In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Our judgement, because it depends on how warm you want to be and how much rain you will take. For the hottest and driest weeks, Bangkok: highs of 32 to 34°C from December to February, one or two rain days a month and about 215 hours of sun a month. For warm days and cold nights, Marrakech: highs of 19.1 to 20.7°C, over 217 hours of sun a month, and January nights of 5.9°C in riads that are mostly unheated. For mild sun in Europe, Seville and Valencia: highs of 16.0 to 18.1°C and 16.4 to 17.1°C, and no tourist tax in either. For warmth with rain, Singapore: 30.5 to 31.5°C every day, with 332 mm of rain in December and 105 mm in February. Also: Lisbon (15.1 to 16.4°C) and Athens (13.6 to 15.1°C) for the sights rather than the sun. The thing that ruins a trip is packing for the afternoon and not the night in Marrakech, or booking Singapore for December. Or book: a Chao Phraya dinner cruise in Bangkokad or a street food tour by night in Marrakechad (GetYourGuide).
⚠️ Marrakech and Seville are warm by day and cold by night. January nights average 5.9°C in Marrakech and 5.7°C in Seville, and Marrakech has recorded -3.6°C in January. Most riads are not heated, so ask for heating before you book. Singapore’s wettest months are December (332 mm, 19 rain days) and November, and its driest is February.
Figures are the national weather services’ 30-year normals for each city’s main station. The comparisons are our judgement.
The cities side by side
The cities are in the order of the entries below. Each is a link to the city’s own guide.
| City | Highs, December to February | January night | Rain days a month | Deciding factor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bangkok | 32 to 34°C | 23°C | 1 to 2 | The Grand Palace refuses sleeveless tops and shorts, and December is peak hotel season |
| Singapore | 30.5 to 31.5°C | 24.3°C | 9 to 19 | December is the wettest month and February the driest |
| Marrakech | 19.1 to 20.7°C | 5.9°C | 3.0 to 4.1 | Ramadan is expected from 8 February 2027 |
| Seville | 16.0 to 18.1°C | 5.7°C | 5.8 to 7.5 | December is the wettest month, with 99 mm |
| Valencia | 16.4 to 17.1°C | 7.1°C | 3.9 to 4.8 | The Fallas festival starts on 15 March 2027, just after the season |
| Lisbon | 15.1 to 16.4°C | 8.6°C | 8 to 10 | December and January each have 10 rain days |
| Athens | 13.6 to 15.1°C | 7.0°C | 11.4 to 13.5 | The Acropolis closes at 17:00 and is free on the first and third Sunday |
Hot and tropical
This grouping is our judgement. Both cities are warm every day of the year, and they differ in rain: Bangkok is driest from December to February, Singapore wettest.
Bangkok
Highs 32 to 34°C · 1 to 2 rain days a month · about 214 to 216 sun hours a month · Grand Palace 500 THB
December to February is Bangkok’s dry season, with one or two rain days a month and about 214 to 216 hours of sun, and the humidity is 67% to 72%. Sightsee early: the Grand Palace is 500 THB and refuses sleeveless tops, shorts, tight trousers and mini skirts, and Wat Pho is 300 THB (Grand Palace tickets, Wat Pho tickets). Temple tickets are bought at the gate, and Grand Palace tickets can be bought online up to a month ahead.
Wat Arun on the Chao Phraya. Photo: Supanut Arunoprayote, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.
Spend the evening on the river. A Chao Phraya dinner cruise needs booking before you go (dinner cruises compared). Ignore tuk-tuk drivers outside temple gates who say the sight is shut for a ceremony; they are steering you to a tailor or a gem shop. Chinese New Year is on 6 February 2027, with celebrations in Chinatown. December is peak season for hotels. Stay at the Shangri-La Bangkokad, on the river with two outdoor pools (Hotels.comad). Bangkok covers the rest, and where to stay in Bangkok compares the areas.
