Month by month
Budapest in December
The markets, the lights and a bath in the snow. Book the first half, not the second.
The figures
- Avg high
- 3.8°C
- Avg low
- -1.6°C
- Sunshine
- 123 h
- Rain
- 48 mm
- Wet days
- 9 days
- Snow days
- 2 days
Thirty-year averages, 1995–2024, computed from daily observations. Source: Open-Meteo Historical Weather API (ERA5)
December is Budapest's showcase month. The Vörösmarty tér and St Stephen's Basilica markets are among the best in Europe, the light show projected onto the basilica facade runs every evening, and the combination of a cold night and an outdoor thermal pool is the thing people remember for years.
The month has two halves and they are priced very differently. The first two weeks are markets, lights and reasonable rates. From about the 15th, prices climb steeply and the markets get genuinely crowded in the evenings; over Christmas and New Year the city is full and expensive.
Note what closes: 25 and 26 December are public holidays and most restaurants and shops shut, though the markets and the baths generally do not. Plan the food shopping the day before, which is exactly what everyone in the city is doing too.
What to know
- 25 and 26 December are public holidays; most shops and restaurants close.
- The basilica facade light show runs every evening through the market season.
- The first half of the month is meaningfully cheaper than the second.
What is on this month
New Year's Eve in Budapest
Erzsébet tér, the embankment and Vörösmarty tér · 2026-12-31
Where to stay
Live prices and availability on a map centred on this exact spot — hotels, apartments and hostels, so you can judge the walk from here rather than guess from an address.
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Tickets & tours
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Questions about this month
What is the weather like in Budapest in December?
The average daily high is 3.8°C and the average low -1.6°C, with around 48 mm of rain across 9 days and 123 hours of sunshine. These are averages of 30 years of daily observations (1995–2024).
Is December a good time to visit Budapest?
The markets, the lights and a bath in the snow. Book the first half, not the second.
How busy is Budapest in December?
Busy by the standards of the Budapest year, and prices are high. The table on the weather page compares all twelve months side by side.
Does it snow in Budapest in December?
There are 2 days with at least 1 mm of snowfall in an average December. Snow rarely lies long in the city, but this is exactly the weather in which the outdoor thermal pools make the most sense.
Before you go
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