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When to go · India

India, month by month

The best months for India: Jan, Feb. Months to avoid: May.

Month by month

  1. 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 · 3 festivals or holidays
  2. FebruaryGreatThe best all-round month: pleasant north, dry south, Rajasthan festivals.Northern plains: best weather · Rajasthan: best weather · Himalayan hills: coolCrowds: High · 2 festivals or holidays
  3. MarchGoodWarming fast; Holi in the north; the south turns hot and humid.Northern plains: best weather · Rajasthan: fine · Himalayan hills: fineCrowds: Medium · 3 festivals or holidays
  4. AprilMixedPlains reach 40 °C (104 °F); hill stations and Darjeeling are the escape.Northern plains: hot · Rajasthan: hot · Himalayan hills: best weatherCrowds: Low · 1 festival or holiday
  5. MayAvoidHottest month on the plains; only the Himalaya and Ladakh (opening late May) work.Northern plains: hot · Rajasthan: hot · Himalayan hills: best weatherCrowds: Low · 2 festivals or holidays
  6. JuneMixedMonsoon arrives in Kerala and moves north; Ladakh and Spiti are the pick.Northern plains: hot · Rajasthan: hot · Himalayan hills: fineCrowds: Low · 1 festival or holiday
  7. JulyMixedMonsoon everywhere except Ladakh; hill roads close with landslides; green, cheap and wet.Northern plains: rainy · Rajasthan: fine · Himalayan hills: rainyCrowds: Low · 1 festival or holiday
  8. AugustMixedSame as July; Ladakh peak; Independence Day closures in Delhi on the 15th.Northern plains: rainy · Rajasthan: fine · Himalayan hills: rainyCrowds: Low · 2 festivals or holidays
  9. SeptemberMixedRain eases in the north late in the month; Rajasthan starts to work again.Northern plains: rainy · Rajasthan: fine · Himalayan hills: fineCrowds: Low · 3 festivals or holidays
  10. 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 · 4 festivals or holidays
  11. 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 · 4 festivals or holidays
  12. 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 · 2 festivals or holidays

Compare two months

Weather, crowds and prices for any two months in India, side by side.

  • Verdict

    Jan: Great

    Feb: Great

  • Crowds

    Jan: High

    Feb: High

  • Prices

    Jan: High

    Feb: High

  • Festivals listed

    Jan: 3

    Feb: 2

January: Peak for Rajasthan, Kerala and Goa; fog in the north delays trains and flights in the mornings.

February: The best all-round month: pleasant north, dry south, Rajasthan festivals.

India: figures are long-term averages from this guide, not a forecast.

Weather by region

How each climate zone rates each month.

Weather rating by region and month
RegionJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Northern plainsDelhi, Agra, Varanasi, AmritsarHazeBestBestHotHotHotWetWetWetOKHazeHaze
RajasthanJaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, JaisalmerBestBestOKHotHotHotOKOKOKOKBestBest
Himalayan hillsShimla, Rishikesh, Darjeeling, SikkimCoolCoolOKBestBestOKWetWetOKBestBestCool
Ladakh and SpitiLeh, Nubra, Pangong, SpitiCoolCoolCoolCoolOKBestBestBestBestOKCoolCool
Goa and the Konkan coastGoa, Mumbai, GokarnaBestBestBestHotHotWetWetWetWetOKBestBest
Kerala and the south-westKochi, Alleppey, Munnar, VarkalaBestBestHotHotHotWetWetWetOKWetOKBest
Tamil Nadu and the east coastChennai, Madurai, Puducherry, MamallapuramBestBestHotHotHotHotOKOKOKWetStormWet
NortheastAssam, Meghalaya, ArunachalCoolOKBestBestOKWetWetWetWetBestBestCool