Best Time to Visit India– Planning a trip to India? Wait; let me give you some insight about when to go where. Planning your trip based on weather conditions is essential to get the best out of your trip.
Though India is broadly termed as ‘all-season-friendly’ there are certain places that need to be visited during specified times. Some places need to be avoided during certain periods to make the trip merry and safe.
MY TAKE ON WHEN TO VISIT INDIA?
Here I will give you tips on how to plan a trip to India and explain to you which place to visit in which month and what you can expect during that period.
Let me categorize the places based on activities because a trip is after all to get the adrenaline rush! Without adventure and sports trip becomes bland. So you can search for the location and best time to visit based on your interests like
- Rafting
- Skiing
- Trekking
- Beaches
- Experience Culture & Monuments
Snow is attractive by its color, vastness, beauty, and the activities it offers to us. So let me start with activities related to snow.
Skiing is the main snow sport and it is also the most adventurous sport. Other snow sports include Sledding, snowboarding, Ice skating, snowmobiling, etc. for individuals. If you are in a team, you can have more fun with snow hockey, broomball, or brandy.
If you are one of the snow sports enthusiasts, head towards North Indian destinations like Pahalgam and Gulmarg in Jammu and Kashmir, Solang Valley and Narkand in Himachal Pradesh, Munsiyari and Auli in Uttaranchal, Dayara Bugyal in Uttarakhand.
People like me may not be interested in snow sports, but just want to watch an amazing snowfall, especially South Indians as they have to travel to the North to feast their eyes. Watching the snow filling the surroundings or just taking a few steps in snowfall is a feeling beyond words. If you belong to this category, head to Himachal Pradesh or Uttarakhand from December to February.
Make sure you book your accommodation and travel in advance to avoid waste of time. Carry warm clothing, good shoes, and your favorite snacks!! Munch them sitting in your resort balcony with a hot cup of tea watching the snowfall. It is better if you pick the less crowded places and still better if you are a group unless you are newly married. Take tips from local people before venturing on long drives or walks or any outside activities.
INDIA VISIT FOR SKIING & SNOW?
It is not just picking the right destination that matters; you should also pick the right time to get the best. So, let us see which place offers the best experience during which period! Just wanted to experience the snow and remain in the town? head out to the beautiful city of Shimla.
- If you are heading towards Jammu and Kashmir plan your trip between October and February.
- Skiing destinations in Himachal Pradesh are also to be visited between October and February.
- Rohtang Pass is a good pick for skiing enthusiasts and it is best to visit this place between December and February.
- Auli in Uttarakhand offers the best skiing experience between November and March while Munsiyari is the best between October and February. The best time to visit Dayara Bugyal is between the end of October and January.
YOUR INDIA VISIT FOR AWESOME BEACHES
Blessed with a long coastline, India offers exotic beaches for water sports enthusiasts. Snorkeling, Scuba diving, river rafting, deep-sea diving, cruising, kayaking, sailing, and surfing are some of the water sports people love to enjoy.
South India offers more water sports destinations compared to North India, because of the coastline. God’s own country – Kerala is the best place as it offers a combination of greenery and water. River rafting, white water rafting is very much popular in North Indian tourist destinations also.
The top destinations picked by people for water sports in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Goa, Gokarna, beaches in Kerala, Beaches in Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka not forget about the southern tip of India Kanyakumari. The North Indian Counterparts are Bhimtal, Nanital, Ladakh, Rishikesh, etc.
Coming to the best time for visiting, the weather in North and South India are totally different. While north India experiences extremes of weather, south India is relatively even weathered. That only means you get a wider range of time for visiting south India.
Andaman and Nicobar have many Islands like Ross, Havelock, and Neil Island. The place offers water sports like Snorkeling, Scuba Diving, ride in a boat with a glass bottom, cruising, and last but not least beach walking. The right time to visit these exotic places is between November and March.
The beaches in the South offer most of the water sports. Since the south does not experience extremes of temperature, it is OK to visit these places around the year, but better to avoid the summer period starting from the end of March to June end.
The best time to visit North Indian water sports places are Rishikesh – October to April, Bhimtal – Best time is April to June when the weather is very pleasant and good for all activities, Nanital is good between March to June for all water sports activities, Ladakh is good during summer i.e. April to June for water sports activities.
Kerala beach water sports include kayaking, scuba diving, wave runners, parasailing, etc. Though one can indulge in these activities any time of the year, it is better to avoid summers. The best time is November to February when the temperature is very pleasant.
Kerala is also famous for backwaters and boathouses. Rafting, boating, catamaran sailing, bamboo rafting are some of the adventurous activities available in backwaters. It is better to avoid summer and rainy months for these activities too and visit between October and March.
