
| October | 9.2 | #1 | 73°F | 54°F | 72°F | 8 | 9.6 | Moderate season |
| November | 8.2 | #5 | 64°F | 48°F | 68°F | 10 | 7.3 | Moderate season |
| December | 8.0 | #8 | 56°F | 40°F | 63°F | 11 | 6.3 | Low season |
Near here
Nearby places in December
Nearby regions, nearest first. Distances are centre to centre, as the crow flies; they are not road distances or journey times.
Albanian Riviera & the southAlbania · about 50 miles
Balanced Overall 5.1 · Fair weather, 55°F (13°C) · Off season · Cost cheap
Northern Albaniaabout 60 miles
Balanced Overall 6.9 · Good weather, 54°F (12°C) · Off season · Cost cheap
Thessaloniki & HalkidikiGreece · about 150 miles
Balanced Overall 4.8 · Poor weather, 54°F (12°C) · Off season · Cost cheap
Corfu & the Ionian IslandsGreece · about 170 miles
Balanced Overall 5.3 · Fair weather, 61°F (16°C) · Off season · Cost cheap
PugliaItaly · about 180 miles
Balanced Overall 5.5 · Fair weather, 58°F (15°C) · Off season · Cost moderate
Elsewhere in Europe
Better December weather than Tirana & central Albania
Tirana & central Albania's weather ranks 4 of 117 countryside regions this month. These countryside regions outside Albania have clearly better weather on your dates, nearest first, each compared with Tirana & central Albania.
How we knowSources, regional scope & scoring method Show detailsHide details
It's low season, 26% of the busiest month and 49% below its average month. That means about 4,700 overnight visitors on a typical December night across the region, 27% of them from Albania itself.
| Climate suitability (HCI:Urban, 0–100) | 66 |
| How our weather was checked | Official climate averages for Tirana from the national weather service, every month: afternoon highs typically within 1°F (0.7°C), night lows within 2°F (1.1°C). |
| Tourist nights per 1,000 residents per day | 5 |
| Busiest month here | August · 18 |
| Visitors as share of people present | 0.5% |
| Rank among Europe's regions this month | 23rd percentile |
| Domestic share of nights | 27% |
| Platform rental nights per 100 counted nights | — |
| Visitor share if every platform night were extra | — |
| National hotel-price season | Albania historical 2024–2025 index: About usual (+2% vs its average month). Not a local room quote. |
| Population used | 987,000 |
| Statistical region | AL02 · Qender |
Crowds: Eurostat nights spent at tourist accommodation, by month and NUTS 2 region, 2024–2025 average. Overnight visitors per night is the month's nights divided by its days; the per-1,000 figure is Eurostat's, against each year's population. Platform rentals: no complete matching Eurostat platform-rental year is available here. Weather: Holiday Climate Index computed from ERA5 reanalysis with daily highs, night lows and rain days corrected from open national weather-service station records, 2011–2025, population-weighted to the region; day-by-day figures are the same data averaged by date. Heat and rain odds are counted across those years. Sunrise and sunset: NOAA solar equations, local time. Prices: Eurostat price level index and HICP, national. Full method · this region's data.