The Best Honeymoon Destinations in December

Mauritius is ideal for a honeymoon where you want the perfect blend of adventure and relaxation. Kick back on its pillow-soft beaches under the shade of swaying palms and admire the island's incredible sunsets with cocktail in hand. Once you start to get a little restless, make a beeline for Mauritius' lush interior where you can go hiking, mountain biking and discover its wild jungle and waterfalls.

Holiday type: Dream Honeymoon

Why visit in December?

• December is the beginning of Mauritius' summer, so you can enjoy basking in the warm temperatures.
• Let's face it, who wouldn't want to spend their honeymoon in Mauritius at Christmas? It's a truly magical time.
• Yes, there might be some liquid sunshine but it's usually short and sharp and you'll be back enjoying the blue skies before you know it.

More about honeymooning in Mauritius.

Home to what are often called the world’s best beaches, the Maldives is a romantic holiday of a lifetime. That makes it perfect for a honeymoon in December, where you can escape the hecticness of a wedding and it just be you and your loved one relaxed on pristine white sands. Go snorkelling in the mint-green lagoons and soak up this postcard-perfect paradise with a gentle swing in a hammock strung between two palms. Now, that’s a honeymoon!

Holiday type: Dream Honeymoon

Why visit in December?

• You’ll have perfect weather – a very low chance of rain, low humidity and warm and sunny days.
• If you’re based on an atoll (like the Ari Atoll) in the western side of the Maldives, you can snorkel and swim with manta rays.
• The waters are at their clearest, so it’s the best time for snorkelling and diving.

More about honeymooning in the Maldives.

From the atmosphere-puncturing Burj Khalifa to the unashamedly luxury malls, Dubai was designed to impress. With supersized shopping centres, incredible water parks and superb sands, it’s the perfect playground for loved-up couples to let their hair down and embrace the glitz and glamour that transfixes you as soon as you see the city for the first time. Whether you’re relaxing or letting your hair down, a honeymoon in Dubai is 100% playtime.

Holiday type: Minimoon Honeymoon

Why visit in December?

• It’s one of the ‘coolest’ times of year to visit Dubai, with temperatures averaging around the mid-20s.
• It beats the rain you can sometimes get in Dubai in January and February.
• It’s also a great time for visiting the Maldives, so combine the two for a great twin-centre honeymoon.

More about honeymooning in Dubai.

Framed by towering peaks, wild islands and a beautiful harbour, Vancouver is a cosmopolitan city where you’re always reminded that nature is never far away. If you’re looking for a honeymoon in December which combines the city with the great outdoors, then you can’t go wrong with British Columbia in western Canada. Then, the lakes, mountains and alpine forests are your oyster to explore. If you’re visiting at this time of year, pack your skis!

Holiday type: Unusual Honeymoon

Why visit in December?

• Even though it’s winter, Vancouver actually experiences quite mild weather – even if you might get some rain.
• It’s the best value time to visit Canada as the country enters its winter period.
• It’s the best time to go skiing! There’s plenty of mountain resorts lying just outside Vancouver where you can hit the slopes.

More about honeymooning in Canada.

Tropical drama abounds on a honeymoon in Saint Lucia, with its iconic Piton mountains and lush, sprawling rainforest. While there's plenty you can get up to here, from whizzing through the jungle on a zip-line to snorkelling among vibrant coral reefs, there are still lots of dreamy beaches for romantic seclusion. You can also head to Gros Islet to celebrate your marriage at one of their famous Friday night parties!

Holiday type: Dream Honeymoon

Why visit in December?

• December is the beginning of Saint Lucia's drier season, so you can expect warm and sunny weather.
• It's right at the beginning of Saint Lucia's main season, so while you'll benefit from the better weather you won't experience the peak crowds.
• There's excellent water visibility so it's a great time for snorkellers and divers.

More about honeymooning in Saint Lucia.

From above, each one of the British Virgin Islands appear like eye-popping emerald drops floating in the Caribbean Sea. Sugar-white sands studded with gigantic boulders, lagoons harbouring multi-hued coral and tangles of jungle made for walking all combine for ‘wow’ moments which will litter your honeymoon here. If you fancy trying to combine a few of the islands in one trip, then hopping between them on a sailing honeymoon as a great way to see more of the British Virgin Islands.

Holiday type: Dream Honeymoon

Why visit in December?

• It’s during the dry season in the British Virgin Islands, where you’ll be treated to great weather.
• The waters are at their clearest and most gentle, making it perfect for snorkelling and diving the islands’ incredible marine worlds.
• The calm waters also making it ideal for sailing among many of the islands.

More about honeymooning in the British Virgin Islands.

Even though the best time for going on safari may have ended, South Africa offers so much more for a honeymoon in December. Cape Town is a city bursting with beauty and you can’t help but be spellbound by its lively waterfront, fascinating history and the iconic Table Mountain, which you can’t escape no matter where you are in the city. Beyond, the Garden Route lives up to its reputation as one of the great drives, winding along a gorgeous stretch of epic coastline, while the Winelands are a place where you can relax with a glass among natural splendour.

Holiday type: Safari Honeymoon

Why visit in December?

• It’s Cape Town’s summer, so warm, dry and sunny days will be aplenty.
• You can catch the last of the southern right whales in early December, before they return to Antarctica.
• It’s great weather right across the Cape, so you can take a road trip along the Garden Route and explore the vineyards of the Winelands in addition to Cape Town.

More about honeymooning in South Africa.

Sand dunes stretching as far as the eye can see. Bedouin nights under a blanket of stars. Time-honoured trading cities where you’d expect to bump into Lawrence of Arabia. Oman is the Middle East of old, where rugged chasms hide cooling wadis and charming heritage is abundant, even in the capital, Muscat. Oman even boasts beautiful beaches, near the tropical city of Salalah, so the country can combine adventure and relaxation in one honeymoon!

Holiday type: Minimoon Honeymoon

Why visit in December?

• It’s winter in Oman, so you’ll miss the scorching summer weather.
• Temperatures won’t be unbearable in the desert, so you experience camping in the dunes comfortably.
• Particularly in early December, the country will be quiet in terms of visitors, making it a great time to visit.

More about honeymooning in Oman.

The Big Apple. Gotham. The City That Never Sleeps. Whatever you want to call New York City, it’s a hundred-mile-an-hour experience where you could wander for hours on end past its cloud-kissing skyscrapers, architectural marvels and characterful neighbourhoods. If you want to slow it down (and you probably will on a honeymoon!), then Central Park is a rectangular emerald paradise where you can find a sense of escapism in the unlikeliest of places!

Holiday type: Minimoon Honeymoon

Why visit in December?

• New York City is simply magical in the build-up to Christmas, with stunning decorations and the famous Christmas tree at the Rockefeller Center.
• Get lucky and you’ll see the city blanketed in snow, adding to that wondrous wintry feeling.
• New York City is arguably one of the best places on the planet to be for New Year’s Eve.

More about honeymooning in New York City.