Mount Abu in December is the closest thing Gujarat has to a proper winter: sunny 20°C afternoons, nights that drop to 3–5°C, frost on car roofs some mornings, and a hill town that fills up with Ahmedabad and Surat number plates every weekend from Christmas onward. We have been planning weekend trips up the Abu Road ghat for 11 years, and December is the month we get the most questions about: is it really that cold, which weekend to pick, do we need to book hotels early, and is the Winter Festival worth timing the trip around. This guide answers all of that for a family or a couple leaving from Ahmedabad.
Mount Abu weather in December: what the numbers mean
Mount Abu sits at about 1,200 m, so it runs roughly 10°C cooler than Ahmedabad through the day and far colder at night. In a typical December, afternoons are 20–24°C under clear skies, evenings fall to 8–10°C by the time you finish dinner near Nakki Lake, and the pre-dawn minimum is usually 3–6°C. Rain is almost unheard of in December, which is why every sightseeing day is usable.
Cold snaps are the thing to plan for. In the third week of December 2023, Mount Abu recorded a minimum of −1°C on three consecutive days (PTI, 19 December 2023), with frost on grass, flowers and windshields; in mid-December 2024 the minimum touched 1.4°C. Sub-zero mornings are not guaranteed, but anyone travelling between 15 December and mid-January should pack as though they will happen. Nakki Lake does not freeze in a normal year, so do not plan around the “frozen lake” photos that circulate online; what you will reliably get is mist on the water at 7 am and a thin white layer on the lawns.
Weather facts here are as of November 2026; check the IMD forecast for Sirohi district two days before you leave.
Which December weekend to pick from Ahmedabad
December 2026 has two very different halves. Up to 20 December the town is calm, hotel rates are at their normal level and you can get a lake-view room on a week's notice. From Christmas to the first weekend of January it is the busiest week of the whole year, because 25 December 2026 falls on a Friday, giving Gujarat a three-day weekend, and 1 January 2027 is a Friday too, giving a second one.
- 5–6, 12–13 and 19–20 December: the quiet weekends. Best value, easy parking at Nakki Lake, Sunset Point without a queue. Our pick for seniors and families with small children.
- 25–27 December (Fri–Sun): the Christmas rush. Hotels on the lake side sell out weeks ahead and rates run 25–40% above normal. Book by late November.
- 29–31 December (Tue–Thu): the Mount Abu Winter Festival. Lively evenings, but midweek, so it suits people who can take two days' leave.
- 31 December–3 January: New Year crowds on top of the festival crowd. Expect slow traffic on the 27 km ghat road from Abu Road on the evening of the 31st and again on the afternoon of 3 January.
Mount Abu Winter Festival 2026: dates and what happens
The Winter Festival is held every year on 29, 30 and 31 December, and Rajasthan Tourism lists the 2026 edition for 29–31 December 2026 (as of November 2026). It is organised by Rajasthan Tourism with the Mount Abu municipal board, and most of it is free to watch. The programme usually opens with a procession through the market down to Nakki Lake, followed by evening cultural shows on a stage near the lake: Ghoomar, Gair and Daph folk dances, Sufi and classical performances, and a poetry session. Daytime slots carry kite flying, hot-air balloon rides when weather allows, and informal cricket and gilli-danda matches; the last evening usually ends with fireworks over the lake.
Two practical notes. Evening shows start after sunset, so you will be sitting outdoors at 6–8°C: carry a shawl or jacket for every person, including the grandparents who insist they are fine. And parking near the lake is scarce on festival evenings, so pick a hotel you can walk back to rather than one on the Abu Road side of town.
Getting from Ahmedabad to Mount Abu in December
By car: 225 km, about 4 to 4½ hours
Take NH 27 via Mehsana and Palanpur to Abu Road, then the 27 km ghat climb with its hairpin bends. Two toll plazas (Mehsana and Palanpur) cost roughly ₹215 one way for a car and ₹345 for an SUV; both take FASTag. Leave Ahmedabad by 6 am on a Saturday and you reach Nakki Lake comfortably before 11 am, with time for an Ambaji darshan stop (about 20 km off the highway near Abu Road) if the family wants it. In December the ghat is dry and in good condition; fog on the Mehsana stretch between 6 and 8 am is the only thing that slows the drive, so switch on fog lamps and keep a gap.
A one-way cab from Ahmedabad costs from about ₹3,300 for a sedan and ₹5,400 for an Innova Crysta, excluding tolls, with a return trip and two days of local use priced separately; prices vary by date and operator.
