11 places to visit in December in India with friends

December is the month most groups finally get a trip together. There's Christmas, there's New Year's Eve, and in 2026 Christmas Day falls on a Friday, so 25 to 27 December makes a three-day weekend. The catch is that everyone else has the same idea, and most lists of places to visit in December in India mix a two-week Ladakh trip with a beach you can reach overnight.

This list is for a 2 to 3 day trip with friends. Each place comes with the city it's easiest to reach from, travel times, long-term December weather averages, what's on in December 2026 where dates are confirmed, and a quieter option nearby. There's a separate section on snow at the end, because snow in December is not a sure thing.

Temperatures are long-term averages, mostly India Meteorological Department normals via Wikipedia. Travel times are rough, and Christmas week traffic and Delhi's winter fog can add hours.

1. Jaipur from Delhi, for forts and a cold-night rooftop

Jaipur is the easy one. It's about 270 km from Delhi, and the Ajmer Shatabdi leaves New Delhi at 6:10 am and reaches Jaipur at 10:35 am. December days are around 25°C and nights around 10°C, so you'll want a jacket for the evening at Nahargarh.

It's also the busiest time of year. In the week after Christmas 2025, a Jaipur guide told PTI that every tourist site had been overcrowded for days. If your group can, go in the first half of December, or in February. The Jaipur Literature Festival runs from 14 to 18 January 2027, so that week is busy too.

We've written a full plan, with 2026 ticket prices and opening hours, in 2 days in Jaipur.

2. Rishikesh from Delhi, for the river and a cheap camp weekend

Rishikesh is about 220 km from Delhi by road. Buses from Kashmere Gate take about five hours, and trains to Haridwar or Yog Nagari Rishikesh take five and a half to seven hours. Leave on Friday night and you have two full days.

December is cold but dry: days around 20°C, nights around 6°C and about 17 mm of rain for the month. Rafting on the Ganga stops for the monsoon and restarts in late September (it resumed on 27 September in 2025), so it's running in December. The water is cold in winter, so ask your operator what gear they provide. Spend the second day on the ghats and at the evening aarti, or walk between Ram Jhula and Laxman Jhula.

For something quieter than the area around the two bridges, where most of the ashrams and yoga classes are, stay at a camp near Shivpuri. It's about an hour's drive upstream, and the standard 16 km rafting run starts there and finishes back in Rishikesh.

3. Goa from Mumbai, for the beach and Christmas Eve

Goa in December means dry weather, with Panaji averaging about 33°C by day and 21°C at night and around 14 mm of rain all month. From Mumbai, the Vande Bharat Express takes about 8 hours. Overnight buses take 12 to 14 hours from Mumbai or Bangalore and 10 to 12 from Pune.

What's confirmed for December 2026: the Serendipity Arts Festival in Panjim from 13 to 20 December, with free public access, and midnight services on Christmas Eve. Sunburn is not in Goa this year; it's in Mumbai on 18 and 19 December. Flights cost the most around Christmas Eve.

For a quieter Goa, base yourself in the south rather than on the north coast, or go further down the coast to Gokarna (number 7). Our Goa in December guide has the dates, where to stay, how to get there and the rules worth knowing. If Goa is too far for a weekend from Mumbai, see our weekend getaways from Mumbai or the Konkan beaches.

4. The Rann of Kutch from Ahmedabad, for the white desert at full moon

The Rann Utsav, Gujarat's festival season on the salt flat at Dhordo, runs from 1 November 2026 to 7 March 2027. Bhuj is the gateway. From Ahmedabad, trains to Bhuj take about 7 hours and the drive is about 330 km. Dhordo is about 75 to 86 km on from Bhuj, a drive of under two hours, and Bhuj also has an airport.

December in Bhuj is dry and pleasant by day, around 29°C, with nights near 13°C. On the open salt flat it gets cold after sunset, so pack warm layers along with sunscreen and sunglasses.

The full moon is the reason most people go. This season it falls on 22 to 24 December, right before the Christmas weekend, so tents and cars for those dates go first. You need a permit to enter the White Rann; ask your stay whether it's arranged for you. Otherwise, Indian visitors can apply online at rannpermit.gujarat.gov.in, or get one at the Bhirandiyara checkpost on the way. When we checked in October 2026, the site listed ₹100 plus a ₹40 charge for each adult, ₹50 plus ₹20 for children aged 6 to 12, and no fee for cars. If you drive up Kalo Dungar, the 462 m hill about 90 km north of Bhuj with a view over the Rann, note that the area is under army control and photography is restricted, so follow the signs.

