Alwar
Bala Qila ridge fort, palace cenotaphs and Siliserh lake
Best time to visit Alwar
- Jan, peak season
- Feb, peak season
- Mar, shoulder season
- Apr, best avoided
- May, best avoided
- Jun, best avoided
- Jul, off-season
- Aug, off-season
- Sep, shoulder season
- Oct, shoulder season
- Nov, peak season
- Dec, peak season
peak shoulder off-season avoid
- Go: November to February
- Shoulder: March and September to October, quieter, and the weather is less of a sure thing
- Skip: April to June
Alwar season by season
Winter December to February Prime time
At 9-24 C this is the time to walk up to Bala Qila on the ridge and sit out the evening at Siliserh lake, 13 km away.
Summer March to May Shoulder
April-June runs 42-45 C in this gap in the Aravallis; the fort road bakes and there is no shade anywhere on the ridge.
Monsoon June to September Shoulder
June bakes at 44 C, then July-September greens the hills and refills Siliserh while Sariska's core zones shut till 1 October.
Autumn October to November Prime time
October-November is clear and mild, Sariska's core reopens on 1 October and Bhangarh 85 km south is an easy day out.
What Alwar is actually like
Workaday district town with a superb palace museum: business hotels, no hostels, and very few other travellers about.
Getting to Alwar
Alwar Junction has frequent Delhi trains, about 3 h; Delhi and Jaipur airports are each roughly 150 km.
Practical ways in: flighttrainroad
Trip facts
- How long to stay
- 2 days
- Budget
- Shoestring
- How busy
- Steady at its peak
- Solo travel
- Fine solo
- Altitude
- 268 m
- State
- Rajasthan
- Coordinates
- 27.5530, 76.6361
Common questions
When is the best time to visit Alwar?
November to February is peak season in Alwar. March and September to October is shoulder season: thinner crowds, a bit more risk in the weather. Avoid April to June. October-November is clear and mild, Sariska's core reopens on 1 October and Bhangarh 85 km south is an easy day out.
How many days do you need in Alwar?
2 days is the usual stay. Workaday district town with a superb palace museum: business hotels, no hostels, and very few other travellers about.
How do you get to Alwar?
Alwar Junction has frequent Delhi trains, about 3 h; Delhi and Jaipur airports are each roughly 150 km. Practical ways in: flight, train and road.
Is Alwar expensive, and does it get crowded?
Shoestring by Indian travel standards, and it runs steady at the busiest time of year. Fine solo.
Nearby, and where to go next
-
Sariska Tiger Reserve
Rajasthan
Former royal hunting ground, now a tiger reserve
40 km from Alwar, roughly under an hour by road
-
Neemrana
Rajasthan
15th-century fort turned zipline weekend escape
70 km from Alwar, roughly about 1 h by road
-
Abhaneri (Chand Baori)
Rajasthan
3500 steps of ninth century geometry down a 13 storey well
80 km from Alwar, roughly about 2 h by road
-
Bhangarh & Ajabgarh
Rajasthan
Abandoned 16th-century town the ASI locks at sunset
80 km from Alwar, roughly about 2 h by road
-
Barsana & Nandgaon
Uttar Pradesh
Braj hill villages where Lathmar Holi is fought with sticks
100 km from Alwar, roughly about 2 h by road
-
Bharatpur (Keoladeo National Park)
Rajasthan
India's top bird sanctuary, best seen by bicycle
130 km from Alwar, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Sultanpur National Park (Bird Sanctuary)
Haryana
Ramsar jheel where Siberian migrants land an hour from Delhi
140 km from Alwar, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Vrindavan-Mathura
Uttar Pradesh
Krishna's birthplace and playground of temple towns
140 km from Alwar, roughly about 3 h by road
More places to visit in Rajasthan
- Abhaneri (Chand Baori) Rajasthan
- Ajmer Rajasthan
- Balotra & Tilwara Rajasthan
- Banswara (Mahi Backwaters) Rajasthan
- Barmer Rajasthan
- Bhainsrorgarh Rajasthan
- Bhangarh & Ajabgarh Rajasthan
- Bharatpur (Keoladeo National Park) Rajasthan
- Bikaner Rajasthan
- Bundi Rajasthan
- Chittorgarh Rajasthan
- Deshnoke (Karni Mata Temple) Rajasthan
- Dungarpur Rajasthan
- Garadia Mahadev (Chambal Gorge) Rajasthan
- Hanumangarh (Bhatner & Kalibangan) Rajasthan
- Jaipur Rajasthan
- Jaisalmer Rajasthan
- Jawai Bandh (Bera) Rajasthan
- Jhalawar (Gagron & Jhalrapatan) Rajasthan
- Jodhpur Rajasthan
- Karauli Rajasthan
- Khejarla Rajasthan
- Khichan (Demoiselle Cranes) Rajasthan
- Kiradu Temples Rajasthan
- Kishangarh Rajasthan
- Kolayat Rajasthan
- Kumbhalgarh Rajasthan
- Mandawa (Shekhawati) Rajasthan
- Menal (Falls & Temples) Rajasthan
- Merta City Rajasthan
- Mount Abu Rajasthan
- Nagaur Rajasthan
- Nawalgarh (Shekhawati) Rajasthan
- Neemrana Rajasthan
- Osian (Osiyan) Rajasthan
- Pushkar Rajasthan
- Ranakpur Rajasthan
- Ranthambore Rajasthan
- Sariska Tiger Reserve Rajasthan
- Tal Chhapar Rajasthan