When to go · Wanaka
Wanaka in December
Great month. Inside Wanaka's best window: Dec–Mar for lake and hiking; Jul–Aug for skiing.
Key facts
- Verdict
- Great
- Temperature
- 23°C (73°F)73°F (23°C) / 10°C (50°F)50°F (10°C)
- average high / low
- Rain days
- 9
- Crowds
- High
- New Zealand overall
- Prices
- High
- New Zealand overall
Verdict
Inside Wanaka's best window: Dec–Mar for lake and hiking; Jul–Aug for skiing.
Is another month better than December?
No other month rates higher than December for Wanaka in this guide.
Weather in December
- WanakaHighs around 23 °C (73 °F), lows around 10 °C (50 °F), rain on about 9 daysHighs around 73 °F (23 °C), lows around 50 °F (10 °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 Wanaka, side by side.
Verdict
Dec: Great
Jan: Great
Daytime high
Dec: 23 °C (73 °F)73 °F (23 °C)
Jan: 24 °C (75 °F)75 °F (24 °C)
Night low
Dec: 10 °C (50 °F)50 °F (10 °C)
Jan: 11 °C (52 °F)52 °F (11 °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 Wanaka's best window: Dec–Mar for lake and hiking; Jul–Aug for skiing.
January: Inside Wanaka's best window: Dec–Mar for lake and hiking; Jul–Aug for skiing.
Wanaka: figures are long-term averages from this guide, not a forecast.
What to pack
- A warm layer for the evenings