When to go · Lake Tekapo
Lake Tekapo in December
Great month. Inside Lake Tekapo's best window: Nov–Apr; Dec–Feb for warm days and lupins, Mar–Apr for quieter roads.
Key facts
- Verdict
- Great
- Temperature
- 20°C (68°F)68°F (20°C) / 8°C (46°F)46°F (8°C)
- average high / low
- Rain days
- 9
- Crowds
- High
- New Zealand overall
- Prices
- High
- New Zealand overall
Verdict
Inside Lake Tekapo's best window: Nov–Apr; Dec–Feb for warm days and lupins, Mar–Apr for quieter roads.
Is another month better than December?
No other month rates higher than December for Lake Tekapo in this guide.
Weather in December
- Lake TekapoHighs around 20 °C (68 °F), lows around 8 °C (46 °F), rain on about 9 daysHighs around 68 °F (20 °C), lows around 46 °F (8 °C), rain on about 9 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 Lake Tekapo, side by side.
Verdict
Dec: Great
Jan: Great
Daytime high
Dec: 20 °C (68 °F)68 °F (20 °C)
Jan: 22 °C (72 °F)72 °F (22 °C)
Night low
Dec: 8 °C (46 °F)46 °F (8 °C)
Jan: 9 °C (48 °F)48 °F (9 °C)
Rain days
Dec: 9
Jan: 8 (better)
Crowds
Dec: High
Jan: High
Prices
Dec: High
Jan: High
Festivals listed
Dec: 1
Jan: 1
December: Inside Lake Tekapo's best window: Nov–Apr; Dec–Feb for warm days and lupins, Mar–Apr for quieter roads.
January: Inside Lake Tekapo's best window: Nov–Apr; Dec–Feb for warm days and lupins, Mar–Apr for quieter roads.
Lake Tekapo: figures are long-term averages from this guide, not a forecast.
What to pack
- A warm layer for the evenings