Singapore
Highs 30.5 to 31.5°C · 9 to 19 rain days a month · December 332 mm, February 105 mm
Singapore is warm every day and the Meteorological Service says it has no distinct wet or dry season. December to early January is the wettest part of the Northeast Monsoon: December has 332 mm on 19 days, January 222 mm on 13, and February is the driest month, with 105 mm on 9 days (best time to visit Singapore). Thunderstorms are common in the afternoon and evening, so go from late January.
Plan the days around the weather: a hawker centre is a hall of cooked-food stalls where you order at the stall, and Maxwell Food Centre in Chinatown is the place for chicken rice (where to eat in Singapore). Buy the Gardens by the Bay domes, the Zoo and Night Safari, and Universal Studios dated and ahead. Chinese New Year 2027 is on 6 and 7 February (Chinese New Year in Singapore). Singapore covers entry rules and the arrival card.
Warm days, cold nights
This grouping is our judgement. All three have highs of 16°C to 21°C and January nights of 5.7°C to 7.1°C.
Marrakech
Highs 19.1 to 20.7°C · January nights 5.9°C · 217 to 230 sun hours a month · Ramadan from 8 February 2027
Marrakech has the warmest days of the three: 20.1°C in December, 19.1°C in January and 20.7°C in February, with 3 to 4 rain days a month and 217 to 230 hours of sun. The nights are the problem. January averages 5.9°C, the lowest on record is -3.6°C, and most riads are not heated (best time to visit Marrakech).
The High Atlas from the medina’s roofs. Photo: Heribert Bechen, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
The Jardin Majorelle is a timed 30-minute slot at 170 MAD, sold only at tickets.jardinmajorelle.com, and the morning slots sell out days ahead (Majorelle tickets). The Bahia Palace, El Badi Palace and Saadian Tombs are 100 MAD each. Ramadan is expected to begin on or around Monday 8 February 2027, when eating in public by day may cause offence and opening hours shorten. Stay at Les Jardins de la Koutoubiaad, about 250 m from Jemaa el-Fnaa, which lists heating and has a heated outdoor pool (Hotels.comad). Where to stay in Marrakech compares the riads.
Seville
Highs 16.0 to 18.1°C · January nights 5.7°C · 154 to 189 sun hours a month · no tourist tax
Seville’s highs are 16.6°C in December, 16.0°C in January and 18.1°C in February, with 154 to 189 hours of sun a month. December is the wettest month, with 99 mm on 7.5 days; January has 66 mm and February 50 mm (best time to visit Seville). The council’s picking of the bitter oranges from the street trees runs to the end of February.
The Real Alcázar is €15.50 for a 30-minute slot from its own shop, and it is shut on 25 December (Real Alcázar tickets). Seville has no tourist tax. Stay at Hotel Kivirad, a four-star on the river opposite the Arenal market with a roof terrace (Hotels.comad). Where to stay in Seville compares the quarters.
The Giralda from the Patio de los Naranjos. Photo: José Luiz, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Valencia
Highs 16.4 to 17.1°C · January nights 7.1°C · 155 to 171 sun hours a month · no tourist tax
Valencia is drier than Seville: 48 mm on 4.8 days in December, 37 mm on 4.4 in January and 36 mm on 3.9 in February, with 155 to 171 hours of sun a month (best time to visit Valencia). The Turia Gardens, the beaches and the Plaza de la Virgen are free, and four city museums are free every day and closed on Mondays (free things to do in Valencia).
Platja de la Patacona. Photo: Joanbanjo, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The Oceanogràfic is €37.00 to €43.05, depending on the date. Valencia has no tourist tax. La Crida, the Fallas proclamation, is on 28 February, and Las Fallas itself runs from 15 to 19 March 2027, so a late-February trip meets the crowds arriving (Valencia). Where to stay in Valencia compares the Old Town with Ruzafa and the beach.
Mild, for the sights
This grouping is our judgement. Highs of 13.6°C to 16.4°C are a mild winter, not sunbathing weather, and both have more rain days than the cities above.
