Best places to visit in Uttar Pradesh
26 curated destinations in Uttar Pradesh, each with its honest season window: when to go, when it is merely fine, and when to stay away.
When to visit Uttar Pradesh
Curated places in Uttar Pradesh that are in peak season, by month. Tap a month for the whole country.
January, February, November and December put the most of Uttar Pradesh in peak season. April the fewest, with 0.
All 26 destinations in Uttar Pradesh
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Agra
Uttar Pradesh
The Taj Mahal and Mughal monuments, UP's biggest draw
Peak: Oct to Feb
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Ayodhya
Uttar Pradesh
Rama's birthplace, home to the newly built Ram Mandir
Peak: Oct to Feb
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Barsana & Nandgaon
Uttar Pradesh
Braj hill villages where Lathmar Holi is fought with sticks
Peak: Nov to Mar
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Bateshwar & Chambal Safari (Bah)
Uttar Pradesh
Gharial river safaris on the Chambal near Bateshwar's Shiva temple row
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Bhitargaon
Uttar Pradesh
India's oldest standing brick temple, Gupta terracotta and all
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Bithoor
Uttar Pradesh
Quiet Ganga ghats and Nana Saheb's 1857 base above Kanpur
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Chitrakoot (Ramghat)
Uttar Pradesh
Mandakini ghats and wooded hills where Ram spent his exile years
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Deogarh (Lalitpur)
Uttar Pradesh
Gupta-era Dashavatara temple and 40 Jain shrines over the Betwa
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Dudhwa National Park
Uttar Pradesh
Terai sal forest with swamp deer, rhino and Tharu villages
Peak: Dec to Mar
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Fatehpur Sikri
Uttar Pradesh
Akbar's red sandstone capital, abandoned after fourteen years
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Hastinapur
Uttar Pradesh
Kuru capital of the Mahabharata and a huge Jain temple town
Peak: Feb to Mar and Oct
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Jaunpur
Uttar Pradesh
Sharqi sultanate mosques and Akbar's stone bridge on the Gomti
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Jhansi
Uttar Pradesh
Rani Lakshmibai's granite hill fort above Bundelkhand
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Kalinjar Fort
Uttar Pradesh
Chandela cliff fort that killed Sher Shah Suri in 1545
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary
Uttar Pradesh
Girwa river boat rides among gharial, dolphins and terai sal forest
Peak: Dec to Mar
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Kaushambi (Kosam)
Uttar Pradesh
Buddha-era Vatsa capital, earth ramparts above the Yamuna
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Kushinagar
Uttar Pradesh
Where the Buddha died: reclining statue and Ramabhar stupa
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Lucknow
Uttar Pradesh
Nawabi capital of grand Imambaras and kebabs
Peak: Oct to Feb
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Naimisharanya (Nimsar)
Uttar Pradesh
Forest where the Puranas were told: Chakra Tirth and Gomti
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary (Unnao)
Uttar Pradesh
Shallow migratory-bird lake halfway between Lucknow and Kanpur
Peak: Dec to Feb
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Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (Chuka)
Uttar Pradesh
Terai tiger forest with tree huts on the Sharda Sagar water
Peak: Dec to Mar
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Prayagraj (Triveni Sangam)
Uttar Pradesh
Ganga-Yamuna Sangam, Magh Mela sands and Anand Bhavan
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Salkhan Fossils Park (Sonbhadra)
Uttar Pradesh
Stromatolite fossils 1400 million years old on the Kaimur scarp
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Shravasti (Sahet-Mahet)
Uttar Pradesh
Jetavana ruins where the Buddha spent 25 rain retreats
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Varanasi
Uttar Pradesh
Ancient Ganges ghats, India's chaotic spiritual heart
Peak: Oct to Feb
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Vrindavan-Mathura
Uttar Pradesh
Krishna's birthplace and playground of temple towns
Peak: Oct to Feb
By theme in Uttar Pradesh
Heritage (20)Offbeat (15)Spiritual (11)Culture (9)Wildlife (5)
Common questions
When is the best time to visit Uttar Pradesh?
Across the 26 curated destinations in Uttar Pradesh, January, February, November and December are the months with the most places in peak season. April has the fewest, at 0.
How many places are worth visiting in Uttar Pradesh?
This catalogue lists 26 in Uttar Pradesh, chosen for the landscape or the heritage rather than for size. Plain cities are deliberately left out unless the trip is the heritage itself. The strongest themes here are heritage (20), offbeat (15), spiritual (11), culture (9) and wildlife (5).
What kind of places are in Uttar Pradesh?
20 heritage, 15 offbeat, 11 spiritual, 9 culture and 5 wildlife. Every entry carries its own peak, shoulder and avoid months, so nothing is recommended in a month it should not be.
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