Nawalgarh (Shekhawati)
Shekhawati's densest painted havelis and two real museums
Best time to visit Nawalgarh (Shekhawati)
- 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, off-season
- 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 June
Nawalgarh (Shekhawati) season by season
Winter December to February Prime time
At 5-22 C the light on the frescoes is sharp and nights are cold; the Podar and Morarka haveli museums open early.
Summer March to May Shoulder
April-June is 43-45 C of open sand-plain heat and the unshaded haveli lanes are unwalkable after about 10 in the morning.
Monsoon June to September Mixed, read the detail
July-September brings only 300-400 mm here; it stays around 34 C and humid, and damp is what is killing the murals.
Autumn October to November Prime time
October-November is dry and pleasant, and Nawalgarh stays far quieter than Mandawa 26 km north, which the buses own.
What Nawalgarh (Shekhawati) is actually like
Working market town where the havelis are still lived in: cheap haveli guesthouses, cycle hire, few foreign visitors.
Getting to Nawalgarh (Shekhawati)
Nawalgarh station is on the Sikar-Loharu line; Jaipur airport 155 km, frequent buses from Sikar 30 km.
Practical ways in: trainroad
Trip facts
- How long to stay
- 2 days
- Budget
- Shoestring
- How busy
- Quiet at its peak
- Solo travel
- Fine solo
- Altitude
- 379 m
- State
- Rajasthan
- Coordinates
- 27.8458, 75.2681
Common questions
When is the best time to visit Nawalgarh (Shekhawati)?
November to February is peak season in Nawalgarh (Shekhawati). March and October is shoulder season: thinner crowds, a bit more risk in the weather. Avoid April to June. October-November is dry and pleasant, and Nawalgarh stays far quieter than Mandawa 26 km north, which the buses own.
How many days do you need in Nawalgarh (Shekhawati)?
2 days is the usual stay. Working market town where the havelis are still lived in: cheap haveli guesthouses, cycle hire, few foreign visitors.
How do you get to Nawalgarh (Shekhawati)?
Nawalgarh station is on the Sikar-Loharu line; Jaipur airport 155 km, frequent buses from Sikar 30 km. Practical ways in: train and road.
Is Nawalgarh (Shekhawati) expensive, and does it get crowded?
Shoestring by Indian travel standards, and it runs quiet at the busiest time of year. Fine solo.
Nearby, and where to go next
-
Mandawa (Shekhawati)
Rajasthan
Open-air gallery of frescoed merchant havelis
30 km from Nawalgarh (Shekhawati), roughly under an hour by road
-
Tal Chhapar
Rajasthan
Flat saline grassland packed with blackbuck and raptors
110 km from Nawalgarh (Shekhawati), roughly about 2 h by road
-
Neemrana
Rajasthan
15th-century fort turned zipline weekend escape
150 km from Nawalgarh (Shekhawati), roughly about 3 h by road
-
Jaipur
Rajasthan
Pink City gateway to Rajasthan's forts and bazaars
150 km from Nawalgarh (Shekhawati), roughly about 3 h by road
-
Sariska Tiger Reserve
Rajasthan
Former royal hunting ground, now a tiger reserve
170 km from Nawalgarh (Shekhawati), roughly about 3 h by road
-
Bhangarh & Ajabgarh
Rajasthan
Abandoned 16th-century town the ASI locks at sunset
170 km from Nawalgarh (Shekhawati), roughly about 3 h by road
-
Alwar
Rajasthan
Bala Qila ridge fort, palace cenotaphs and Siliserh lake
180 km from Nawalgarh (Shekhawati), roughly about 3 h by road
-
Kishangarh
Rajasthan
Bani Thani miniatures, Phool Mahal and a marble slurry desert
190 km from Nawalgarh (Shekhawati), roughly about 4 h by road
More places to visit in Rajasthan
- Abhaneri (Chand Baori) Rajasthan
- Ajmer Rajasthan
- Alwar 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
- Neemrana Rajasthan
- Osian (Osiyan) Rajasthan
- Pushkar Rajasthan
- Ranakpur Rajasthan
- Ranthambore Rajasthan
- Sariska Tiger Reserve Rajasthan
- Tal Chhapar Rajasthan