Lisbon
Highs 15.1 to 16.4°C · January nights 8.6°C · rain 78 to 109 mm a month · tourist tax €4
Lisbon’s January nights, at 8.6°C, are the mildest of the European cities here, and it is wetter: December has 109 mm on 10 days, January 104 mm on 10 and February 78 mm on 8 (best time to visit Lisbon). On 1 January the Jerónimos Monastery, Belém Tower, São Jorge Castle and every Sintra palace are closed, and the castle shuts at 18:00 from 1 November.
Only the Graça funicular runs, so the hills are on foot (Lisbon). Lisbon charges €4 a night in tourist tax, for up to 7 nights. Where to stay in Lisbon compares the areas.
Athens
Highs 13.6 to 15.1°C · January nights 7.0°C · 11 to 14 rain days a month · Acropolis closes 17:00
Athens has the coolest winter of the seven, with 11 to 14 rain days a month: 62 mm on 13.5 days in December, 47.7 mm on 12.9 in January and 38.5 mm on 11.4 in February, with 9.6 to 10.8 hours of daylight (best time to visit Athens). It is a city for the sights, without the summer heat.
The Acropolis is €30 at one price all year, closes at 17:00 from 1 November and is free on the first and third Sunday until 31 March: 6 and 20 December, 3 and 17 January, and 7 and 21 February (Acropolis tickets). Hotels charge a climate resilience fee of €0.50 to €4 a night from November to March. Where to stay in Athens compares Plaka, Koukaki and Syntagma.
Where to stay for winter sun
Three hotels from our city stay guides. Each links to Hotels.com for your dates.
| City | Place | What it is | Book |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bangkok | Shangri-La Bangkokad | 802 rooms on the river, with two outdoor pools | Hotels.comad |
| Marrakech | Les Jardins de la Koutoubiaad | 108 rooms about 250 m from Jemaa el-Fnaa, with heating and a heated outdoor pool | Hotels.comad |
| Seville | Hotel Kivirad | Four-star on the river opposite the Arenal market, with a roof terrace | Hotels.comad |
Each city’s stay guide compares the areas: Bangkok, Singapore, Marrakech, Seville, Valencia, Lisbon and Athens.
Other cities and other trips
For a budget break, see cheap city breaks in Europe. For eating, see food city breaks. For travelling alone, see solo city breaks. For romantic weekends for two, see romantic city breaks for couples. For family travel, see best city breaks with kids. For New Year, see best New Year’s Eve city breaks, and for Christmas the Christmas market cities. For groups, see best cities for a stag do and best cities for a hen do. For Valentine’s Day 2027, see Valentine’s city breaks. For the sea itself, see beach city breaks. For the weather and festivals month by month, see where to go each month; all guides are gathered on Compare cities.
Common questions
Which city break is warmest in winter?
Bangkok, with December to February highs of 32 to 34°C and one or two rain days a month. Singapore is next at 30.5 to 31.5°C, but it is wet. Of the cities nearer home, Marrakech has the warmest days, 19.1°C in January and 20.7°C in February, and Seville and Valencia follow at 16 to 18°C.
How much sun do these cities get from December to February?
Marrakech gets 217 to 230 hours a month, Bangkok about 214 to 216, Seville 154 to 189 and Valencia 155 to 171. Lisbon, Athens and Singapore have more rain days: Lisbon 8 to 10 a month, Athens 11 to 14 and Singapore 9 to 19.
Is Singapore good for winter sun?
It is warm every day, at 30.5 to 31.5°C, but December is the wettest month of the year, with 332 mm of rain on 19 days. February is the driest, with 105 mm on 9 days, and the rain falls most often as afternoon thunderstorms.
Are riads in Marrakech heated?
Most are not, and January nights average 5.9°C. Ask before you book. Les Jardins de la Koutoubia lists heating among its facilities and has a heated outdoor pool.
Does Ramadan affect a winter trip to Marrakech in 2027?
Yes, from February. Ramadan is expected to begin on or around Monday 8 February 2027. Eating in public by day may cause offence, opening hours shorten and the clocks go back an hour.