The quieter option is timing. Go on the dark-moon nights instead, which fall on 8 December this season. Full-moon dates sell out first, so these are easier to book, and the stars are better.

5. Udaipur from Ahmedabad, for lakes, rooftops and a fort beyond the city

Udaipur is about 254 km from Ahmedabad by road. Trains from Asarva take about four and a half hours and run a few times a day, and buses take five to six.

December is the most comfortable month to walk the old city: days around 26°C, nights around 9°C, and almost no rain. Spend a day on Lake Pichola and at the City Palace, and an evening on one of the rooftops looking over the lake.

For a quieter second night, drive about 84 km to Kumbhalgarh. The fort is one of the Hill Forts of Rajasthan on the UNESCO World Heritage list, and its wall runs for about 36 km. Stay near the fort, walk the wall in the morning and drive back to Udaipur after lunch.

6. Hampi from Bangalore, for boulders, ruins and sunrise from a hill

Hampi, the ruined capital of the Vijayanagara empire, is about 340 km from Bangalore, which is too far to drive for a two-day trip. The overnight Hampi Express makes it work. It leaves KSR Bengaluru at 9:50 pm and reaches Hosapete at 7 am, and Hampi is about 13 km from Hosapete. The return leaves Hosapete at 9:10 pm and gets back at 5:45 am, so you get two full days on the ground and two nights on the train.

December to February is the cool season, which is when you want to be cycling between temples and climbing boulders. Hampi Utsav isn't in December: the 2026 edition was held from 13 to 15 February, and dates for 2027 hadn't been announced when we checked.

For the quieter side, cross the Tungabhadra to Anegundi. Karnataka Tourism says the boat near the Vittala temple is the best way across, and the road route is about 20 km. Climb the roughly 570 steps of Anjanadri Hill for the view. The crossing depends on the river, so ask locally before you plan around it. For more short trips, see our weekend getaways from Bangalore.

7. Gokarna from Bangalore, for a beach weekend without the Goa crowds

Gokarna is about 476 km from Bangalore. Overnight buses take about nine and a half hours, and the train takes about 12 hours to Gokarna Road station, 10 km from town. December is warm and dry, with days around 32°C and nights around 21°C.

The beaches are spread along the coast south of the town, and they get quieter the further you go. Karnataka Tourism rates the crowd at Om Beach as high and at Kudle as moderate. Half Moon Beach, a 30-minute jungle trek or a short boat ride beyond Om, is rated low, with a few shacks and little electricity. The small cove past Half Moon has no shops or toilets, so carry water and food if you walk on.

A good plan for friends: stay at Kudle, walk the beach trail to Half Moon on the first day, and take a boat back.

8. Coorg from Bangalore, for coffee estates in picking season

Coorg, or Kodagu, is the one hill district on this list, and December suits it. Madikeri, the main town, is about 250 to 260 km from Bangalore by road via Mysuru and Kushalnagar, a drive of five to six hours. Kodagu has no railway. Buses from Bangalore take about six hours, or you can take the train to Mysuru, about three hours, and a bus from there for the last 120 km, just under three hours. Leave on Friday night and you have two full days.

December is dry and cool. Madikeri sits at about 1,170 m, and its long-term December averages are around 25°C by day and 13°C at night, with about 20 mm of rain for the month. It's also coffee harvest season: arabica is picked from about November to January and robusta from December to February. If you stay in an estate homestay, ask whether you can walk the plantation and see the picking and drying.

Spend an evening at Raja's Seat in Madikeri for the sunset, and go about 8 km out of town to Abbey Falls, which drops through coffee and spice estates. It's fullest in the monsoon, so expect a smaller fall in December. For the view over the hills, take a jeep up to Mandalpatti, about 25 km from Madikeri; private cars stop at the forest checkpoint, and jeeps leave from near Raja's Seat. On the way in or out, stop at Nisargadhama, a 64-acre island in the Kaveri reached by a hanging bridge, about 3 km from Kushalnagar. Talakaveri, where the Kaveri rises in the Brahmagiri hills, is about 48 km from Madikeri.

One thing to check: Dubare elephant camp, on the Kaveri near Kushalnagar, changed its rules after a tourist died during an elephant bathing session in May 2026. The state ordered visitors to be kept at a distance from the elephants, with no feeding or joining the bath. See what's open before you plan a morning around it.

