Best Road Trips in December: 10 Drives Around the World

The best road trips in December are in the Southern Hemisphere, now deep into summer, and across the warm belt of the Northern Hemisphere, where the deserts and the tropics cool into their easiest driving of the year. By December the alpine passes up north are closed by snow, so the good driving swings south to South Africa, New Zealand, and Patagonia, and down to the deserts of the American Southwest, Jordan, and Oman.

This is a ranked guide to ten drives from our catalog, each with real distances, durations, and seasons, and each at or near its best in December. Several run through desert that only becomes comfortable once the summer heat breaks, so for more of those see the desert roads hub. If you are chasing warmth above all, read the best winter sun road trips.

The 10 best December road trips at a glance

1. Cape Town and Garden Route

December is high summer at the Cape, and the Garden Route is the drive to spend it on. From Cape Town the 850 km route runs out over Chapman's Peak Drive to the Cape Point penguins at Boulders Beach, then east through Mossel Bay and Wilderness to the lagoon town of Knysna, the 800-year-old yellowwoods of the Tsitsikamma forest, and the Bloukrans Bridge, where the bungee is the world's highest. Seven days is an easy pace on sealed road from a major international airport. Hermanus is on the way, though its whales are a June to November event, so December trades them for warm, long days instead. Read the Cape Town and Garden Route guide.

2. Southern Alps Highway

New Zealand's summer opens the Southern Alps crossing in November and holds it through March. The 735 km route links Queenstown to Christchurch on SH6 and SH73, staged through Haast, Fox Glacier, and Arthur's Pass so the glacier and the alpine walks each get a realistic weather margin. Four days is enough if you keep those walks flexible, since both highways can shut after heavy rain or snow even in summer. Read the Southern Alps Highway guide.

3. Hobart to Cradle Mountain

Tasmania's touring season starts in December, as the island's cool summer settles in. The 390 km drive leaves Hobart's Georgian sandstone waterfront for Russell Falls and Mount Field, crosses the Central Highlands past Lake St Clair, and finishes under the dolerite spires of Cradle Mountain, where the Dove Lake circuit is the standard day walk. Three days covers it, and the long December daylight gives the Cradle Mountain forecast time to clear. Read the Hobart to Cradle Mountain guide.

4. Baja California Highway 1

Highway 1 runs its full 1,700 km in the dry, warm winter, from Tijuana down the Pacific and the Sea of Cortez to Cabo San Lucas. December brings the first grey whales to the lagoons at Guerrero Negro and San Ignacio, and the giant cardón cactus country between El Rosario and Loreto stays cool enough to drive in daylight comfort. Give it ten to fourteen days, carry fuel and water through the long desert gaps, and drive only in daylight. Read the Baja California Highway 1 guide.

5. Road to Hana

Maui stays warm and green all year, so the Road to Hana works as well in December as any month, with the winter rains keeping the waterfalls full. The 84 km highway bends through 620 curves and 59 one-lane bridges from Paia past Twin Falls and the Keanae Peninsula to the black sand and sea caves of Waianapanapa, then on to Hana and the pools at Oheo. Non-residents must reserve Waianapanapa parking ahead, so build the day around that window and fuel up before Paia. Read the Road to Hana guide.

6. Death Valley

The hottest, lowest national park on Earth only becomes comfortable once winter arrives, which puts December among the best months to drive it. The 480 km route runs from Las Vegas to Stovepipe Wells past the eroded badlands of Zabriskie Point, the salt flats of Badwater Basin at 86 m below sea level, the mineral streaks of Artist's Palette, and the Mesquite Flat dunes. Three days is plenty, but carry extra water and check the park's live conditions map before you set out, since remote roads can close. Read the Death Valley guide.

7. King's Highway

Jordan's deserts settle into their cool, clear season from October through April, Petra included. The 560 km King's Highway strings together Madaba, the crusader castle at Karak, the Dana reserve, and Shobak before a full day at Petra, with Wadi Rum and the Red Sea at Aqaba as a southern extension. Give it five days, keep the driving to daylight on the mountain grades, and check current travel advice before you book. Read the King's Highway guide.

8. Muscat to Salalah

Oman's north-to-south desert highway is simplest in the dry season from October to May, well clear of the summer khareef. The 1,080 km drive leaves Muscat for the old fort town of Nizwa, crosses the empty gravel plains to Hayma, and reaches Salalah and the Dhofar coast by way of the ruins at Shisr. Four days works if you refill fuel before each long stretch of Highway 31, avoid driving at night, and check official advice before travel. Read the Muscat to Salalah guide.

9. Costa Rica Parks and Wildlife

Costa Rica's Pacific dry season opens in December, which turns the park roads from mud back into something an SUV can manage. The 600 km loop from San José takes in the Arenal Volcano and its hot springs, the Monteverde cloud forest, and the rainforest beaches of Manuel Antonio, where sloths hang over the sand. Five to seven days covers it, but take a high-clearance SUV, since the Lake Arenal road to Monteverde stays steep and rough, and reserve Manuel Antonio ahead because it sells out. Read the Costa Rica guide.

10. Ruta 40 (southern leg)

Patagonia's short summer is the only window for the southern end of Ruta 40, and it runs from November into March. Argentina's longest highway traces about 5,200 km of the Andes, and the December stretch worth driving is the south, from the glaciers around El Calafate and El Chaltén up through the lakes at Bariloche. This is a hard, high-clearance expedition on long gravel sections, so budget a full month for the whole thing, check the Vialidad road report each morning, and carry spares, fuel, and recovery gear. Read the Ruta 40 guide.

If you only do one

Drive the Cape Town and Garden Route. It asks the least of you, seven days on sealed road from a major international airport, and it hands back two oceans, the Boulders Beach penguins, the Knysna lagoon, and the Tsitsikamma forest in one run, all under December's long summer days. Start in Cape Town early in the month, before the South African school holidays fill the coast.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the best place to drive in December?

For most travelers, South Africa's Garden Route, which runs through the Cape's high summer on easy sealed road from a major airport. If you would rather stay north, Death Valley and the deserts of Jordan and Oman are at their coolest and clearest of the year.

Is December a good time for a road trip?

Yes, as long as you follow the season. The northern mountain passes are closed by snow, but the Southern Hemisphere is in full summer and the northern deserts and tropics have cooled into their best driving months.

Which Southern Hemisphere road trips are best in December?

South Africa's Garden Route, New Zealand's Southern Alps Highway, Tasmania's Hobart to Cradle Mountain drive, and the southern end of Argentina's Ruta 40 all reach their main season in December, when summer settles over the far south.

Where can you drive somewhere warm in December?

The Road to Hana on Maui, Baja California, Costa Rica's Pacific parks, and the deserts of Jordan and Oman all stay warm and mostly dry in December, well away from the northern winter.

Are mountain passes open in December?

In the Northern Hemisphere, most alpine passes are closed for winter. Below the equator the reverse holds, so New Zealand's Arthur's Pass and Haast Pass on the Southern Alps Highway are open for the summer, though they can still shut briefly after heavy rain or snow.

Plan your December drive

Compare these drives side by side on the interactive map, then open the Cape Town and Garden Route guide to start with December's surest bet.