Sixteen places near Delhi for December in order of distance, with temperatures, snow chances, fog and the Christmas and New Year crowds at each.
Quick summary
The best places to visit near Delhi in December are Rishikesh, Jaipur, Alwar and Agra if you want mild, sunny days within a few hours' drive, and Shimla, Mussoorie, Nainital or Manali if you want cold mountain air and a chance of snow. December is dry and clear across North India, but it is also the month of dense morning fog on the plains and of the Christmas and New Year rush, so the right pick depends on how far you want to drive and how much crowd you can take.
Below are 16 places in order of road distance from central Delhi, with December temperatures, the realistic chance of snow, fog and crowds. Drive times are non-peak and can stretch by two hours on foggy mornings and holiday weekends.
Places to visit near Delhi in December at a glance
| Place | Distance | Drive time | December days / nights | Snow chance | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alwar and Sariska | about 165 km | 3.5–4 hours | Warm days, chilly mornings | None | Forts and a tiger safari |
| Mathura and Vrindavan | about 170 km | 3 hours | Mild days, foggy mornings | None | Temple towns (avoid New Year week) |
| Agra | about 230 km | 3–4 hours | About 24 °C / 8 °C | None | The Taj Mahal in winter light |
| Rishikesh | about 240 km | 4–5.5 hours | About 20 °C / 6 °C | None | Rafting, yoga, Ganga aarti |
| Lansdowne | about 250 km | 6–7 hours | Cold and clear | Rare | A quiet forest weekend |
| Chakrata | about 275 km | about 7 hours | Cold, freezing nights | Possible late in the month | Deodar forest and early snow |
| Jaipur | about 280 km | 3.5–5 hours | About 25 °C / 10 °C | None | Forts, bazaars, short trips |
| Mussoorie | about 290 km | 5–6 hours | About 13 °C / 4.5 °C | Low, a few spells some years | Winterline Carnival, first-timers |
| Dhanaulti | about 300 km | 6–7 hours | Colder than Mussoorie | Moderate, late December | Forest stays near Mussoorie |
| Nainital | about 300 km | about 7 hours | About 13 °C / 3 °C | Low | Lake town, Himalayan views |
| Kanatal | about 340 km | 7–8 hours | Cold, sub-zero nights | Moderate, more in January | Camping and a ridge stay |
| Shimla and Kufri | about 350–366 km | 8–9 hours | About 12 °C / 4 °C | Low in town, better at Kufri | Christmas, the toy train, carnival |
| Pushkar | about 400 km | 7–8 hours | Warm days, cold nights | None | A slow, quiet lake town |
| Bundi | about 430–470 km | 6–8.5 hours | Warm and sunny | None | Painted palace and stepwells |
| Manali | about 540 km | 12–13 hours | About 13.5 °C / 0 °C | Good at Solang | The most reliable December snow |
| Udaipur | about 660 km | about 11 hours | About 26 °C / 9 °C | None | Lakes, palaces, Shilpgram fair |
Temperatures are long-term December averages of the daily high and low; a cold spell can push them several degrees lower.
Places to visit near Delhi in December within 300 km
These ten work for a weekend. The first four are plains or foothill trips; the rest are hill stations you can reach in a day.
1. Alwar and Sariska (about 165 km)
The closest real Rajasthan trip from Delhi, and at its best in winter. December days are warm and sunny, which suits the climb to Bala Quila, the City Palace, Moosi Maharani ki Chhatri and lunch by Siliserh Lake, while the cold mornings are the best time for a jeep safari in Sariska Tiger Reserve. It stays far quieter than Jaipur at Christmas and needs no hill driving. See the Alwar travel guide and the Delhi to Alwar road guide.
2. Mathura and Vrindavan (about 170 km)
The twin Krishna temple towns, about 3 hours down the Yamuna Expressway. Early December is a good, mild time to go. The New Year week is not: in late December 2025 the Banke Bihari temple management asked devotees to avoid visiting Vrindavan from 29 December to 5 January because of the rush, and advised against bringing children and older family members in that period. Go in the first three weeks of the month.
