Best places to visit in India in August

Where India is at its best in August

Each line below is the reason this place works in the monsoon, written for that place, not a generic blurb.

• Leh Ladakh

  Ladakh's backpacker capital and high-pass road-trip hub

  Peak season - both highways open, dry rain-shadow weather, hostels and cafes buzzing.

  MountainsBackpackerCulture

• Bhandardara Maharashtra

  Dam-lake basecamp for Maharashtra's highest peak, Kalsubai

  Randha Falls and the valley go full postcard-green, though trails turn slick on weekends.

  MountainsLakesWaterfallsTrek

• Kaza (Spiti) Himachal Pradesh

  Spiti's cold-desert capital - monasteries and moonscapes

  Spiti's real peak - a rain-shadow desert, so this is HP's warmest, driest, greenest window.

  MountainsOffbeatDesertCulture

• Manasbal Lake Jammu and Kashmir

  Lotus-choked lake under Nur Jahan's Jarokha Bagh terrace

  Jul-Aug is peak lotus, solid pink across the north shore; Jun and Sep are quieter but still worth the shikara hour.

  LakesOffbeatWildlife

• Ninai Falls (Dediapada) Gujarat

  Monsoon cascade in the teak forests behind the Statue of Unity

  Aug-Sep is full flow: a broad white curtain off the basalt lip with mist in the canopy; Jul depends on how early the rains land.

  WaterfallsOffbeat

• Shivanasamudra Falls Karnataka

  Twin Kaveri cataracts in full thunder after the rains

  Jul-Sep is the spectacle: Gaganachukki becomes a churning wall of whitewater and the viewing rails pack out on weekends.

  Waterfalls

• Banswara (Mahi Backwaters) Rajasthan

  Hundred islands of the Mahi backwaters in tribal Vagad

  Jul-Sep the wettest district in Rajasthan turns properly green, and by August the island-dotted Mahi spread is at its widest.

  OffbeatLakes

• Ananthagiri Hills (Vikarabad) Telangana

  Deccan forest ridge where the Musi river starts, 90 km out

  Jul-Sep is when this place earns the drive, the Musi headwaters running and the whole ridge properly dense.

  MountainsTrek

• Chitrakote Falls (Bastar) Chhattisgarh

  India's widest waterfall in the heart of tribal Bastar

  Chitrakote's real fame: Indravati floods the 300m ledge into a genuine roar; roads turn muddy though.

  WaterfallsOffbeatCulture

• Chorla Ghat Goa

  Cloud-forest edge of Goa above the Vazra Sakla waterfall

  Jul-Sep is the point: Vazra Sakla thunders across the valley, moss and mist everywhere; expect rain most hours and pack for it.

  MountainsWaterfallsOffbeat

• Mangar Bani Haryana

  Sacred Gujjar grove guarding NCR's last primary Aravalli forest

  June is a furnace, but July-Sept rain flips the dhau canopy deep green, the one window when these Aravallis genuinely look alive.

  OffbeatWildlife

• Athirappilly Falls Kerala

  An 80ft waterfall curtain at its thundering best in monsoon

  This is peak season here - the falls roar at full width; stick to viewing platforms, rocks are lethal

  WaterfallsTrek

• Mandu Madhya Pradesh

  Ruined Malwa plateau city famous for its monsoon mist

  Mandu's real season: mist over Roopmati's pavilion, tanks fill, roads can get slick though.

  HeritageOffbeatCulture

• Courtallam (Kutralam) Tamil Nadu

  Nine falls that run when the rest of Tamil Nadu is bone dry

  Jul-Aug is the Saral season, when southwest monsoon spilling through the Shencottah gap fills all nine falls and packs them.

  WaterfallsOffbeat

• Valley of Flowers Uttarakhand

  UNESCO alpine meadow of rare flora, open Jul-Sep only

  The only real window: park opens in June but flowers aren't out yet; peak bloom is Jul-Aug, fading by mid-Sep

  TrekWildlifeOffbeat

• Markha Valley Ladakh

  Ladakh's classic homestay trek below Kang Yatse's white pyramid

  Jul-Sep is prime: rain-shadow dry trails, parachute-tent cafes up, and a homestay bed with dinner waiting in every hamlet.

  TrekOffbeatMountains

• Igatpuri Maharashtra

  Vipassana meditation hub and monsoon trekking base

  Peak season for trekkers - Kalsubai and the ghats turn lush, though trails get slippery.

  MountainsSpiritualTrek

• Chandratal Himachal Pradesh

  Crescent glacial lake at 4300 m on the Kunzum side of Spiti

  July-August is the actual season, dry in Lahaul's rain shadow, 5-18C by day and near freezing in a tent at night.

  LakesMountainsOffbeat

• Naranag Jammu and Kashmir

  Ruined 8th-century Shiva temples at the Gangabal trailhead

  Jun-Sep is the trekking window: two days up to Gangabal under Harmukh, with guides and ponies hired in the village.

  TrekHeritageOffbeat

• Saputara Gujarat

  Gujarat's only hill station, on the Maharashtra border

  Valleys turn green and Gira Falls runs full - this is when it actually looks alpine.

