New Zealand
Wellington in December
☀️ SummerPleasant and some showers.
🎒 Pack: light layers
Why December scores 9.5What goes into the score
How it works- Weather comfort9.1
- ✓Comfortable temperatures (19°C highs / 12°C lows)
- ✓Comfortable humidity (dew point 12.6°C)
- ✓Mostly dry (~91 mm rain)
- Air quality9.9
- ✓Good (within WHO guideline) (PM2.5 ~6 µg/m³)
- Seasonal hazards10.0
- ·No notable seasonal hazards
- Safety baseline9.5
- ·Normal precautions
| Dec | Feb | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 9.5 Excellent | 9.7 Excellent |
| Season | ☀️ Summer | ☀️ Summer |
| High / low | 19° / 12° | 21° / 14° |
| Rain | 91 mm | 56 mm |
| Humidity | dew pt 13° | dew pt 14° |
| PM2.5 | 6 µg/m³ | 7 µg/m³ |
Typical-month data: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis) 2015–2024 (modelled, not a forecast). Temperatures: Wellington weather-station normals. Rainfall: Wellington weather-station normals (national met service).
Holidays & crowdsDecember 2026
Long weekendThere's at least one long weekend. Domestic travel picks up and popular spots get busier over those days.
- Boxing Day 25–28 Dec · 4 days off in a row
National holidays only; regional holidays and school breaks aren't included. Source: holidays (open-source public-holiday calendar).
Explore WellingtonEvents, sights, food & souvenirs
Check event dates locallyNew Zealand's compact capital on a harbour at the southern tip of the North Island, known for Te Papa museum, café culture and windy weather.
No major events on our calendar for December.
Coming up later
Waitangi DayEvery year6 February every year
New Zealand's national day, marking the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840.
Why go: It is a public holiday with community events around the waterfront.
Where: Across the city
MatarikiDate variesPublic holiday in June or July, date moves each year
Māori New Year marked by the rising of the Matariki star cluster.
Why go: Light shows and events across the city.
Where: Across the city
Te Papa Tongarewa
The national museum covering Māori culture, nature and history.
Wellington Cable Car
A funicular from Lambton Quay to the Botanic Garden.
Mount Victoria Lookout
A viewpoint over the city and harbour.
Zealandia
A fenced urban ecosanctuary protecting native birds.
Weta Workshop
The film effects studio in Miramar with tours.
Parliament and the Beehive
New Zealand's parliamentary buildings with free tours.
Coffee and flat white
Wellington is known for its café culture.
💡 Cuba Street and the CBD
Craft beer
Wellington has a strong local brewing scene.
💡 Taprooms around Te Aro
Pāua and green-lipped mussels
New Zealand shellfish, often served in fritters or steamed.
💡 Seafood restaurants
Hāngī
Māori food cooked in an earth oven, mainly at cultural events.
💡 Cultural events and some markets
Pounamu (greenstone)
New Zealand jade carved into traditional Māori designs.
💡 Certified shops; ask about origin
Merino and possum knitwear
Warm woollens made from merino wool blended with possum fur.
💡 Lambton Quay shops
Mānuka honey
New Zealand honey from the mānuka bush.
💡 Supermarkets and gift shops