When is the best time to visit India? Here’s your season-by-season guide
India’s kaleidoscopic culture inspires awe year-round, but each season ushers in unique experiences. Looking to spot tigers or join vibrant Holi celebrations? Read on to learn when to time your trip.
With its festivals of light and color, fragrant spices, and dreamy architecture, India will sweep you into its spirited embrace. Join one of our India tours to observe sacred ceremonies on the banks of the Ganges, soar over the Pink City in a hot-air balloon, and search for tigers. You’ll bring home a new worldview and a full heart. Read on to dig into our season-by-season guide to traveling to India, one of our favorite tour destinations.
The best seasons to visit India
India’s seasons shape every journey, offering distinct experiences throughout the year. The cool, dry winter months create ideal conditions for exploring the Taj Mahal under clear skies. Spring brings vibrant festivals like Holi and sees rising temperatures, perfect for breezy coastal retreats. Then comes the summer monsoon season, when we take a brief seasonal pause from running our tours of India, but things pick back up in autumn! This is the season of Diwali and important spice harvesting. No matter the season, India’s diverse climate and cultural calendar promise an unforgettable adventure.
Winter in India
Go for mild weather and luminous sunsets
Some of the best places to visit in India in December through February are places where the weather can get stifling in warmer months. Take advantage of cooler weather by heading to southern India and exploring sunny cities and seaside towns. “We went in January, and the weather was perfect up north and in the low 90s around Cochin,” said traveler Jim, who joined our India: Delhi, Agra & Jaipur tour.
Weather in India in December, January, and February
India’s winter brings mild to cool temperatures, but regional differences are vast. In the north, cities see daytime highs reach 70 F and higher, with chilly mornings and nights that can drop below 50 F. Central India stays warm, with temperatures averaging from mid-60s to high 80s F. Meanwhile, the south enjoys balmy weather lingering from the high 70s to the low 90s F.
December
December is an especially enchanting time to visit India, with mild temperatures up north and chances to warm up down south.
- Take a sunset cruise around Lake Pichola. Winter’s clear, dry skies make it the best time to visit India for a golden-hour cruise around Udaipur’s Lake Pichola on our India’s Royal Rajasthan: Udaipur, Jaipur & Agra tour. The sun’s low angle this time of year creates spectacular sunsets, bathing the palaces and temples on Pichola’s shores in a radiant glow.
January
January is an equally comfortable time to visit India, with cool, dry weather that’s perfect for exploring iconic landmarks.
- Honor Gandhi’s memory. Visit Raj Ghat, Delhi’s tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, on one of our India tours. When you go, you’ll see the eternal flame and black marble pedestal on the site of the nonviolent activist’s cremation. Special commemorative prayers are held to mark his birth and death days on October 2 and January 30, respectively.
February
February makes a joyous time to tour India, with national treasures shining amidst the comfortable weather.
- Explore the Elephanta Caves. Walk through the labyrinth of cave temples on Elephanta Island, also known as Gharapuri, when you join the Mumbai extension of our Highlights of Northern India: Delhi, Varanasi & Agra tour. The island’s temples and soaring Shiva carvings date back to as early as the 5th century.
- Witness Puducherry’s charm. Until 1954, the quaint seaside town of Puducherry was a French colonial settlement, as evidenced by its architecture and culture today. Explore the town’s dreamy streets and sherbet-colored buildings, then enjoy fresh seafood and French-influenced cuisine beachside when you visit on our South India & Sri Lanka: Game Drives, Temples & Tropical Coasts tour.
Spring in India
Go for kaleidoscopic revelry and tiger spotting
Early spring, in particular, is the best time to visit India if you want to immerse all of your senses in the joy of discovery. Join us on a springtime tour of India to welcome spring during the Holi festival, seek out the elusive Bengal tiger on a game drive, and explore the country’s gardens and cities before the summer heat or storms set in.
Weather in India in March, April, and May
The spring months in India start off mild but can get quite hot and humid by May as monsoon season approaches. Northern cities warm up to the high 70s to mid-90s F, while the Himalayas remain pleasantly cool. Central India sees highs up to 100 F as the dry heat sets in. Down south, weather stays warm and humid, averaging from the 80s to 90s F.
March
While there isn’t one best month to visit India, March can feel tough to beat due to Holi’s rainbow-dyed festivities.
- Experience the technicolor joy of Holi. The dawn of spring is celebrated each year with Holi, the Festival of Colors—one of the most vivid world festivals to welcome spring. Take our Holi in India: Delhi, Varanasi & Agra tour to join celebrants as they take to the streets and douse each other in brightly colored powders and water. It’s a joyful and vibrant display that dates back to at least the fourth century.
