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Where to go in December / Italy in December / Venice & the Veneto / December

Italy · Beach

Venice & the Veneto
in December.

Illustration of Grand Canal toward Santa Maria della Salute from an Accademia-style viewpoint
Venice’s Grand CanalDestination view, not month-specific.

Is December a good time?

Temperature unit

Cool days.
Similar overnight stays to November.

December averages 50°F afternoons and 56°F seas, with about 6 rain days. Later December is typically cooler.

Afternoons
50°F
Sea
56°F
Visitor demand
16%of August peak

Historical Veneto regional averages, not a forecast or a measure of queues. Overnight demand compares average stays per day. The whole Veneto: Venice and its lagoon, Verona, Padua, the east shore of Lake Garda, the Dolomites around Cortina, and the beach resorts of Jesolo, Caorle and Bibione. The beaches empty after summer, so Venice itself stays busier in spring and autumn than these regional figures show.

Overall match

4.0/10 · scores & priorities

Planning to sightsee in Venice? The weather score rates beach conditions. Sightseeing rates good (5.9/10).

What matters most?

Weather 50% · Crowds 30% · Cost 20%

#11 of 12 months here · Balanced mix

Weather2.0/10Poor
CrowdsLow seasonvs its own year; overnight stays do not measure queuesFor its size, busier than most of Europe this month
CostModeratefor Europe; Italy-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 50°F (10°C): a sweater and a light jacket; nights around 35°F (2°C): a winter coat, hat and gloves. About 9 hours of daylight. About 6 rain days in a typical December.

Can I swim in December?

The sea averages 56°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 9 hours of daylight.

Sunrise 07:46Sunset 16:2935°F50°F00:0006:0012:0018:0024:00

The sun rises about 07:46 and sets about 16:29 (local time, mid-month). Mornings start around 35°F (2°C); afternoons reach about 50°F (10°C). Expect rain on about 6 days in a typical December.

Typical afternoon
50°F (10°C)
average daily high, 15 recent Decembers
Night low
35°F (2°C)
average daily minimum
Sea
56°F (13°C)
very cold; open water near the coast, NOAA satellite record 2011–2025
Daylight
8h 43m
on the 15th, computed from latitude

Early, middle or late?

Early or late December?

Early December is typically warmer. The afternoon high averages 51°F on the 1st, versus 49°F on the 31st. Historical wet-day frequency falls from 25% to 19% between those dates.

Early December 1 December

51°F

Typical afternoon high

25% historical wet-day frequency

Mid December 15 December

49°F

Typical afternoon high

17% historical wet-day frequency

Late December 31 December

49°F

Typical afternoon high

19% 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 Immaculate Conception; 25 Dec Christmas Day; 26 Dec St. Stephen's 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.

MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
151°251°351°450°550°650°
750°850°950°1050°1150°1250°1350°
1449°1549°1649°1750°1850°1950°2050°
2150°2250°2350°2450°2549°2649°2749°
2849°2949°3049°3149°

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

Afternoons cool from about 50°F (10°C) in the first week to 49°F (10°C) in the last. The chance of a wet day runs 13–25%. Local schools are out 5–31 December 2026.

Schools here are off 5–31 December 2026 (bridge day (immacolata) and Christmas holidays). Public holidays: 8 Dec Immaculate Conception; 25 Dec Christmas Day; 26 Dec St. Stephen's Day. Elsewhere in December 2026, the share of people living where schools are out on a typical day: France 39%, Germany 29%, Spain 32%, Netherlands 42%. (School holidays: official calendar, compiled by Bigfoot Wanders; other countries from OpenHolidays, ODbL.)

Crowds, cost and getting there

Visitor season

Will it be busy?

Low season. December averages 16% of August's overnight stays per day. Similar overnight stays to November.

Overnight stays across Veneto do not measure queues, day visitors or congestion at individual sights. For its size, busier than most of Europe this month.

Hotel price season

Will it be cheaper?

Well below usual. The regional index has no room-rate baseline in euros.

Fewer overnight stays do not automatically mean cheaper rooms. Check actual quotes for your trip.