  MountainsLakesOffbeat

• Agumbe Karnataka

  Rainforest village known as South India's Cherrapunji

  This is the season - 700cm+ of rain, roaring falls, king cobras out, but leeches everywhere.

  OffbeatWaterfallsWildlife

• Menal (Falls & Temples) Rajasthan

  Monsoon waterfall plunging into a gorge by 11th century temples

  Jul-Sep is the show: the Menali river leaps off the plateau in full spate with spray drifting over the shikharas; wet rock, so mind the rim.

  WaterfallsHeritageOffbeat

• Kuntala Falls Telangana

  Telangana's tallest fall, 45 m of the Kadam off a ledge

  Jul-Sep is peak flow and the roar is the whole point, but the lower deck shuts when the river is in spate.

  WaterfallsOffbeat

• Alchi (Sham Valley) Ladakh

  11th-century Kashmiri murals in a low Indus orchard village

  Jun-Sep stays dry with apricots ripening in July; the Choskor murals are unlit, so come when light reaches the doors.

  HeritageSpiritualOffbeat

• Lonavala Maharashtra

  Mumbai-Pune's monsoon getaway of waterfalls and forts

  This is what Lonavala is built for - waterfalls thunder and valleys turn electric green.

  MountainsWaterfalls

• Miyar Valley (Urgos) Himachal Pradesh

  Lahaul's glacier-headed side valley of July wildflower meadows

  July-September is peak and largely rain-shadowed: wildflower meadows, blue-sheep slopes and day walks toward the Miyar glacier.

  OffbeatTrekMountains

• Sonamarg Jammu and Kashmir

  Meadow of Gold below Zoji La, base for the Great Lakes trek

  Prime season - the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek runs Jul-Sep and the road onward to Ladakh is fully open.

  MountainsTrekSnow

• Tarnetar Gujarat

  Trinetreshwar temple and Saurashtra's monsoon marriage fair

  This is the whole point: for three days in Bhadarvi, late Aug or early Sep, the fields fill with embroidered umbrellas.

  CultureOffbeatSpiritual

• Gokak Falls Karnataka

  Horseshoe cataract with a century-old hanging bridge at its crest

  Jul-Sep is the event: a curtain nearly 170 m wide in full roar; the hanging bridge often shuts at peak flow, so you watch from the banks

  WaterfallsHeritageOffbeat

• Aryan Valley (Dha & Garkon) Ladakh

  Flower-crowned Brokpa villages and apricot terraces on the Indus

  Jul-Aug barely sees rain in this rain-shadow gorge: apricots dry on rooftops, harvest in full swing, days around 25 C.

  OffbeatCultureMountains

• Amboli Maharashtra

  Maharashtra's wettest hill station - falls and king cobras

  One of India's wettest hill stations - waterfalls roar and frogs and king cobras appear.

  MountainsWaterfallsOffbeat

• Pangi Valley (Killar) Himachal Pradesh

  Himachal's remotest inhabited valley over the 4,400 m Sach Pass

  July-September is the season, the valley half in rain shadow; rain still makes the cliff-cut approach roads genuinely scary.

  OffbeatMountainsTrek

• Gurez Valley (Dawar) Jammu and Kashmir

  Dard-Shin log-house valley on the Kishanganga behind Razdan Pass

  Jun-Sep is Gurez at its best: 8-22 C, dry-ish, Habba Khatoon peak lit at dusk, and every homestay in Dawar open.

  OffbeatMountainsCulture

• Wilson Hills (Dharampur) Gujarat

  Mist-soaked Western Ghats tableland above the Valsad plains

  Jul-Sep the plateau lives inside cloud: Shankar falls and the roadside cascades run full, everything drips green, and Surat mobs it on Sundays.

  MountainsOffbeat

• Jog Falls Karnataka

  India's second-highest plunge waterfall on the Sharavathi

  The real deal - July-September the Sharavathi thunders down in full four-channel force.

  WaterfallsOffbeat

• Lamayuru Ladakh

  Moonland badlands under one of Ladakh's oldest gompas

  Jun-Sep is dry high desert, not monsoon - best light on the moonland, homestays open, Yuru Kabgyat in June or July.

  HeritageSpiritualMountains

Also in peak season in August

14 more, all of them in their best window this month.

• Drass Ladakh
• Gaganbawda Maharashtra
• Hanle Ladakh
• Kargil Ladakh
• Nubra Valley Ladakh
• Pangong Tso Ladakh
• Pin Valley (Mudh) Himachal Pradesh
• Sahastrakund Falls Maharashtra
• Suru Valley (Panikhar) Ladakh
• Tso Kar Ladakh
• Tso Moriri Ladakh
• Turtuk Ladakh
• Warwan Valley (Inshan) Jammu and Kashmir
• Zanskar Ladakh

Shoulder season in August

Fewer people, cheaper beds, and a real chance the weather does not cooperate. 106 places sit in shoulder season this month.

