Khajuraho
UNESCO temple town famous for its erotic sculpture friezes
Best time to visit Khajuraho
- Jan, peak season
- Feb, peak season
- Mar, shoulder season
- Apr, best avoided
- May, best avoided
- Jun, best avoided
- Jul, shoulder season
- Aug, shoulder season
- Sep, shoulder season
- Oct, peak season
- Nov, peak season
- Dec, peak season
peak shoulder off-season avoid
- Go: October to February
- Shoulder: March and July to September, quieter, and the weather is less of a sure thing
- Skip: April to June
Planning a specific month? JanuaryFebruaryOctoberNovemberDecember
Khajuraho season by season
Winter December to February Prime time
Ideal temple weather, 10-25C; crowds peak around New Year and the Feb dance festival.
Summer March to May Shoulder
42-45C by May turns stone courtyards into ovens. Go only if you love empty ruins.
Monsoon June to September Shoulder
Humid but green; step-wells fill, carvings glisten after rain, tour buses thin out.
Autumn October to November Prime time
Heat breaks in October, light turns golden on the carvings. Everyone shows up now.
What Khajuraho is actually like
Small temple town of guides and fellow ruin-hoppers, not a big backpacker scene.
Getting to Khajuraho
Fly direct to Khajuraho, or train to Jhansi (175km) + taxi.
Practical ways in: flighttrainroad
Trip facts
- How long to stay
- 2 days
- Budget
- Mid-range
- How busy
- Busy at its peak
- Solo travel
- Fine solo
- Altitude
- 207 m
- State
- Madhya Pradesh
- Coordinates
- 24.8318, 79.9199
Common questions
When is the best time to visit Khajuraho?
October to February is peak season in Khajuraho. March and July to September is shoulder season: thinner crowds, a bit more risk in the weather. Avoid April to June. Heat breaks in October, light turns golden on the carvings. Everyone shows up now.
How many days do you need in Khajuraho?
2 days is the usual stay. Small temple town of guides and fellow ruin-hoppers, not a big backpacker scene.
How do you get to Khajuraho?
Fly direct to Khajuraho, or train to Jhansi (175km) + taxi. Practical ways in: flight, train and road.
Is Khajuraho expensive, and does it get crowded?
Mid-range by Indian travel standards, and it runs busy at the busiest time of year. Fine solo.
Is there a festival in Khajuraho?
Feb: Khajuraho Dance Festival, classical dance below the temples. Time a trip around it and you see the place at its loudest, but book beds early.
Nearby, and where to go next
-
Panna National Park
Madhya Pradesh
Ken river gorge, gharials and a tiger population rebuilt from zero
30 km from Khajuraho, roughly under an hour by road
-
Kalinjar Fort
Uttar Pradesh
Chandela cliff fort that killed Sher Shah Suri in 1545
80 km from Khajuraho, roughly about 2 h by road
-
Chitrakoot (Ramghat)
Uttar Pradesh
Mandakini ghats and wooded hills where Ram spent his exile years
140 km from Khajuraho, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Orchha
Madhya Pradesh
Riverside Bundela heritage town on the backpacker trail
190 km from Khajuraho, roughly about 4 h by road
-
Jhansi
Uttar Pradesh
Rani Lakshmibai's granite hill fort above Bundelkhand
200 km from Khajuraho, roughly about 4 h by road
-
Bhitargaon
Uttar Pradesh
India's oldest standing brick temple, Gupta terracotta and all
210 km from Khajuraho, roughly about 4 h by road
-
Kaushambi (Kosam)
Uttar Pradesh
Buddha-era Vatsa capital, earth ramparts above the Yamuna
210 km from Khajuraho, roughly about 4 h by road
-
Bandhavgarh National Park
Madhya Pradesh
MP's highest tiger-density reserve, best big-cat odds
220 km from Khajuraho, roughly about 4 h by road
More places to visit in Madhya Pradesh
- Amarkantak Madhya Pradesh
- Bandhavgarh National Park Madhya Pradesh
- Bhimbetka (with Bhojpur) Madhya Pradesh
- Bhopal & Sanchi Madhya Pradesh
- Burhanpur Madhya Pradesh
- Chanderi Madhya Pradesh
- Gandhi Sagar (Chambal) Madhya Pradesh
- Ghughua Fossil Park Madhya Pradesh
- Gwalior Madhya Pradesh
- Hanuwantiya Tapu Madhya Pradesh
- Jabalpur & Bhedaghat (Marble Rocks) Madhya Pradesh
- Kanha National Park Madhya Pradesh
- Kukru (Khamla Plateau) Madhya Pradesh
- Kuno National Park (Sesaipura) Madhya Pradesh
- Maheshwar Madhya Pradesh
- Mandla Madhya Pradesh
- Mandu Madhya Pradesh
- Mitaoli, Padavali & Bateshwar Madhya Pradesh
- Omkareshwar Madhya Pradesh
- Orchha Madhya Pradesh
- Pachmarhi Madhya Pradesh
- Panna National Park Madhya Pradesh
- Pench National Park (Turia) Madhya Pradesh
- Satpura National Park (Madhai) Madhya Pradesh
- Shivpuri (Madhav National Park) Madhya Pradesh
- Tamia & Patalkot Valley Madhya Pradesh
- Ujjain Madhya Pradesh