Visiting India in March

It’s the perfect month to enjoy the highlights of Rajasthan & the Golden Triangle before it’s too hot for sightseeing. Temperatures are already around 30C or above, but you can make the most of cooler mornings – don’t expect to be able to dodge the crowds at the Taj Mahal and the Amber Fort or other big name sights in the Golden Triangle like Delhi’s Red Fort, but less well-known spots should be quieter, including Bundi and Bikaner. You can also head out and travel the countryside by train, discover more of rural Rajasthan including ornate havelis, or stay in a fort in Barli or Chandelao, and a fairytale Rajasthani Palace.

The other highlights are still as tempting as ever, crowds or not, so don’t miss the chance to see Rajasthan’s deservedly popular destinations, including Jodhpur, Chittorgarh, Agra and Jaipur. It’s slightly wetter in the previously bone-dry Thar Desert, but still a good month to see Jaisalmer as well as spotting wild tigers at Ranthambore National Park and Bandhavgarh National Park.

You can see rhino this month in Assam at Kaziranga National Park too, one of the best times to spot them along with elephants and tigers. It’s hot in the daytime, even this far north-east, but is still cooler in the evenings. Make the most of the gentler temperatures in the hill stations; spot monkeys and timber-beamed houses at Shimla or take the ‘toy train’ to the tea plantations of Darjeeling, while Rishikesh is at a lower altitude if you prefer not to venture too high.

If your eye is on the world’s highest peaks, March is a fantastic time to visit the states around the Himalayas, with spring flowers blooming, very little rain and sunny days where temperatures hover around 15-20C – ideal for trekking. It still feels cool in the early mornings and at night, and it’s better to leave Ladakh until later in the year. Wander past stupas and prayer flags in Dharamsala after visiting the Golden Temple of Amritsar, or gaze up at the peaks as you wander past icy lakes in Sikkim where you can learn more about Tibetan culture.

Away from the mountains, it’s tempting to city-hop this month, soaking up the sights, sounds and history of Kolkata, Varanasi and Mumbai before the humidity rises further here next month. It can already feel too hot to visit the cave temples near Aurangabad though, so plan trips for early in the day.

Southern India is making the most of its dry, sunny days too. It’s the hottest month of the year in Cochin, so team your time in the city with a backwaters cruise or homestay in the backwaters, or escape to the beach at Kovalam or Marari. It’s also cooler up in the hills at the tea plantations around Munnar and the hill stations of the Western Ghats. It’s hotter at Thattekad Bird Sanctuary though, with more rain this month, although fewer visitors to share the sights of the sanctuary’s bird and animal life.

There are more beaches to be found in Goa, and in the unspoiled Andaman Islands – these remote isles aren’t always easy to get to, but for both the diving and the chance to escape the crowds, it’s a tempting escape. Tamil Nadu is becoming too hot to explore comfortably, while it’s also hard work exploring the ruins of Hampi in the scorching heat, although the Garden City of Bangalore is slightly cooler.

Festivals: One of India’s most popular – and fun – festivals takes place this month, usually on the last full moon in March. Make sure you have clothes which you don’t mind being covered in paint, as thousands of people take to the streets to throw colourful powders at each other in the name of love.

Best for: Wildlife spotting, hill stations, trekking in the Himalayas, Rajasthan, beaches in Kerala and Goa, festivals

View the best time to visit India by region or by month:

January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December

 

Typical Monthly Climate in India

Region	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
North East India	● 15°C 🌤️	● 17°C ☀️	● 21°C ☀️	● 25°C 🌦️	● 28°C 🌧️	● 27°C 🌧️	● 27°C 🌧️	● 27°C 🌧️	● 26°C 🌦️	● 23°C 🌤️	● 19°C ☀️	● 16°C ☀️
North India	● 14°C ☀️	● 17°C ☀️	● 23°C ☀️	● 30°C 🌦️	● 35°C 🌧️	● 34°C 🌧️	● 32°C 🌧️	● 31°C 🌧️	● 30°C 🌦️	● 27°C ☀️	● 22°C ☀️	● 17°C ☀️
North West India	● 18°C ☀️	● 21°C ☀️	● 26°C ☀️	● 34°C 🌦️	● 39°C 🌧️	● 37°C 🌧️	● 35°C 🌧️	● 34°C 🌧️	● 32°C 🌦️	● 29°C ☀️	● 24°C ☀️	● 20°C ☀️
South India	● 26°C ☀️	● 27°C ☀️	● 29°C ☀️	● 32°C 🌦️	● 33°C 🌦️	● 30°C 🌧️	● 29°C 🌧️	● 29°C 🌧️	● 29°C 🌦️	● 28°C ☀️	● 27°C ☀️	● 26°C ☀️

Legend:
● Good weather
● Average weather
● Poor weather