Iran
Tehran in December
🧥 WinterCold and mostly dry. Watch for hazy air.
🎒 Pack: warm jacket for evenings · N95 mask for hazy days
Why December scores 6.7What goes into the score
How it works- Weather comfort7.6
- !Cold (9°C highs / 3°C lows)
- ✓Comfortable humidity (dew point -2.3°C)
- ✓Mostly dry (~40 mm rain)
- Air quality3.3
- !Unhealthy (PM2.5 ~62 µg/m³)
- Seasonal hazards10.0
- ·No notable seasonal hazards
- Safety baseline2.0
- ·Very high caution
| Dec | May | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 6.7 Good | 8.5 Excellent |
| Season | 🧥 Winter | 🌷 Spring |
| High / low | 9° / 3° | 27° / 17° |
| Rain | 40 mm | 17 mm |
| Humidity | dew pt -2° | dew pt 6° |
| PM2.5 | 62 µg/m³ | 28 µg/m³ |
Typical-month data: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis) 2015–2024 (modelled, not a forecast). Temperatures: Tehran weather-station normals. Rainfall: Tehran Geophysic weather-station normals (national met service).
Holidays & crowdsDecember 2026
No long holidaysNo long public-holiday weekends this month. School holidays aren't counted, so check those if you want to avoid family crowds.
Other public holidays: Birthday of Imam Ali (23 Dec)
National holidays only; regional holidays and school breaks aren't included. Source: holidays (open-source public-holiday calendar).
Nature calendarBlossoms, leaves & seasons in Tehran
- Snowy daysIn DecemberTypical datesSnow likely Dec–Mar (most in Jan: ~5 days)
Average number of days with snowfall at Tehran.
Source: Tehran weather-station normals (national weather service, via Wikipedia climate table)
Explore TehranEvents, sights, food & souvenirs
Check event dates locallyIran's sprawling capital at the foot of the Alborz mountains, home to the country's main museums, royal palaces and a huge historic bazaar.
Yalda NightDate variesNight of the winter solstice, around 20–21 December
Families stay up on the longest night eating pomegranates and watermelon and reading Hafez.
Why go: Shops sell pomegranates and decorations, but it is mostly a family celebration.
Where: Homes and restaurants
Coming up later
Nowruz (Persian New Year)Date variesBegins at the spring equinox, usually 20 or 21 March, with about two weeks of holidays
The Persian New Year, Iran's biggest holiday.
Why go: Many Tehranis leave the city, offices close, and domestic travel to other cities is very busy.
Where: Across the country
Chaharshanbe SuriDate variesThe last Tuesday evening before Nowruz
A fire festival where people jump over bonfires.
Why go: Expect fireworks and firecrackers in the streets that evening.
Where: Neighbourhood streets
Muharram and AshuraDate variesIslamic lunar calendar — around June in 2026–2028, moving about 11 days earlier each year
A period of mourning for Imam Hussein with processions on Tasua and Ashura.
Why go: Many businesses close on Tasua and Ashura; dress and behave respectfully.
Where: Across the city
Golestan Palace
A UNESCO-listed Qajar-era royal complex with mirrored halls and tiled courtyards.
Grand Bazaar
A vast covered bazaar with sections for carpets, spices, copper and gold.
💡 It is busiest in the morning and closed on Fridays.
National Museum of Iran
Archaeological collections from prehistoric times through the Achaemenid and Islamic periods.
Sa'dabad Complex
A former royal estate in north Tehran with palaces now used as museums.
Azadi Tower
The white marble monument built in 1971 at the western entrance to the city.
Tochal and Darband
Mountain areas in north Tehran with hiking trails, a telecabin and riverside teahouses.
💡 Tochal is used for skiing in winter.
Chelow kebab
Grilled kebab served with saffron rice, butter and grilled tomato.
💡 Kebab restaurants
Ghormeh sabzi
A herb stew with kidney beans, dried lime and lamb, served with rice.
💡 Traditional restaurants and homes
Dizi
A lamb and chickpea stew cooked in a clay pot, mashed at the table.
💡 Traditional dizi houses
Tahdig
The crisp golden layer of rice from the bottom of the pot.
💡 Persian restaurants
Faloodeh and bastani
Rosewater noodle sorbet and saffron ice cream.
💡 Ice cream shops
Saffron
Iran is the world's largest saffron producer.
💡 Grand Bazaar and spice shops
Persian carpets
Hand-knotted rugs from many regions of Iran.
💡 Carpet section of the Grand Bazaar
Gaz
Pistachio nougat from Isfahan, widely sold in Tehran.
💡 Sweet shops
Pistachios
Iranian pistachios, often roasted with saffron or lemon.
💡 Nut shops and the bazaar