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December · All of India

Best Places to Visit in December in India: 20 Picks by Region, with 3-Day Costs

Goa, Jaipur and Manali are the December defaults. These 20 places are rated best for December in our data, each one is the quieter stand-in for somewhere famous, and each comes with what three days really cost.

Photo: Suraj S Rao, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Text added by Trip Under.

December suits more of India than almost any other month. In our data, 71 of 91 Indian places are rated best for December; only November has more (79). Goa, Jaipur and Manali are the December defaults. Every place here is the quieter stand-in for somewhere like them.

We picked 20 of them across five regions. Each comes with why December suits it, the famous place it replaces, what three days cost one person, and how to get there.

Want only the quietest eight? Our shorter list of less crowded places in December does that. This is the full December guide.

All 20 at a glance

South India

Photo: Suraj S Rao, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

1. Hampi

3 days ₹4,900–₹7,000Best: Jan–Feb, Nov–Dec

Instead of the Mysuru palace circuit. Cool mornings, cold nights, and every ruin is walkable. The coracle across the river stops at dusk, so cross back early.

Getting there: sleeper train, SBC Bengaluru → Hosapete Jn, 8–9 h, ₹1,100 one way (in the price).

Hampi pageFull place page →

Photo: Sourabh.biswas003, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

2. Gokarna

3 days ₹4,400–₹6,200Best: Jan–Feb, Nov–Dec

Instead of North Goa. Dry and warm. Walk the cliff path from Kudle to Paradise early: there is no shade and no water for sale on it.

Getting there: sleeper train, Bengaluru/Mangaluru → Gokarna Road, 10–12 h, ₹1,000 one way (in the price).

Gokarna pageFull place page →

Photo: Ganesh Mohan T, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

3. Varkala

3 days ₹4,500–₹6,600Best: Jan–Feb, Nov–Dec

Instead of Kovalam. The middle of the November to March season. The station is a fifteen-minute walk from the cliff.

Getting there: train, Anywhere in South India → Varkala Sivagiri, varies, ₹900 one way (in the price).

Varkala pageFull place page →

Photo: Rainer Halama, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

4. Chettinad

3 days ₹3,900–₹6,000Best: Jan–Feb, Nov–Dec

Instead of another Rajasthan haveli town. The mansions have no air conditioning, so the cool months are the only comfortable time to walk them.

Getting there: train, Chennai / Madurai → Karaikudi Jn, 2–8 h, ₹600 one way (in the price).

Chettinad pageFull place page →

Photo: Sai Sathish Vijayan, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

5. Mahabalipuram & Tranquebar

3 days ₹2,900–₹5,000Best: Jan–Feb, Nov–Dec

Instead of a Chennai city break. In season, but October to December can bring cyclone weather off the Bay of Bengal, so watch the forecast. Tranquebar, a Danish colonial town, is four hours down the coast.

Getting there: bus, Chennai → Mahabalipuram, ECR coast road, 1 h 30 m, ₹120 one way (in the price).

Mahabalipuram & Tranquebar pageFull place page →

Photo: solarisgirl from Pune, India, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

6. Gandikota

3 days ₹4,200–₹6,000Best: Jan–Feb, Oct–Dec

Instead of another Rajasthan fort. A November to February trip only. From March the plateau is 44°C on bare rock.

Getting there: bus, Bengaluru / Hyderabad → Kadapa, then local, 8 h + 1 h 30 m, ₹900 one way (in the price).

Gandikota pageFull place page →

Photo: Drashokk, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

7. Araku Valley & Lambasingi

3 days ₹3,000–₹4,800Best: Sep–Dec

Instead of Ooty. November to January is the cold season at Lambasingi. The train up from the coast runs through 58 tunnels and over 84 bridges.

Getting there: train, Visakhapatnam → Araku (Kirandul passenger), 5 h, ₹300 one way (in the price).

Araku Valley & Lambasingi pageFull place page →

Photo: Jonathanawhite at English Wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

8. Thekkady & Periyar

3 days ₹3,900–₹6,300Best: Sep–Dec

Instead of a big-name tiger reserve. September to March is the window, and December to February is the best of it. You enter the reserve on a bamboo raft at dawn.

Getting there: bus, Kochi/Kottayam → Kumily, 4–5 h, ₹300 one way (in the price).

