Islamabad weather in December
December in Islamabad: nice, dry, with poor air quality — fine if you can take poor air.
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
#5 of 12 months in Islamabad · #451 of 1413 destinations to visit in December · comfort 80/100 (tier A)
- Days
- 19°C
- Nights
- 7°C
- Wet days
- 2
- Sun
- 8.6 h
- Humidity
- 64%
- Daylight
- 10 h

Traveller notes on Islamabad in December
Other months in Islamabad
Forum posters describe May in Islamabad as genuinely hot, with some estimates running as high as 35-38C, well above the city's typical average for the month - a gap posters' own accounts suggest reflects real day-to-day and year-to-year swings on top of the underlying seasonal heat. Posters consistently recommend scheduling outdoor activities for the cooler parts of the day and relying on air conditioning through the hottest afternoon hours. Posters draw a sharp contrast with Pakistan's mountainous north, describing May there as genuinely beautiful and pleasant - timing that happens to coincide with the Kalash spring festival in Chitral's valleys, mid-May each year. Posters generally rate May as visitable in Islamabad itself but recommend the north instead for anyone prioritizing comfortable weather over the capital specifically.
Islamabad forum regulars describe the capital itself as mild in November — “average temperature of 62°F with about 1 day of rain,” genuinely less busy with tourists than peak season — but warn the calculus flips fast heading into the mountains. North of the city, regulars are blunt: it would be so cold that warm clothes are a must, with Hunza hitting “7 to 9 degrees below 0 Celsius” in a recent November. Skardu and Hunza can still show autumn colour early in the month, but Deosai National Park closes for snow, Naran's good hotels shut for the season, and regulars steer toward Swat Valley or Chitral instead if a mountain add-on is still wanted. Our record: 22.3°C days, 9.9°C nights, 4.8 rain days and an AQI of 108 — mild in the city itself, matching the “pleasant capital, genuinely cold mountains” read.
Islamabad forum regulars call October pleasant by day but genuinely cool by evening: keep a jacket or long sleeves on hand, since “evenings would be a little chilly” even when the afternoon is comfortable. September-October together get named the sweet spot for good weather with fewer crowds, and Islamabad's Margalla Hills and nearby Hunza Valley are called out for autumn colour this time of year, though anyone trekking further into the mountains is warned nights there run properly cold, not just chilly. Our record: 28.8°C days, 15.6°C nights, 4.4 rain days and an AQI of 92 — warm by day with a real night-time drop, matching the jacket-in-the-evening advice.
The forum's April advice for Islamabad is specific about which half of the month: early April suits a walking trip, while late April is already turning hot across the plains — Lahore, Peshawar and Islamabad alike. The record puts the month at about 28°C by day cooling to 15 at night, with rain on roughly eight days. Two days is what regulars allocate to Islamabad and Rawalpindi together. April's other argument is what it opens up north: spring reaches Chitral and the Kalash valleys this month, so it is the natural month to pair the capital with the mountains rather than linger in the heat.
Add your own note from Islamabad's card on the map.
Islamabad climate normals — December
Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.
Crowds in Islamabad in December
How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.
Shoulder seasonschool holidays in 5 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Best months for Islamabad's weather
Ranked by this destination's own climate comfort score across the year — a different thing from how busy it gets (see Crowds above).
Fair weatherIslamabad's best weather comes in March, October and November — separate windows, not one continuous season.
Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather
What's on in Islamabad in December
Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.
- Season
Margalla trail season
1 Oct – 15 AprTrail 5 up to Pir Sohawa is the city's daily walk and this is the half of the year it works at any hour. The trails stay open through the summer; they just become a dawn-only proposition.
- Hazard
Winter haze from the plains
1 Nov – 15 Jan · usuallyWinter smogThe Punjab smog does not stop at the motorway. The haze reaches the capital and takes the Margallas out of view for weeks at a time, which is the visible half of what it is doing. Source ↗
Nearby, and something's on
Within 300 km of Islamabad — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.
Where is Islamabad?
Islamabad in December — FAQ
- Is December a good time to visit Islamabad?
- December in Islamabad: nice, dry, with poor air quality — fine if you can take poor air. It ranks #5 of 12 months for Islamabad on SeasonMap's comfort score (80/100).
- What is the weather like in Islamabad in December?
- In December, Islamabad averages a daily high of 18.8°C and a low of 6.6°C, with about 18.3 mm of rain over roughly 2.2 rainy days.
- What is the air quality in Islamabad in December?
- Islamabad has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 118 in December.
Within 300 km: Gulmarg's Ski season around 20 Dec – 10 Apr.