Making it to the right place at the right time while visiting India takes a little bit of research and planning. India’s climate is as diverse as its culture, offering something unique in every season.
After staying in India year round through all the seasons, here are my top recommendations for when to go where.
By the end of reading this complete guide through the Indian seasons you will get a wide idea of when you should visit.
When is the best time to visit India?
October to March has the most convenient weather, attracting most international tourists in these months.
The high season is definitely more convenient and first-timers friendly, but Traveling in the low season is possible and has its own pros and magic, like lower-rated and quieter settings.
Indians travel the country all year round!
The Weather in the Main Areas
The Plains, and Southern Regions
- Popular Destinations: Delhi, Agra, Rajasthan (Pushkar, Jaipur, Jodhpur), Varanasi, Rishikesh, Kerala, Goa, Mumbai.
- The High Season is from October to March, with the weather getting hotter towards April which marks the beginning of the Indian summer. From April to June, it is very hot.
Northern Region
- Popular Destinations: Dharamsala, Manali, Kasol, Kashmir, Leh. All these destinations are located in the state of Himachal Pradesh.
- The High Season is from May to October. During this period, the weather is pleasant to hot and cools down by October. From November to April, the area gets colder and can drop to negative degrees Celsius, with snow in many places. The monsoon rainy season starts in late June and ends around September, some areas in high altitudes like Leh won’t have any rains at all.
Northeast Region
- Popular Destinations: Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya.
- The High Season is from November to April, with the rest of the year being very rainy.
Andaman Islands
- Popular Destinations: Havelock Island, Neil Island, Port Blair.
- The High Season is october – May
India Weather by Month
Here is a full 1-year trip that goes through all seasons and locations.
In January and February you can start in south India – Kerala or Goa for instance. In the meanwhile The north will be very cold so you can take your time climbing up north until it gets ideal. By that time the weather will reverse and make the north convenient,and the south will get extremely hot. Andaman islands are ideal.
By March consider starting climbing up and explore central india and the northern plains as the summer is approaching fast pushing travelers to move up the country and find refuge from the heat. Sikkim and Andaman islands are ideal.
April and May are a bit in between months. The south is already too hot and the classic high season is over, while the north is starting to defrost but still not peaking officially just yet. The weather can get inconvenient from both sides of the country and its a good time to consider hill stations destinations. Sikkim is ideal.
In June it remains hot through all India except the north which becomes very recommended this time of the year.
July usually marks the start of the monsoons- the rainy season in india. The north remains active with convenient temperatures and beautiful cloudy yet scenic rainy scenarios. The roads to the upper northern Himalayas have defrosted and are now open. Great time for high altitude destinations who are closed through the rest of the year like Leh and spiti.
August remains as July, wet and beautiful except for the upper northern Himalayas who remain accessible and dry.
By September the rains end. Great time for all north
October the north is still good, starts to get cold. Most tourists will slowly make their way down for the opening of the central and south season. Goas season is starting. The plains and central india areas are now recommended once again. Andaman islands are also becoming pleasant.
By November the north will get colder, maintaining the tourists migrations down the country to warm and nice climate that is basically everywhere by now except the north. Andaman islands are becoming more recommended this time.
December is continuing like november, the south, central, northern plains and the andaman islands are ideal while the north is at its peak cold.
The Bottom Line
When it is cold in the north (November – April) most tourists will enjoy the rest of India where the weather is pleasant. When the north is pleasant (April – November) the rest of India gets very hot.
While researching and planning your trip, remember that the weather can be unpredictable and stay updated in real-time. This information is given as an overview as it changes every year so stay updated. Last chance for Andaman islands for the year until next October.
