Dubai in December: Ultimate Guide to Travel, Things to Do and Weather

Planmytour
Date : October 18, 2023

Whether it's the archetypal desert heat, soaring skyscrapers featuring ultra-modern architectural styles, the iconic Burj Khalifa, luxury hotels, or panoramic beaches - Dubai has it all! No wonder it's called the Las Vegas of the Middle East, among other intriguing and endearing nicknames. But is it a good idea to visit Dubai in December? How does this striking region in the United Arab Emirates fare in the winter season, and what is there to do here at this time?

In truth, December is an incredibly popular time to visit Dubai, as this already impressive city comes alive during the festive winter months. There are a range of exciting things to do in Dubai December, from attending remarkable shopping festivals with unbelievable discounts to beachfront parties and gala New Year’s events and Christmas celebrations.

But how about Dubai weather in December? Fortunately, the weather in Dubai in December is absolutely perfect for all these fantastic activities and more. The following is a quick low-down on what you can expect, in addition to the weather details, when you pick a December Dubai visit.

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Dubai Weather in December 2023

The weather in Dubai in December is comparatively pleasant when compared to several other extremely hot or cold regions in the vicinity. For instance, the average Dubai weather in December during the daytime is around 18°C to a pleasantly warm 26°C.

This makes it an agreeable time for a quick beach break or even to explore some of the city's most quintessential and world-renowned sights (think Al Fahidi Fort, Burj Khalifa, and more!). Invariably, a Dubai visit in December will pay off, regardless of the type of trip you wish to have - whether a romantic break, solo adventure, or family holidays to Dubai.

Dubai's Temperature in December:

● Average High Temperatures: 25°C to 28°C (daytime)
● Average Low Temperatures: 16°C to 19°C (nighttime)
● Average Humidity: 60% approximately
● Average Sunshine: 75% approximately
● Rainfall: 10 millimetres; 4 to 5 Days
● Average Daylight Hours: 8 to 9 hours

Things to Do in Dubai in December

Dubai offers a diverse range of thrilling attractions that cater to all possible tastes and preferences of visitors arriving in December. Whether you’re flying down with family, a partner, or by yourself, be assured that there will be plenty to see and do here. Here are just a top few:

Outdoor Activities:

● Desert Safaris: The temperature in Dubai in December is perfect for a panoramic desert safari. Traverse the expansive Arabian Desert and try your hand at diverse fun activities like sand boarding, camel rides, quad bikes, and sand bashing, to name a few.

To elevate the experience, stay overnight in traditional Bedouin tents and spend the night in the desert revelling in old songs, relishing the local cuisine, and catching a scintillating belly dance performance or two. Another option is to head to the Dubai Miracle Garden for a look at spectacular floral displays.

● Beaches: Even the peak winter weather Dubai is home to brings with it pleasant average temperatures of around 27°C to 28°C, making it an incredibly fantastic time to frolic in some of its top beaches. Sunset Beach, also known as Umm Suqeim, is one of the best beaches in Dubai for a quick beach holiday.

It has plenty of private bathing areas, changing cabins, and opportunities to swim, kite surf, and paddle surf, among other things. Sharjah Beach, Kite Beach, Lou Lou Beach, Ajman Beach, La Mer Beach, and JBR Beach are other must-see Dubai beaches on your December holiday.

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● Golf: An incredible thing about Dubai is that it is one of the rarest few destinations in the world where you can swim, ski, sunbathe, and golf, all in a day! The Montgomerie Dubai is an affordable golf course travellers on a tight budget can enjoy visiting.

It boasts around 123 acres of golfing turf, making teeing off here one of the best things to do in Dubai for avid golfers. Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club set alongside the banks of the picturesque Dubai Creek is another fantastic option. If you want something right in the heart of the city, the renowned Emirates Golf Club is the perfect choice.

Indoor Activities:

● Shopping Festivals: There are a wide range of shopping festivals held in Dubai each December, primarily on account of Christmas and New Year’s. You can pick up branded souvenirs and traditional handicrafts at super-cheap rates and unbelievable discounts, making these exciting indoor events one of the top experiences to have on Dubai holidays.

Additionally, head down to some of the local souks and markets, such as the Spike Souk and Gold Souk, wherein you can get your hands on some of the most amazing and authentic Dubai merchandise. These are great places to avail of the cheapest bargains, making them a shopaholic’s paradise.

