Best places to visit in India in May

Where India is at its best in May

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.

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• Almora Uttarakhand

  Understated Kumaoni market town with Himalayan views

  Warm days, cool nights: a calmer, cheaper alternative to Nainital's summer crowds

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• Aharbal Falls Jammu and Kashmir

  The Veshaw crashes 25 m through a pine gorge, Kashmir's Niagara

  Apr-Jun snowmelt is peak thunder: the Veshaw explodes through the notch and spray soaks the lower ledge, go early on weekends.

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• 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.

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• Kodaikanal Tamil Nadu

  Misty Palani lake town loved by trekkers, backpackers

  Warm days, cool nights, best visibility of the year - the classic escape-the-heat season, expect crowds

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• Alchi (Sham Valley) Ladakh

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

  Mar is bare and cold; Apr brings apricot blossom and by May Alchi is open at only 3,100 m, the gentlest start in Ladakh.

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• Yuksom Sikkim

  Sikkim's first capital, trailhead for the Goecha La trek

  Apr-May is prime trekking: rhododendron blooms and clear Kanchenjunga views from Goecha La.

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• 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.

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• 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.

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• Manali Himachal Pradesh

  Himalayan backpacker basecamp for treks and easy adventure

  Peak escape-the-heat season - Apr-May are warm, green and busiest, book Old Manali stays ahead.

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• Badrinath & Mana Uttarakhand

  Char Dham shrine at 3100 m with Mana village 3 km on

  May-June after the spring kapat opening is peak yatra: 5-18C, long darshan queues and every shop in Mana open for business.

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• Doodhpathri Jammu and Kashmir

  Milky Shaliganga meadows under pine, Kashmir's gentler Gulmarg

  Mar is slush and brown turf; by May the Shaliganga runs milk-white through knee-high grass and days sit at 15-22 C.

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• Dirang Arunachal Pradesh

  Monpa valley with hot springs, en route to Tawang

  Best weather of the year. Apple orchards blooming, mild days, easy access.

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• Ooty (Udhagamandalam) Tamil Nadu

  Nilgiris' colonial hill capital, toy train and tea gardens

  Peak hill-season crowds (Apr-May), pleasant 15-25C days, book ahead as plains tourists flood in

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• Aryan Valley (Dha & Garkon) Ladakh

  Flower-crowned Brokpa villages and apricot terraces on the Indus

  Mid-Apr apricot blossom snows pink over the stone lanes; May brings green terraces, 20 C days and a trickle of travellers.

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• North Sikkim (Lachen-Lachung) Sikkim

  Yumthang valley and Gurudongmar Lake near the Tibet border

  Apr-May is the sweet spot: Yumthang's 'valley of flowers' blooming, roads freshly reopened.

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• 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.

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• Chopta Uttarakhand

  Basecamp for the Tungnath-Chandrashila alpine trek

  Prime trekking season: wildflower meadows, clear alpine views, good trail conditions

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• Kokernag & Verinag Jammu and Kashmir

  Verinag's Mughal spring tank and Kokernag's trout gardens

  Mar is thin and grey; Apr-May is blossom season across the Kokernag gardens at 18-26 C with the trout farm running.

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• Mechuka (Menchukha) Arunachal Pradesh

  Hidden Himalayan valley near the China border

  April-May is prime: apple and kiwi orchards blooming, roads at their most reliable.

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• Coonoor Tamil Nadu

  Quieter, lower Nilgiri twin to Ooty, ringed by tea estates

  Warm pleasant days among tea gardens, a quieter overflow alternative to a packed Ooty

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• Bir Himachal Pradesh

  India's paragliding capital amid Tibetan monasteries

  Paragliding season in full swing - Mar-May bring reliable thermals and clear valley views from Billing.

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• Jageshwar Uttarakhand

  Over a hundred stone Shiva temples in a deodar gorge

  April-May is the best walking weather at 12-26C, with the whole 124-temple cluster to yourself on a weekday morning.

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• Martand Sun Temple (Mattan) Jammu and Kashmir

  Lalitaditya's ruined 8th-century sun temple on a karewa plateau

  Mar is still bare and grey; Apr-May is ideal at 18-25 C with almond and mustard on the karewas and the lawn to yourself.

