The short answer
October to March is the best time to visit Rajasthan. Days are dry and sunny, evenings are cool, and the safaris and desert camps are running. November to February is the most comfortable stretch, and the busiest.
The rest of the year is not a write-off. April to June is very hot but quiet, and July to September brings the monsoon, green hills and full lakes in the south. With the right places and timings, you can travel in Rajasthan in any month.
Rajasthan's three seasons
Rajasthan is India's largest state by area, and its weather varies. The Thar Desert in the west, around Jaisalmer, Bikaner and Jodhpur, has the biggest swings: the hottest summer days, cold winter nights and very little rain. The south and east, around Udaipur and Ranthambore, are greener and get more of the monsoon. Mount Abu, at about 1,200 metres in the Aravalli hills, stays cooler than the plains all year.
Winter: October to March
The main season. October and March have warm afternoons; from November to February the days are mild and sunny. December and January nights are cold, close to freezing at times in the desert and at Mount Abu, so pack a warm layer for evenings, early safaris and desert camps. Some midwinter mornings are foggy, especially in the north-east of the state and on the way to Delhi and Agra. This is the season for the desert, on a trip such as the Jaisalmer Desert Escape, and for long loops like Grand Rajasthan.
Summer: April to June
Hot and dry, getting hotter until the monsoon arrives. Afternoons are often above 40°C in May and June, and hotter still in the desert, where dust storms are possible. Sights are quiet and many hotels lower their rates, but plan sightseeing for the early morning and the evening.
Monsoon: July to September
The monsoon usually reaches Rajasthan in late June or early July and starts to withdraw from the west in the second half of September. Rain tends to come in heavy bursts between dry, sunny spells; it is humid, and the far west gets very little. The south and east turn green, and the lakes fill after a good monsoon.
Month by month
What to expect across Rajasthan in each month. Weather varies from year to year, so treat this as a guide rather than a forecast.
| Month | Weather | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Sunny, mild days; cold nights, close to freezing at times in the desert and at Mount Abu | Sightseeing, desert camps (bring warm layers), kites over Jaipur at Makar Sankranti | Fog on some mornings near Delhi and Agra; New Year crowds in the first days |
| February | Warm days, cool nights, clear skies | Everything: forts, the desert, Ranthambore; Jaisalmer's Desert Festival in many years | Festival dates book up early; chilly early mornings |
| March | Warming up; hot afternoons by the end of the month | Holi, the start of Gangaur, Ranthambore, quieter hotels late in the month | Midday heat; plan a quiet Holi morning, when the streets fill with colour |
| April | Hot and dry, often above 35°C in the afternoon | Ranthambore, early-morning sightseeing, off-season rates; Gangaur in some years | Heat from late morning; plan outdoor sights early |
| May | Very hot, with hot, dry winds; often above 40°C | Mount Abu, early safaris for the heat-tolerant, low rates | Extreme heat on the plains and in the desert; dust storms in the west |
| June | Very hot, turning humid; pre-monsoon storms late in the month | Mount Abu, the last weeks of the Ranthambore season | Heat and humidity; Ranthambore's core zones usually close from July |
| July | Monsoon showers and sunny spells, humid; little rain in the far west | Udaipur, Mount Abu, the green Aravalli hills; Teej in some years | Heavy downpours can slow drives; Ranthambore's core zones closed |
| August | Monsoon continues; green countryside | Lakes, quiet monuments, low rates; Teej in some years | Humidity and sudden heavy rain |
| September | Rain easing, still warm and humid; the monsoon withdraws late in the month | Full lakes, green landscapes, good value | Sticky heat between showers; Ranthambore's core zones usually stay closed until October |
| October | Dry and sunny; warm days, cooler nights | The start of the season, Dussehra in most years, Diwali in some, Ranthambore reopening | Warm afternoons early in the month; festival weeks fill hotels |
| November | Pleasant days, cool nights | Everything; the Pushkar Camel Fair in most years; Diwali in some years | The Diwali and Pushkar fair weeks book out early |
| December | Sunny days, cold nights | Sightseeing, desert camps, the festive season | Christmas–New Year crowds and peak rates; fog near Delhi and Agra on some mornings |
Festivals and fairs to plan around
Most Rajasthani festivals follow the Hindu calendar, so their dates move by several weeks from year to year; Makar Sankranti, which follows the sun, is the exception. Use the months below as a guide, check the dates for your year before you book, and expect hotels nearby to fill early.
