Antananarivo Weather in December

Season: Rainy Season
In Short: rather damp, the hottest month in a year

The weather of Antananarivo in December is, in all, warm and quite damp. Actually, December is the warmest month in Antananarivo, with the average high temperature of 26.4°C (79.5°F). However, the temperature changes greatly within a day, as the average low temperature drops by more than 10°C (50°F) to 16.6°C (61.88°F) when the night falls. Therefore, it’s easy to catch a cold if you don’t manage to keep warm.

December is also one of the wettest months in Antananarivo. The precipitation averagely reaches 309.9 mm from about 20 rainy days. Due to this large amount of rainfall, December is not an ideal month to visit Antananarivo. You may need to be careful of possible natural disasters during your whole journey.

The sun usually rises at 5:06 and falls at 18:17, so the daytime reaches about 13 hours on average. As for the sunshine hours, because of the increasing rainy moments, there is only an average of 6 hours every day.

  See also: Madagascar Weather in December

Rickshaws in Antananarivo

What to Wear and Pack to Visit Antananarivo in December:

Tops: Boys are recommended to wear Polo shirts or causal T-shirts. If you are sensitive to sunshine or lurking allergens from
unfamiliar surroundings, then you’d better wear long-sleeved shirts. Girls can pick dresses, or breathable blouses as tops. When the temperature drops at night, it’s advised that you put on an extra coat or simply change into a thin knitwear.

Bottoms: Shorts and skirts are all great choices if you just plan to ramble around on the streets in the city. However, when there’s an excursion to relatively desolate rainforests, long pants like jeans or cuffed pants are better options.

Tips: First, you need to take an umbrella or a raincoat. What’s more, bringing a pair of rain boots or water-resistant shoes with you is also quite helpful when you going to the rainforests. Second, December’s humid climate in Antananarivo creates a good living circumstance for mosquitoes and other bugs. Thus, it’s essential for visitors to wear long-sleeved clothes while in the wild and spray enough mosquito repellent.
        

Why or Why Not Come to Antananarivo in December:

Due to the large precipitation in December, even with the warm temperature, it is still not a good time to visit Antananarivo. You need to prepare mentally for the possibility that some of the natural spots will not open when the rain is too heavy. But the possibility is actually rather low. There’re still benefits of visiting Antananarivo in December: you can enjoy the lush vegetation and vigorous animals freely without hurrying to book a hotel or a car because there are much fewer tourists than in other months.

Where to Go When Travel to Antananarivo in December:

Tourism Rate:

1. Rova-Queen’s Palace

The location of Rova-Queen’s Palace, very close to the city center, makes it perfect to visit in rainy December since you don’t have to worry about the road being blocked. Remodeled into a museum, the palace now displays the furniture and belongings of the once-great queen and visitors will have a better understanding of Madagascar’s culture and history after visiting.

The Rova-Queen's Palace

2. Réserve Peyrieras Madagascar Exotic

December’s abundant rainfall makes wildlife more vibrant so it’s a great time to pay a visit to Réserve Peyrieras Madagascar Exotic. Plus, it’s not very far from the downtown area. The exotic raises various kinds of chameleons, geckos, and frogs. Many of them are exclusive species in Madagascar. It’s quite exhilarating when you put them on your hand and pet them like a little dog. Moreover, the color of these reptiles tend to be brighter at this time. If you’re lucky, you may come across lemurs as well.

A Cute Lemur in Réserve Peyrieras Exotic

3. Pochard Handicraft Market

To avoid walking on the sludgy road because of the rain, visiting a market may be a better choice. Pochard Handicraft Market sells a number of stuff from groceries to unique Madagascar handicrafts. You can choose the market as your last stop in Madagascar to buy some gifts for your friends.

A Grocery Stall in Pochard Market

4. Independence Avenue around Christmas 

Malagasy people also will celebrate Christmas from December 24th to December 25th in 2025 like the western people, but somehow different. Local people usually makes a feast with an endemic dessert of coconut and sticky rice on Christmas. At the same time, the streets will be decorated with lots of colorful lights and singers will start singing in the early afternoon of Christmas Day on Antananarivo’s Independence Avenue, where citizens gather together to celebrate this holiday.