By train: Abu Road is the station, then 45 minutes uphill
Abu Road (ABR) is served by dozens of daily trains from Ahmedabad; these are the four we use most (timings as listed in November 2026, confirm on IRCTC before booking):
| Train | Leaves | Reaches Abu Road | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14702 Aravali Express | Ahmedabad Jn 04:35 | 08:30 | Saturday morning start, full day in Abu |
| 12462 Sabarmati–Jodhpur Vande Bharat | Sabarmati 16:45 | 19:15 | Friday evening after office, chair car from about ₹640 |
| 12915 Ashram Express | Sabarmati 19:45 | 22:30 | Friday night, sleeper from about ₹175 |
| 14708 Ranakpur Express | Ahmedabad Jn 21:55 | 01:55 | Late option; needs a pre-booked taxi at Abu Road |
From Abu Road station, shared jeeps and RSRTC buses run up the hill through the day, and a private taxi for the 27 km climb is usually ₹900–1,300 depending on the hour. If you arrive on the Ashram or Ranakpur at night, book the taxi in advance; the station taxi stand thins out after 11 pm in winter.
What to see in Mount Abu in December, with timing that matters
Nakki Lake and Toad Rock. Boating runs from about 8 am; pedal boats and shikaras are ₹50–100 per person for 30 minutes (rates vary by operator). Go early for mist, or at 4 pm for warm light. Toad Rock is a 15-minute scramble from the lake path and gives the view in the photo at the top of this page.
Guru Shikhar (1,722 m). The highest point in the Aravallis and the coldest spot on the plateau. The temple is at the top of about 300 steps from the car park. In December go between 10 am and 1 pm, when the wind has dropped and the haze over the plains has cleared; a 7 am visit means 2–4°C with wind chill and a view you cannot see.
Dilwara Jain temples. The 11th–13th-century marble carving is the reason many Gujarati families come at all. Non-Jain visitors are admitted from 12 noon to 6 pm; Jain pilgrims from early morning. No phones, cameras, bags or leather items inside, and a dress code applies (shoulders and knees covered). Entry is free. It is a calm, flat visit that suits seniors, and the 12–2 pm slot is the least crowded in December.
Sunset Point and Honeymoon Point. The sun sets at around 6 pm in December. Reach Sunset Point by 5:15 pm on a Christmas weekend because the last 500 m is a slow walk through stalls and horse rides; on a quiet weekend 5:30 pm is fine.
Achalgarh fort and Achaleshwar Mahadev. About 11 km from town, a two-hour outing that pairs well with Guru Shikhar. The temple with the toe-print of Shiva and the brass Nandi is open through the day.
Trevor's Tank and the wildlife sanctuary. Trevor's Tank (₹30 per Indian visitor) is a quiet crocodile pond and birding spot inside the Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary (₹50 per Indian visitor); December mornings bring the best bird activity. Fees as of November 2026.
Brahma Kumaris Peace Park and Om Shanti Bhawan. Free, serene, and warm in the afternoon sun; the Peace Park is 8 km from town on the Guru Shikhar road.
A 2-day weekend plan from Ahmedabad
Saturday. Leave Ahmedabad at 6 am, tea at Mehsana, optional Ambaji darshan at 9 am, reach Mount Abu by 11 am and check in. Gujarati thali lunch near the market. 3 pm Nakki Lake boating and Toad Rock, 5:15 pm Sunset Point, evening walk through the market for rabdi, bhutta and the woollen stalls. Dinner by 8:30 pm; it is cold enough that most families are indoors by nine.
Sunday. Breakfast at 8:30 am, Guru Shikhar at 10 am, Achalgarh at 11:30 am, Dilwara at 12:30 pm when it opens to visitors, lunch at 2 pm, leave by 3 pm and reach Ahmedabad by 7:30 pm. If you have a third day (Christmas or New Year weekend), add Trevor's Tank and the Peace Park on the morning of day 2 and push Dilwara and the drive home to day 3.
Travelling by train? Take the Friday evening Vande Bharat up and the Sunday Aravali Express or a late-afternoon train back; the plan above shifts by half a day and you still cover everything.
Hotels and what a December weekend costs
Mount Abu has three hotel clusters: the lake-front and market area (walkable, noisiest, best for the festival), the Sunset Road and Delwara Road belt (quieter, mid-range and heritage properties), and the Abu Road side of town near the bus stand (cheapest, needs a vehicle). In December ask every hotel two questions before paying: is a room heater included or chargeable, and from what time is hot water available in the morning. Older properties still run geysers on a timer.
Indicative costs for a family of four on a normal December weekend by own car, as of November 2026 and varying by date: fuel for the 450 km round trip ₹3,000–3,500, tolls about ₹430, two nights in a 3-star room ₹7,000–12,000, meals ₹2,500–4,000, a local taxi for the Guru Shikhar–Achalgarh–Dilwara loop ₹1,500–2,500, and ₹1,000–1,500 for boating, entry fees and the market. That is roughly ₹16,000–24,000 for four. For 25 December to 3 January, budget the same trip at ₹22,000–35,000 because of the hotel premium, and book by the end of November. Our private Udaipur and Mount Abu packages from Ahmedabad start from about ₹6,500 per person and add Udaipur's lakes to the same loop; December combos should be booked four to six weeks ahead.
