December is peak winter and peak travel season, the year-end window when the weather across much of India is at its most beautiful and the whole country, and much of the world, is in a holiday mood. The cool season is in full swing, the beaches and deserts are flawless, the great northeast festival fills Nagaland with colour, and the year-end break sends travellers everywhere from the calm islands to the southern summer. It is one of the busiest and most joyful months of the year to travel, and one of the most rewarding.
Nagaland's great festival
December opens with one of India's most extraordinary cultural events: the Hornbill Festival in Nagaland, held in the first week of the month. Often called the festival of festivals, it gathers the many tribes of Nagaland together in a spectacular celebration of their cultures, traditional dress, dance, music, food, crafts, and games, a vivid window into one of the most fascinating and least-visited corners of the country. For travellers drawn to living culture and the road less taken, the Hornbill Festival makes December the month to discover the northeast.
The wider northeast, with its hills, tribes, and dramatic landscapes, is at its clear, pleasant best in December, a region of India that rewards the curious traveller and that the festival brings beautifully to life. It is one of the most distinctive experiences in the country, and the timing is fixed: early December is the window.
December opens with the festival of festivals, when all the tribes of Nagaland gather in one valley. It is the most vivid doorway into India's wild, beautiful northeast.
On the Hornbill Festival
Flawless beaches and golden deserts
December is peak season for the islands and coasts. The Andamans are at their absolute best, calm, clear seas and dry, warm, comfortable weather, perfect for the beaches and the diving. Goa is in full festive swing, the southern beaches are glorious, and the seas are calm and inviting. For sun, sand, and warm water over the year-end break, the coasts deliver flawlessly, which is exactly why they are also at their busiest, so booking well ahead is essential.
Inland, Rajasthan and the Rann of Kutch are at their cool, golden, festival-season best, the desert nights crisp and starry, the days perfect for the forts and palaces. Bhutan celebrates its own festivals and clear winter beauty. Across the lowlands and deserts, December is the cool season at its peak, comfortable, clear, and golden, ideal for almost all of India's classic experiences.
The year-end escape abroad
December is also the great month for the international year-end getaway. In the southern hemisphere, it is high summer: New Zealand is glorious for the outdoors, and the southern beaches are at their best. Much of Southeast Asia is in its cool, dry season, and the deserts of Egypt, Jordan, and Oman remain at their comfortable best. For those seeking winter sun, festive atmosphere, or summer in the other hemisphere, December offers a wealth of options, though as the global holiday peak, it demands early planning and rewards it richly.
- The great northeast festival: the Hornbill Festival in Nagaland in early December, a vivid gathering of tribal cultures.
- Flawless beaches: the Andamans and Goa at their peak, calm seas and warm dry weather for the year-end.
- The cool-season deserts: Rajasthan and the Rann of Kutch golden and festive, Bhutan in clear winter beauty.
- The year-end escape: New Zealand and the southern summer, Southeast Asia, and the comfortable desert kingdoms.
The verdict
December is peak winter perfection and one of the year's best travel months, with brilliant options in every direction. For something genuinely distinctive, the Hornbill Festival opens the month with a spectacular celebration of Nagaland's living culture, a rare window into India's beautiful northeast. For sun and sea, the Andamans are flawless. For the year-end escape, the southern summer and the desert kingdoms beckon. The one constant is demand: December is the global travel peak, so whatever you choose, book early and travel into the most festive month of the year.
December offers flawless beaches and famous deserts, but its most distinctive gift is a valley in Nagaland where every tribe gathers to celebrate at once. Go see the festival of festivals.
On the OJ Hornbill Festival trip December delivers one of India's most extraordinary cultural experiences, the tribes of Nagaland gathered in one spectacular celebration of dance, dress, music, and tradition, set against the dramatic, little-visited landscapes of the northeast. Because while the rest of the country heads to the beaches and the deserts, the boldest December move is to the far northeast, for a festival and a region that reveal an India most travellers never see.
Frequently asked
Where should I travel in December from India?
December is peak winter. The Hornbill Festival in Nagaland in early December is a distinctive cultural highlight, the Andamans and Goa are at their flawless beach best, and Rajasthan and the Rann of Kutch are golden and festive. Abroad, New Zealand and the southern hemisphere are in summer, and the desert kingdoms of Egypt, Jordan, and Oman remain comfortable.
When is the Hornbill Festival held?
The Hornbill Festival is held in the first week of December, traditionally from the first to the tenth, in Nagaland in northeast India. Often called the festival of festivals, it gathers the many tribes of Nagaland for a spectacular celebration of traditional dress, dance, music, food, crafts, and games. It is one of the country's most extraordinary cultural events.
Is December a good time to visit the Andamans?
Yes, December is one of the best months. The seas are calm and clear, the weather is dry, warm, and comfortable, and conditions for beaches and diving are at their peak. As it coincides with the year-end holiday season, it is also one of the busiest times, so flights and accommodation should be booked well in advance.