Best Time to Visit India

India’s climate can be described as monsoon-tropical — in spite of some local variations like the winter rains in the northwest. Keep in mind that India is a sub-continent and make allowances for that fact in the following broad classification of the seasons: The cool weather lasts from October to the end of February; the really hot weather from the beginning of April to the beginning of June; at which point the monsoon (rainy) season sets in until the end of September. The clear cool weather arrives again and moves gradually eastwards and southwards. The Indian climate is a cycle of six seasons. There are areas where the distinctness of a season can be felt, but generally the six seasons overlap each other. The approximately equivalent of the Indian seasons in the Christian calendar will be: (I) Vasant or Spring — mid-February to April; Grishma or Summer — May and June; Varsha or Monsoon — July to September; Sharad or Autumn — September to mid-November; Hemant or pre-Winter — mid-November to mid-December; Sheet a or Winter — mid-December to mid-February. However, the three major seasons are the winter, summer and the monsoon. Kindly get detailed information regarding when to visit India.

Visiting India during Winter: The winter (November-March) is more or less pleasant throughout the country, marked by bright sunny days. In the northern plains the temperature at times drops steeply; there is snowfall in the hills. In central, south and western India, the temperature varies between between 18° - 26° Celcius. Cultural destinations of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Odisha, Kolkata & Tamil Nadu can be visited. In the Gangetic plains and Rajasthan, the temperature varies between 4° - 22° Celcius. The tourist destinations like Rajasthan, Varanasi, Khajuraho, Agra, Amritsar, Rishikesh, Haridwar etc are highly preferred by the travelers interested in north India tour. The tourists interested in snow-sports may go in for Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh & Uttarakhand, the Himalayan states. Normally, from tourism point of view, winter is considered the best time to visit India. Several fairs & festivals take place in this duration in various parts of India like Pushkar Fair, Diwali, Dev Dipawali, Holi, Desert Festival in Jaisalmer, Camel Festival in Bikaner, Makar Sankranti, Magh Mela, Pongal, Lohiri, Magh Bihu etc.

Visiting India during Monsoon: The south-west monsoon begins on the west coast in early June and spreads to other parts. In most of India it rains during June to September. But the south-eastern region experiences the greater rainfall of the year during November to January, due to the advent of the north-east monsoon. Monsoon is perhaps a word to call up romantic associations in your mind — especially since its legend has been nourished by novels and films in which it plays a major role. The monsoon arrives with the suddenness and force of an avenging God — and in minutes the town is flooded, transportation is at a standstill and the prudent pedestrian has long since taken refuge. The monsoon can force rivers hundreds of yards beyond their banks, make mud -holes out of villages and bring in its wake fertility and riches or total destruction. Ascetics call the monsoon season as “chaturmaas” and don’t travel during rainy season. But, now-a-days, monsoon tourism is gaining traction in India as the nature expresses itself in its most picturesque look. Several fairs and festivals are celebrated in Monsoon time – Teej, Nag Panchami, Onam, Raksha Bandhan, Hemis Festival, Minjar etc. A sizeable tourist influx is being observed in the tourist destinations like Goa, Munnar, Ladakh, Udaipur, Pondicherry, Darjeeling, Pushkar, Ranikhet, Orchha, Gujarat, Auli, Jaipur etc.

Visiting India during Summer: The summer (April-June) is hot in the greater part of India. But the country has her charming hill resorts to provide cool retreats for the tourists. Hill stations in Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Meghalaya etc are frequently visited by the tourists. Honeymooners, newlyweds, couples and families are spotted in large number in Leh, Srinagar, Manali, Shimla, Dalhausi, Dharamshala, Ranikhet, Auli, Almora, Munnar, Ooty etc. Gangaur & Baisakhi festivals are held during summer season.