Best Time to Visit Rajasthan: A Month-by-Month Guide

Best time to visit Rajasthan, month by month: weather, crowds, festivals and which cities suit which season, from desert winters to the monsoon lakes.

By the Lux India Tours Team·Oct 19, 2026

Destination GuideItinerary InspirationPlanning GuideRajasthan

Amber Fort reflected in Maota Lake, Jaipur

The best time to visit Rajasthan is from October to March, when days are warm and nights are cool. That is also when most visitors come, so prices rise and the big sights are busy.

The other months are not off limits. Each has a different character, and some suit particular cities well. This guide goes through the year and says what to expect.

Amber Fort reflected in the lake near Jaipur

Amber Fort in the clear light of the dry season.

Months	Weather	Crowds	Best for
October to November	Warm days, pleasant evenings	High from Diwali	Festivals, the camel fair, first-timers
December to January	Cool days, cold desert nights	Peak	Sightseeing, desert camps, palace stays
February to March	Warm and clear	Busy, easing	Holi, photography, all cities
April to June	Hot to very hot	Low	Value, early mornings, hill stops
July to September	Humid with rain	Low	Green lakes, Udaipur, quiet forts

Temperatures vary by city and year, so treat these as a guide.

October and November

The heat of summer breaks, and the sky clears after the monsoon. Diwali falls in this period, and Pushkar's camel fair usually follows in November. Rooms book out early around both, so reserve ahead.

December and January

This is the peak. Days are pleasant for sightseeing, and nights in the desert can be cold, so camps provide blankets and heaters. Jaisalmer and the Sam dunes are at their best. Mornings in Jaipur and Udaipur can be misty, and fog sometimes delays flights and trains in the north.

February and March

Warm, dry and clear. It is a good compromise: still comfortable, with fewer crowds than January. Holi, in March, is lively and colourful, but it is also a day when many shops close and travel is messy. Plan around it.

April to June

It is very hot, often above 40 degrees in the afternoon. Fort visits are best at opening time, and the middle of the day is for the hotel pool. The upside is lower rates and empty monuments. Mount Abu, the state's hill station, is the cool escape. See our Mount Abu distance guide.

July to September

The monsoon brings rain, usually in short, heavy bursts, not all day. The desert turns green, the lakes fill, and Udaipur is at its prettiest. Some wildlife parks close, and roads can flood. Jaisalmer is dry, but humid. It is a good season for travellers who like quiet and do not mind rain.

Which city when

Jaipur: October to March, with February the most comfortable.
Udaipur: September to March. The lakes are fullest after the monsoon. See the Udaipur honeymoon guide.
Jodhpur: October to March.
Jaisalmer and the dunes: November to February. See the Sam Sand Dunes guide.
Ranthambore: October to June, with summer best for tiger sightings. See the Ranthambore guide.

Festivals worth planning around

Diwali, the Pushkar camel fair, Holi and the Jaipur literature festival in winter draw big crowds. They make the trip memorable, and they push up prices, so book months ahead.

Our advice

For a first trip, aim for late October to early March. If you can choose, go in February or the first half of March for the best balance of weather and crowds. For the order of cities, see our Rajasthan city order guide.