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MONTH BY MONTH

When to visit India

India runs on seasons — and the best India for you depends on which India you're chasing. Here's the month-by-month planner.

Photo by Jayanth Muppaneni on Unsplash
Month by month Wildlife season overlay
Peak winter Shoulder Summer heat Pre-monsoon Monsoon Post-monsoon
peak winter
January
10–25°C

Peak tourist season. Cool clear days across the plains, cold nights in Rajasthan, warm and sunny beaches in Kerala and Goa. Book everything 6–8 weeks ahead.

Great for
RajasthanKeralaGoaMumbaiKarnataka
Skip
Himachal Pradesh (heavy snow)Ladakh (roads closed)
Festivals
  • Lohri (Punjab, 13)
  • Makar Sankranti / Pongal (14)
  • Republic Day (26)
peak winter
February
12–28°C

Best all-round month. Warmish south, cool north, dry everywhere. Rann of Kutch festival lights up Gujarat. Wildlife-park sightings peak.

Great for
RajasthanGujarat (Kutch)KeralaMadhya PradeshTamil Nadu
Skip
High Himalayas (still snow)
Festivals
  • Vasant Panchami
  • Kumbh Mela cycles
  • Goa Carnival (late Feb)
shoulder
March
18–35°C

Holi lights up the north. Wildlife concentrated at waterholes. Plains heat starts building by the last week — head to hill stations if you’re heat-averse.

Great for
North India before heatLadakh (opening)HimachalWildlife parks
Skip
Rajasthan desert by end of month
Festivals
  • Holi (mid-March)
  • Ugadi/Gudi Padwa
  • Ram Navami
summer
April
25–40°C

Plains start baking (40°C+). Hills open up beautifully. Kashmir’s tulip gardens bloom mid-month. Ideal for high-altitude trekking prep.

Great for
Himachal PradeshKashmir (opening)SikkimUttarakhand hills
Skip
DelhiRajasthanGujarat (all too hot)
Festivals
  • Baisakhi (13)
  • Hanuman Jayanti
  • Rongali Bihu (Assam)
summer
May
28–45°C

The heat month. Only the high Himalayas make sense. Kashmir peaks in beauty; Ladakh’s manali road usually opens end-May. Book Kashmir 3+ months ahead.

Great for
Ladakh (roads open)KashmirSikkimMeghalaya
Skip
Everywhere below 800m elevation
Festivals
  • Buddha Purnima
  • Eid al-Fitr (variable)
pre monsoon
June
25–38°C

Monsoon arrives on the Kerala coast around June 1 and sweeps north. High Himalayas are the only bulletproof choice. Ayurveda season begins in Kerala.

Great for
LadakhSpitiSikkimKerala (monsoon early)
Skip
Mumbai/Goa (monsoon starts)
Festivals
  • Rath Yatra (Puri)
  • Hemis Festival (Ladakh)
monsoon
July
25–35°C

Full monsoon. India turns emerald. Cherrapunji-Mawsynram is the wettest place on earth. Ayurveda season peaks in Kerala. Avoid Himalayan road travel.

Great for
LadakhSpitiKerala (ayurveda)Meghalaya (waterfalls)
Skip
Mumbai floodingUttarakhand landslides
Festivals
  • Guru Purnima
  • Muharram (variable)
monsoon
August
25–33°C

Onam — Kerala’s biggest festival — is a spectacular reason to be there. Independence Day energizes Delhi. Monsoon backwater cruises are magical.

Great for
LadakhKerala backwatersMeghalayaAndaman (calmer)
Skip
UttarakhandHimachal (landslides)
Festivals
  • Onam (Kerala, 10-day)
  • Raksha Bandhan
  • Krishna Janmashtami
  • Independence Day (15)
post monsoon
September
25–35°C

Monsoon retreats. Ganesh Chaturthi in Mumbai is a 10-day spectacle. Waterfalls at peak. Hill roads reopen. Everything getting green and beautiful.

Great for
HimachalUttarakhand (opening)KeralaGoa (season starts)
Skip
Bay of Bengal cyclone risk
Festivals
  • Ganesh Chaturthi (Mumbai)
  • Onam (early Sep)
shoulder
October
18–30°C

The great festival month. Navratri in Gujarat, Durga Puja in Kolkata, Dussehra everywhere. Weather starts cooling. Best month for first-timers.

Great for
RajasthanDelhiVaranasiKeralaKarnataka
Skip
Nothing major — the whole country works
Festivals
  • Navratri
  • Durga Puja (Kolkata)
  • Dussehra
  • Diwali (late Oct or Nov)
peak winter
November
12–28°C

Diwali lights everything up. Weather cools. Pushkar Fair brings camels and colour to Rajasthan. Booking window closes fast for the December-January season.

Great for
RajasthanKeralaGoaGolden Triangle
Skip
North Indian smog around Diwali
Festivals
  • Diwali
  • Bhai Dooj
  • Pushkar Camel Fair (Rajasthan)
  • Guru Nanak Jayanti
peak winter
December
10–25°C

Peak season. Goa parties. Rajasthan cool and clear. Kerala’s tourist wave crests. Wildlife spotting excellent (dry season). Book 8–12 weeks ahead.

Great for
RajasthanGoa (peak)KeralaRanthamboreKaziranga
Skip
Snow-locked mountain passes
Festivals
  • Christmas
  • Kolkata Book Fair
Wildlife season overlay

When to spot tigers, elephants, rhinos and snow leopards

India’s wildlife calendar is not the same as its tourist calendar. Most parks close during the monsoon (Jul–Sep). Some — like Gir and Kaziranga — have hard opening dates. Tap an animal to see its month-by-month sighting probability.

🐯
Bengal Tiger
Parks: Ranthambore (Rajasthan) · Bandhavgarh (MP) · Kanha (MP) · Tadoba (Maharashtra) · Corbett (Uttarakhand) · Sundarbans (WB)
J
★★
F
★★
M
★★★
A
★★★
M
★★★
J
★
J
–
A
–
S
–
O
★★
N
★★★
D
★★★
Peak Good Possible Closed / low
Field tip: April–May is peak spotting — thin foliage and waterhole congregation. Most parks close Jul–Sep for monsoon.
Ranthambore (Rajasthan) Bandhavgarh (MP) Kanha (MP) Tadoba (Maharashtra)
Pick a season, pick a destination

Ready to plan your trip?

Every state on IndiaTourism.pro carries a “Best time to visit” section tuned to that state’s microclimate.

Golden Triangle 7-day Kerala Rajasthan Goa Food & culinary First trip guide →
Best Time to Visit India — Month by Month Planner | IndiaTourism.pro