When to go · Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro in December
Mixed month. Hot and humid; hotels and flights fill before New Year.
Key facts
- Verdict
- Mixed
- Temperature
- 29°C84°F / 23°C73°F
- average high / low
- Rain days
- 12
- Crowds
- High
- Brazil overall
- Prices
- High
- Brazil overall
Verdict
Hot and humid; hotels and flights fill before New Year.
Weather in December
- Rio de JaneiroHighs around 29 °C, lows around 23 °C, rain on about 12 daysHighs around 84 °F, lows around 73 °F, rain on about 12 days
- Rio and the Southeast coast, Brazil · Rio de Janeiro, Paraty, Ilha Grande, São Paulorainy
Hot, humid summers with heavy downpours and floods (December–March); dry, sunny, 20–26 °C winters are the sightseeing season. São Paulo is cooler and rainier.Hot, humid summers with heavy downpours and floods (December–March); dry, sunny, 68–79 °F winters are the sightseeing season. São Paulo is cooler and rainier.
Hot and wet season
Beach weather and the big festivals: Réveillon and Carnival.
Watch: Heat, humidity, peak prices and heavy showers.
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.
New Year's Eve (Réveillon)
31 December · Copacabana beachfront
Huge beach party; hotels sell out and streets close.
Réveillon on Copacabana
31 Dec
Very large beach party; the beachfront closes to cars and the metro runs late. Book the bed by summer.
Christmas big impact
25 Dec · Brazil
Family holiday; summer travel peak starts.
Crowds and prices
- Crowds · Brazil overall
- High
- Prices · Brazil overall
- High
Brazil overall: Summer rains start; New Year's Eve on Copacabana fills Rio; book everything early.
High-price month: see what to book ahead.
What to pack
- A rain jacket or umbrella and shoes that dry fast