When to go · Macau
Macau in December
Great month. Cool, clear and sunny; Christmas lights; weekends busy with Hong Kong visitors.
Key facts
- Verdict
- Great
- Crowds
- Medium
- Macau
- Prices
- Medium
- Macau
Verdict
Cool, clear and sunny; Christmas lights; weekends busy with Hong Kong visitors.
Is another month better than December?
No other month rates higher than December for Macau in this guide.
Weather in December
- Macau (Peninsula, Taipa, Cotai, Coloane) · The whole SARbest weather
Subtropical monsoon. Oct–Dec is dry, clear and 18–26 °C (64–79 °F); Jan–Feb cool and grey (can drop to 8–10 °C (46–50 °F) with no indoor heating in older buildings). Mar–Apr brings fog and drizzle that can delay ferries. May–Sep is 28–33 °C (82–91 °F) with 80%+ humidity, heavy showers and the typhoon peak Jul–Sep.Subtropical monsoon. Oct–Dec is dry, clear and 64–79 °F (18–26 °C); Jan–Feb cool and grey (can drop to 46–50 °F (8–10 °C) with no indoor heating in older buildings). Mar–Apr brings fog and drizzle that can delay ferries. May–Sep is 82–91 °F (28–33 °C) with 80%+ humidity, heavy showers and the typhoon peak Jul–Sep.
- Pearl River Delta neighbours · Hong Kong, Zhuhai, Hengqin, Shenzhenbest weather
Same weather system: a typhoon that stops Macau ferries also stops the bridge buses and Hong Kong's harbour. Winter haze from the mainland is possible Dec–Feb.
- Macau Peninsula20 °C (68 °F) / 14 °C (57 °F), 4 rain days68 °F (20 °C) / 57 °F (14 °C), 4 rain days
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.
All Souls' Day and Immaculate Conception
2 Nov and 8 Dec
Catholic public holidays; government offices closed.
Macau SAR Establishment Day
20 Dec
Public holiday marking the 1999 handover; flag ceremonies.
Winter Solstice and Christmas
21–22 Dec and 24–25 Dec
Resort light shows; Hong Kong visitors fill weekends.
Handover Anniversary and Christmas
Dec 20 and 25 · Macau Peninsula
Lights, markets and busy resorts; Dec 20 is a public holiday.
Crowds and prices
- Crowds · Macau
- Medium
- Prices · Macau
- Medium
Compare two months
Weather, crowds and prices for any two months in Macau, side by side.
Verdict
Dec: Great
Nov: Great
Crowds
Dec: Medium
Nov: Medium
Prices
Dec: Medium
Nov: High
Festivals listed
Dec: 4
Nov: 3
December: Cool, clear and sunny; Christmas lights; weekends busy with Hong Kong visitors.
November: Dry and clear, 18–25 °C: the best month, except Grand Prix week when rates rise and roads close.
Macau: figures are long-term averages from this guide, not a forecast.
What to pack
Nothing unusual for the weather this month.
Where to go in December
Rated best or good this month
Macau (Peninsula, Taipa, Cotai, Coloane)
Best weather of the year (The whole SAR)
Pearl River Delta neighbours
Best weather of the year (Hong Kong, Zhuhai, Hengqin, Shenzhen)
Cool and dry.
Best months: Oct–Dec (dry, mild, cooler air)