When to go · Milford Sound
Milford Sound in December
Great month. Inside Milford Sound's best window: Nov–Apr (long days, road open); rain year-round.
Key facts
- Verdict
- Great
- Temperature
- 19°C (65°F)65°F (19°C) / 10°C (49°F)49°F (10°C)
- average high / low
- Rain days
- 18
- Crowds
- High
- New Zealand overall
- Prices
- High
- New Zealand overall
Verdict
Inside Milford Sound's best window: Nov–Apr (long days, road open); rain year-round.
Is another month better than December?
No other month rates higher than December for Milford Sound in this guide.
Weather in December
- Milford SoundHighs around 18.5 °C (65 °F), lows around 9.7 °C (49 °F), rain on about 18 daysHighs around 65 °F (18.5 °C), lows around 49 °F (9.7 °C), rain on about 18 days
- West Coast and Fiordland, New Zealand · Franz Josef, Fox, Milford Sound, Te Anaufine
Among the wettest places on earth (Milford gets 6–7 m a year): rain makes the waterfalls, but slips close roads; sandflies all summer.
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 Milford Sound, side by side.
Verdict
Dec: Great
Jan: Great
Daytime high
Dec: 18.5 °C (65 °F)65 °F (18.5 °C)
Jan: 19.5 °C (67 °F)67 °F (19.5 °C)
Night low
Dec: 9.7 °C (49 °F)49 °F (9.7 °C)
Jan: 10.7 °C (51 °F)51 °F (10.7 °C)
Rain days
Dec: 18
Jan: 18
Crowds
Dec: High
Jan: High
Prices
Dec: High
Jan: High
Festivals listed
Dec: 1
Jan: 1
December: Inside Milford Sound's best window: Nov–Apr (long days, road open); rain year-round.
January: Inside Milford Sound's best window: Nov–Apr (long days, road open); rain year-round.
Milford Sound: figures are long-term averages from this guide, not a forecast.
What to pack
- A warm layer for the evenings
- A rain jacket or umbrella and shoes that dry fast