Thekkady & Periyar pageFull place page →

North India and the Himalaya

Photo: Daniel VILLAFRUELA, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

9. Bundi & Kumbhalgarh

3 days ₹4,500–₹6,600Best: Jan–Feb, Oct–Dec

Instead of Jaipur and Jodhpur. October to March is the season. Walk the palace murals and stepwells, then take the bus to Kumbhalgarh's 36 km fort wall.

Getting there: train, Delhi / Mumbai → Bundi or Kota, 7–12 h, ₹900 one way (in the price).

Bundi & Kumbhalgarh pageFull place page →

No Himalayan place is rated best for December in our data, because winter closes many high roads. For snow, see the snow section below.

West India

Photo: Rudolph.A.furtado, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

10. Rann of Kutch & Bhuj

3 days ₹4,500–₹10,500Best: Jan–Feb, Nov–Dec

Instead of Jaisalmer. The Rann is dry and white. Rann Utsav runs 1 November 2026 to 7 March 2027, and the December full-moon window is 22 to 24 December. Nights are cold.

Getting there: priced from Bhuj, ground costs only. The taxi from Bhuj to Dhordo is about ₹3,200 each way per car, on top of this.

Rann of Kutch & Bhuj pageFull place page →

Photo: Abhijhs1983, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

11. Diu

3 days ₹5,200–₹10,300Best: Jan–Feb, Nov–Dec

Instead of Goa. The cooler season, and the beaches are for swimming again. New Year week is the busiest and priciest.

Getting there: bus, Ahmedabad → Diu (GSRTC or private), About 9-10 h, ₹350 one way (in the price).

Diu pageFull place page →

Photo: Abhinav_Varshney, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

12. Tarkarli

3 days ₹3,900–₹6,900Best: Jan–Feb, Nov–Dec

Instead of Goa. December to February has the calmest sea and clearest water: the time for a first snorkel off Sindhudurg Fort.

Getting there: priced from Kudal station, ground costs only. Kudal to Malvan is about an hour by bus or taxi.

Tarkarli pageFull place page →

East and North East India

Photo: Kartikeya Agarwal, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

13. Majuli

3 days ₹3,900–₹5,700Best: Oct–Dec

Instead of a Kaziranga day trip. The season, after the floods. The monasteries have performed dance-drama here since the sixteenth century.

Getting there: bus, Guwahati → Jorhat, 7 h, ₹600 one way (in the price). The ferry from Nimati Ghat is about ₹40 more.

Majuli pageFull place page →

Photo: Prabhat114, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

14. Dawki & Shnongpdeng

3 days ₹5,200–₹8,800Best: Jan–Mar, Nov–Dec

Instead of Cherrapunji (Sohra). The river is clearest from about November to March. In late 2025 road-work silt clouded it, so check recent photos first.

Getting there: bus, Guwahati → Shillong, 3-3.5 h, ₹200 one way (in the price). The fare is the bus to Shillong; the shared Sumo on to Dawki is about ₹200 more.

Dawki & Shnongpdeng pageFull place page →

Photo: Sri Debapriya Hore, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

15. Sittong

3 days ₹5,100–₹9,600Best: Jan, Nov–Dec

Instead of Darjeeling town. The peak of orange season, when the cinchona directorate holds an orange festival.

Getting there: priced from NJP or Bagdogra, ground costs only. A reserved car from NJP or Bagdogra is about ₹3,000 each way per car.

Sittong pageFull place page →

Photo: সন্দীপ সরকার, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

16. Daringbadi

3 days ₹7,300–₹8,200Best: Jan, Nov–Dec

Instead of Araku Valley. Cold, clear mornings among pine and coffee. Do not count on frost: winter lows have risen since 2011.

Getting there: train, Bhubaneswar → Brahmapur (Berhampur), 1 h 40 m - 3 h, ₹105 one way (in the price). The fare is the train to Berhampur; the taxi on to Daringbadi is about ₹2,200 per car.

Daringbadi pageFull place page →

Central India

Photo: StonesThatRemember, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

17. Khajuraho & Orchha

3 days ₹4,500–₹6,300Best: Jan–Feb, Oct–Dec

Instead of the Golden Triangle. Open stone temples with no shade, so cool days matter. Orchha fits in the same trip.

Getting there: train, Delhi / Varanasi → Khajuraho, 10–12 h, ₹900 one way (in the price).