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• Tawang Arunachal Pradesh

  Largest Indian monastery, high Himalayan passes

  Prime season: April-May roads are clear, monastery and high lakes fully accessible.

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• Kheerganga Himachal Pradesh

  Hot-spring trek camp, a backpacker rite of passage

  May-Jun bring the clearest trail after snowmelt and the most reliable weather for the climb.

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• Kanatal Uttarakhand

  Deodar ridge of apple orchards and campfires above the Tehri valley

  Apr-May is the sweet spot: 12-25 °C, orchard bloom and buzzing weekend campsites while the plains cook 2000 m below.

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• Pahalgam Jammu and Kashmir

  Pine-forested valley base for Amarnath Yatra and easy treks

  March is quiet and cool; April-May the valley blooms - a great window before Yatra crowds.

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• Tosh Himachal Pradesh

  Last-village hippie hangout above Kasol's Parvati valley

  Mar-May bring blossoming orchards, mild days and the valley's easiest trekking conditions.

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• Kedarnath Uttarakhand

  Himalayan Shiva shrine at 3583m, open just 6 months

  May-June is prime pilgrimage season before the monsoon; trails are clear, temple newly reopened

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• Patnitop Jammu and Kashmir

  Deodar ridge on the Jammu-Srinagar highway under Nathatop snow

  Mar is raw and still patchy with snow; Apr-May is the sweet spot at 15-25 C under the deodars while Jammu bakes at 42 C.

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• Chail Himachal Pradesh

  Deodar hill station with the world's highest cricket ground

  March-June is why Chail exists: about 25 °C when the plains boil, forest walks to Kali ka Tibba and the 2,444 m cricket ground.

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• Mukteshwar Uttarakhand

  Laid-back orchard town with cliff views and paragliding

  Pleasant weather and the peak season for paragliding and rock climbing here

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• Srinagar Jammu and Kashmir

  Houseboats on Dal Lake, Mughal gardens, J&K's summer capital

  March is cool; by April the Tulip Garden blooms and May weather is close to perfect.

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• Churdhar (via Nohradhar) Himachal Pradesh

  Sirmaur's 3,647 m Shiva summit above a sea of foothills

  Snow patches linger into April; May-June is prime, an 18 km one-way climb from Nohradhar through deodar and rhododendron.

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• Mussoorie Uttarakhand

  Colonial 'Queen of the Hills', Delhi's easiest escape

  Peak season: Delhi's classic heat escape, great weather but Mall Road gets packed

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Also in peak season in May

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

• Barot Himachal Pradesh
• Bhaderwah Jammu and Kashmir
• Bharmour (Manimahesh) Himachal Pradesh
• Binsar Uttarakhand
• Chakrata Uttarakhand
• Chitkul Himachal Pradesh
• Dalhousie Himachal Pradesh
• Harsil Uttarakhand
• Janjehli (Shikari Devi) Himachal Pradesh
• Jibhi Himachal Pradesh
• Kalpa Himachal Pradesh
• Karsog Valley Himachal Pradesh
• Kasauli Himachal Pradesh
• Khajjiar Himachal Pradesh
• Kullu Himachal Pradesh
• Lansdowne Uttarakhand
• Lolab Valley (Sogam) Jammu and Kashmir
• Malana Himachal Pradesh
• Munsiyari Uttarakhand
• Naggar Himachal Pradesh
• Nainital Uttarakhand
• Narkanda & Thanedar Himachal Pradesh
• Parashar Lake Himachal Pradesh
• Rakcham Himachal Pradesh
• Ranikhet Uttarakhand
• Sangla Himachal Pradesh
• Sankri (Har Ki Dun) Uttarakhand
• Sarahan (Bhimakali) Himachal Pradesh
• Shangarh (Sainj Valley) Himachal Pradesh
• Shimla Himachal Pradesh
• Tirthan Valley (Gushaini) Himachal Pradesh
• Yusmarg Jammu and Kashmir

Shoulder season in May

Fewer people, cheaper beds, and a real chance the weather does not cooperate. 103 places sit in shoulder season this month.

