India in December: Weather, Crowds & What to Expect

Season
High Season
Temperature
10-30°C (50-86°F)
Crowds
High
Prices
High
December is typically cool and dry in northern India and mild in the south, creating favorable conditions for travel. Expect higher prices in popular tourist corridors during the holiday season.

Climate Map for December

India average temperature in December
-30°-20°-10° 10°20°30°40°

Average temperature across India in December.

City Weather in December

City High Low Rain UV Feels
Mumbai 32° 19° 2 mm high Warm
Delhi 23° 6 mm moderate Cool
Bengaluru 26° 16° 18 mm very high Mild
Hyderabad 28° 16° 4 mm high Mild
Ahmedabad 29° 14° 3 mm high Mild
Chennai 29° 22° 146 mm high Warm
Kolkata 27° 15° 5 mm moderate Mild

High / low are average daily temperatures (°C). “Feels” reflects how hot or cold it feels, allowing for humidity.

Northwest & Thar Desert (Rajasthan, parts of Gujarat)

description’:’Arid, continental climate with extreme summer heat, cool winters, and a weak, often unreliable monsoon compared with the rest of India. Travelers should time visits for the cool season (October-March) for comfortable sightseeing; spring and early summer are brutally hot, and the monsoon brings localized heavy downpours and flash flooding in places.’

Indo‑Gangetic Plains & North Indian Cities (Delhi, Agra, Varanasi, Lucknow)

description’:’Hot summers and a pronounced monsoon shape life across the densely populated plains: extreme heat April-June, a wet monsoon June-September that can cause flooding, and foggy, cool winters November-February. Best visiting windows for comfortable sightseeing are October-March, with spring festivals and heavy pre‑monsoon heat in April-May.’

Western Ghats & Southwest Coast (Kerala, Goa, Konkan, coastal Karnataka, Mumbai)

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Deccan Plateau & Central India (Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, interior Karnataka, interior Maharashtra)

description’:’Hot summers and a summer monsoon that is less intense than on the west coast; winters are dry and cool. The Deccan plateau moderates humidity compared with the coast but sees strong heat April-May and patchy monsoon from June-September. Best travel windows are October-March, with lush scenery after the rains.’

Eastern Coast & Bay of Bengal (Chennai, Visakhapatnam, Kolkata, Odisha coast)

description’:’The eastern seaboard has hot, humid pre-monsoon months and a complex rainfall pattern: the southwest monsoon brings variable rain, but the northeast (retreating) monsoon October-December delivers the bulk of the rain to Tamil Nadu and parts of Andhra. The Bay of Bengal also drives cyclone risk in the pre- and post-monsoon periods.’

Himalayan Foothills & Hill Stations (Shimla, Manali, Dharamshala, Mussoorie, Darjeeling, Sikkim)

description’:’Cool summers and cold, snowy winters at higher elevations; the best times for most hiking and sightseeing are late spring (April-June) and autumn (September-October). The southwest monsoon brings heavy rain to southern and eastern ranges in June-August, increasing landslide risk; high-altitude passes have a short, distinct summer use window.’

Trans‑Himalayan & Ladakh (Leh, Nubra, Pangong, Zanskar)

description’:’High‑altitude cold desert with a brief summer window (June-September) when roads and passes are open and the region is accessible. Winters are severe and isolating, with most travel limited to the summer months; altitude sickness and intense UV are key concerns for visitors even in summer.’

Events & Festivals in December

Christmas & New Year events
Christmas is widely observed and year-end travel increases toward New Year celebrations.