India in October

Post-monsoon clarity in the north and hills; Durga Puja and Dussehra; the south-east coast turns wet.

• Northern plains · Delhi, Agra, Varanasi, Amritsarfine

  Dense fog delays trains and flights in Dec–Jan; smog peaks in November; 45 °C in May–June.

• Rajasthan · Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Jaisalmerfine

  Desert nights are cold in Dec–Jan; the monsoon is light but humid; Udaipur's lakes are fullest after it.

• Himalayan hills · Shimla, Rishikesh, Darjeeling, Sikkimbest weather

  Landslides close roads in July–August; October–November gives the clearest mountain views.

• Ladakh and Spiti · Leh, Nubra, Pangong, Spitifine

  High desert above 3,000 m: roads over the passes open roughly June–October; winter is –20 °C.

• Goa and the Konkan coast · Goa, Mumbai, Gokarnafine

  Beach shacks open November–April; Mumbai gets over 2 m of rain in the monsoon.

• Kerala and the south-west · Kochi, Alleppey, Munnar, Varkalarainy

  Two monsoons: the big one June–August and a second burst October–November.

• Tamil Nadu and the east coast · Chennai, Madurai, Puducherry, Mamallapuramrainy

  Opposite rhythm: the north-east monsoon and cyclones hit October–December; January–February is the easy window.

• Northeast · Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachalbest weather

  Meghalaya is among the wettest places on Earth; permits needed for Arunachal and parts of other states.

Dates as our data lists them. Moving holidays (lunar and Islamic calendars, Easter) shift every year: check the date for your year before you build a trip on it.

• Durga Puja and Dussehra big impact

  ~17–21 Oct 2026 (check)

  Kolkata's pandals draw millions; trains to the east sell out; effigies burnt across the north on Dussehra.

• Diwali big impact

  ~8 Nov 2026; ~29 Oct 2027 (check)

  Biggest travel week of the year: trains and flights full, fireworks for days, smog spikes in the north.

Crowds · India

Medium

Prices · India

Medium

• A rain jacket or umbrella and shoes that dry fast

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Rated best or good this month

• Himalayan hills

  Best weather of the year (Shimla, Rishikesh, Darjeeling, Sikkim)

• Northeast

  Best weather of the year (Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal)

• Delhi

  Clearing, warm days; smog starts late in the month; Diwali some years.

• Jaipur

  Best months: Oct–Mar (cool, clear skies, comfortable for fort visits)

• Agra

  Best months: Oct–Mar (cool, clearer skies for photographs of the Taj)

• Varanasi

  Best months: Oct–Mar (cooler, comfortable for early boat rides)

• Bengaluru

  Best months: Oct–Feb (mild and dry)