December is one of Da Lat’s finest months — the dry season is re-established, the highland air is cool and crisp (18–25°C), and the Da Lat Flower Festival brings the city’s world-class horticultural industry to full display. Christmas and New Year are celebrated enthusiastically in the highland resort town’s many colonial-era hotels and cafés. The Xuan Huong Lake is clear and mirror-still; the Lang Biang summit views are excellent; and the coffee harvest is at its busiest. Da Lat in December combines the best conditions with the most culturally rich event calendar of the year.
Weather in Da Lat in December
- Temperature: 18–25°C (64–77°F) — the coolest month; sweaters essential
- Rainfall: Moderate (38% chance) — reducing toward January’s dry minimum
- Humidity: 93% — still relatively high
- Wind: 9.1 mph
- Daylight: 11.5 hours
Events in December
- Da Lat Flower Festival (late November – December): The city’s marquee annual event — orchid displays, flower carpet installations, and horticultural competitions at the Da Lat Flower Park; floral art exhibitions across the city; a night flower parade on the main streets. The festival draws hundreds of thousands of visitors
- Christmas (24–25 December): The French-heritage town celebrates with enthusiasm — decorated colonial hotels, Christmas concerts at the Da Lat Cathedral, and the festive atmosphere of a highland resort at Christmas
- New Year’s Eve (31 December): The lakeside area and Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street are the gathering points; highland midnight toasts in the cool December air
Best Things to Do in Da Lat in December
Xuan Huong Lake: Flower Festival
December’s Xuan Huong Lake is at its most beautiful and most crowded — the Flower Festival brings elaborate floral installations to the lakeside park, the promenade is decorated, and the Vietnamese families who come to Da Lat for the festival give the lake a festive energy unlike any other month. The lake surface in December is clear and mirror-still; the cool dry air gives the panorama from the pedal boats the best visibility of the year. The Flower Festival displays directly adjacent to the south shore of the lake include the signature orchid carpet installations — the most photographed images of the Da Lat Flower Festival.
Lang Biang Mountain: December Clarity
December is one of the best months for the Lang Biang summit hike — the dry season has re-established itself, the mountain air is clear and cool (15°C at the base), and the summit views are at near-January quality. The 4-hour round trip hike is most comfortable in December’s cool temperatures; the pine forest is less muddy than any of the wet-season months; and the summit view in December can include the distant glint of the sea on the clearest mornings. The Flower Festival period gives the Lang Biang National Park visitor centre a festive character — the wildflower meadows on the lower slopes are also in December bloom.
Da Lat Night Market: Christmas & New Year
December’s Da Lat Night Market at Christmas and New Year is one of the most festive markets in highland Vietnam — the cool air (18–20°C in the evenings), the Flower Festival decorations, and the Christmas atmosphere of the colonial town combine with the market’s full highland produce offering. The coffee harvest is at peak activity in the farms and the fresh-roasted highland arabica at the market’s roaster stalls is at its annual best. New Year’s Eve at the night market — outdoor seating, strawberry wine, the highland midnight countdown — is a classic Da Lat experience.
Also Worth Doing
- Da Lat Flower Festival events: The full festival programme runs for 2–3 weeks — the night flower parade on the main street, the horticultural competitions, the orchid exhibition greenhouse, and the flower carpet displays are the highlights; check the exact dates and programme in your visit year
- Cable car to Tuyen Lam Lake: December’s dry-season clarity gives the cable car its best aerial views of the year — the pine forest below and the reservoir beyond are fully visible without cloud cover
- Datanla Waterfall: December’s dry season reduces the waterfall from its wet-season peak but the coaster slide descent and the forest path are in their best accessible condition; the light through the dry-season forest is excellent
Practical Tips for December
- Flower Festival accommodation: December is Da Lat’s most popular month — book guesthouses 3–4 weeks ahead for Flower Festival dates; the colonial hotels and lakeside guesthouses fill first
- Sweater is essential: December evenings at 15–18°C are the coldest in Da Lat’s calendar — a warm layer is not optional; the highland wind at the Lang Biang viewpoints makes it feel colder
- Best month overall: December combines the dry-season conditions, the Flower Festival, Christmas atmosphere, and peak coffee harvest — the most complete Da Lat experience of the year
Tours & activities in Da Lat
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