Best places to visit in India in March

Where India is at its best in March

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

• Kasol Himachal Pradesh

  Parvati valley's trance-backpacker hub, gateway to treks

  Prime season - Mar-May bring warm days, full guesthouses and a steady flow of backpackers.

  BackpackerPartyMountainsTrek

• Rishikesh Uttarakhand

  Yoga capital and rafting hub on the Ganges

  March is pleasant, but April-May heat climbs fast and the ghats fill with day-trippers

  SpiritualBackpackerCulture

• Darjeeling West Bengal

  Queen of the Hills - tea, toy train, Kanchenjunga views

  Mar-Apr is peak: rhododendrons bloom and skies are clearest, but it's crowded, book ahead.

  MountainsHeritageCulture

• Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep) Andaman & Nicobar Islands

  Andaman's backpacker-diving hub with Radhanagar Beach

  Hot and sticky (32C+) by April-May, but seas stay calm and diving visibility can peak pre-monsoon.

  BeachIslandBackpacker

• Gangtok Sikkim

  Sikkim's capital and gateway: monasteries, MG Marg cafés

  Mar-Apr is peak (flower festival, clearest skies); by May haze builds ahead of the monsoon.

  MountainsCityCulture

• Kolukkumalai Tamil Nadu

  Sunrise above a sea of clouds at the world's highest tea estate

  Apr-May mornings still deliver before haze builds; tour the 1930s orthodox tea factory through the warm middle hours

  MountainsOffbeat

• Agatti Island (Lakshadweep) Lakshadweep

  Coral lagoon island - Lakshadweep's permit-only gateway

  April is still workable with warm calm seas; by May pre-monsoon swell and humidity climb

  IslandBeachOffbeat

• Barsana & Nandgaon Uttar Pradesh

  Braj hill villages where Lathmar Holi is fought with sticks

  Lathmar Holi falls in late Feb or March and is worth the chaos; after it Braj climbs past 45 °C and empties.

  CultureSpiritualOffbeat

• Hoollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary (Jorhat) Assam

  India's only ape, in a rainforest patch cut by a railway line

  April-May is humid and full of insects, but the gibbons still call by 6 am, so go early and be out by mid-morning.

  WildlifeOffbeat

• Anandpur Sahib Punjab

  Birthplace of the Khalsa and the Nihang horsemen of Hola Mohalla

  March is the peak week for Hola Mohalla, then Apr-Jun bakes the Shivalik foothills at 42 C and empties out.

  SpiritualHeritageCulture

• Ziro Valley Arunachal Pradesh

  Apatani tribal valley of paddy fields and music festival

  Lovely window: paddy fields turning green, pleasant days before the rains set in.

  CultureOffbeatBackpacker

• Morni Hills Haryana

  Chandigarh's nearest hills, low-key and quiet

  A genuine escape from Chandigarh's plains heat, several degrees cooler up in the hills.

  MountainsOffbeatLakes

• Velas (Turtle Village) Maharashtra

  Olive ridley hatchlings released on a Konkan village beach

  March into early April is the peak release window; by May it is 35 C, sticky, and the season is done.

  OffbeatWildlifeBeach

• Khonoma Nagaland

  Angami stone village that banned hunting and kept its terraces

  March-April is warm with rhododendron on the tragopan sanctuary ridge before the pre-monsoon cloud closes in.

  OffbeatCultureTrek

• Gulmarg Jammu and Kashmir

  India's top ski resort - Gondola to 3,979m, real powder

  March can still have late-season snow; by May meadows green up for golf and short hikes.

  SnowMountains

• Thattekad (Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary) Kerala

  Salim Ali's richest peninsular birding forest on the Periyar

  March still delivers with the leaf litter dry and birds pinned to water, but by May it is 37°C and walks have to end by nine.

  WildlifeOffbeat

• Jowai (Nartiang & Krangsuri) Meghalaya

  Jaintia monolith field, a Shakti Peetha and blue Krangsuri pools

  March-April is warm and green and Krangsuri holds its turquoise colour right up until the first heavy rains.

  OffbeatHeritageWaterfalls

• Mount Abu Rajasthan

  Rajasthan's only hill station, oasis from the heat

  Peak season for a reason. The one hill station where plains-dwellers escape 45C heat.