Italy as a whole
Above EU average
2024 restaurants and hotels price level: 107 where the EU average is 100. A relative index, not a room rate.
Recorded US nonstop flights · 2024
Recorded this month
from New York JFK; 2024 schedule, Eurostat

The hotel-season index is regional (ISTAT, NIC consumer price index for accommodation services (ECOICOP 112), by region); the country price level is national. Neither is a room quote.

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 46°F (8°C) and 52°F (11°C); in 14 of them they were within 3°F (1.5°C) of the typical 50°F (10°C). Rain days ranged from 0 to 12; half the years had 3–8.

Rain days in each December

Historical rain days; exact figures in the table below. 2011: 4 rain days420112012: 7 rain days72013: 3 rain days32014: 10 rain days102015: 0 rain days02016: 0 rain days02017: 8 rain days82018: 2 rain days22019: 8 rain days82020: 12 rain days122021: 6 rain days62022: 9 rain days92023: 5 rain days52024: 6 rain days62025: 5 rain days52025
Rain days
6
at least 1 mm, typical year; about 10 in a wet year
Mostly sunny days
8 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
1 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
201149°F4
201246°F7
201351°F3
201450°F10
201551°F0
201650°F0
201747°F8
201849°F2
201951°F8
202049°F12
202149°F6
202250°F9
202351°F5
202450°F6
202552°F5

Checked against official climate averages for Venezia Tessera. 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
Afternoons57°F50°F48°F
Sea62°F56°F51°F
Rain days965
Overnight demand17%16%15%

November: Warmer afternoons, warmer sea and more rain days than December. November guide →

January: 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.

March and November have 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 17% of the busiest month.

Historical regional hotel-price season: a little below usual. There is no room-rate baseline in euros.

Read the November guide →
December compared with another month
Typical conditionsDecemberNovember
Afternoons50°F57°F
Nights35°F43°F
Sea56°F62°F
Rain days69
Visitor seasonLow seasonLow season
Overall / 104.05.1
Month rank#11#9
Every month, in detail Show detailsHide details
All 12 months. Scores and ranks follow your priorities. Explore the whole year.
MonthOverallRankHighLowSeaRain daysWeatherVisitor season
January3.6#1248°F33°F51°F51.6Low season
February4.0#1052°F36°F49°F62.0Low season
March6.2#859°F41°F51°F64.2Low season
April6.8#567°F47°F57°F86.0Low season
May6.8#473°F55°F65°F126.9Moderate season
June7.2#183°F64°F74°F88.7Busy season
July6.7#687°F67°F79°F88.7Peak season
August6.5#787°F67°F80°F88.6Peak season
September7.2#277°F60°F75°F88.4Busy season
October6.9#367°F52°F68°F86.3Low season
November5.1#957°F43°F62°F93.1Low season
December4.0#1150°F35°F56°F62.0Low 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 Venice & the Veneto

Venice & the Veneto's weather ranks 46 of 77 beach regions this month. These beach regions outside Italy have clearly better weather on your dates, nearest first, each compared with Venice & the Veneto.

All of Italy in December · Everywhere in December

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

It's low season, 16% of the busiest month and 63% below its average month. That means about 74,000 overnight visitors on a typical December night across the region, 52% of them from Italy itself. Rentals booked through Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor add up to 16,000 more: 22 for every 100 counted above. Some are the same properties counted twice.

Climate suitability (HCI:Beach, 0–100)45
How our weather was checkedOfficial climate averages for Venezia Tessera from the national weather service, every month: afternoon highs typically within 2°F (1.0°C), night lows within 1°F (0.7°C).
Tourist nights per 1,000 residents per day15
Busiest month hereAugust · 95
Visitors as share of people present1.5%
Rank among Europe's regions this month81st percentile
Domestic share of nights52%
Platform rental nights per 100 counted nights22
Visitor share if every platform night were extra1.8%
Regional hotel-price seasonWell below usual (−10% vs this region's average month). Historical index from ISTAT, NIC consumer price index for accommodation services (ECOICOP 112), by region; no euro room-rate baseline.
Population used4.9 million
Statistical regionITH3 · Veneto

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; the first figure is regional (ISTAT, NIC consumer price index for accommodation services (ECOICOP 112), by region). Full method · this region's data.