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● Museums and Cultural Attractions: For those hoping to see cultural attractions in Dubai in December, the best place to go are the local museums. More specifically, the Dubai Museum is the main one in the region, located in the famous Al Fahidi Fort, which is renowned for being one of the oldest structures in the city.

You will see a wide array of stunning local artefacts and antiques, besides exciting dioramas displaying what the region was like before the discovery of invaluable oil. House of Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum, Museum of the Future, Louvre Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization are other fantastic museums to visit in Dubai.

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● Entertainment: If you’re searching for even more exciting things to do in Dubai December indoors on your trip, head to the IMG Worlds of Adventure. It is a famous and highly sought-after indoor amusement park in the region, home to 5 "epic zones," each offering something incredibly fun.

You can easily spend around 6 to 7 hours at the park, which is an especially great place to take kids on all inclusive holidays to Dubai. A prominent highlight of the theme park are its fascinating rides with equally fascinating names, such as the Velociraptor, Avengers Battle of Ultron, Predator, and Spider Man Doc Ock Revenge.

Dubai Festivals and Events in December

There are a ton of thrilling events and festivities that you can be a part of when exploring Dubai during the pleasant December month. In fact, there are celebrations that cater to folks of all ages, ensuring everyone has a great and unforgettable time. The topmost unmissable attractions to enjoy in Dubai during a December visit are listed below.

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● Dubai Shopping Festival

The year 2023 marks the 29th edition of the world-renowned Dubai Shopping Festival, an event that people come from various parts of the world to experience. Visitors and residents alike will revel in a glorious 38 days of remarkable shopping deals, fun concerts, exciting competitions, vibrant outdoor markets, and other exclusive events held solely at this time.

Buy branded gear at incredibly low prices and carry home invaluable souvenirs. Also, there are good chances of avid shoppers winning grand prizes! Couple this with the upcoming New Year’s celebrations, such as fireworks and concerts, and you have the recipe for ultimate fun in Dubai when you make it a winter trip.

Dubai Shopping Festival 2023 Dates: December 8, 2023 to January 14, 2024

● National Day Celebrations

The weather in Dubai in December is fantastic to celebrate National Day, one of the most crucial public holidays in the country. This year, since it’s falling on a weekend, you can expect the celebrations to be on a much higher level. There will be exciting fireworks, brilliantly lit-up public spaces, shopping extravaganzas, and so much more.

Head to the Sheikh Zayed Heritage Festival to celebrate local culture through incredible arts, delicious food, unique rituals, and stunning crafts. You can also go to the famous Dubai Festival City Mall that offers fireworks free at this time. Bookworms simply cannot miss the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature held across two whole weekends!

National Day 2023 Dates: December 2 and 3, 2023

● Christmas in Dubai

What is Dubai like at Christmas? In simple words, it’s an absolute delight! In addition to the Dubai Shopping Festival where you can avail of massive discounts on reputable brands, there are a wide range of Christmas-themed celebrations to enjoy.

You can partake in brunches serving quintessential Christmas treats, head to upscale tea parties and dinners, and shop at Dubai Christmas markets like there's no tomorrow! The Santa Shuffle bar crawl, St. Regis Dubai, and the Great British Christmas Ball are some of the top places to visit to fully experience Christmas in Dubai.

If you're travelling with kids, make sure to head to the Souk Madinat Jumeirah that hosts a special winter wonderland themed set meant solely for kids' enjoyment. They will enjoy fun snowball fights, taking full advantage of Dubai weather in December, while relishing delicious roasted chestnuts and exploring a fun cookie garden. There are also Christmas workshops they can partake in and enjoy visits from Father Christmas himself!

● New Year's Eve Celebrations in Dubai

Being a part of New Year’s Eve celebrations is among the most exciting things to do in Dubai December. The already vibrant city lights up even more, offering an array of unimaginable attractions to enjoy in every corner you stumble upon.

You can watch fireworks at the Burj Khalifa or experience them at Burj Al Arab and Palm Jumeirah, after which you can head to the iconic Global Village - Dubai's answer to an open-air fair! You can eat, shop, and enjoy all kinds of carnival rides at this incredible place, making it the ideal spot to ring in a new beginning with your loved ones by your side.

Finally, you can also visit the Dubai Opera, which typically hosts the most exciting New Year's Eve events each year, complete with fireworks, musical performances, live shows, and lots more.

