When to go · India
India, month by month
The best months for India: Jan, Feb. Months to avoid: May.
Month by month
- JanuaryGreatPeak for Rajasthan, Kerala and Goa; fog in the north delays trains and flights in the mornings.Northern plains: smoke haze · Rajasthan: best weather · Himalayan hills: coolCrowds: High · 2 festivals or holidays
- FebruaryGreatThe best all-round month: pleasant north, dry south, Rajasthan festivals.Northern plains: best weather · Rajasthan: best weather · Himalayan hills: coolCrowds: High
- MarchGoodWarming fast; Holi in the north; the south turns hot and humid.Northern plains: best weather · Rajasthan: fine · Himalayan hills: fineCrowds: Medium · 2 festivals or holidays
- AprilMixedPlains reach 40 °C; hill stations and Darjeeling are the escape.Northern plains: hot · Rajasthan: hot · Himalayan hills: best weatherCrowds: Low
- MayAvoidHottest month on the plains; only the Himalaya and Ladakh (opening late May) work.Northern plains: hot · Rajasthan: hot · Himalayan hills: best weatherCrowds: Low · 1 festival or holiday
- JuneMixedMonsoon arrives in Kerala and moves north; Ladakh and Spiti are the pick.Northern plains: hot · Rajasthan: hot · Himalayan hills: fineCrowds: Low
- JulyMixedMonsoon everywhere except Ladakh; hill roads close with landslides; green, cheap and wet.Northern plains: rainy · Rajasthan: fine · Himalayan hills: rainyCrowds: Low
- AugustMixedSame as July; Ladakh peak; Independence Day closures in Delhi on the 15th.Northern plains: rainy · Rajasthan: fine · Himalayan hills: rainyCrowds: Low · 1 festival or holiday
- SeptemberMixedRain eases in the north late in the month; Rajasthan starts to work again.Northern plains: rainy · Rajasthan: fine · Himalayan hills: fineCrowds: Low · 1 festival or holiday
- OctoberGoodPost-monsoon clarity in the north and hills; Durga Puja and Dussehra; the south-east coast turns wet.Northern plains: fine · Rajasthan: fine · Himalayan hills: best weatherCrowds: Medium · 2 festivals or holidays
- NovemberMixedGreat weather but Diwali crowds and Delhi's worst smog; Pushkar fair; Tamil Nadu cyclone risk.Northern plains: smoke haze · Rajasthan: best weather · Himalayan hills: best weatherCrowds: High · 2 festivals or holidays
- DecemberGoodRajasthan, Kerala and Goa at their best; book the Christmas–New Year week far ahead.Northern plains: smoke haze · Rajasthan: best weather · Himalayan hills: coolCrowds: High · 1 festival or holiday
Weather by region
How each climate zone rates each month.
| Region | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern plainsDelhi, Agra, Varanasi, Amritsar | Haze | Best | Best | Hot | Hot | Hot | Wet | Wet | Wet | OK | Haze | Haze |
| RajasthanJaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Jaisalmer | Best | Best | OK | Hot | Hot | Hot | OK | OK | OK | OK | Best | Best |
| Himalayan hillsShimla, Rishikesh, Darjeeling, Sikkim | Cool | Cool | OK | Best | Best | OK | Wet | Wet | OK | Best | Best | Cool |
| Ladakh and SpitiLeh, Nubra, Pangong, Spiti | Cool | Cool | Cool | Cool | OK | Best | Best | Best | Best | OK | Cool | Cool |
| Goa and the Konkan coastGoa, Mumbai, Gokarna | Best | Best | Best | Hot | Hot | Wet | Wet | Wet | Wet | OK | Best | Best |
| Kerala and the south-westKochi, Alleppey, Munnar, Varkala | Best | Best | Hot | Hot | Hot | Wet | Wet | Wet | OK | Wet | OK | Best |
| Tamil Nadu and the east coastChennai, Madurai, Puducherry, Mamallapuram | Best | Best | Hot | Hot | Hot | Hot | OK | OK | OK | Wet | Storm | Wet |
| NortheastAssam, Meghalaya, Arunachal | Cool | OK | Best | Best | OK | Wet | Wet | Wet | Wet | Best | Best | Cool |