Netarhat
Queen of Chotanagpur - pine forest sunrise/sunset points
Best time to visit Netarhat
- Jan, peak season
- Feb, shoulder 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 January
- Shoulder: February to March and October, quieter, and the weather is less of a sure thing
- Skip: April to September
Netarhat season by season
Winter December to February Prime time
Cold, clear mornings: the best conditions for the sunrise/sunset points it's known for.
Summer March to May Shoulder
Warmer but still cooler than the Jharkhand plains; hazier skies dull the famous viewpoints.
Monsoon June to September Do not go
Thick fog and cloud block the sunrise/sunset views entirely, and forest roads get slick.
Autumn October to November Prime time
Skies clear up nicely by November, matching the winter peak in quality.
What Netarhat is actually like
State guesthouses and little else after dark - this is solitude, not a scene.
Getting to Netarhat
4hr drive from Ranchi; own vehicle recommended, buses are sparse.
Practical ways in: road
Trip facts
- How long to stay
- 3 days
- Budget
- Mid-range
- How busy
- Quiet at its peak
- Solo travel
- Doable solo with some planning
- Altitude
- 1128 m
- State
- Jharkhand
- Coordinates
- 23.4750, 84.2670
Common questions
When is the best time to visit Netarhat?
November to January is peak season in Netarhat. February to March and October is shoulder season: thinner crowds, a bit more risk in the weather. Avoid April to September. Skies clear up nicely by November, matching the winter peak in quality.
How many days do you need in Netarhat?
3 days is the usual stay. State guesthouses and little else after dark - this is solitude, not a scene.
How do you get to Netarhat?
4hr drive from Ranchi; own vehicle recommended, buses are sparse. Practical ways in: road.
Is Netarhat expensive, and does it get crowded?
Mid-range by Indian travel standards, and it runs quiet at the busiest time of year. Doable solo with some planning.
Nearby, and where to go next
-
Betla National Park
Jharkhand
Elephants and sal forest around two forgotten Palamu forts
60 km from Netarhat, roughly about 1 h by road
-
McCluskieganj
Jharkhand
Fading Anglo-Indian settlement of bungalows in sal forest
100 km from Netarhat, roughly about 2 h by road
-
Patratu Valley
Jharkhand
Hairpin ghat road dropping to a blue dam lake in Chotanagpur sal hills
140 km from Netarhat, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Mainpat
Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh's misty plateau hill station and mini-Tibet
180 km from Netarhat, roughly about 5 h by road
-
Dassam Falls
Jharkhand
The Kanchi river's clean 44 m curtain drop near Taimara village
170 km from Netarhat, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Hundru Falls
Jharkhand
Subarnarekha drops 98 m of basalt, 740 steps below the road
190 km from Netarhat, roughly about 4 h by road
-
Bodh Gaya
Bihar
Where the Buddha attained enlightenment - Mahabodhi Temple
200 km from Netarhat, roughly about 4 h by road
-
Sasaram & Rohtasgarh Fort
Bihar
Sher Shah's tomb on a lake, and a lost fort up on the plateau
220 km from Netarhat, roughly about 4 h by road
More places to visit in Jharkhand
- Betla National Park Jharkhand
- Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary Jharkhand
- Dassam Falls Jharkhand
- Deoghar (Baidyanath Dham) Jharkhand
- Hundru Falls Jharkhand
- Maluti Jharkhand
- McCluskieganj Jharkhand
- Parasnath Hill (Shikharji) Jharkhand
- Patratu Valley Jharkhand