For a quieter base, stay around Kakkabe, about 30 km from Madikeri by road, below Thadiandamol. At 1,748 m it's the highest mountain in Madikeri taluk and the third-highest peak in Karnataka. The old Nalknad Palace is at the foot of the trail. Plan most of a day for the climb: the round trip takes five to eight hours depending on where you start, you pay an entry fee at the forest checkpost, and camping isn't allowed.

9. Varkala from Trivandrum, for cliff cafes and the sea below them

Varkala is about 41 km from Trivandrum. The train from Thiruvananthapuram Central takes about 35 minutes and the drive about 45. The town's cliffs run along about 7.5 km of the coast, with cafes and guesthouses along the top and Papanasam beach below.

December is warm and mostly dry, with days around 29°C, nights around 23°C, and about 55 mm of rain over three rainy days. One thing to know: the Sivagiri pilgrimage in Varkala runs from 30 December to 1 January every year and draws lakhs of people. Plan around it, or book well ahead if you want the New Year weekend here.

For a quieter stretch, walk north. Odayam beach is about a kilometre from the North Cliff, and Kappil, where the backwaters run beside the sea, is about 8 km from the main beach. The walk along the coast to Kappil takes around two hours.

10. Shillong and Sohra from Guwahati, for root bridges and Christmas lights

Shillong is about 97 km from Guwahati. Meghalaya Transport Corporation buses take about three hours, and a taxi is faster. Sohra (Cherrapunji) is about 50 km further on, 1.5 to 2 hours from Shillong by shared Sumo.

December is the dry season even in Sohra, which holds the records for the most rain in a month and in a year. It averages about 10 mm of rain in December against more than 11,000 mm a year, with days around 19°C and nights around 8°C. Shillong is colder, around 16°C by day and 7°C at night. Christmas is the big event: Police Bazar and Ward's Lake are lit up, and churches including the Cathedral of Mary Help of Christians hold midnight mass.

The quieter option is to skip the Sohra day trip and stay a night down in Nongriat, the village with the Double Decker root bridge. From Sohra it's a 30 to 45 minute taxi ride to Tyrna, then about 3,000 to 3,500 stone steps down. Meghalaya Tourism suggests going with a local guide.

11. Kohima from Guwahati, for the Hornbill Festival (1 to 10 December)

The 27th Hornbill Festival runs from 1 to 10 December 2026 at the Naga Heritage Village in Kisama, about 12 km south of Kohima. It brings together Nagaland's tribes with dances, crafts, food stalls, indigenous games and evening music. For a weekend trip, the first Saturday and Sunday are 5 and 6 December.

Fly or take the train to Dimapur. Dimapur airport is about 74 km from Kohima, a drive of 2 to 3 hours. Kohima is cold in December, with days around 17°C and nights around 5°C. Visitors from outside Nagaland need an Inner Line Permit, which you can apply for online at ilp.nagaland.gov.in. When we checked in October 2026, a 30-day permit cost ₹200 for Indian visitors and ₹500 for foreigners, plus payment gateway charges, and foreign visitors also need a Protected Area Permit. Get it before you travel.

If Kohima feels too busy during the festival, a quieter base is Khonoma, about 20 km from Kohima, a village known for its community-run tourism and terraced fields, where you stay in family homestays.

Where to see snow in December

Snow in December is not guaranteed anywhere on this list or off it. In most of the Himalayan hill stations people drive to for a weekend, the reliable snow comes in January and February. If snow is the point of the trip, here's what the records say.

• Gulmarg, Kashmir. Your best December bet. Gulmarg is about 56 km from Srinagar at 2,650 m, and it holds snow when the valley below is dry. Even so, travel guides warn that the first half of December is unpredictable, with mid-December trips finding little snow outside upper Gulmarg. January is the most reliable month. Average December days are around 5°C and nights below freezing.
• Auli, Uttarakhand. In the 2024 to 2025 winter, the first major snowfall came on 12 December and tourists arrived from mid-December. Auli is 268 km from Rishikesh by road, 8 to 9 hours, so it needs three days at least. The Joshimath to Auli ropeway has been shut since the 2023 land subsidence and was still suspended in December 2025, so plan to go up by road, which locals say can close in heavy snow.
• Solang, near Manali. Solang is about 14 km from Manali and is the usual place for snow and skiing near town. It does get heavy December snow in some years; in late December 2020 it had about 30 cm. When it snows, police often stop traffic beyond Manali towards Solang and the Atal Tunnel. Overnight Volvos from Delhi take about 13 to 14 hours for the 537 km, which makes this a three-day trip at minimum.
• Shimla and Kufri. Shimla averages just 7 cm of snow in December, against about 42 cm in January and 43 cm in February. Kufri, about 19 km from the city and higher up, is a winter-only ski area and your better chance near Shimla. Expect a light first snowfall in December in some years, not a white Mall Road.

