Heading to a city over Christmas and New Year — what should you expect?

Four things that change at year-end

From late December to early January, cities abroad work differently. Across our city guides, four things tend to change: crowds grow, room prices rise, some places close, and there are events you can only see at this time.

This post focuses on which cities to expect what from at year-end. For a step-by-step prep list (passport, insurance, packing), see our year-end and winter-break planning post. Event dates appear only where a guide gives them and can change each year, so always check the official schedule.

Weather uses the climate normals (multi-year averages) in our guides, for December and January side by side. Temperatures are rounded °C and rainfall is in mm, with the source and station named for each city. Check the forecast before you go for this year's weather.

• Crowds — Tokyo, Osaka and Fukuoka are busy over New Year.
• Room prices — New York, Sydney and Singapore see sharp year-end price rises, and Tokyo and Osaka get pricier too.
• Closures — some places close on 24, 25 and 31 December or around 29 December to 3 January.
• Events — check official schedules for Christmas markets, winter lights and fireworks.

• Tokyo guide →
• Frankfurt guide →
• New York guide →
• Planning a year-end or winter-break trip →

Japanese cities — busy, pricier, and some places close

The Tokyo and Osaka guides name New Year, along with Golden Week, as crowded and pricey. Nagoya's room prices rise over Japanese holidays (Golden Week, Obon, New Year), and Fukuoka is busy at New Year too. If you're heading to a Japanese city at this time, compare stays early.

Some sights close at year-end. Per our guides, Himeji Castle closes on 29-30 December and the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum on 29-31 December. In Otaru, the Otaru City General Museum (Main Building) closes 29 December to 3 January and the Bank of Japan Otaru Museum 29 December to 5 January. Check official New Year opening days for anywhere you plan to visit.

For festive atmosphere, the Hakodate guide notes that the Christmas Fantasy lights up the Bay Area in December. Winter brings snow and icy streets, though, and the Mt. Hakodate road closes to vehicles in winter. Check official information for event dates.

• Tokyo — December high 12°C, low 4°C, 58 mm; January high 10°C, low 1°C, 60 mm (Japan Meteorological Agency, Tokyo station, 1991–2020)
• Osaka — December high 12°C, low 5°C, 56 mm; January high 10°C, low 3°C, 47 mm (Japan Meteorological Agency, Osaka station, 1991–2020)
• Hakodate — December high 3°C, low -4°C, 95 mm; January high 1°C, low -6°C, 77 mm (Japan Meteorological Agency, Hakodate station, 1991–2020)

Europe — Christmas markets may end before year-end

European Christmas markets usually run around Advent, so by late December they may already be over. The Frankfurt guide says the 2026 market runs from 23 November to 22 December (Mon-Sat 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Sun 11 a.m.-9 p.m.), with over 230 stalls from the Römerberg to the Hauptwache. In Vienna, markets fill the squares from mid-November until Christmas.

Prague's markets fill Old Town Square, Wenceslas Square and other squares during Advent, and Munich's open around Advent. Budapest's run from mid-November at Vörösmarty Square and in front of St. Stephen's Basilica, but dates change every year. London is grey with short days in winter but has festive markets and lights. If markets are the goal, aim for dates before Christmas and check official schedules. Vienna is cold in January-February, but the ball season is at its peak, so there's still plenty after New Year.

Many places close around Christmas and New Year. Frankfurt's Goethe House closes on 24, 25 and 31 December 2026 and 1 January 2027, and the Palmengarten on 24 and 31 December. Munich's Residenz (Munich Royal Palace) closes on 1 January and 24/25/31 December, among others. In Warsaw, Wilanów Palace closes from 21 December 2026 to 31 January 2027, and the Fryderyk Chopin Museum is closed until 31 December 2026 (Warsaw Tourism Office, checked October 2026).

• Frankfurt — December high 6°C, low 0°C, 55 mm; January high 5°C, low 0°C, 44 mm (Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD), Frankfurt/Main (airport) station, 1991–2020)
• Vienna — December high 5°C, low 1°C, 40 mm; January high 4°C, low 0°C, 38 mm (GeoSphere Austria, Wien Innere Stadt station, 1991–2020)
• Prague — December high 5°C, low 1°C, 23 mm; January high 4°C, low 0°C, 18 mm (Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (CHMI / ČHMÚ), Praha, Klementinum station, 1991–2020)
• London — December high 9°C, low 3°C, 57 mm; January high 8°C, low 3°C, 59 mm (Met Office (UK), Heathrow station, 1991–2020)

New York and Honolulu — festive, but room prices spike

The New York guide calls the holiday season from Thanksgiving to New Year magical, but notes that hotel prices spike. January and February can be bitterly cold, so pack properly for the cold. If New York at year-end is the plan, compare stays first.

Warm Honolulu also sees flight and hotel prices rise at year-end. It's warm all year, so any time works, and April-May and September-October are quieter, so consider those months if you're not set on year-end.

• New York — December high 7°C, low 1°C, 111 mm; January high 4°C, low -2°C, 93 mm (NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), U.S. Climate Normals, New York Central Park station, 1991–2020)
• Honolulu — December high 28°C, low 21°C, 55 mm; January high 27°C, low 19°C, 47 mm (NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), U.S. Climate Normals, Honolulu International Airport station, 1991–2020)

Sydney and Auckland — New Year in beach season

In the southern hemisphere, December-February is summer in Sydney and Auckland. Sydney is in beach season but hot, with prices peaking over Christmas and New Year. Auckland's summer is best for beaches and islands but is also the busiest season.

In Sydney, fireworks are sometimes held at Darling Harbour at certain times such as year-end and school holidays. Our guide gives no dates, so be sure to check the official schedule. In Auckland, pavlova, a meringue dessert topped with whipped cream and fresh fruit, is a Christmas favourite.

To avoid the crowds, the Sydney guide names spring (September-November) and autumn (March-May) as mild, and the Auckland guide names autumn (March-May) as having thinner crowds.

• Sydney — December high 27°C, low 18°C, 73 mm; January high 27°C, low 20°C, 91 mm (Australian Bureau of Meteorology submission · WMO normals collection (NOAA NCEI), Sydney Observatory Hill station, 1991–2020)
• Auckland — December high 22°C, low 15°C, 82 mm; January high 24°C, low 16°C, 58 mm (New Zealand (WMO Member) submission · WMO normals collection (NOAA NCEI), Auckland Airport station (Auckland Aero AWS), 1991–2020)

Asian cities — hotel rates, traffic and belongings

In Singapore, hotel rates spike around Lunar New Year and year-end. Singapore's November to January monsoon brings frequent showers, so plan some indoor options too. Hong Kong is clear and pleasant in October-December, its best time, but the Chinese New Year holidays are very crowded.

In Manila, the Christmas season brings heavy traffic, so allow extra travel time. For Vientiane, Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs notes that incidents rise during festivals such as the year-end holidays, so watch your belongings in crowds. Lunar New Year crowds in January-February are a separate peak from year-end, so check the date on official calendars.

• Singapore — December high 31°C, low 24°C, 332 mm; January high 31°C, low 24°C, 222 mm (WMO World Weather Information Service — Meteorological Service Singapore, Singapore WMO city data, 1991–2020)
• Hong Kong — December high 20°C, low 16°C, 29 mm; January high 19°C, low 15°C, 33 mm (WMO World Weather Information Service — Hong Kong Observatory, Hong Kong WMO city data, 1991–2020)

• Singapore guide →
• Sydney guide →
• Hong Kong guide →
• Where to travel in December →

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