Nainital weather in December

December in Nainital: cool, dry — a great time to visit.

Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis

Nainital🇮🇳 India · Himalaya · City77
  1. 71Jan
  2. 78Feb
  3. 87Mar
  4. 93Apr
  5. 87May
  6. 74Jun
  7. 61Jul
  8. 60Aug
  9. 69Sep
  10. 85Oct
  11. 84Nov
  12. 77Dec

#7 of 12 months in Nainital · #560 of 1413 destinations to visit in December · comfort 77/100 (tier B)

Days
15°C
Nights
4°C
Wet days
2
Sun
9 h
Humidity
71%
Daylight
10 h
Nainital, India
Photo: Lokesh Kumar · Pexels

Traveller notes on Nainital in December

Notes from nearby Rishikesh (137 km away)

Nainital doesn't have its own notes for December yet — these are about Rishikesh, close enough to share the season.

Rishikesh's forum calls December cool and dry, with fog a real factor in the mornings and evenings by the second half of the month — pack real layers, regulars say, not just a light jacket. White-water rafting stays open through December, just past the July-through-September monsoon closure.
Tripadvisor community · December · 1 month ago · about Rishikesh · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

Other months in Nainital

Forum posters consistently rate October as a good time to visit Nainital, citing typical temperatures around 10-16C, pleasant conditions through the day and a bit chilly after sunset, with no chance of snowfall this early in the season. Posters describe rainfall as minimal this time of year, with mornings and evenings both cool and comfortable. Posters do flag crowding as the main drawback, particularly around long weekends when the hill station can get genuinely overcrowded with domestic tourists. Posters generally rate October as one of the better months to visit Nainital, pleasant, low-rain conditions offset only by potential crowds on peak weekends.
Tripadvisor community · October · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Forum posters describe April daytimes as pleasant, with forecasts commonly citing highs around 29C and lows around 15C, though mornings and evenings run genuinely chilly enough that a jacket or woolen layer is standard advice. Posters note the lake itself remains enjoyable through mid-April without any issue, though some posters raised questions about water levels dropping later in the month. Posters do flag that temperatures climb further as April progresses, with late-April conditions noticeably warmer than early-month, and note that hazy conditions can sometimes limit clear Himalayan views from the ropeway this time of year. Posters generally recommend earlier April over the tail end of the month for the most comfortable combination of pleasant days and still-cool evenings.
Tripadvisor community · April · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

Add your own note from Nainital's card on the map.

Nainital climate normals — December

Daytime high15°C / 60°F🙂 cool
Nighttime low4°C / 38°F
Feels like (high)13°C / 55°F
Rainfall15 mm / 0.6 in☀️ dry
Rainy days2 days
Humidity71%💧 humid
Dew point0°C / 32°F
Sunshine9 h/day
Daylight10.3 h
Wind6 km/h / 4 mph
Air quality (US AQI)84🙂 moderate

Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.

Crowds in Nainital 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.

BusyWinter break in India, school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it(estimated)

JFMAMJJASOND

Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet

Best months for Nainital'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 weatherNainital's weather peaks March–May, best around April.

JFMAMJJASOND

Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather

What's on in Nainital in December

Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.

  • Season

    Winter quiet

    1 Dec – 20 FebOff-season shutdownClosures

    Half the hotels close and the lake sits under mist most mornings; snow reaches the ridge some years and not others. The exception is the week around New Year, when the whole town is booked again.

What's on around the world in December →

Nearby, and something's on

Within 300 km of Nainital — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.

Where is Nainital?

Loading map…

Nainital in December — FAQ

Is December a good time to visit Nainital?
December in Nainital: cool, dry — a great time to visit. It ranks #7 of 12 months for Nainital on SeasonMap's comfort score (77/100).
What is the weather like in Nainital in December?
In December, Nainital averages a daily high of 15.4°C and a low of 3.6°C, with about 15 mm of rain over roughly 2.1 rainy days.
What is the air quality in Nainital in December?
Nainital has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 84 in December.

Within 300 km: Rishikesh's Rafting and camp season reopens around 15 Sep – 30 Jun, and Agra's Taj night viewing on 1 Jan – 31 Dec.