bigfootwanders
Where to go in December / Denmark in December / Zealand / December

Denmark · Beach

Zealand
in December.

Illustration of Roskilde Fjord viewed toward distant cathedral spires
Roskilde Fjord, ZealandDestination view, not month-specific.

Is December a good time?

Temperature unit

Cold days.
Fewer overnight stays than November.

December averages 43°F afternoons and 43°F seas, with about 13 rain days.

Afternoons
43°F
Sea
43°F
Visitor demand
15%of July peak

Historical Sjælland regional averages, not a forecast or a measure of queues. Overnight demand compares average stays per day. Covers Roskilde; conditions vary within the region.

Overall match

3.0/10 · scores & priorities

What matters most?

Weather 50% · Crowds 30% · Cost 20%

#12 of 12 months here · Balanced mix

Weather1.0/10Poor
CrowdsLow seasonvs its own year; overnight stays do not measure queuesFor its size, quieter than most of Europe this month
CostExpensivefor Europe; Denmark-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 43°F (6°C): a warm coat; nights around 34°F (1°C): a winter coat, hat and gloves. Bring rain gear: about 13 days with at least 1 mm of rain. About 7 hours of daylight.

Can I swim in December?

The sea averages 43°F. Our swimming guide: very cold: wetsuit weather. 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 7 hours of daylight.

Sunrise 08:33Sunset 15:4334°F43°F00:0006:0012:0018:0024:00

The sun rises about 08:33 and sets about 15:43 (local time, mid-month). Mornings start around 34°F (1°C); afternoons reach about 43°F (6°C). Expect rain on about 13 days in a typical December.

Typical afternoon
43°F (6°C)
average daily high, 15 recent Decembers
Night low
34°F (1°C)
average daily minimum
Sea
43°F (6°C)
very cold; open water near the coast, NOAA satellite record 2011–2025
Daylight
7h 10m
on the 15th, computed from latitude

Early, middle or late?

Early or late December?

Early and late December have similar afternoon averages. The afternoon high averages 44°F on the 1st, versus 42°F on the 31st. Historical wet-day frequency rises from 40% to 45% between those dates.

Early December 1 December

44°F

Typical afternoon high

40% historical wet-day frequency

Mid December 15 December

43°F

Typical afternoon high

43% historical wet-day frequency

Late December 31 December

42°F

Typical afternoon high

45% 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.

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.

MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
144°243°343°443°543°643°
743°843°943°1043°1143°1243°1343°
1443°1543°1643°1743°1843°1943°2044°
2144°2244°2344°2444°2544°2644°2743°
2843°2943°3042°3142°

Afternoon high rain likely (25%+) local school holidays public holiday event

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.

Afternoons hold at about 43°F (6°C) all month. The chance of a wet day runs 39–46%.

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 15% of July's overnight stays per day. Fewer overnight stays than November.

Overnight stays across Sjælland 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 below 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.

Denmark as a whole
Well above EU average
2024 restaurants and hotels price level: 148 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 37°F (3°C) and 48°F (9°C); in 12 of them they were within 3°F (1.5°C) of the typical 43°F (6°C). Rain days ranged from 8 to 17; half the years had 12–15.

Rain days in each December

Historical rain days; exact figures in the table below. 2011: 15 rain days1520112012: 16 rain days162013: 15 rain days152014: 15 rain days152015: 17 rain days172016: 8 rain days82017: 13 rain days132018: 13 rain days132019: 11 rain days112020: 14 rain days142021: 12 rain days122022: 12 rain days122023: 17 rain days172024: 12 rain days122025: 8 rain days82025
Rain days
13
at least 1 mm, typical year; about 16 in a wet year
Mostly sunny days
1 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
0 of 31
rated very good or better
See every recorded DecemberHistorical monthly averages, year by year Show detailsHide details
Historical monthly averages, not daily extremes.
YearAfternoon highRain days
201144°F15
201237°F16
201345°F15
201442°F15
201548°F17
201644°F8
201743°F13
201844°F13
201945°F11
202044°F14
202141°F12
202240°F12
202342°F17
202445°F12
202545°F8

Checked against 8 local weather stations. How we check

Compare dates

November, December
or January?

Historical regional averages. Overnight demand vs July peak, measured as average stays per day.
Typical conditionsNovDecJan
Afternoons48°F43°F40°F
Sea49°F43°F39°F
Rain days101313
Overnight demand20%15%15%

November: Warmer afternoons, warmer sea and fewer rain days than December. More overnight demand. November guide →

January: Cooler afternoons and cooler sea than December. 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 October have a Weather score at least 1.0 point higher than December, but more overnight stays.

Your comparison

December or November?

Overnight stays are 20% of the busiest month.

National hotel prices and local visitor demand suggest well below usual. No measured regional room rate is available.

Read the November guide →
December compared with another month
Typical conditionsDecemberNovember
Afternoons43°F48°F
Nights34°F39°F
Sea43°F49°F
Rain days1310
Visitor seasonLow seasonLow season
Overall / 103.03.0
Month rank#12#11
Every month, in detail Show detailsHide details
All 12 months. Scores and ranks follow your priorities. Explore the whole year.
MonthOverallRankHighLowSeaRain daysWeatherVisitor season
January3.0#940°F30°F39°F131.0Low season
February3.0#1041°F30°F37°F81.0Low season
March3.1#846°F32°F39°F71.1Low season
April4.5#754°F38°F44°F63.0Moderate season
May5.5#463°F45°F52°F95.3Moderate season
June5.9#170°F53°F60°F97.0Moderate season
July5.1#572°F56°F64°F127.3Peak season
August5.7#372°F56°F65°F107.4Busy season
September5.9#266°F52°F61°F95.9Moderate season
October4.6#657°F46°F55°F122.6Low season
November3.0#1148°F39°F49°F101.0Low season
December3.0#1243°F34°F43°F131.0Low 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.

Elsewhere in Europe

Better December weather than Zealand

Zealand's weather ranks 68 of 77 beach regions this month. These beach regions outside Denmark have clearly better weather on your dates, nearest first, each compared with Zealand.

All of Denmark in December · Everywhere in December

How we knowSources, regional scope & scoring method Show detailsHide details

It's low season, 15% of the busiest month and 62% below its average month. That means about 3,400 overnight visitors on a typical December night across the region, 82% of them from Denmark itself. Rentals booked through Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor add up to 1,300 more: 37 for every 100 counted above. Some are the same properties counted twice.

Climate suitability (HCI:Beach, 0–100)32
How our weather was checked8 open weather stations in this region, January and July: afternoon highs typically within 1°F (0.5°C), night lows within 1°F (0.7°C).
Tourist nights per 1,000 residents per day4
Busiest month hereJuly · 26
Visitors as share of people present0.4%
Rank among Europe's regions this month18th percentile
Domestic share of nights82%
Platform rental nights per 100 counted nights37
Visitor share if every platform night were extra0.5%
National hotel-price seasonDenmark historical 2024–2025 index: A little below usual (−6% vs its average month). Not a local room quote.
Population used855,000
Statistical regionDK02 · Sjælland

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: Eurostat nights booked via Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor, 2024–2025 average, shown separately because some properties are in both counts. 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.