  MountainsLakesTrek

• Velavadar (Blackbuck National Park) Gujarat

  Grassland savanna of blackbuck, wolves and harrier roosts

  Apr-May bakes at 43 °C on shadeless grassland; safaris run at dawn only, then the gates shut for the rains in June.

  WildlifeOffbeat

• BR Hills (Biligiri Ranganatha) Karnataka

  Soliga tribal hills where the Western and Eastern Ghats meet

  March is dry and excellent for sightings; by May it is 34 °C at the base and the hill air turns smoky.

  WildlifeOffbeatSpiritual

• Amarkantak Madhya Pradesh

  Source of the Narmada on a 1,000 m Maikal plateau

  At 1,043 m Mar-May tops out near 35 C, far kinder than Bilaspur below, and Kapildhara still has some water in it.

  SpiritualMountainsOffbeat

• Phawngpui (Blue Mountain) Mizoram

  Mizoram's highest ridge, a grass bowl above nesting falcons

  Rhododendron and orchids peak in March-April, but from May the Sangau road turns to clay and the summit clouds in.

  TrekMountainsOffbeat

• McLeod Ganj Himachal Pradesh

  Dalai Lama's home-in-exile - Tibetan culture hub

  Peak season - Mar-May bring warm days, packed meditation courses and full Dharamkot guesthouses.

  SpiritualCultureBackpackerMountains

• Haridwar Uttarakhand

  Har Ki Pauri, the ghat where the Ganga leaves the hills

  March is fine at 20-32C, but by May-June it is 42C on open stone and the evening aarti crush becomes genuinely unpleasant.

  SpiritualHeritageCity

• Sandakphu West Bengal

  West Bengal's highest point - sunrise over 4 of 5 top peaks

  Apr rhododendrons carpet the ridge red and pink; by May haze builds as monsoon approaches.

  TrekMountainsSnow

• Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep) Andaman & Nicobar Islands

  The quiet, bicycle-friendly Andaman island next door

  Warm and humid through April-May but ferries usually still run. Fewer crowds than Havelock.

  BeachIsland

• Namchi Sikkim

  South Sikkim pilgrim town with a 108-ft Shiva and Char Dham

  March-April is warm, flowering and clear; by late May the pre-monsoon build-up greys out the ridge most afternoons.

  SpiritualMountainsHeritage

• Manapad Tamil Nadu

  Black rock cape, a church of 1581 and a lagoon built for kiting

  March is the last good month; by Apr-May the black rock cape radiates 37 C and the wind drops between the two monsoons.

  BeachOffbeatHeritage

• Bangaram Island Lakshadweep

  Uninhabited coral islet with a glowing night lagoon

  April is hot, still and doable; by May the pre-monsoon swell builds and the Agatti boat transfer starts getting cancelled.

  IslandBeachOffbeat

• Dudhwa National Park Uttar Pradesh

  Terai sal forest with swamp deer, rhino and Tharu villages

  April is strong at the waterholes, but May pushes 44 °C in the terai and the park shuts on 15 June for rain.

  WildlifeOffbeat

• Kaziranga National Park Assam

  One-horned rhino capital: jeep and elephant safaris

  May is the tail end before closure. Hot, grass tall, park shuts by month's end.

  Wildlife

• Fatehgarh Sahib (Sirhind) Punjab

  Mughal Sirhind ruins beside Punjab's most solemn December mela

  March still suits the Aam Khas Bagh ruins, but Apr-Jun runs 40-44 C over open brick with no shade at all.

  SpiritualHeritageOffbeat

• Anini (Dibang Valley) Arunachal Pradesh

  Road-end Idu Mishmi outpost under the snows of Dibang Valley

  March-April is spring at its best with rhododendron up high; May's building cloud starts the road's landslide season.

  OffbeatMountains

• Pinjore (Yadavindra Gardens) Haryana

  Seven-terrace Mughal water garden at the foot of the Shivaliks

  Feb-Mar is the best light of the year on the terraces, but Apr-Jun climbs past 40 C even at 550 m.

  HeritageOffbeatCulture

• Pench Tiger Reserve (Maharashtra) Maharashtra

  Sillari gate teak and bamboo, the quieter half of Pench

  Apr-May gives the best tiger odds of the year at drying waterholes, paid for with 44-46 C in an open jeep.