Indian beaches are full of activities during the months of December and January. Most of the beaches will be crowded, there will be hosts of cultural activities depending on the destination, which you can enjoy. If you want to spend some time with nature without many activities and crown head for Om Beach near Murudeshwara, offbeat beaches in Goa, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.
BEST TIME TO VISIT INDIA TO EXPERIENCE HILL STATIONS
Hill stations are a major attraction in India and are spread across the country. The north Indian hill stations should be visited only during summer unless you want to enjoy the snow but south Indian hill stations can be visited round the year though summers are better.
North Indian Hill stations include Ladakh, Manali, Spiti Valley, McLeodganj, Darjeeling, Kufri, Almora, and Auli are some of the most thronged hill stations of north India. Before deciding when to visit these hill stations, decide why you want to go there. If you are interested in snow and cold, select the winter months of October to March. If you just want to chill, then the summer months of April to August are fine.
Coorg, Ooty, Munnar, Ponmudi, Nandi Hills, Araku Valley, Kuduremukh, Coonoor, Kemmannugundi are some of the most opted South Indian Hill stations. Though South Indian hill stations can be visited throughout the year, November and December are very cold, June, July, and August will be raining.
If cold and rain do not stop you, then you can visit these hill stations any time. The ideal time would be February to July.
Most of the hill stations in India will be crowded during summer that is April to June. This is the holiday time for the schools and parents will certainly want to take their kids out. Hill stations are the first choice as they are cool and kids will love such places. So if you are planning to visit during this period, be prepared to face the crowd, make bookings in advance. I suggest picking some ‘not-so-popular’ destinations to get the best out of your trip.
INDIA VISIT FOR MONUMENTS & CULTURE
India has a long history and many eminent royal dynasties ruled the country. Thus India has many forts and palaces which are of historical, archeological, and architectural importance. If you are one of the persons interested in this part of travel, here are some tips to pick the best time to visit them.
Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Agra, Delhi, Chittorgarh, and Gwalior are very famous for the forts of yesteryears. Each fort is vast and has many events hidden within it. You will need 8-10 hours to explore the basic important points.
So you should plan your visit to these places between July and March. In most of the forts, you need to walk a lot. During this time the weather is not very hot and you can roam around the forts without much difficulty.
The forts of South India include Belgaum Fort, Badami Fort, Golconda fort, Gingee Fort, and Warangal Fort. These are also enormous in size and one needs to walk a lot to see the essentials. So it is better to avoid the summer months of March-end to September.
The same rules apply to historical sites like Hampi, Belur, Halebidu temple, Thanjavur temple, Jatayu Park, Thirupathi Temple, and any other stony structures.
For places of historical importance, I suggest travelers take guides to explain the significance, importance, and history of the place. The guides generally charge on an hourly basis. During summer we can not walk for more than 3-4 hours, thus we will not be able to see completely and also the guide charges will get wasted, which is my own experience.
If you are a nature lover, lover of safaris and animal parks the best time to visit them in the South is between March and October. If you are heading for such parks in North India, then pick May to October.
Forests and wildlife have always kept humans fascinated. Watching wildlife in their natural habitat is a different experience that gives your adrenaline a pump. National parks like Bandipur, Madhumalai in the South, Ranthambore, and Kaziranga in the North offer Safaris in the wild.
You are sure to see some rare fauna and flora, elephants, deers, bison, some small and wonderful birdies. But if you wish for an encounter with a lion, tiger, cheetah, etc. you have to head to these places during summer. The chances of sighting them during the summer are more.
SAFETY TIPS FOR TRAVELER IN INDIA
Priya Sharma solo trip
We know everything still we err sometimes. Just a reminder for your safety:
- Do not disclose your plans with strangers
- Do not share your travel details, your personal details with anyone.
- Engage vehicles from the place where you stay.
- Better to wander in groups rather than just the two of you.
- If you are a solo traveler, you have to be more cautious.
- Make sure to eat fresh, non-spicy food to ensure health during travel.
- Travel plans are for your rejuvenation, not to showcase your costly gadgets.
- When you are in a crowd, make sure you stay with your group.
- Water and snow are attractive but dangerous too.
- Tourist destinations are favorite spots for pick-pocketers, chain snatchers, and intelligent looters.
Just a few words of caution from my experience!
SUMMARY & CONCLUSION
Make sure that weather will not play a spoil-sport in your much-awaited travel plans and ruin an otherwise perfectly planned trip. Pack your bags based on the destination you are heading, the activity you want to indulge in, and the weather at that particular period.
Better to keep your sports gears, safety gears because buying them at travel destinations may cost you few more bucks. Check for hiring options in case of an emergency instead of buying them.
Knowing the place before reaching there gives you the advantage of preparing for the journey and stay and makes your adventure travel a memorable experience. After all, we travel to carry beautiful moments in our hearts and cameras!
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