April
India’s Aprils offer warmth, unique wildlife-spotting opportunities, and ideal conditions to take to the skies.
- Seek out the elusive Bengal tiger. Spring’s warmer, dry weather draws these majestic animals to watering holes, and it’s not yet so hot that they remain hidden during the day. Whether you visit Ranthambore National Park on our India: Delhi, Agra & Jaipur tour or the Panna Tiger Reserve on our new Highlights of Northern India: Delhi, Varanasi & Agra tour, you might increase your odds of spotting these regal cats when you visit India in April.
- See Jaipur… from above. Embark on the Jaipur Hot-Air Balloon Ride excursion offered on our new Highlights of India & Nepal: Delhi, Agra & Kathmandu tour and India’s Royal Rajasthan: Udaipur, Jaipur & Agra tour to soar above the city and watch it awaken from a new perspective. April’s clear skies and blooming landscapes make spring an especially charming time to take flight.
May
May marks the end of spring as monsoon season creeps near, but this month can still be a wonderful time to visit for vibrant displays.
- Admire the Taj Mahal. There’s no bad time to visit India’s crown jewel, the Taj Mahal, but if you want to see its magical gardens in full bloom, join one of our tours of India in the spring. North of the famous ivory mausoleum lies the Mehtab Bagh, or Moonlight Garden. On moonlit nights, the water in the garden reflects the Taj Mahal in all its ethereal glory.
- Explore flourishing gardens. If you can’t get enough of India’s fragrant blossoms, join us on our brand-new South India & Sri Lanka: Game Drives, Temples & Tropical Coasts tour to explore the exquisite gardens and fountains of the rainbow-colored Meenakshi Temple. Then, head to Madurai’s flower market to indulge in its vibrant colors and perfumed air.
Fall in India
Go for glowing lights and fragrant spices
The post-monsoon season ushers in cooler temperatures, drier weather, and even more festivities. Autumn in India is mild and comfortable, with Diwali celebrations and the spice harvest infusing any trip to India with magic.
Weather in India in September, October, and November
Fall in India, from late-September to November, brings cooler temperatures as the monsoon rains fade. The north transitions from summer’s heat to pleasant days in the high 70s to mid-80s F, with crisp mornings in the mid-60s F. Central India stays warm in the mid-80s to low 90s F, while the south remains balmy in the high 70s to mid-80s F, with lingering humidity.
September
Enjoy the lush atmosphere in September as the monsoon season clears and fall officially begins.
- Sail along the Kerala Backwaters. The serene beauty of Kerala’s backwaters is particularly lovely in the post-monsoon season when the waters are high and the vegetation is lush. Join our India: Delhi, Agra & Jaipur tour, or our South India & Sri Lanka: Game Drives, Temples & Tropical Coasts tour, or add the Kerala extension to our India’s Royal Rajasthan: Udaipur, Jaipur & Agra tour, to spend a night on a houseboat. Slow down as you wind your way through Kerala’s peaceful waters, enjoying local cuisine, fishing, or relaxing on the deck of the boat.
October
Visit in October to experience the luminous cheer of Diwali, a five-day-long festival marked by feasts, fireworks, and millions of welcoming lights.
- Celebrate Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights. “Our tour took place at the time of the Diwali festival, the biggest and most important holiday of the year,” said traveler Davara, who joined our India: Delhi, Agra & Jaipur tour. “We enjoyed the vividly colorful garlands, the strings of blinking lights, and the tractors and trucks that had been washed and decorated.” Join our new Diwali in India: Delhi, Varanasi & Agra tour to experience it yourself.
November
November’s pleasant temperatures make it an appealing month to visit India’s sacred river and witness some of the country’s most renowned spices being harvested.
Soak up culture on the Ganges River. Join us on our Highlights of Northern India: Delhi, Varanasi & Agra tour to experience one of our favorite things to do in India: the Ganga Aarti. This daily ceremony takes place on the ghats, the bathing steps along the riverbanks, and is dedicated to Ganga, the river goddess. Witness locals gather by the Ganges River to chant, ring bells, and float candle-lit flower baskets down the water as offerings.
See the spice harvest. Join us on our South India & Sri Lanka: Game Drives, Temples & Tropical Coasts tour to visit the spice plantations surrounding Periyar National Park—a renowned wildlife sanctuary you’ll also visit. Here, you’ll see how the many tantalizing spices of southern India are cultivated and learn about how they’re the backbone of Indian cuisine—late-Autumn is the best time to visit India to see staples like cloves and cardamom being harvested.