Khajuraho & Orchha pageFull place page →

Photo: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

18. Mandu

3 days ₹3,600–₹6,600Best: Jan–Feb, Jul–Dec

Instead of Udaipur. Winter is clear and cool, good for the Royal Enclave and sunset at Rupmati's Pavilion.

Getting there: priced from Indore, ground costs only. A direct bus from Indore takes about 3 hours.

Mandu pageFull place page →

Photo: Nirmal Paraye, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

19. Pachmarhi

3 days ₹5,000–₹10,400Best: Jan–Feb, Oct–Dec

Instead of Mahabaleshwar. December mornings are near single digits. Winter weekends get crowded and pricier, so go midweek.

Getting there: train, Bhopal (Rani Kamlapati) → Pipariya, Jan Shatabdi 12061, 2 h 26 m, ₹115 one way (in the price). The fare is the train to Pipariya; the bus up to Pachmarhi is about ₹110 more.

Pachmarhi pageFull place page →

Photo: Asit Jain, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

20. Chanderi

3 days ₹4,800–₹8,100Best: Jan–Feb, Nov–Dec

Instead of Maheshwar. Cool days for the fort and the weavers' lanes. MP Tourism ran a winter tent camp last season; check it is on again.

Getting there: overnight bus, Bhopal → Chanderi (private), About 4 h 30 m-6 h, ₹430 one way (in the price).

Chanderi pageFull place page →

Places to visit in December in South India

Eight of our 20 December places are in the south, more than any other region. From Bengaluru, Hampi and Gokarna are both one overnight train away. From Chennai, Mahabalipuram & Tranquebar is a cheap bus ride. From Hyderabad, Gandikota is a night bus. From Kerala, Varkala is on the main line.

Pick by who you travel with

Every place on Trip Under is scored out of 5 for solo travellers, couples, families and groups. These are the places scored 5 for each, cheapest first. Costs are per person for three mid-range days on the ground, with the room shared the way that party would share it.

With children or older parents, short transfers help: Mahabalipuram & Tranquebar is 1 h 30 m from Chennai by bus. Think twice about Gokarna with small children: its record scores it only 2 for families.

Beaches in December

All five beach and coast places in this guide are rated best for December, each instead of somewhere busier.

Snow in December

None of the 20 places above has snow. For snow in December, our data points to three places. None is rated best, because winter closes some roads. Chopta in Uttarakhand is the cheapest: the path to Tungnath is snowbound from December to March, and three days from Rishikesh cost about ₹4,600 on a shoestring. You need micro-spikes. Zuluk in East Sikkim is under snow from December, but roads are often blocked from January. Tawang has snow at Sela and Bumla, and the Sela tunnel keeps the road open in winter.

Photo: Mike Prince from Bangalore, India, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

If you want to walk in the snow, see our treks, filtered by month. If you were heading to Manali, read when it really snows in Manali first.

Planning around Christmas and New Year

• Book the peak nights first: the Kutch full moon (22 to 24 December), New Year week in Diu, winter weekends in Pachmarhi.
• Travel overnight. The trains to Hampi, Gokarna, Bundi and Khajuraho are long enough to sleep on, saving a night's bed.
• Start early. December days are short, and the coracle at Hampi stops at dusk.
• Use the long weekends. See our Christmas and New Year long weekend guide and the 2027 long weekend calendar.
• Book each piece yourself. Trip Under is not a travel agency, so book the train, room and taxi direct.

Thinking of going abroad instead? Our Thailand trip cost from India guide prices a week there, item by item.

Frequently asked questions

Sources and how we priced this

• December ratings, the famous place each one replaces, routes, fares, daily costs and the who-scores: each place's Trip Under page (linked above), built on our cost method.
• Rann Utsav dates and full-moon windows, Dawki river conditions, Sittong's orange festival, Chanderi's winter camp and the Sela tunnel: as recorded on each place page, with their original sources listed there.
• Costs are one person, three days, return fare on the named leg plus beds, food, local transport and fees. Fares are planning figures. Check live prices before you book.

Keep reading

Costs come from Trip Under's place data and our cost model (see methodology). They are indicative ballparks for budget travel and move with season and demand. Check live bus, train and room prices before you book. Trip Under is reader-planned, not an agency, and takes no commission on any booking.