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When to go · Bucharest

Bucharest in December

Good month. Cold; Christmas market and lights.

Key facts

Verdict
Good
Temperature
4°C (39°F) / −2°C (28°F)
average high / low
Rain days
10
Crowds
Medium
Romania overall
Prices
Medium
Romania overall

Verdict

GoodVoykit month rating for Bucharest

Cold; Christmas market and lights.

All twelve months in one grid — weather, crowds and prices, with gaps left as unknown.

Is another month better than December?

December is rated good. These months rate higher:

Weather in December

Long-term averages
  • BucharestHighs around 4 °C (39 °F), lows around -2 °C (28 °F), rain on about 10 days
  • Bucharest and the southern plain, Romania · Bucharest, Wallachia, Craiova, the Danube townscool

    Continental: summers regularly reach 35–40 °C (95–104 °F) and winters bring snow and –10 °C (50 °F) cold snaps. May–June and September–October are the comfortable windows.

Winter season

The Christmas market in Piața Constituției and festive lights along Calea Victoriei.

Watch: Genuinely cold, sometimes well below freezing; short daylight hours.

Festivals and holidays

Dates as our data lists them. Moving holidays (lunar and Islamic calendars, Easter) shift every year: check the date for your year before you build a trip on it.

  • National Day

    1 December · Arcul de Triumf and central boulevards

    Military parade; road closures near the Arc and museums are busy.

  • Christmas market

    Late November to late December · Piața Constituției, other squares

    Stalls, mulled wine and lights; crowded Old Town restaurants in the evenings.

  • Revolution anniversary

    21–22 December · Revolution Square

    Ceremonies and road closures around the square.

  • Christmas and New Year

    25 December – 1 January · Citywide

    Many restaurants and some museums close for part of the period; hotel prices rise.

  • St Andrew's Day and Great Union Day (National Day)

    30 Nov – 1 Dec · Romania

    Two-day holiday; military parade in Bucharest at the Arc de Triumf on 1 December; mountain resorts busy.

  • Christmas big impact

    25–26 Dec · Romania

    Family days; most shops and many restaurants close. Carol singers go house to house on Christmas Eve.

Crowds and prices

Crowds · Romania overall
Medium
Prices · Romania overall
Medium

Romania overall: Christmas markets in Sibiu, Brașov and Bucharest; carol singing and village customs; ski season starts mid-month.

Compare two months

Weather, crowds and prices for any two months in Bucharest, side by side.

  • Verdict

    Dec: Good

    May: Great (better)

  • Daytime high

    Dec: 4 °C (39 °F)

    May: 23 °C (73 °F)

  • Night low

    Dec: -2 °C (28 °F)

    May: 11 °C (52 °F)

  • Rain days

    Dec: 10 (better)

    May: 12

  • Crowds

    Dec: Medium

    May: Medium

  • Prices

    Dec: Medium

    May: Medium

  • Festivals listed

    Dec: 6

    May: 3

December: Cold; Christmas market and lights.

May: Warm and green; good month.

Bucharest: figures are long-term averages from this guide, not a forecast.

What to pack

  • A warm coat, hat and gloves for mornings and evenings
  • A rain jacket or umbrella and shoes that dry fast
  • Layers: a fleece or light jacket

Build the full packing list for your trip →

Across Romania in December →