If your group wants snow, book for January, and choose your dates by the forecast rather than the calendar if you can. Any operator that promises fresh snow on fixed dates is guessing.

How to pick a December trip with friends

Start with the time you have. For two days, pick something within one overnight journey: Jaipur or Rishikesh from Delhi, Udaipur from Ahmedabad, Hampi, Gokarna or Coorg from Bangalore, Varkala from Trivandrum, Shillong from Guwahati. For three days, the Rann of Kutch, Goa from Mumbai and Hornbill are realistic. Snow trips need at least three days, and more for Auli or Gulmarg.

Then pick the dates. The Christmas weekend from 25 to 27 December and New Year's Eve are the busiest days, and in the places we checked, such as Goa, Jaipur and the Rann, the most expensive or hardest to book. The first two weeks of December are usually calmer, and they're when Hornbill and Serendipity are on. Whatever you pick, book trains and stays for Christmas week early.

Plan your December trip with friends with Weekend

You've probably saved a few of these already. A Rann full-moon reel, a Gokarna beach trek someone posted, a Hornbill vlog a friend sent to the group chat. Then December comes and nobody can find them.

That's why we built Weekend. Share an Instagram reel or a YouTube video with the app, and it finds every place the video mentions, checks each one on Google Maps and saves them on your map, with the creator's tips and the moment in the video where each place appears. When you're ready, send the plan to your friends. They vote without installing anything, and you pick a weekend that works. See how it works.

Your December trip might already be in your feed. Read why your next weekend might already be in your saved reels, see our guides to Goa in December and 2 days in Jaipur, and if you're going as a big group, read how to plan a group trip with friends.

FAQ

Which places to visit in December in India work for 3 days?

The Rann of Kutch from Ahmedabad, Goa from Mumbai or Bangalore, Hampi from Bangalore by overnight train, and Kohima for the Hornbill Festival from 1 to 10 December all fit three days. Jaipur, Rishikesh, Udaipur, Gokarna, Coorg and Varkala can be done in two.

Which places to visit in December in India have less crowd?

Go before Christmas week, and stay one step away from the famous spot: Anegundi instead of central Hampi, Half Moon Beach instead of Om Beach in Gokarna, Kumbhalgarh after Udaipur, Kakkabe instead of Madikeri in Coorg, Odayam or Kappil instead of Varkala's main cliff, and Nongriat instead of a Sohra day trip. In the Rann, the dark-moon nights around 8 December are easier to book than the full moon.

Where can I see snowfall in December in India?

Gulmarg in Kashmir is the most likely, though the first half of December can be dry. Auli, Solang near Manali and Kufri near Shimla get snow in some Decembers. Snow is never guaranteed on fixed dates, and January and February are more reliable in all of them.

What are the best places to visit in January in India with friends?

January is usually the most reliable month for snow in Gulmarg, and Shimla gets most of its snow in January and February. The Rann Utsav runs until March, with a full moon on 21 to 23 January. Jaipur hosts the Jaipur Literature Festival from 14 to 18 January 2027, the robusta harvest is still on in Coorg, and Hampi and Gokarna are still in their best season.

Sources

Checked on 22 October 2026.

