Best Places to Visit in December in India

Goa

Beaches, nightlife and Portuguese heritage

Why December: Christmas midnight masses in the old churches and New Year's Eve parties along the coast make this Goa's liveliest month. Book early.

Goa remains India's most popular beach destination, blending Portuguese-era heritage with palm-fringed coastlines, vibrant nightlife, and a laid-back coastal lifestyle that draws both backpackers and luxury travelers.

• Beach

4 packagesGoa deals

Gulmarg, Jammu & Kashmir

India's best-known ski resort

Why December: Snow usually settles in December and the ski season begins; the Gondola rides up into the Pir Panjal under fresh snow.

Gulmarg, meaning 'Meadow of Flowers,' is one of Asia's premier ski resorts and one of India's most extraordinary high-altitude destinations.

• Snow
• Adventure

5 packages

Andaman Islands

Turquoise water, coral reefs and white sand

Why December: Dry, sunny days and calm, clear water, ideal for Havelock's beaches and for diving. It's the islands' busiest season.

The Andaman Islands offer some of India's clearest waters and best-preserved coral reefs, making them the country's top destination for scuba diving, snorkeling, and pristine beach holidays.

• Beach
• Adventure

6 packagesAndaman deals

Manali, Himachal Pradesh

Snow, adventure and the Kullu Valley

Why December: The first snowfall usually arrives in December or January, with Solang Valley the place to find it, and the town gets festive for the New Year.

Manali, perched at 2,050 metres in the Kullu Valley of Himachal Pradesh, is India's most iconic mountain destination.

• Snow
• Hills
• Adventure

6 packages

Rann of Kutch, Gujarat

A white salt desert under the full moon

Why December: Full-moon nights on the white salt desert are the highlight of the Rann Utsav, in full swing in December.

The Rann’s white salt desert at Dhordo is a flat, mirror like expanse that stretches to the horizon, making it one of the most visually distinctive landscapes in India and a key highlight of Rann of Kutch tourism, often featured in every Rann of Kutch travel…

• Desert
• Festivals

Dimapur, Nagaland

Gateway to the Hornbill Festival

Why December: The gateway to Nagaland for the Hornbill Festival, held near Kohima from 1 to 10 December: a showcase of Naga tribal culture.

Dimapur is the largest city in Nagaland, located at an elevation of 144 meters.

• Festivals

Kochi, Kerala

Fort Kochi, spice routes and Chinese fishing nets

Why December: Fort Kochi celebrates the season with the Cochin Carnival, which ends with the burning of a giant Pappanji effigy on New Year's Eve.

Kochi feels like a coastal storybook layered with spice, sea breeze, and centuries of global encounters.

• Heritage

Shillong, Meghalaya

Pine hills, waterfalls and living root bridges

Why December: Shillong celebrates Christmas in a big way, with lit-up churches, carols and cold, clear evenings.

Shillong doesn't try to impress you. It simply does. Tucked away in the rolling Khasi Hills of Meghalaya, this charming mountain city feels like a place where nature and culture have found the perfect balance.

• Hills
• Nature

4 packages

Pondicherry, Puducherry

French streets, ashrams and the sea

Why December: Christmas in the French Quarter: midnight mass in the old churches and cool sea breezes on the promenade.

Pondicherry is India's French Riviera a former French colonial territory where mustard-yellow villas with bougainvillea-draped balconies line quiet boulevards named Rue Suffren and Rue Dumas.

• Beach
• Heritage

1 packagePondicherry deals

Jaisalmer, Rajasthan

The Golden City on the edge of the Thar

Why December: Cold desert nights for bonfires, folk music and camping in the dunes.

Jaisalmer, the Golden City, rises out of the Thar Desert like a mirage, its honey-colored sandstone fort and havelis glowing at sunset.

• Desert
• Heritage

6 packagesRajasthan deals

Auli, Uttarakhand

Ski slopes facing Nanda Devi

Why December: Snow usually arrives by late December, turning Auli's slopes into one of India's few ski areas.

Auli is a high-altitude meadow and ski resort in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district, perched between 2,500 and 3,050 meters on a ridge facing Nanda Devi. 2-kilometre alpine run groomed each winter and chairlift access to the top.

• Snow
• Adventure

Coorg, Karnataka

Coffee estates and misty hills

Why December: Cool, misty days in the coffee estates as the coffee harvest begins.

Coorg (Kodagu), often called the 'Scotland of India,' is Karnataka's most celebrated hill destination a misty, green haven of coffee plantations, cascading waterfalls, and rich indigenous Kodava culture.

• Hills
• Nature

6 packages

Udaipur, Rajasthan

The City of Lakes and palaces

Why December: Crisp winter days and cool evenings by the lakes: a romantic time for a boat ride on Pichola.

Udaipur, the 'City of Lakes,' is Rajasthan's most romantic destination a dreamlike cityscape of white marble palaces floating on shimmering lakes, framed by the ancient Aravalli Hills.

• Heritage

3 packagesRajasthan deals

Gokarna, Karnataka

Quiet beaches and a temple town

Why December: Quieter beaches than Goa over the holidays, with the clifftop walk between Kudle, Om and Half Moon beaches at its best.

Gokarna has grown from a quiet pilgrimage town into one of Karnataka's most loved offbeat beach destinations, offering the kind of unspoiled coastline that Goa had decades ago.

• Beach
• Spiritual

Varkala, Kerala

Red cliffs above the Arabian Sea

Why December: Sunny days on the red cliffs above the sea, with the clifftop cafés in full swing.

Varkala feels like a quiet coastal escape suspended between red laterite cliffs and the Arabian Sea.

• Beach

Hampi, Karnataka

Ruins of the Vijayanagara empire

Why December: Cool mornings for climbing Matanga Hill at sunrise over the ruins.

Hampi is one of those places that takes a moment to process. You round a bend and suddenly there are temple towers rising out of a landscape of giant boulders that look like they were stacked by someone with a lot of time and no particular reason to stop.

• Heritage

4 packages