Riga in December: Markets, Darkness & Near-Freezing Damp
Seven hours of daylight, temperatures hovering at zero, and a Christmas market that makes all of it worthwhile. December is the one month when Riga's dark works for you rather than against you.
Quick Answer
December in Riga means about 6.9 hours of daylight, average highs near 1°C and lows near -3°C, and the Christmas market on Dome Square running the whole month. It is worth visiting — but come for atmosphere, mulled wine and long café afternoons, not for a packed sightseeing itinerary. There simply isn't enough light for one.
The cheapest stretch is the first ten days: the market is already open, but Christmas and New Year rates haven't kicked in.
Check December hotel availability →Booking window
Booking Riga for Christmas or New Year? This Is the Window
December is the one month of Riga's winter when accommodation actually tightens, and rates climb into it rather than falling. Our flight guidance puts Christmas at two to three months ahead against the usual four to six weeks — which is roughly now. New Year's Eve is the sharper deadline: the rooftop bars and Old Town restaurants that sell fixed-price NYE packages take bookings months out.
We can't see live availability — this is a note about the calendar, not a countdown. Prices and availability are whatever the booking site shows you.
The Daylight Is the Thing Nobody Warns You About
Riga sits at 56.9°N — further north than Moscow, and roughly level with the top of Denmark. In December that latitude does something visitors from southern Europe consistently underestimate. On 1 December the sun comes up at about 08:36 and sets at 15:48. By New Year's Eve sunrise has slipped to 09:01. The shortest day, 21 December, gives you roughly 6.7 hours of light.
In practice that means a usable sightseeing window of roughly 09:30 to 15:30, and it is often overcast within that. Plan one outdoor thing per day, not three. Anything involving a view — St. Peter's tower, the rooftop bars — wants to happen before 15:00 or be accepted as a night-time visit, which is genuinely lovely in its own right when the Old Town is lit.
The flip side is that the dark starts early enough to be part of the evening rather than the end of it. Christmas lights, candlelit windows and the market's glow are doing their work from four in the afternoon.
The Cold Is Damp, Not Sharp
December averages a high around 1°C and a low around -3°C. That is milder than most people expect from the Baltics — January and February are considerably colder. What makes December uncomfortable is the humidity, which averages about 97%. Damp air at 0°C cuts through clothing in a way that dry air at -8°C does not.
Because the temperature sits right at the freezing point, snow is possible but not reliable. Expect any of snow, sleet, rain or slush, sometimes in the same afternoon. There is roughly a 30% chance of precipitation on any given day.
Pack accordingly: waterproof boots with grip matter more than a heavy coat, because the cobblestones of the Old Town turn genuinely slippery when they freeze after rain. A windproof outer layer beats a thick woollen one.
What's On: The Market, and Then New Year
December's calendar is essentially two events with a quiet week between them. The Christmas market on Dome Square typically opens on the last weekend of November and runs into early January, so it covers the entire month — wooden stalls, mulled wine, grey peas with speck, smoked fish and Latvian crafts around a decorated tree, with a second, smaller market on Līvu Square. Riga also claims the first decorated Christmas tree, in 1510, a title Tallinn disputes.
Then New Year's Eve, where the main free fireworks go up over the Daugava riverfront beside Old Town at midnight, and half the city sets off its own alongside them. Rooftop bars and restaurants sell ticketed packages that book out well ahead.
Between the two, roughly 27–30 December, the city is oddly calm. Prices dip, the market is still standing, and the queues are gone. It's an underrated window.
When to Book, and What It Costs
December is the most expensive month of Riga's winter, but "expensive" here is relative — it is still well below what a comparable Western European Christmas market city charges. The pattern within the month is consistent:
- 1–10 December — the value window. Market open, rates near November levels.
- Weekends from mid-month — the busiest and priciest market days, heavy with regional visitors.
- 23–26 December — quiet in a different way. Many restaurants and shops close for Latvian Christmas; check opening hours rather than assuming.
- 30 December–1 January — the annual peak. Book New Year's Eve accommodation and dinner months ahead.
For flights, our booking-timing guide covers the Christmas exception: this is one of the two periods where the usual 4–6 week rule doesn't hold and 2–3 months out is the safer call.
Stay Central in December, Even If You'd Normally Cheap Out
This is the one month where location earns its premium. With daylight gone by half past three and pavements often wet or icy, the difference between a ten-minute walk back to the market and a tram ride across town is the difference between going out again after dinner and not bothering. Old Town or the Quiet Centre.
Fill the Dark Hours with Something You Can't Do in June
Short days are an argument for booking one substantial thing per day rather than trying to string together sights. December is when the winter-only experiences start running — snowmobiling and husky sledding outside the city, and the Latvian sauna tradition, which is a proper cultural activity here rather than a hotel amenity. All three fill an afternoon that would otherwise be dark by the time you'd decided what to do with it.
Planning Around December
If your dates are flexible and the market isn't the draw, January and February are colder but noticeably cheaper. If you're arriving a few weeks earlier, November brings Latvia's two national days and the Staro Rīga light festival — a very different, more local kind of winter city. The full year is laid out in the Riga events calendar.
Travelling with a partner and want the trip to be about warmth rather than walking? Jūrmala's spa hotels are half an hour away by train and at their cheapest in exactly these months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Riga worth visiting in December?
Yes — December is the one month when Riga's darkness works in its favour. The Christmas market on Dome Square, the lit Old Town, and long candlelit café afternoons are the whole point of the trip. Come for the atmosphere, not for sightseeing hours.
How cold is Riga in December?
Average highs sit around 1°C and lows around -3°C, so it hovers near freezing rather than plunging. The bigger factor is damp: humidity averages about 97%, which makes 0°C feel considerably colder than the number suggests.
How many hours of daylight does Riga get in December?
About 6.9 hours on average. Sunrise is around 08:36 at the start of the month and 09:01 by the end, with sunset between 15:44 and 15:52. The shortest day, 21 December, has roughly 6.7 hours of light.
When is the Riga Christmas market open?
The main Dome Square market typically opens on the last weekend of November and runs through early January, so all of December is covered. A second, smaller market runs on Līvu Square. Exact dates are confirmed by the city each autumn.
Does it snow in Riga in December?
Sometimes, but a white December is not guaranteed — temperatures sit close enough to freezing that rain, sleet and slush are just as likely as settled snow. Plan for wet, dark and cold rather than a postcard snowscape.
Is December an expensive time to visit Riga?
It's the most expensive stretch of the winter. Christmas market weekends and the New Year period push hotel rates well above the January–February floor. The first ten days of December are the value window — the market is open but the peak crowds haven't arrived.
Planning a December trip?
Last updated: September 2026. Weather and daylight figures are historical averages for Riga and vary year to year. Christmas market dates are confirmed by the city each autumn — check before booking around specific days.