Veg and Jain food in Mount Abu
This is one hill station where pure-veg travellers never have to think. The town's dining halls serve unlimited Gujarati and Rajasthani thalis (dal-baati-churma is the local addition), and the long-running halls near the market will make a Jain thali without onion, garlic or root vegetables if you ask when you sit down. Hot winter specials to look for: rabdi from the lake-front stalls, hot bhutta with lime and masala at Sunset Point, kadhi-khichdi for a light dinner, and the Brahma Kumaris campus food, which is sattvic by default. Carry a thermos of chai or hot water for the Guru Shikhar morning; nothing is open up there before 9 am.
Packing list for Mount Abu in December
- One warm layer per person for the day (a fleece or light sweater), plus a proper jacket and a woollen cap for after 6 pm and for Guru Shikhar.
- Thermals and gloves for children under 8 and anyone over 65; a hot-water bag for the hotel room is not overkill on a cold-snap night.
- Sunscreen and sunglasses: December sun at 1,200 m is strong between 11 am and 3 pm even when the air is cold.
- Moisturiser and lip balm; the air is very dry.
- Closed shoes with grip for Toad Rock and the Guru Shikhar steps; chappals only for the hotel.
- A shawl or stole each for the Winter Festival evenings, and a small torch for the walk back from the lake.
- Any regular medicines plus a basic kit; the town has the Brahma Kumaris' Global Hospital and a government hospital, but for anything serious the family will want Abu Road or Ahmedabad.
Tips for seniors and small children
Mount Abu is a gentle hill station: no altitude issues, short drives between sights, and flat walks around the lake and at Dilwara. The two climbs are Guru Shikhar (about 300 steps, with railings and benches) and the Adhar Devi temple (365 steps through a rock passage, best skipped by anyone with knee trouble). Book a hotel with a lift or ground-floor rooms, keep the Sunset Point visit to a quiet weekend when the walk is unhurried, and schedule outdoor time between 10 am and 5 pm when the temperature is pleasant. For more on pacing a trip with parents, see our planning guide for travelling with senior citizen parents.
Mount Abu or somewhere else this December?
If you want a drive under five hours and real cold without snow, Mount Abu is the pick. If snow is the point, read our guide to Kashmir in December; for a warm beach weekend instead, our Goa in December guide covers the same crowd and cost questions. Closer to home, the Rann Utsav tent city at Dhordo runs through December and makes a good second winter weekend, and the 18 weekend getaways from Ahmedabad page has the full long-weekend calendar for the season.
Frequently asked questions
How cold is Mount Abu in December at night?
Usually 3–6°C before dawn, 8–10°C by 9 pm. In cold snaps the minimum has fallen to −1°C (December 2023), with frost on lawns and car roofs. Days are a pleasant 20–24°C.
When is the Mount Abu Winter Festival in 2026?
29 to 31 December 2026, per Rajasthan Tourism's listing as of November 2026. The festival runs on the same three dates every year. Most events are free; evening shows are near Nakki Lake.
Is a weekend enough for Mount Abu from Ahmedabad?
Yes. With a 6 am Saturday start you cover Nakki Lake, Sunset Point, Guru Shikhar, Achalgarh and Dilwara and are home by Sunday evening. Add a third day only if you are combining Udaipur or want the Winter Festival evenings.
Do I need to book hotels in advance for December?
For 5–20 December, a week ahead is fine. For 25 December to 3 January, book four to six weeks ahead; lake-side hotels sell out and rates rise 25–40%.
What are the Dilwara temple timings for tourists?
Non-Jain visitors are admitted from 12 noon to 6 pm; Jain pilgrims from early morning. Phones, cameras and leather items are not allowed inside, and entry is free.
Is Mount Abu good for senior citizens in winter?
Yes, if you keep outdoor time to 10 am–5 pm, book a room with a heater, and skip the Adhar Devi steps. The sights are close together and most walks are flat.
Plan your Mount Abu December weekend with us
Vibrant Holidays has planned private Mount Abu and Udaipur trips from our office on C G Road, Ahmedabad since 2015: your own car and driver, hotels we have checked for heaters and hot water, Jain or pure-veg meals arranged in advance, and no group, no fixed departure and no tour manager. Call us toll-free on 1800-313-4262 or browse our Rajasthan tour packages to put a December weekend together.
Vibrant Holidays · 2nd Floor, Ashish Complex, Above Liberty Showroom, Swastik Cross Roads, C G Road, Ahmedabad – 380009 · Toll-free 1800-313-4262 · www.vibrant.holiday
