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Where to go in December / Greece in December / Epirus / December

Greece · Mountains

Epirus
in December.

Illustration of Vikos Gorge from the Oxya viewpoint
Vikos Gorge, EpirusDestination view, not month-specific.

Is December a good time?

Temperature unit

Cool days.
More overnight stays than November.

December averages 54°F afternoons and 65°F seas, with about 12 rain days. Later December is typically cooler.

Afternoons
54°F
Sea
65°F
Visitor demand
17%of August peak

Historical Ipeiros regional averages, not a forecast or a measure of queues. Overnight demand compares average stays per day. Covers Ioannina, Zagori and Parga; conditions vary within the region.

Overall match

7.2/10 · scores & priorities

This weather score measures sightseeing comfort. Snow and ski conditions need a separate check.

What matters most?

Weather 50% · Crowds 30% · Cost 20%

#8 of 12 months here · Balanced mix

Weather5.6/10Good
CrowdsLow seasonvs its own year; overnight stays do not measure queuesFor its size, typical for Europe this month
CostModeratefor Europe; Greece-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 54°F (12°C): a sweater and a light jacket; nights around 38°F (3°C): a warm coat. Bring rain gear: about 12 days with at least 1 mm of rain. About 9 hours of daylight.

Can I swim in December?

The sea averages 65°F. Our swimming guide: fresh: fine once you are in. 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.

Sunrise 07:50Sunset 17:1438°F54°F00:0006:0012:0018:0024:00

The sun rises about 07:50 and sets about 17:14 (local time, mid-month). Mornings start around 38°F (3°C); afternoons reach about 54°F (12°C). Expect rain on about 12 days in a typical December.

Typical afternoon
54°F (12°C)
average daily high, 15 recent Decembers
Night low
38°F (3°C)
average daily minimum
Sea
65°F (18°C)
fresh; open water near the coast, NOAA satellite record 2011–2025
Daylight
9h 24m
on the 15th, computed from latitude

Early, middle or late?

Early or late December?

Early December is typically warmer. The afternoon high averages 56°F on the 1st, versus 52°F on the 31st. Historical wet-day frequency falls from 46% to 29% between those dates.

Early December 1 December

56°F

Typical afternoon high

46% historical wet-day frequency

Mid December 15 December

54°F

Typical afternoon high

34% historical wet-day frequency

Late December 31 December

52°F

Typical afternoon high

29% 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: 25 Dec Christmas Day; 26 Dec Glorifying Mother of God.

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
156°256°356°456°555°655°
755°855°955°1055°1155°1255°1354°
1454°1554°1654°1754°1854°1954°2054°
2154°2254°2353°2453°2553°2653°2753°
2853°2953°3053°3152°

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

Afternoons cool from about 56°F (13°C) in the first week to 53°F (11°C) in the last. The chance of a wet day runs 23–48%. Local schools are out 24–31 December 2026.

Schools here are off 24–31 December 2026 (Christmas holidays). Public holidays: 25 Dec Christmas Day; 26 Dec Glorifying Mother of God. 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: official calendar, compiled by Bigfoot Wanders; other countries from OpenHolidays, ODbL.)

Crowds and cost

Visitor season

Will it be busy?

Low season. December averages 17% of August's overnight stays per day. More overnight stays than November.

Overnight stays across Ipeiros do not measure queues, day visitors or congestion at individual sights. For its size, typical for Europe this month.

Hotel price season

Will it be cheaper?

About 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.

Greece as a whole
Below EU average
2024 restaurants and hotels price level: 86 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 51°F (10°C) and 58°F (15°C); in 10 of them they were within 3°F (1.5°C) of the typical 54°F (12°C). Rain days ranged from 0 to 17; half the years had 7–15.

Rain days in each December

Historical rain days; exact figures in the table below. 2011: 17 rain days1720112012: 15 rain days152013: 5 rain days52014: 12 rain days122015: 0 rain days02016: 1 rain days12017: 16 rain days162018: 11 rain days112019: 11 rain days112020: 16 rain days162021: 12 rain days122022: 13 rain days132023: 10 rain days102024: 13 rain days132025: 7 rain days72025
Rain days
12
at least 1 mm, typical year; about 16 in a wet year
Mostly sunny days
9 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
15 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
201152°F17
201251°F15
201353°F5
201455°F12
201556°F0
201651°F1
201752°F16
201852°F11
201955°F11
202056°F16
202152°F12
202258°F13
202357°F10
202454°F13
202557°F7

Checked against official climate averages for Ioannina. How we check

Compare dates

November, December
or January?

Historical regional averages. Overnight demand vs August peak, measured as average stays per day.
Typical conditionsNovDecJan
Afternoons62°F54°F51°F
Sea69°F65°F61°F
Rain days111213
Overnight demand11%17%13%

November: Warmer afternoons and warmer sea than December. Less 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 has a Weather score at least 1.0 point higher than December, without a substantially busier visitor season.

Your comparison

December or November?

Overnight stays are 11% of the busiest month.

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

Read the November guide →
December compared with another month
Typical conditionsDecemberNovember
Afternoons54°F62°F
Nights38°F46°F
Sea65°F69°F
Rain days1211
Visitor seasonLow seasonLow season
Overall / 107.27.2
Month rank#8#7
Every month, in detail Show detailsHide details
All 12 months. Scores and ranks follow your priorities. Explore the whole year.
MonthOverallRankHighLowSeaRain daysWeatherVisitor season
January7.0#951°F36°F61°F135.0Low season
February6.8#1055°F38°F60°F95.5Low season
March7.6#660°F41°F60°F106.5Low season
April8.4#368°F46°F62°F78.5Low season
May8.7#275°F52°F67°F89.4Low season
June7.7#584°F60°F73°F48.8Busy season
July6.7#1191°F65°F77°F17.7Busy season
August6.4#1290°F64°F80°F37.8Peak season
September7.9#481°F59°F78°F59.1Busy season
October8.8#171°F51°F73°F79.3Low season
November7.2#762°F46°F69°F116.5Low season
December7.2#854°F38°F65°F125.6Low 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

Same dates, elsewhere in Europe

Epirus' weather ranks 5 of 28 mountain regions this month. We found no mountain regions outside Greece with a weather score at least 1.0 point higher on these dates.

All of Greece in December · Everywhere in December

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

It's low season, 17% of the busiest month and 55% below its average month. That means about 4,000 overnight visitors on a typical December night across the region, 92% of them from Greece itself. Rentals booked through Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor add up to 1,200 more: 29 for every 100 counted above. Some are the same properties counted twice.

Climate suitability (HCI:Urban, 0–100)63
How our weather was checkedOfficial climate averages for Ioannina from the national weather service, every month: afternoon highs typically within 1°F (0.7°C), night lows within 3°F (1.6°C).
Tourist nights per 1,000 residents per day12
Busiest month hereAugust · 72
Visitors as share of people present1.2%
Rank among Europe's regions this month73rd percentile
Domestic share of nights92%
Platform rental nights per 100 counted nights29
Visitor share if every platform night were extra1.6%
National hotel-price seasonGreece historical 2024–2025 index: A little below usual (−9% vs its average month). Not a local room quote.
Population used324,000
Statistical regionEL54 · Ipeiros

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.