  WildlifeOffbeat

• Longwa (Mon district) Nagaland

  Konyak village whose chief's house sits astride the frontier

  Aoleang in the first week of April is the year's big draw, and by late May the hill road starts breaking up again.

  OffbeatCulture

Also in peak season in March

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

• Abbott Mount (Lohaghat) Uttarakhand
• Ajodhya Hills (Purulia) West Bengal
• Bageshwar Uttarakhand
• Baratang Island (Limestone Caves) Andaman & Nicobar Islands
• Barot Himachal Pradesh
• Barsey Rhododendron Sanctuary (Hilley) Sikkim
• Bir Himachal Pradesh
• Buxa Tiger Reserve (Jayanti) West Bengal
• Chail Himachal Pradesh
• Chamba Himachal Pradesh
• Chaukori Uttarakhand
• Dirang Arunachal Pradesh
• Dzongu (Lepcha Reserve) Sikkim
• Gorumara National Park (Lataguri) West Bengal
• Hastinapur Uttar Pradesh
• Jageshwar Uttarakhand
• Jaldapara National Park (Madarihat) West Bengal
• Jibhi Himachal Pradesh
• Jim Corbett (Ramnagar) Uttarakhand
• Kadmat Island Lakshadweep
• Kalakkad-Mundanthurai (Mundanthurai) Tamil Nadu
• Kalesar National Park Haryana
• Kalimpong West Bengal
• Kapurthala Punjab
• Karsog Valley Himachal Pradesh
• Kasauli Himachal Pradesh
• Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary Uttar Pradesh
• Katra (Vaishno Devi) Jammu and Kashmir
• Kausani Uttarakhand
• Kavaratti Lakshadweep
• Khirsu Uttarakhand
• Lava & Rishop (Neora Valley) West Bengal
• Little Andaman (Hut Bay) Andaman & Nicobar Islands
• Long Island Andaman & Nicobar Islands
• Malana Himachal Pradesh
• Manas National Park Assam
• Mandi Himachal Pradesh
• Masinagudi (Mudumalai) Tamil Nadu
• Mawphlang Sacred Forest Meghalaya
• Meghamalai (High Wavy Mountains) Tamil Nadu
• Minicoy (Maliku) Lakshadweep
• Mirik West Bengal
• Mokokchung Nagaland
• Nag Tibba Uttarakhand
• Naggar Himachal Pradesh
• Nameri National Park Assam
• Palampur & Andretta Himachal Pradesh
• Patal Bhuvaneshwar Uttarakhand
• Pelling Sikkim
• Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (Chuka) Uttar Pradesh
• Port Blair Andaman & Nicobar Islands
• Rangat (Amkunj & Dhani Nallah) Andaman & Nicobar Islands
• Ranikhet Uttarakhand
• Ranthambore Rajasthan
• Ravangla Sikkim
• Rewalsar (Tso Pema) Himachal Pradesh
• Sattal Uttarakhand
• Silent Valley National Park (Mukkali) Kerala
• Sultanpur Lodhi Punjab
• Tadoba Maharashtra
• Tirthan Valley (Gushaini) Himachal Pradesh
• Tosh Himachal Pradesh
• Yercaud Tamil Nadu
• Zuluk Sikkim

Shoulder season in March

Fewer people, cheaper beds, and a real chance the weather does not cooperate. 420 places sit in shoulder season this month.

