When to visit›Where to go›December

Month by month

Where to go in India in December

212 of the 232 destinations Tourisma tracks score 70 or more for December on Tourisma's month-fit score (178 of them 85+), led by Rann of Kutch, Konark Sun Temple and Junagadh & Girnar. 6 festivals can fall this month, including Hornbill Festival, Konark Dance Festival and Losar. 15 places are shut in December.

Ranked by Tourisma's month-fit score (observed climate plus each place's best-time window); 15 places without a score are ranked by their best-time window alone.

Top picks for December

Costs are for two people sharing a room — stay, food, local transport and entry — and exclude travel to the destination.

Rann of Kutch#1

Rann of Kutch

Gujarat

Fit 96/100

The Great White Desert Under Moonlight

December: comfortable 27°C days — and inside the recommended window.

Rann Utsav

From ₹4,750 for two, 2 days · excl. travel, December rates

Rann of Kutch in DecPlan it
Shantiniketan#4

Shantiniketan

West Bengal

Fit 96/100

Tagore's University Town

December: comfortable 25°C days — and inside the recommended window.

From ₹4,090 for two, 2 days · excl. travel, December rates

Shantiniketan in DecPlan it
Shirdi#5

Shirdi

Maharashtra

Fit 96/100

Abode of Sai Baba

December: comfortable 28°C days — and inside the recommended window.

From ₹3,110 for two, 2 days · excl. travel, December rates

Shirdi in DecPlan it
Badami#6

Badami

Karnataka

Fit 96/100

Chalukya Cave Temples in Red Sandstone

December: comfortable 29°C days — and inside the recommended window.

From ₹3,630 for two, 2 days · excl. travel, December rates

Badami in DecPlan it
Bikaner#7

Bikaner

Rajasthan

Fit 96/100

Desert Fortress & Land of Camels

December: comfortable 24°C days — and inside the recommended window.

From ₹4,490 for two, 2 days · excl. travel, December rates

Bikaner in DecPlan it
Bishnupur#8

Bishnupur

West Bengal

Fit 96/100

Temple Town of Terracotta Art

December: comfortable 25°C days — and inside the recommended window.

From ₹3,160 for two, 2 days · excl. travel, December rates

Bishnupur in DecPlan it
Daringbadi#9

Daringbadi

Odisha

Fit 96/100

Kashmir of Odisha in the Eastern Ghats

December: comfortable 24°C days — and inside the recommended window.

From ₹3,370 for two, 2 days · excl. travel, December rates

Daringbadi in DecPlan it
Hyderabad#10

Hyderabad

Telangana

Fit 96/100

City of Pearls, Biryani & the Charminar

December: comfortable 28°C days — and inside the recommended window.

From ₹11,470 for two, 4 days · excl. travel, December rates

Hyderabad in DecPlan it
Jaisalmer#11

Jaisalmer

Rajasthan

Fit 96/100

The Golden City

December: comfortable 24°C days — and inside the recommended window.

From ₹4,760 for two, 2 days · excl. travel, December rates

Jaisalmer in DecPlan it
Kolkata#12

Kolkata

West Bengal

Fit 96/100

The City of Joy

December: comfortable 26°C days — and inside the recommended window.

From ₹11,080 for two, 4 days · excl. travel, December rates

Kolkata in DecPlan it

By kind of trip

The best-placed December options in each category — only categories with at least three in season are shown.

Hill stations

Beaches

Wildlife

Heritage

Pilgrimage

Festivals that can fall in December

Many follow lunar calendars and move every year — confirm the dates before booking anything non-refundable.

Hornbill Festival

Kohima

Fixed 1–10 December at Kisama. The one week Nagaland fills up — book rooms and permits months ahead, and expect Kohima rates to double.

Konark Dance Festival

Konark Sun Temple

Classical dance beside the Sun Temple in early December, in the best weather of the year here.

Losardates shift yearly

Leh

Ladakhi new year, celebrated earlier than Tibetan Losar. Deep winter — most tourist infrastructure is shut and access is limited.

Losoong / Namsoongdates shift yearly

Gangtok · Pelling

Sikkimese new year with monastery cham dances. Cold and clear, and low season everywhere except the festival days themselves.

New Year & festival season

North Goa Beaches · South Goa Beaches

The most expensive fortnight of the year in Goa. Late-December rates run several times the monsoon price and minimum-night stays are common.

Rann Utsav

Rann of Kutch

Rann Utsav (November–February) — cultural performances, camel rides, and white salt desert under full moon. This is also peak season: book resort tents 4–6 weeks ahead as they sell out entirely.

Festival calendar for the whole year

Skip in December

Shut this month, or at their weakest — with the nearest similar place that is in season.

  • LehClosed

    Ladakh roads (Manali–Leh and Srinagar–Leh) are closed November–April due to heavy snowfall. Fly into Leh if visiting in winter, but expect limited facilities.

    Try Dharamshala & McLeod Ganj

  • BadrinathClosed

    Badrinath temple closes November–April. The road from Joshimath is also shut due to snow. Plan your visit between May and October.

    Try Rishikesh

  • GangotriClosed

    Gangotri Temple closes November to April due to heavy snow. Best May–June or Sept–Oct.

    Try Rishikesh

  • KedarnathClosed

    Kedarnath temple is closed November–April due to heavy snowfall. It opens in May (Akshaya Tritiya) and closes in November (Diwali).

    Try Rishikesh

  • YamunotriClosed

    Yamunotri Temple closes November to April. Best May–June or September–October.

    Try Rishikesh

  • Nubra ValleyClosed

    Nubra Valley is accessible only May–October. Khardung La pass (5,359m) remains closed in winter.

    Try Manali

  • Pangong LakeClosed

    Pangong Lake is accessible only May–October. The road from Leh freezes completely in winter and the area gets cut off.

    Try Manali

  • Spiti ValleyClosed

    Spiti Valley is only accessible June–October. The Rohtang Pass and Kunzum Pass close due to heavy snow from November onwards. Do not plan a road trip here in winter.

    Try Kasol & Parvati Valley

  • AuliClosed

    Auli is best for skiing January–March. Heavy snow makes cable car access difficult July–August. The ski season officially runs January to March.

    Try Nainital

  • Kinnaur ValleyClosed

    Roads snowbound November–April. Inner Line Permit required beyond Shipkila pass.

    Try Kasol & Parvati Valley

  • SonmargClosed

    Sonmarg is snowbound and inaccessible November–April. The Srinagar–Sonmarg road closes at the first heavy snowfall (typically November) and reopens in May. The Zoji La pass to Ladakh also closes in winter.

    Try Palampur

  • Bir BillingClosed

    Paragliding flights are cancelled July–August (monsoon clouds and rain make conditions unsafe). The world-cup paragliding season is October–November and March–June. Confirm same-morning with your operator before booking.

    Try Palampur

Got a place in mind for December?

Pick your places and get a day-by-day plan priced for December, with the journey from your city.

Plan a December trip