By Month
Honeymoon in December: where to go and where to skip
December is the global peak — Maldives, Caribbean, Indian Ocean, Mexico all at maximum quality and maximum price. The honeymoon you saw on Instagram was probably shot in December at one of fifteen specific resorts, and they all charge accordingly. The honest read on December: it is the most expensive honeymoon month of the year, with no discount available for any quality destination. The flip side: it works. Every destination on this list delivers exactly what it promises. The Maldives is glass-flat; the Caribbean is dry; Mexico is cool; Mauritius and the Seychelles are pristine. December is also the month for couples who specifically want the Christmas-honeymoon experience (Lapland's Northern Lights, an Aman Christmas in Bhutan, or a New Year's at the Maldives with the resort's most elaborate dinner of the year). The strategy in December is to either pay the peak premium consciously, or take the first two weeks (pre-Christmas peak) where the weather is identical and prices are 25% lower.
In short
Christmas and New Year are the two most expensive weeks of the year at every tropical property — pricing premiums of 40–80% over the November baseline. Many properties require minimum-stay bookings (7+ nights) over the holiday weeks.
Top destinations for December
The world benchmark for overwater honeymoons. Private island, private lagoon, private world.
Statistical peak — flat seas, peak visibility, dry sky. The trip the brochure promised, at the brochure price.
Explore Maldives →Choose your island, choose your honeymoon: 30+ nations, one warm sea
Trade winds steady, dry-season peak, perfect water. St. Lucia, Antigua, Anguilla in their photographic best.
Explore Caribbean →Infinite turquoise lagoons and flawless five-star service — the Indian Ocean's most polished honeymoon island.
Dry-season peak — Constance Le Prince Maurice, Royal Palm, Saint Géran at their best.
Explore Mauritius →Private islands, prehistoric granite boulders, and the world's most secluded beaches.
Dry season — North Island, Fregate, Constance Lemuria all at peak conditions.
Explore Seychelles →Northern lights from a lava-field suite, a geothermal lagoon swim at dawn, and the most cinematic honeymoon landscape on earth.
Northern Lights peak window — Deplar Farm in winter is a fundamentally different and dramatic honeymoon.
Explore Iceland →Lapland honeymoons in their iconic window — glass igloos, Northern Lights, snow. The non-tropical December alternative.
Explore Finland →Hotels at their best in December
Velaa Private Island
maldives, maldives · 5★
Pink Sands Club
caribbean, caribbean · 5★
One&Only Le Saint Géran
mauritius, mauritius · 5★
Constance Ephelia Mahe Seychelles
seychelles, seychelles · 4★
Deplar Farm Fljót Valley
iceland, iceland · 5★
Live prices for December 2026
Check current rates for honeymoon-grade hotels in Maldives on the dates you care about.
Where to skip in December
Bali
Wet season peak — afternoon storms heavy, ceremonies disrupted, surf inconsistent.
Amalfi Coast
Fully closed.
Tuscany
Cold and closed — wait for May.
What’s special this month
Christmas and New Year are the two most expensive weeks of the year at every tropical property — pricing premiums of 40–80% over the November baseline. Many properties require minimum-stay bookings (7+ nights) over the holiday weeks. The first two weeks of December (December 1–15) carry full dry-season conditions at pre-Christmas pricing — the smart play. Lapland's Northern Lights peak in late December — Levi, Saariselkä, Inari all in their most photographic window. New Year's at the Maldives often includes an elaborate gala dinner included in the package — worth budgeting for if you're going anyway.
The honest take
December rewards committing to the peak. The couples who feel best about it are the ones who booked early, paid the premium consciously, and got exactly the trip they wanted. The ones who feel cheated are the ones who tried to deal-hunt into a December honeymoon — that doesn't exist. The honest play is to either go in December at full price for the certain experience, or to go in early November or late March for the same weather at half the cost.
Related: best time to honeymoon
Frequently asked questions
Is December too expensive to be worth it?
Only if you can travel in November or March instead. December delivers exactly what it promises — flat-perfect Maldives, dry Caribbean, pristine Mauritius. The question is whether the certainty is worth 40–60% more than November or 25% more than late March.
What's the single best December week?
The week of December 8–15. Full dry-season conditions, pre-Christmas pricing, less crowded than the holiday peak. Couples who can travel this exact week get 95% of December at 75% of the cost.
Northern Lights in December?
Yes — late December is the peak window for Lapland. Deplar Farm in Iceland, Octola in Finland, Aurora Safari in Sweden. A fundamentally different December honeymoon, but for many couples a better fit than tropical-peak.
Christmas at the Maldives — what does it cost?
Realistic: $1,500–4,000+ per night for the holiday week, often with 7-night minimum stays. The included gala dinner (December 31) is genuinely elaborate. Total all-in for the week: $20–45k per couple. The trip is real; the price tag is not for everyone.