Accommodation and Travel Tips for Dubai in December

Once you’re okay with the Dubai climate in December and are determined to visit during this pleasant, incredible month, it’s important to pick the right place to stay and keep a few other key travel considerations in mind. These include:

● Booking Accommodations:

Remember that a lot of other travellers will be visiting Dubai in December, so chances of encountering heavy competition for booking the cheapest hotels will be higher. Typically, it’s better to opt for an economical flight-plus-hotel all inclusive holiday to Dubai, ensuring a majority of your expenses are covered in a single upfront cost. Rely on a dependable travel website to find cheap holidays to Dubai, allowing you to enjoy unbeatable discounts, low-deposit deals, and a monthly pay option even on last-minute bookings.

● Travel Tips and Recommendations:

Keeping the ensuing points in mind will help you have an enjoyable and hassle-free Dubai December visit, especially if you’re heading over to this fantastic region for the first time.

➢ Book early: It is always prudent to book Dubai holidays in advance, but more so in December since it’s a very popular time to visit. Find a trustworthy booking agency and lock in a money-saving deal at least a couple of months in advance of your trip.

➢ Pack for winter weather Dubai: Although swimwear and light cotton clothes are sufficient for the daytime, carry a few warm clothes for cool evenings and nights in Dubai during the winter. Ideally, long-sleeved shirts, warm pants, a sweater or jacket, and a winter cap should be enough.

➢ Dress appropriately: It's true that Dubai is a liberal place, but it is good sense to dress modestly when in the region. This is even more important when visiting cultural and religious sites, or it may offend the locals.

➢ Enjoy a Dhow cruise: This is a one-of-a-kind experience wherein you will cruise along the Dubai Creek in a traditional, authentic wooden Arab Dhow. It’s also a great opportunity to take some incredible travel pictures.

➢ Go on a desert safari: There's no place quite like Dubai where you can experience the massive golden desert upfront, enjoying thrilling activities like quad biking, sand boarding, camel riding, and sand bashing. You can also stay overnight in an authentic Bedouin tent!

➢ Take your kids to the Dubai Aquarium: It's an incredible chance to see unusual reptiles and other marine life up close and personal. Take a walk through the 48-metre tunnel for a chance to see massive stingrays, sand tiger sharks, and countless other exciting fish swim overhead and all around you. You can also go cage snorkelling or scuba diving here.

➢ Ice skiing and theme parks: Dubai is renowned for its glitzy malls, fun water and theme parks, and a remarkable indoor ski resort. Try to experience as many of these as you can on your December Dubai holiday.

● COVID-19 Considerations:

It is no longer essential to present a COVID-19 vaccination certificate when travelling to Dubai. Travellers need not take any PCR tests and submit the results either. All they need is to comply with the required entry and transit regulations of their destinations (transit and final).

Winter in Dubai FAQs

There are plenty of top hotels to stay when visiting Dubai in December, such as the luxurious 5-star Hotel Grand Millennium Dubai furnished with state-of-the-art technology and plush suites. ALternatively, you can pick the 5-star Dream Inn Dubai - Palm Villa or the 4-star City Premiere Marina Hotel Apartments for an equally memorable stay.

Besides the pleasant Dubai climate in December, tucking into some delectable local delicacies will make your trip unforgettable. Although relatively new to the rest of the world, the delicious Shawarma has been in the region since the 17th century, and is a must-try! Harees, made using wheat and lamb or chicken, is another must-try in Dubai. Those who crave desserts will enjoy Knafeh, Luqaimat, and Chebab.

Dubai weather in December is actually pretty pleasant, and not as hot as it typically gets during peak summer months. So, while you can still expect a bit of warmth, you need not worry about encountering scorching heat. Daytime temperatures in Dubai during the winter generally range from 25°C to 28°C. Meanwhile, evenings and nights are much cooler, averaging around 16°C to 19°C.

Yes, it does! Christmas in Dubai is an absolute treat, bringing with it an unbelievable range of fun musical events, parties, celebrations, and much more. You can shop till you drop at the Dubai Shopping Festival held at this time and explore Christmas shopping markets in places like Santa Shuffle bar crawl and St. Regis Dubai. Kids will love workstations and visits from Father Christmas himself, while adults can buy branded souvenirs at rock-bottom rates. There is something for everyone to do during Dubai Christmas!