Naimisharanya (Nimsar)
Forest where the Puranas were told: Chakra Tirth and Gomti
Best time to visit Naimisharanya (Nimsar)
- 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
Naimisharanya (Nimsar) season by season
Winter December to February Prime time
Peak at 8-25 °C for the circular Chakra Tirth tank, the Vyas Gaddi and a stretch of Gomti bank that is quiet.
Summer March to May Shoulder
Apr-Jun is 44 °C in central UP: the tank drops, the parikrama road shimmers and rooms have no real cooling.
Monsoon June to September Do not go
Jul-Sep is humid and the 84-kos parikrama road turns to slush; pilgrim numbers fall and so do bus services.
Autumn October to November Prime time
Oct-Nov is the best window: harvested fields, cool mornings and amavasya bathing crowds you can easily dodge.
What Naimisharanya (Nimsar) is actually like
A pure pilgrim town of dharamshalas and Sanskrit chanting; no cafes, no travellers, food is thali or nothing
Getting to Naimisharanya (Nimsar)
Naimisharanya halt on the Balamau-Sitapur branch; buses from Lucknow (90 km) take 2.5 h via Sandila
Practical ways in: trainroad
Trip facts
- How long to stay
- 1 day
- Budget
- Shoestring
- How busy
- Steady at its peak
- Solo travel
- Doable solo with some planning
- Altitude
- 138 m
- State
- Uttar Pradesh
- Coordinates
- 27.3491, 80.4881
Common questions
When is the best time to visit Naimisharanya (Nimsar)?
November to February is peak season in Naimisharanya (Nimsar). March and October is shoulder season: thinner crowds, a bit more risk in the weather. Avoid April to September. Oct-Nov is the best window: harvested fields, cool mornings and amavasya bathing crowds you can easily dodge.
How many days do you need in Naimisharanya (Nimsar)?
1 day is the usual stay. A pure pilgrim town of dharamshalas and Sanskrit chanting; no cafes, no travellers, food is thali or nothing.
How do you get to Naimisharanya (Nimsar)?
Naimisharanya halt on the Balamau-Sitapur branch; buses from Lucknow (90 km) take 2.5 h via Sandila. Practical ways in: train and road.
Is Naimisharanya (Nimsar) 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.
Nearby, and where to go next
-
Lucknow
Uttar Pradesh
Nawabi capital of grand Imambaras and kebabs
90 km from Naimisharanya (Nimsar), roughly about 2 h by road
-
Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary (Unnao)
Uttar Pradesh
Shallow migratory-bird lake halfway between Lucknow and Kanpur
110 km from Naimisharanya (Nimsar), roughly about 2 h by road
-
Bithoor
Uttar Pradesh
Quiet Ganga ghats and Nana Saheb's 1857 base above Kanpur
110 km from Naimisharanya (Nimsar), roughly about 2 h by road
-
Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary
Uttar Pradesh
Girwa river boat rides among gharial, dolphins and terai sal forest
170 km from Naimisharanya (Nimsar), roughly about 3 h by road
-
Bhitargaon
Uttar Pradesh
India's oldest standing brick temple, Gupta terracotta and all
170 km from Naimisharanya (Nimsar), roughly about 3 h by road
-
Dudhwa National Park
Uttar Pradesh
Terai sal forest with swamp deer, rhino and Tharu villages
170 km from Naimisharanya (Nimsar), roughly about 3 h by road
-
Shravasti (Sahet-Mahet)
Uttar Pradesh
Jetavana ruins where the Buddha spent 25 rain retreats
210 km from Naimisharanya (Nimsar), roughly about 4 h by road
-
Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (Chuka)
Uttar Pradesh
Terai tiger forest with tree huts on the Sharda Sagar water
210 km from Naimisharanya (Nimsar), roughly about 4 h by road
More places to visit in Uttar Pradesh
- Agra Uttar Pradesh
- Ayodhya Uttar Pradesh
- Barsana & Nandgaon Uttar Pradesh
- Bateshwar & Chambal Safari (Bah) Uttar Pradesh
- Bhitargaon Uttar Pradesh
- Bithoor Uttar Pradesh
- Chitrakoot (Ramghat) Uttar Pradesh
- Deogarh (Lalitpur) Uttar Pradesh
- Dudhwa National Park Uttar Pradesh
- Fatehpur Sikri Uttar Pradesh
- Hastinapur Uttar Pradesh
- Jaunpur Uttar Pradesh
- Jhansi Uttar Pradesh
- Kalinjar Fort Uttar Pradesh
- Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary Uttar Pradesh
- Kaushambi (Kosam) Uttar Pradesh
- Kushinagar Uttar Pradesh
- Lucknow Uttar Pradesh
- Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary (Unnao) Uttar Pradesh
- Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (Chuka) Uttar Pradesh
- Prayagraj (Triveni Sangam) Uttar Pradesh
- Salkhan Fossils Park (Sonbhadra) Uttar Pradesh
- Shravasti (Sahet-Mahet) Uttar Pradesh
- Varanasi Uttar Pradesh
- Vrindavan-Mathura Uttar Pradesh