Best Time To Visit India

Owing to its geographical diversity, India could be visited throughout the year. Whereas winter months from October till March are the peak season for tourism in India, monsoon is the best time to visit for enjoying the rain in Northern India as well as the hills or plains in the South for Ayurveda therapies. For wildlife adventure, April, May and June months are the best time to visit National Parks in India as it is the time when chances for sighting Bengal tigers are best.

Winter months are perfect too for wildlife spotting. Summer months from April till July is best to for hiking, treks and adventure in North and North Eastern Region of India as well as visit to Ladakh. With our compilation on best time to visit in India according to season, know where to plan your holiday and best things to do in that season if you are planning your tour to India.

WHEN IS TOURIST SEASON IN INDIA?

The best time to visit India, and hence when the tourist season starts, is from November to the beginning of March. This is when India faces mostly moderate temperatures in the South, Central and the flat parts of North India. Certain parts of the high Himalayas are inaccessible in December and January, but by and large, you can expect clear sunny days across India. Yes, great beach weather too across all those months.

Do bear in mind that October is a good month to visit most of India too, it is dry and not many tourists have still arrived. The afternoons in October can be a little hot, our only grudge with that month in India. Diwali, India’s biggest festival is celebrated either in late October or early November. We can highly recommend planning your trip around the festival of lights in India.

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If you plan your holiday during this time, it is best to book at least three months in advance to get the best pick of hotels at reasonable rates and hassle-free train reservations. The prime tourist destinations such as Rajasthan, Agra, Goa and Kerala get quite crowded. During Christmas and New Years, in particular, Goa is completely packed with domestic as well as international tourists.

Having said this, it’s not just the benefit of cooler temperatures. If you like meeting other interesting travellers, and you like the buzz and excitement while you travel, then there’s nothing quite like seeing India in peak season. Check out our tour ideas, almost all of which, could be executed in these months.

WHEN IS THE MONSOON SEASON? HOW IS IT LIKE?

The monsoon starts in June and lasts until September. It’s an exotic concept to those travellers coming from more moderate climate zones. But India is a big country with multiple climate zones and therefore the monsoon develops differently in various areas of India. i.e. while 80% of India receives its rainfall from what is called the southwesterly monsoon, the intensity of the monsoon decreases as you move from the South to the North of India.

Best Time to Visit In South India (think Kerala, Goa and Mumbai), and we don’t want to sugarcoat it, it rains a lot! Not like a British drizzle or the one shower for a couple of minutes you get in Southeast Asia. It can rain for days and heavily in the tropical areas of the west coast and the Himalayas. You want to be prepared for traffic disruptions and higher humidity.

On the bright side…

Even though it can sometimes be quite unpleasant and it might not be the absolute best time to visit India, there are benefits to this season. The natural world comes to life; dry brown grasslands and forests become lush green (you have to see how alive the countryside comes during the monsoons). The farmers welcome the season with full productivity, and lakes and rivers. as well as waterfalls, fill up and become stronger than ever.

Many avoid India in the monsoon, which means you get a lot of the sights to yourself. Moreover, it’s the best time in India to visit for those that are looking for affordable luxury. Many hotels offer their rooms for much less, often half the cost compared to other months. A little secret, most parts of North India only receive light showers during the monsoons a great region to explore especially during the months of August and September. More on the same a little later in this blog.

PREPARING FOR THE MONSOON

Technically, you can travel anywhere as you are both physically and mentally prepared. Some areas, however, might be more enjoyable than others. Goa and Kerala get a lot of rain and humidity. We’d recommend avoiding the coastlines. Beaches lose their charm and strong currents make swimming dangerous. The beach resorts and shacks close in April and don’t open until September or October.

Escaping the Monsoons in North India

Most of Rajasthan and the regions and parts of North-Central idea i.e. Varanasi, Khajuraho and Orchha are never drenched in tropical rain. They receive the right amount of rain for the countryside to come alive, hordes of tourists stay away and hotel prices drop! You would have to pack an umbrella or a rain jacket but the showers would always be light passing showers and never too cold. Check out Henning’s trip through Rajasthan,

If you want to escape the monsoon all together and enjoy the mountain landscapes, Ladakh might be the best place for you. The region boasts of breathtaking views and great hikes. It’s called the cold desert as the only precipitation here is snow. July and August are the absolute ideal times to go visit. Check out Coralie’s trip to Kashmir, Leh, and Ladakh.

From June to August, it is best to avoid the mountains or the Himalayan region of India (except for the region of Ladakh). Rishikesh, Dharamshala, Manali, Shimla, Kasol, Sikkim, and Darjeeling face heavy rainfall and consequently many landslides. It’s impossible to trek and you’d be compelled to stay indoors most of the time – not the best way to spend your precious time in India.

WHEN IS SUMMER AND HOW HOT DOES IT GET?

From mid-March until the monsoon which starts towards mid-June, as well as October and November, it can get really hot. In the Central and flat parts of India (temperatures go up to 45 degrees Celsius). This shouldn’t stop you from visiting India, in fact, it gives you the perfect chance to explore the Northern region or rather the mountains of India.

Best time to visit india in summer is the perfect time to visit the Himalayas or the Northeastern part of India. You can venture to the spiritual haven of Rishikesh, which lies on the banks of the Ganges River. You can even visit the exiled Dalai Lama in Dharamshala. British hill stations like Shimla or Darjeeling are great to visit, while thrill-seekers can trek in various regions of North India. Ladakh becomes accessible by June. Take a look at Stephanie’s spiritual voyage through the North for some inspiration on a travel route through this region.

We would like to mention we can always plan a trip that has you spend a short amount of time visiting the absolute must-sees like the Taj Mahal, Varanasi or the highlights of Rajasthan. It would be hot, but you would stay in air-conditioned hotels and use air-conditioned modes of transport. After you visit the highlights you can spend the rest of your time in the Himalayas, going on hikes and exploring monasteries in pleasant sunny weather.

Western Coastline

Along the western coastline runs the massive 1600 km long Western Ghats mountain range. It contains beautiful hill stations, a variety of flora and fauna, and forest and natural reserves that give it the much-deserved validation of being a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Wayanad, Coorg, Munnar and Coonoor are some of the places you can visit to escape the heat.

Every time you leave the plains and enter the mountainous regions between the summer months, you immediately feel the change in temperature and air quality. Since off-season for tourism in India starts in April, you’ll already save substantially on hotel bookings. Except in the Northern mountains where tourist season is at its peak in April and May.

WHEN ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT FESTIVALS IN INDIA?

A few events and festivals in India make for some of the best times to visit India. So, if you can, time your travel around any of the festivals in India, it’ll only further add to the charm of exploring this vibrant country. Diwali, the festival of lights is usually in October and sometimes at the beginning of November. Holi, the festival of colours, is in March. August and September are celebrated across the country with countless, diverse harvest and religious festivals. These include Ganesh Chaturthi (festival for the elephant-headed God), Onam (ten days harvest festival in Kerala), Navratri (nine days festival to celebrate the 9 incarnations of Goddess Durga) and Dussehra (a religious festival based on Hindu mythology).

While it’s great to see and take part in local festivities and ceremonies, a lot of festivals in India are intimate family celebrations. Therefore, it would be best to stay at a homestay either North or South at that time. Just before and after festivals, trains get booked way in advance and flights are extremely costly. This is because most Indians travel to be with their families. So, try and do the same and book well in advance.

The festive seasons may not always coincide with the holiday dates you had in mind. If you just give us a shout, we’ll help you plan the ideal trip while making sure you experience a traditional festive celebration or cultural event. There’s always something great going on in India, and we know exactly when and where.