• Abbott Mount (Lohaghat) Uttarakhand
• Agatti Island (Lakshadweep) Lakshadweep
• Amarkantak Madhya Pradesh
• Amboli Maharashtra
• Auli Uttarakhand
• Bageshwar Uttarakhand
• Bandhavgarh National Park Madhya Pradesh
• Bandipur National Park Karnataka
• Barnawapara Sanctuary Chhattisgarh
• Barsey Rhododendron Sanctuary (Hilley) Sikkim
• Buxa Tiger Reserve (Jayanti) West Bengal
• Chamba Himachal Pradesh
• Chandoli National Park Maharashtra
• Chaukori Uttarakhand
• Cherrapunji (Sohra) Meghalaya
• Chikmagalur Karnataka
• Coorg (Madikeri) Karnataka
• Dandeli Karnataka
• Darjeeling West Bengal
• Deomali Odisha
• Dhankar Himachal Pradesh
• Diglipur (Ross & Smith Islands) Andaman & Nicobar Islands
• Drass Ladakh
• Dzongu (Lepcha Reserve) Sikkim
• Dzukou Valley Nagaland
• Gangtok Sikkim
• Gavi Kerala
• Gir (Sasan Gir) Gujarat
• Gorumara National Park (Lataguri) West Bengal
• Gulmarg Jammu and Kashmir
• Gurez Valley (Dawar) Jammu and Kashmir
• Hanle Ladakh
• Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep) Andaman & Nicobar Islands
• Hoollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary (Jorhat) Assam
• Jaldapara National Park (Madarihat) West Bengal
• Jim Corbett (Ramnagar) Uttarakhand
• Jowai (Nartiang & Krangsuri) Meghalaya
• Kabini Karnataka
• Kalimpong West Bengal
• Kanha National Park Madhya Pradesh
• Kanthalloor Kerala
• Kargil Ladakh
• Kausani Uttarakhand
• Kaza (Spiti) Himachal Pradesh
• Khirsu Uttarakhand
• Kohima Nagaland
• Kolukkumalai Tamil Nadu
• Koraput Odisha
• Lamayuru Ladakh
• Lava & Rishop (Neora Valley) West Bengal
• Leh Ladakh
• Longwa (Mon district) Nagaland
• Manas National Park Assam
• Manasbal Lake Jammu and Kashmir
• Markha Valley Ladakh
• Masinagudi (Mudumalai) Tamil Nadu
• Matheran Maharashtra
• Mawlynnong Meghalaya
• Mawphlang Sacred Forest Meghalaya
• Meghamalai (High Wavy Mountains) Tamil Nadu
• Mirik West Bengal
• Mokokchung Nagaland
• Munnar Kerala
• Murud-Janjira Maharashtra
• Nag Tibba Uttarakhand
• Nako Himachal Pradesh
• Namchi Sikkim
• Nandi Hills Karnataka
• Naranag Jammu and Kashmir
• Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep) Andaman & Nicobar Islands
• Nongriat (Double-Decker Root Bridge) Meghalaya
• Nubra Valley Ladakh
• Pachmarhi Madhya Pradesh
• Palampur & Andretta Himachal Pradesh
• Panchgani Maharashtra
• Pangong Tso Ladakh
• Patal Bhuvaneshwar Uttarakhand
• Pelling Sikkim
• Pench National Park (Turia) Madhya Pradesh
• Pench Tiger Reserve (Maharashtra) Maharashtra

Festivals in May

• Bodh Gaya, Bihar: May: Buddha Purnima
• Gangtok, Sikkim: May: International Flower Festival
• Kanatal, Uttarakhand: May/Jun: Ganga Dussehra mela at Surkanda Devi (dates shift)
• Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu: May: Kodaikanal Summer Festival (boat pageant, flower show)
• Mokokchung, Nagaland: May: Moatsu (Ao festival, 1-3 May)
• Mount Abu, Rajasthan: May: Mount Abu Summer Festival
• Ooty (Udhagamandalam), Tamil Nadu: May: Ooty Summer Festival (flower and fruit show)
• Shimla, Himachal Pradesh: May: Shimla Summer Festival
• Yelagiri, Tamil Nadu: May: Yelagiri Summer Festival (Tamil Nadu Tourism)
• Yercaud, Tamil Nadu: May: Yercaud Summer Festival

Best states to visit in May

Himachal Pradesh (29)Uttarakhand (16)Jammu and Kashmir (10)Arunachal Pradesh (4)Tamil Nadu (3)Ladakh (2)Sikkim (2)Haryana (1)

Common questions