• Wikipedia climate tables and facts: Rishikesh, Udaipur, Bhuj, Madikeri, Varkala, Gokarna, Shillong, Sohra, Kohima, Gulmarg, Shimla (December averages, distances, Shimla snowfall by month, Madikeri at 1,170 m, IMD 1981 to 2010)
• Rome2Rio: Delhi to Rishikesh, Ahmedabad to Bhuj, Bhuj to Dhordo, Ahmedabad to Udaipur, Bangalore to Gokarna, Bangalore to Hampi, Bangalore to Madikeri, Mysore to Madikeri, Madikeri to Kakkabe, Thiruvananthapuram to Varkala, Guwahati to Shillong, Shillong to Cherrapunji (road distances and bus, train and drive times)
• StaffNews, DoP&T list of closed holidays for 2026 (Christmas Day, Friday 25 December)
• News Arena, rafting in Rishikesh to resume from 27 September (2025); Bikat Adventures, Shivpuri to Rishikesh rafting
• Weekend blog, Goa in December (Panaji averages from Weather2Travel; Serendipity Arts Festival, 13 to 20 December 2026; Travel India Smart, trains to Goa; Sunburn in Mumbai)
• Weekend blog, 2 days in Jaipur (ConfirmTkt, Ajmer Shatabdi; IMD averages via Wikipedia, Jaipur; UNI India, JLF 2027; post-Christmas 2025 crowds from PTI)
• Outlook Traveller, Rann Utsav 2026-27 and Travel Trade Journal, Rann Utsav 2026-27 from 1 November (Jul 2026) (1 November 2026 to 7 March 2027, full-moon and dark-moon dates); Wikipedia, Dhordo (about 86 km from Bhuj)
• Rann permit portal, Government of Gujarat (online permit, Bhirandiyara checkpost, fees, Indian nationals only); Gujarat Tourism, Kalo Dungar (462 m, 90 km north of Bhuj, army jurisdiction)
• Wikipedia, Kumbhalgarh (84 km from Udaipur, 36 km wall, UNESCO 2013)
• ConfirmTkt, 16592 Hampi Express and 16591 Hampi Express; Weekend blog, weekend getaways from Bangalore (Hampi about 340 km); Veena World, best season to visit Hampi
• Karnataka Tourism, Hampi Utsava and Incredible India, Hampi Utsava (13 to 15 February 2026); Karnataka Tourism, Anegundi
• Karnataka Tourism, Gokarna beaches (crowd levels, Half Moon access and facilities)
• Karnataka Tourism, Coorg (about 260 km and 5 to 6 hours from Bangalore, Mysuru the nearest railway station, Raja's Seat, Abbey Falls, Talakaveri, Mandalpatti by jeep); Wikipedia, Abbey Falls (8 km from Madikeri); Wikipedia, Talakaveri (48 km from Madikeri); Wikipedia, Nisargadhama (64 acres, hanging bridge, 3 km from Kushalnagar); Muddie Trails, Mandalpatti (about 25 km, jeeps from near Raja's Seat, cars stop at the forest checkpoint)
• StoneX, USDA attaché report on India's coffee crop, May 2023 (arabica harvested November to January, robusta December to February)
• The South First, fatal incident at Dubare camp, 22 May 2026 (distance rules, no feeding or bathing by tourists)
• Wikipedia, Tadiandamol (1,748 m, Nalknad Palace, camping banned); Bikat Adventures, DIY guide to the Tadiandamol trek (permit and entry fee at the checkpost, 7 to 8 hours from Kakkabe)
• Kerala Tourism, Sivagiri pilgrimage (30 December to 1 January every year); Kerala Kaumudi, Sivagiri pilgrimage begins (Dec 2024) (lakhs of devotees)
• Incredible India, guide to Varkala beaches (Kappil about 8 km, two-hour walk; Odayam about 1 km from North Cliff)
• Lost With Purpose, Guwahati to Shillong and Cherrapunjee (Shillong to Sohra by shared Sumo); Meghalaya Tourism, Nongriat
• Outlook Traveller, Christmas in Shillong (lights at Police Bazar and Ward's Lake, midnight mass)
• DD India, Nagaland gears up for the 27th Hornbill Festival, 14 Oct 2026 (1 to 10 December, Kisama); Time Out India, Hornbill Festival 2026 (Dimapur airport 74 km, 2 to 3 hours)
• Nagaland ILP portal, fees and apply page (₹200 domestic, ₹500 foreign, 30 days; PAP for foreign tourists)
• The Better India, Khonoma (about 20 km from Kohima, homestays)
• Travel Coffee, snowfall in Kashmir (December unpredictable, January most reliable)
• The Week (PTI), winter tourism in Auli and Jyotirmath, Apr 2025 (first major snowfall 12 December); Pioneer Edge, Auli ropeway remains suspended, 2 Dec 2025; Veena World, Rishikesh to Auli (268 km, 8 to 9 hours)
• Wikipedia, Solang Valley; The Tribune, traffic halted beyond Manali, Dec 2020; Holidify, Delhi to Manali (537 km, 13 to 14 hours)