Konark
13th-century Sun Temple: a UNESCO stone chariot in rock
Best time to visit Konark
- Jan, peak season
- Feb, peak season
- Mar, shoulder season
- Apr, best avoided
- May, best avoided
- Jun, best avoided
- Jul, best avoided
- Aug, best avoided
- Sep, best avoided
- Oct, shoulder season
- Nov, peak season
- Dec, peak season
peak shoulder off-season avoid
- Go: November to February
- Shoulder: March and October, quieter, and the weather is less of a sure thing
- Skip: April to September
Konark season by season
Winter December to February Prime time
Best light on the Sun Temple's stone wheels, and December's Dance Festival draws top performers.
Summer March to May Shoulder
Stone courtyards get scorching by midday. Visit at dawn or skip Apr-Jun altogether.
Monsoon June to September Do not go
Humid and wet with little shade around the complex. An uncomfortable half-day visit.
Autumn October to November Prime time
Comfortable temperatures return by November. Good timing to combine with Puri.
What Konark is actually like
A half-day monument stop for most; stay overnight for December's dance festival.
Getting to Konark
35km/1hr from Puri by shared auto or bus; easy day trip.
Practical ways in: flighttrainroad
Trip facts
- How long to stay
- 1 day
- Budget
- Shoestring
- How busy
- Steady at its peak
- Solo travel
- Doable solo with some planning
- Altitude
- 0 m
- State
- Odisha
- Coordinates
- 19.8876, 86.0945
Common questions
When is the best time to visit Konark?
November to February is peak season in Konark. March and October is shoulder season: thinner crowds, a bit more risk in the weather. Avoid April to September. Comfortable temperatures return by November. Good timing to combine with Puri.
How many days do you need in Konark?
1 day is the usual stay. A half-day monument stop for most; stay overnight for December's dance festival.
How do you get to Konark?
35km/1hr from Puri by shared auto or bus; easy day trip. Practical ways in: flight, train and road.
Is Konark expensive, and does it get crowded?
Shoestring by Indian travel standards, and it runs steady at the busiest time of year. Doable solo with some planning.
Is there a festival in Konark?
Dec: Konark Dance Festival. Time a trip around it and you see the place at its loudest, but book beds early.
Nearby, and where to go next
-
Puri
Odisha
Jagannath Temple pilgrim town with a long, easy beach
40 km from Konark, roughly under an hour by road
-
Bhubaneswar
Odisha
Temple city of 700 shrines plus the Khandagiri Jain caves
70 km from Konark, roughly about 1 h by road
-
Mangalajodi (Chilika Wetlands)
Odisha
Ex-poacher guides row you into Chilika's winter clouds of waterbirds
90 km from Konark, roughly about 2 h by road
-
Chilika Lake (Satapada)
Odisha
Asia's largest lagoon: dolphins and migratory birds
100 km from Konark, roughly about 2 h by road
-
Ratnagiri-Udayagiri-Lalitgiri (Diamond Triangle)
Odisha
Odisha's Buddhist diamond triangle of hilltop monasteries
120 km from Konark, roughly about 2 h by road
-
Bhitarkanika National Park
Odisha
Mangrove creeks packed with 6 m saltwater crocodiles
160 km from Konark, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Gopalpur
Odisha
Sleepy colonial beach town, quiet alternative to Puri
190 km from Konark, roughly about 4 h by road
-
Satkosia Gorge (Tikarpada)
Odisha
Mahanadi squeezed into a 22 km gorge of mugger and gharial
210 km from Konark, roughly about 4 h by road
More places to visit in Odisha
- Bhitarkanika National Park Odisha
- Bhubaneswar Odisha
- Chandipur (Balasore) Odisha
- Chilika Lake (Satapada) Odisha
- Daringbadi Odisha
- Debrigarh (Hirakud Reservoir) Odisha
- Deomali Odisha
- Duduma Falls (Machkund) Odisha
- Gopalpur Odisha
- Gupteswar Caves (Koraput) Odisha
- Khandadhar Falls Odisha
- Koraput Odisha
- Mangalajodi (Chilika Wetlands) Odisha
- Puri Odisha
- Ratnagiri-Udayagiri-Lalitgiri (Diamond Triangle) Odisha
- Satkosia Gorge (Tikarpada) Odisha
- Simlipal National Park (Baripada) Odisha
- Taptapani Odisha