| Festival | Usually | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Makar Sankranti | 14 or 15 January | Jaipur's rooftops fill with kite flyers from morning to dusk |
| Desert Festival | January or February, around the full moon of the Hindu month of Magh | Jaisalmer: camel contests, folk music and dance, in town and out on the Sam dunes |
| Holi | March | Bonfires on the eve, then a morning of coloured powder and water everywhere |
| Gangaur | March or April, in the weeks after Holi | A women's festival for the goddess Gauri, with processions in Jaipur and Udaipur |
| Teej | July or August | The monsoon festival for the goddess Parvati, with swings, henna and a procession in Jaipur |
| Dussehra | September or October | Effigies of the demon king Ravana burned at dusk across the state |
| Diwali | October or November | The festival of lights: lamps, fireworks and bazaars strung with lights, Jaipur's especially |
| Pushkar Camel Fair | Late October or November, ending at the full moon of Kartik | Camel and livestock trading, then pilgrims bathing in Pushkar's lake |
Pushkar is the fair most people plan a trip around. The livestock trading tends to be busiest in the first days, while the days around the full moon bring the largest crowds of pilgrims. Rooms in town and in the seasonal tented camps go early. More in Pushkar.
On Holi itself, the morning of colour play is joyful but chaotic. Many hotels hold their own celebrations, and it is wise not to plan long drives or sightseeing until the afternoon.
Where to go in summer
If your holidays fall between April and June, as many Indian school holidays do, Rajasthan still works with a different plan.
- Go up to Mount Abu. Mount Abu, Rajasthan's only hill station, sits at about 1,200 metres, with Nakki Lake, the marble Dilwara Jain temples and sunset views over the plains. Days are still warm, but it is noticeably cooler than the plains, and it gets busy in May and June. Pair it with Udaipur, about 165 km away (3–4 hours), as in our Udaipur and Mount Abu tour.
- Start early everywhere else. Be at the forts when they open, rest through the afternoon and go out again in the evening for the markets, a boat on Lake Pichola in Udaipur or a light-and-sound show at a fort such as Amer.
- Pick hotels with a pool and shade, and drive in the early morning.
- Consider Ranthambore. Safaris at Ranthambore usually run until the end of June, and many wildlife enthusiasts like the hot months because animals gather at the remaining water. Expect real heat in an open jeep, and remember that no sighting is guaranteed.
- Leave the desert for winter. Jaisalmer and Bikaner are at their hottest in May and June, and many of the seasonal tented camps near the dunes close.
Travelling in the monsoon
The monsoon is Rajasthan's quiet season, and some travellers' favourite. Rain often comes in short, heavy bursts rather than all day, hotel rates are lower and the monuments are calm.
- Udaipur is at its prettiest. After good rains, Lake Pichola and Fateh Sagar fill, the hills around Udaipur turn green and Sajjangarh, the Monsoon Palace on its hilltop, makes sense of its name.
- Mount Abu is misty and green, with some of the heaviest rain in the state.
- The countryside changes. Fields and hills along the Jaipur–Udaipur road and around Kumbhalgarh turn green, a side of Rajasthan many visitors never see.
- The desert stays dry and hot. Jaisalmer and the far west get little rain.
- Ranthambore's core zones close, usually from July to September, though some outer zones may stay open; check before you plan a safari.
Leave some slack in a monsoon trip: a downpour can slow a drive or delay a boat ride, and hill roads such as the one up to Mount Abu need care in heavy rain.
Crowds and hotel rates in peak weeks
Rajasthan's busiest weeks are predictable, and they are the ones to book first:
- Christmas to New Year, the busiest stretch of the year in Jaipur, Udaipur and Jaisalmer, when rates are at their highest. Many hotels add a compulsory New Year's Eve gala dinner, and some ask for a minimum stay.
- Diwali week, when Indian families travel over the holidays.
- The Pushkar fair, which fills Pushkar and puts pressure on rooms in nearby Ajmer.
- Long weekends and wedding dates. Long weekends bring short-break crowds to Jaipur and Udaipur, and on popular wedding dates between November and February a single wedding can take over a heritage hotel.
- Big events in Jaipur, such as the Jaipur Literature Festival, usually held in January or early February.
For these weeks, book at least two to three months ahead, and earlier for heritage and palace hotels in Udaipur and Jaisalmer. The shoulder months of October and March often have better availability and rates, in exchange for warmer afternoons.
Planning your dates
Tell us when you can travel and what you would like to see, and we will suggest the part of Rajasthan that suits those weeks, with an itemised quote: send us your dates. For routes of 5 to 14 days, see our Rajasthan itinerary guide, or start from the Classic Rajasthan sample.