• Abhaneri (Chand Baori) Rajasthan
• Agartala & Unakoti Tripura
• Agra Uttar Pradesh
• Aharbal Falls Jammu and Kashmir
• Ahmedabad Gujarat
• Ahobilam Andhra Pradesh
• Aizawl Mizoram
• Ajanta-Ellora Maharashtra
• Ajmer Rajasthan
• Alibaug Maharashtra
• Alleppey (Alappuzha) Backwaters Kerala
• Almora Uttarakhand
• Alwar Rajasthan
• Amboli Maharashtra
• Amritsar Punjab
• Anjuna-Vagator Goa
• Araku Valley Andhra Pradesh
• Arambol & Mandrem Goa
• Aranmula Kerala
• Aryan Valley (Dha & Garkon) Ladakh
• Auli Uttarakhand
• Ayodhya Uttar Pradesh
• Baghmara (Balpakram gateway) Meghalaya
• Bakkhali & Henry Island West Bengal
• Balotra & Tilwara Rajasthan
• Bandhavgarh National Park Madhya Pradesh
• Bandipur National Park Karnataka
• Barabar Caves Bihar
• Barmer Rajasthan
• Barnawapara Sanctuary Chhattisgarh
• Basar Arunachal Pradesh
• Basohli Jammu and Kashmir
• Bateshwar & Chambal Safari (Bah) Uttar Pradesh
• Bathinda Punjab
• Bekal Kerala
• Belum Caves Andhra Pradesh
• Belur-Halebidu Karnataka
• Betla National Park Jharkhand
• Bhaderwah Jammu and Kashmir
• Bhadrachalam Telangana
• Bhainsrorgarh Rajasthan
• Bhangarh & Ajabgarh Rajasthan
• Bharatpur (Keoladeo National Park) Rajasthan
• Bheemili (Bheemunipatnam) Andhra Pradesh
• Bhimashankar Maharashtra
• Bhimbetka (with Bhojpur) Madhya Pradesh
• Bhitargaon Uttar Pradesh
• Bhitarkanika National Park Odisha
• Bhongir Fort (Bhuvanagiri) Telangana
• Bhopal & Sanchi Madhya Pradesh
• Bhoramdeo (Kawardha) Chhattisgarh
• Bhubaneswar Odisha
• Bhuj Gujarat
• Bidar Karnataka
• Bikaner Rajasthan
• Binsar Uttarakhand
• Bishnupur (Terracotta Temples) West Bengal
• Bithoor Uttar Pradesh
• Bodh Gaya Bihar
• Bundi Rajasthan
• Burhanpur Madhya Pradesh
• Chabimura Tripura
• Chakrata Uttarakhand
• Champaner-Pavagadh Gujarat
• Champhai (Murlen & Vangchhia) Mizoram
• Chandannagar West Bengal
• Chanderi Madhya Pradesh
• Chandigarh Chandigarh
• Chandipur (Balasore) Odisha
• Chandoli National Park Maharashtra
• Chandor & Loutolim Goa
• Chandubi Lake Assam
• Cherrapunji (Sohra) Meghalaya
• Chettinad (Karaikudi) Tamil Nadu
• Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad) Maharashtra
• Chidambaram & Pichavaram Tamil Nadu
• Chikhaldara Maharashtra
• Chikmagalur Karnataka
• Chilika Lake (Satapada) Odisha
• Chitkul Himachal Pradesh

Festivals in March

• Aizawl, Mizoram: Early Mar: Chapchar Kut spring festival
• Anandpur Sahib, Punjab: Mar: Hola Mohalla (around Holi, dates shift)
• Balotra & Tilwara, Rajasthan: Mar/Apr: Mallinath cattle fair at Tilwara, two weeks in Chaitra
• Barmer, Rajasthan: Mar/Apr: Mallinath cattle fair at Tilwara
• Bhadrachalam, Telangana: Mar/Apr: Sri Rama Navami Kalyanam
• Deshnoke (Karni Mata Temple), Rajasthan: Mar/Apr: Karni Mata fair at Chaitra Navratri, repeated Sep/Oct
• Karauli, Rajasthan: Mar/Apr: Kaila Devi lakhi mela
• Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra: Mar-Apr: Strawberry Festival
• Melukote, Karnataka: Mar/Apr: Vairamudi Brahmotsava
• Muziris Heritage (Kodungallur), Kerala: Mar/Apr: Kodungallur Bharani
• Rishikesh, Uttarakhand: Mar: International Yoga Festival
• Shirdi, Maharashtra: Mar/Apr: Ram Navami urs at the Sai Baba samadhi mandir
• Udaipur, Rajasthan: Mar: Mewar Festival (Gangaur)
• Vrindavan-Mathura, Uttar Pradesh: Mar: Holi, incl. Barsana's Lathmar Holi

Best states to visit in March

Himachal Pradesh (16)Uttarakhand (13)West Bengal (9)Andaman & Nicobar Islands (7)Sikkim (7)Tamil Nadu (6)Lakshadweep (5)Uttar Pradesh (5)

Common questions