Lisbon (Lisboa) weather in December

December in Lisbon: cool, a little rain, with clean air — a great time to visit.

Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis

Lisbon🇵🇹 Portugal · Lisbon & Central Portugal · City75
  1. 75Jan
  2. 80Feb
  3. 83Mar
  4. 89Apr
  5. 95May
  6. 93Jun
  7. 87Jul
  8. 86Aug
  9. 89Sep
  10. 88Oct
  11. 79Nov
  12. 75Dec

#12 of 12 months in Lisbon · #600 of 1413 destinations to visit in December · comfort 75/100 (tier B)

Days
16°C
Nights
10°C
Wet days
8
Sun
7.2 h
Humidity
83%
Daylight
10 h
Lisbon, Portugal
Photo: thorl5 · Pexels

What December is like in Lisbon

Mild, dark and lit up along Rua Augusta. The city eats salt cod on Christmas Eve and much of the centre shuts down between the holidays.

closedlow season

confidence: medium

Traveller notes on Lisbon in December

Other months in Lisbon

Regulars are specific that mid-September is a genuine turning point for crowds rather than weather: Portuguese and Spanish schools go back around then, so visitor numbers drop noticeably even as the weather itself stays warm and sunny through the month. Our row backs the pleasant, still-summery read, 27.2C reading as a real 27C, over 18.1C nights, with rain minimal at 23.9mm across 3.2 days. Regulars are consistent nights cool down enough that AC isn't really needed, a genuine comfort upside over the peak summer months. The sea sits at 19.1C, on the cool side but manageable. The record: humidity 73 percent, 10.8 hours of sun, a 22.2 kph wind and AQI 38.
SchoolGoesBackCrowdsThinOutFast · September · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Regulars are direct with anyone hoping to swim this month: air temperatures reaching the high teens or 20C don't mean the Atlantic has warmed to match, and expecting a comfortable swim based on a sunny afternoon is called out as a common, avoidable disappointment. Our row backs the mismatch, 20C reading as 19C over 12.3C nights, against a sea still at a cool 16.9C. Rain is described as short, sharp showers rather than sustained rain, matching our 58.5mm across 10.5 days, and regulars note a real 23.4 kph wind that can make an already-cool sea feel colder still on a breezy day. Layering is the standard advice, since a warm-looking afternoon can still carry a genuine chill in the wind. The record: humidity 76 percent, 11 hours of sun and AQI 43.
WarmAirDoesNotMeanWarmWater · April · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
The sardinhas run all June - bunting across the streets, trestle tables and charcoal braziers set out by restaurants and households - but regulars are clear the month has a single night. The 12th, with the parade and the Alfama crush, is a bigger occasion here than New Year and runs until morning, with parties across Santos, Graca and Bica as well. Around it the weather is the easy part: hot without July's heat, 25.6C by day and 16.9C at night, 9.7mm of rain across 3.1 days, and 12.9 hours of sun. The Atlantic keeps the sea at 19.8C and the breeze at 24.4 kph. The record: humidity 73 percent and AQI 42.
TheTwelfthBeatsNewYear · June · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Lisbon forum regulars describe November as unpredictable but rarely a washout: “a nice day in the sun around 15-18°C and cold rainy days around 10-12°C,” with rain typically arriving in short bursts — “20 minutes of pouring rain then 4 hours without rain, then another 20 minutes...then 2 hours of sun.” A visit might see rain roughly 5 days across two weeks, but “always in short rain showers,” with locals simply ducking into a café to wait it out rather than treating it as a lost day. The one packing note beyond a warm layer: the calçada portuguesa paving gets genuinely slippery when wet, so proper shoes matter. November is billed as off-season, though regulars note it can still feel busy at the main sights. Our record: 17.4°C days, 13.3°C nights, 10 rain days and a 22.5kph wind — mild with real, frequent rain, matching the “short bursts, not a washout” read.
Tripadvisor community · November · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

Year-round notes are on Lisbon's overview. Add your own note from Lisbon's card on the map.

Lisbon climate normals — December

Daytime high16°C / 61°F🙂 cool
Nighttime low10°C / 51°F
Feels like (high)14°C / 57°F
Sea temperature16°C / 60°F🥶 cold sea
Rainfall75 mm / 2.9 in🌦 some rain
Rainy days8 days
Humidity83%💦 very humid
Dew point10°C / 50°F
Sunshine7.2 h/day
Daylight9.5 h
Wind22 km/h / 14 mph
Air quality (US AQI)37🍃 good

Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.

Crowds in Lisbon in December

How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.

Quietthe editor's quiet month, Christmas and New Year, Christmas holidays in Portugal

JFMAMJJASOND

Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet

Best months for Lisbon's weather

Ranked by this destination's own climate comfort score across the year — a different thing from how busy it gets (see Crowds above).

Toughest weatherLisbon's weather peaks April–June, best around May.

JFMAMJJASOND

Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather

What's on in Lisbon in December

Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.

  • Holiday

    Christmas and New Year

    24 Dec – 1 JanChristmas & New YearClosures

    Salt cod on Christmas Eve and a centre that closes down between the holidays. Rua Augusta stays lit and most of the kitchens behind it do not. Source ↗

What's on around the world in December →

Nearby, and something's on

Within 300 km of Lisbon — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.

Where is Lisbon?

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Lisbon in December — FAQ

Is December a good time to visit Lisbon?
December in Lisbon: cool, a little rain, with clean air — a great time to visit. It ranks #12 of 12 months for Lisbon on SeasonMap's comfort score (75/100).
What is the weather like in Lisbon in December?
In December, Lisbon averages a daily high of 16.2°C and a low of 10.4°C, with about 74.6 mm of rain over roughly 8.2 rainy days.
What is the air quality in Lisbon in December?
Lisbon has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 37 in December.

Within 300 km: Cascais' Cascais Christmas Village around 20 Nov – 5 Jan, and Évora's Olive harvest around 1 Nov – 31 Jan.