3. Agra (about 230 km)
Winter is a comfortable time for the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Mehtab Bagh, with December highs around 24 °C. The catch is fog. Dense morning fog is common on the Yamuna Expressway, and from 15 December to 15 February the speed limit for cars is cut from 100 to 75 km/h, with fines for overspeeding. The Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays. Start after sunrise, or stay a night.
4. Rishikesh (about 240 km)
Days around 20 °C, nights near 6 °C, and a quieter town than in spring. Rafting runs through the winter (the season is 15 September to 30 June), though the water is very cold, and the evening Ganga aarti at Triveni Ghat or Parmarth Niketan is pleasant in the early dark. Rishikesh is a dry, vegetarian town. The Delhi–Dehradun Expressway cuts the drive to about 4 hours. Read the Rishikesh travel guide, Rishikesh rafting season and where to stay in Rishikesh.
5. Lansdowne (about 250 km)
The nearest proper hill station to Delhi, an Army cantonment in the Garhwal hills kept clean and quiet. December is cold and usually clear, with good views from Tip n Top; snow is rare and should not be the reason to go. It stays calm even at Christmas.
6. Chakrata (about 275 km)
A cantonment at 2,118 m beyond Dehradun, with deodar forest and Jaunsari villages. Nights fall below freezing, and the higher points around it (Lokhandi, Deoban and Koti Kanasar) often get their first snow of the winter in late December, with more in January. Facilities are basic and foreign nationals need permission to stay in the cantonment.
7. Jaipur (about 280 km)
Jaipur in December averages about 25 °C by day and 10 °C at night: sunny afternoons at Amber Fort and Nahargarh, cool evenings in the bazaars. The Delhi–Mumbai Expressway route via Dausa takes about 3.5 hours; NH-48 takes about 5. It absorbs the Christmas crowds far better than the hill towns. Start with the Jaipur travel guide, the best places to visit in Jaipur and where to stay in Jaipur.
8. Mussoorie (about 290 km)
December highs average about 13 °C and lows about 4.5 °C. Mussoorie gets a few spells of snow in some winters, but less often than it used to, and December is the least likely of the three winter months. What December does have is the Winterline Carnival on the Mall Road and in Landour, usually in the last week of the month (it ran 24–30 December in 2025), and a packed Mall Road on New Year's Eve. The expressway to Dehradun has cut the drive to about 5–6 hours.
9. Dhanaulti (about 300 km)
About 25 km beyond Mussoorie and nearly 300 m higher, at about 2,286 m, so it is colder and has a better chance of late-December snow. Walk the eco-parks under the deodars or visit Surkanda Devi temple, about 8 km away.
10. Nainital (about 300 km)
December averages about 13 °C by day and 3 °C at night, with frost and mist common. Snow in town is unlikely in December; Naina Peak and Kilbury, higher up, have a better chance. The winter mornings give the clearest Himalayan views of the year from Snow View. Over Christmas and New Year, police stop cars without reserved parking at outer lots and run shuttles into town, so book a hotel with parking. Fog on NH-9 through Ghaziabad and Moradabad can slow the morning drive badly. See Nainital in winter and the Nainital travel guide.
A long day's drive: 300 to 660 km
11. Kanatal (about 340 km)
A ridge hamlet at about 2,590 m above Tehri Lake, higher than Mussoorie and Dhanaulti and more reliably snowy, though the heaviest snow comes in January and February. In December it is a cold, clear camping and resort stay with sub-zero nights.
12. Shimla and Kufri (about 350–366 km)
Shimla in December averages about 12 °C by day and 4 °C at night, and only about 7 cm of its yearly snow falls in December, against more than 40 cm in each of January and February. Early snow does happen (Kufri and Narkanda had snow in early and mid-December 2025), but do not plan around it. December offers Christmas at Christ Church, ice skating when the rink freezes, the toy train and the Winter Carnival on the Ridge (24 December to 2 January last season). In the peak days, police hold cars at the Shoghi barrier and release them in batches. Read Shimla in December and snowfall in Shimla.
13. Pushkar (about 400 km)
The holy lake town near Ajmer, about 7–8 hours via Jaipur. After the November camel fair it goes quiet, and December brings warm afternoons for the ghats and the Brahma temple and cold desert nights. It is a vegetarian town where alcohol is not sold openly. Pair it with a night in Jaipur.