• Abhaneri (Chand Baori) Rajasthan
• Agra Uttar Pradesh
• Aharbal Falls Jammu and Kashmir
• Ajanta-Ellora Maharashtra
• Alleppey (Alappuzha) Backwaters Kerala
• Amritsar Punjab
• Aranmula Kerala
• Ayodhya Uttar Pradesh
• Badami-Aihole-Pattadakal Karnataka
• Bandipur National Park Karnataka
• Belur-Halebidu Karnataka
• Bhaderwah Jammu and Kashmir
• Bhainsrorgarh Rajasthan
• Bharatpur (Keoladeo National Park) Rajasthan
• Bharmour (Manimahesh) Himachal Pradesh
• Bhimashankar Maharashtra
• Bhimbetka (with Bhojpur) Madhya Pradesh
• Bhopal & Sanchi Madhya Pradesh
• Bidar Karnataka
• Bogatha Falls Telangana
• BR Hills (Biligiri Ranganatha) Karnataka
• Bundi Rajasthan
• Champaner-Pavagadh Gujarat
• Chandigarh Chandigarh
• Chandor & Loutolim Goa
• Chikhaldara Maharashtra
• Chitradurga Karnataka
• Chittorgarh Rajasthan
• Dassam Falls Jharkhand
• Delhi Delhi
• Deoghar (Baidyanath Dham) Jharkhand
• Dhankar Himachal Pradesh
• Divar Island Goa
• Doodhpathri Jammu and Kashmir
• Dudhni Lake Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu
• Gandikota Andhra Pradesh
• Gangrel Dam (Ravishankar Sagar) Chhattisgarh
• Garadia Mahadev (Chambal Gorge) Rajasthan
• Gingee Fort (Senji) Tamil Nadu
• Hampi Karnataka
• Hundru Falls Jharkhand
• Hyderabad Telangana
• Idar (Idariyo Gadh) Gujarat
• Jaipur Rajasthan
• Jhalawar (Gagron & Jhalrapatan) Rajasthan
• Kaas Plateau Maharashtra
• Kabini Karnataka
• Kakolat Falls Bihar
• Kalaburagi (Gulbarga) Karnataka
• Kanthalloor Kerala
• Kanyakumari Tamil Nadu
• Khajuraho Madhya Pradesh
• Kokernag & Verinag Jammu and Kashmir
• Kukru (Khamla Plateau) Madhya Pradesh
• Kumarakom Kerala
• Kumbhalgarh Rajasthan
• Kurukshetra Haryana
• Lakkundi (Gadag) Karnataka
• Laknavaram Lake Telangana
• Lepakshi Andhra Pradesh
• Lolab Valley (Sogam) Jammu and Kashmir
• Lucknow Uttar Pradesh
• Mahabalipuram (Mamallapuram) Tamil Nadu
• Maheshwar Madhya Pradesh
• Mainpat Chhattisgarh
• Manapad Tamil Nadu
• Mandawa (Shekhawati) Rajasthan
• Maredumilli Andhra Pradesh
• Martand Sun Temple (Mattan) Jammu and Kashmir
• Medak Telangana
• Morni Hills Haryana
• Mysuru Karnataka
• Nagarjuna Sagar (Nagarjunakonda) Andhra Pradesh
• Nako Himachal Pradesh
• Nandi Hills Karnataka
• Neemrana Rajasthan
• Omkareshwar Madhya Pradesh
• Orchha Madhya Pradesh
• Panaji (Fontainhas & Old Goa) Goa
• Panhala Maharashtra

Festivals in August

• Alleppey (Alappuzha) Backwaters, Kerala: Aug: Nehru Trophy Snake Boat Race
• Aranmula, Kerala: Aug/Sep: Aranmula Uthrattathi snake boat race
• Bharmour (Manimahesh), Himachal Pradesh: Aug/Sep: Manimahesh Yatra, Janmashtami to Radhashtami
• Chitrakote Falls (Bastar), Chhattisgarh: Aug-Oct: Bastar Dussehra, a 75-day tribal festival.
• Divar Island, Goa: Aug: Bonderam flag festival
• Dwarka, Gujarat: Aug/Sep: Janmashtami (Krishna's birthday) - massive pilgrim crowds
• Ganpatipule, Maharashtra: Aug/Sep: Ganeshotsav at the swayambhu Ganpati temple (dates shift yearly)
• Kaza (Spiti), Himachal Pradesh: Aug: Ladarcha trade fair
• Mumbai, Maharashtra: Aug/Sep: Ganesh Chaturthi (Ganpati Visarjan) - huge processions
• Naranag, Jammu and Kashmir: Aug/Sep: Harmukh-Gangabal yatra from the temple
• Pondicherry (incl. Auroville), Puducherry: Aug 15: Sri Aurobindo's birthday celebrations at the Ashram
• Ravangla, Sikkim: Aug-Sep: Pang Lhabsol at Ralang Monastery
• Tarnetar, Gujarat: Aug/Sep: Tarnetar fair on Bhadarvi Sud 4-6

Best states to visit in August

Ladakh (15)Maharashtra (6)Himachal Pradesh (5)Jammu and Kashmir (5)Karnataka (4)Gujarat (4)Telangana (2)Rajasthan (2)

Common questions