When to go · Kaikoura
Kaikoura in December
Great month. Inside Kaikoura's best window: All year; Dec–Mar warmest, Jun–Aug for snow on the Seaward Kaikōura Range.
Key facts
- Verdict
- Great
- Temperature
- 21°C (70°F)70°F (21°C) / 11°C (52°F)52°F (11°C)
- average high / low
- Rain days
- 7
- Crowds
- High
- New Zealand overall
- Prices
- High
- New Zealand overall
Verdict
Inside Kaikoura's best window: All year; Dec–Mar warmest, Jun–Aug for snow on the Seaward Kaikōura Range.
Is another month better than December?
No other month rates higher than December for Kaikoura in this guide.
Weather in December
- KaikouraHighs around 21 °C (70 °F), lows around 11 °C (52 °F), rain on about 7 daysHighs around 70 °F (21 °C), lows around 52 °F (11 °C), rain on about 7 days
Festivals and holidays
Dates as our data lists them. Moving holidays (lunar and Islamic calendars, Easter) shift every year: check the date for your year before you build a trip on it.
Christmas and Boxing Day big impact
25–26 Dec · New Zealand
Shops closed on the 25th; start of the six-week summer holiday when locals take the campsites.
Crowds and prices
- Crowds · New Zealand overall
- High
- Prices · New Zealand overall
- High
New Zealand overall: Summer begins; after 20 December locals take the roads and campsites — book everything.
High-price month: see what to book ahead.
Compare two months
Weather, crowds and prices for any two months in Kaikoura, side by side.
Verdict
Dec: Great
Jan: Great
Daytime high
Dec: 21 °C (70 °F)70 °F (21 °C)
Jan: 22 °C (72 °F)72 °F (22 °C)
Night low
Dec: 11 °C (52 °F)52 °F (11 °C)
Jan: 12 °C (54 °F)54 °F (12 °C)
Rain days
Dec: 7
Jan: 7
Crowds
Dec: High
Jan: High
Prices
Dec: High
Jan: High
Festivals listed
Dec: 1
Jan: 1
December: Inside Kaikoura's best window: All year; Dec–Mar warmest, Jun–Aug for snow on the Seaward Kaikōura Range.
January: Inside Kaikoura's best window: All year; Dec–Mar warmest, Jun–Aug for snow on the Seaward Kaikōura Range.
Kaikoura: figures are long-term averages from this guide, not a forecast.
What to pack
- A warm layer for the evenings