14. Bundi (about 430–470 km)
Garh Palace with its painted Chitrashala, the Taragarh fort and Raniji ki Baori stepwell, with a fraction of Jaipur's visitors. The expressway via the Laban interchange makes it about 6 hours; the older route via Jaipur and Tonk is about 8.5. See the Bundi travel guide and the Delhi to Bundi road guide.
15. Manali (about 540 km)
The best bet near Delhi for December snow. Town averages about 13.5 °C by day and around 0 °C at night, and Solang Valley, about 450 m higher, is where most December visitors find snow. Rohtang Pass is closed for winter (the road beyond Gulaba shut on 30 November in 2025), so the big day out is Solang and, when the police allow it, the Atal Tunnel to Sissu. After fresh snow, police can stop ordinary cars at Nehru Kund or Solang and allow only 4x4s beyond. The last ten days of December are the busiest of the winter. Read Manali in December and the Delhi to Manali road guide.
16. Udaipur (about 660 km)
December highs average about 26 °C and lows about 9 °C: ideal for boat rides on Lake Pichola, the City Palace and sunset at Sajjangarh. Shilpgram Utsav, the ten-day crafts fair run by the West Zone Cultural Centre, is usually held from 21 to 30 December. At about 11 hours by road, most people take a train or flight. Prices climb fast from 25 December to 1 January; book early. See the Udaipur travel guide and Jaipur vs Udaipur.
Which is best: snow, sun or a short drive?
- For the best chance of December snow: Manali (Solang), then Kanatal, Dhanaulti and Chakrata's higher points. Shimla, Mussoorie and Nainital town are more likely to be dry.
- For warm, sunny days: Jaipur, Udaipur, Bundi, Pushkar, Alwar and Agra.
- For a quiet Christmas: Lansdowne, Chakrata, Bundi or Pushkar.
- For a festive atmosphere: Shimla's Winter Carnival, Mussoorie's Winterline Carnival or Udaipur's Shilpgram Utsav.
Planning the New Year itself? See New Year trips from Delhi. If your dates slip into the new year, places to visit near Delhi in January covers the peak snow month.
December driving tips
- Fog: dense morning fog on NH-44, NH-9 and the Yamuna Expressway is common from mid-December. Leave after sunrise rather than before it, use low beams and keep your distance.
- Ice: shaded hill bends can be icy until mid-morning. Do not drive hill roads after dark.
- Himachal entry tax: cars registered outside Himachal pay ₹170 at the border barrier (from 1 April 2026).
- Book early for 20 December to 2 January everywhere on this list, and expect the highest room rates of the winter in that window.
- Use the trip planner to turn any of these into a day-by-day plan.
FAQs
What is the best place to visit near Delhi in December?
For snow, Manali, where Solang Valley has the most reliable December snow. For a short, comfortable trip, Jaipur or Rishikesh. For a quiet hill weekend, Lansdowne.
Which places to go near Delhi in December have snow?
Solang Valley near Manali is the most likely. Kanatal, Dhanaulti and the higher points around Chakrata often get snow in late December. Shimla, Mussoorie and Nainital town get most of their snow in January and February.
What are the best places to visit near Delhi in December within 300 km?
Alwar, Mathura and Vrindavan, Agra, Rishikesh, Lansdowne, Chakrata, Jaipur, Mussoorie, Dhanaulti and Nainital are all within about 300 km.
Which places near Delhi are warm in December?
Jaipur, Udaipur, Bundi, Pushkar, Alwar and Agra, with daytime highs of roughly 24–26 °C. Nights still drop to around 8–10 °C, so carry a jacket.
Is it a good idea to visit hill stations near Delhi at Christmas?
Yes, if you book early. Shimla, Manali, Mussoorie and Nainital are at their busiest from about 20 December to 2 January, with traffic controls at the town entrances. The first half of December is quieter and cheaper.
How bad is fog on the drive from Delhi in December?
It can be severe on some mornings, especially from mid-December. Start after sunrise, drive slowly, and keep two hours of slack in your plan.