Pushkar
Holy lake town, Rajasthan's backpacker capital
Best time to visit Pushkar
- 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
Pushkar season by season
Winter December to February Prime time
Cool lake mornings, full-moon aarti, and the Camel Fair crowd. This is peak Pushkar.
Summer March to May Shoulder
Shadeless streets and 42C afternoons make the lake ghats unbearable by midday.
Monsoon June to September Shoulder
Quiet and green with the lake replenished, though July heat lingers before real relief.
Autumn October to November Prime time
The Camel Fair in November draws huge crowds; October is calmer and still pleasant.
What Pushkar is actually like
Lake-ghat cafes and yoga classes. One of India's easiest towns to travel solo.
Getting to Pushkar
Fly/train to Ajmer, then 30min bus or auto
Practical ways in: flighttrainroad
Trip facts
- How long to stay
- 2 days
- Budget
- Shoestring
- How busy
- Busy at its peak
- Solo travel
- Made for solo travellers
- Altitude
- 510 m
- State
- Rajasthan
- Coordinates
- 26.4899, 74.5510
Common questions
When is the best time to visit Pushkar?
October to February is peak season in Pushkar. March and July to September is shoulder season: thinner crowds, a bit more risk in the weather. Avoid April to June. The Camel Fair in November draws huge crowds; October is calmer and still pleasant.
How many days do you need in Pushkar?
2 days is the usual stay. Lake-ghat cafes and yoga classes. One of India's easiest towns to travel solo.
How do you get to Pushkar?
Fly/train to Ajmer, then 30min bus or auto. Practical ways in: flight, train and road.
Is Pushkar expensive, and does it get crowded?
Shoestring by Indian travel standards, and it runs busy at the busiest time of year. Made for solo travellers.
Is there a festival in Pushkar?
Nov: Pushkar Camel Fair (Kartik Purnima). Time a trip around it and you see the place at its loudest, but book beds early.
Nearby, and where to go next
-
Ajmer
Rajasthan
Dargah of Moinuddin Chishti, qawwali nights and Ana Sagar
10 km from Pushkar, roughly under an hour by road
-
Kishangarh
Rajasthan
Bani Thani miniatures, Phool Mahal and a marble slurry desert
40 km from Pushkar, roughly under an hour by road
-
Merta City
Rajasthan
Meera Bai's Marwar town of bhajans and a ruined fort mound
70 km from Pushkar, roughly about 1 h by road
-
Khejarla
Rajasthan
Red sandstone Rajput fort in a potters' village east of Jodhpur
120 km from Pushkar, roughly about 2 h by road
-
Nagaur
Rajasthan
Ahhichatragarh fort's restored frescoes and water gardens
150 km from Pushkar, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Jaipur
Rajasthan
Pink City gateway to Rajasthan's forts and bazaars
170 km from Pushkar, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Tal Chhapar
Rajasthan
Flat saline grassland packed with blackbuck and raptors
190 km from Pushkar, roughly about 4 h by road
-
Jodhpur
Rajasthan
Indigo lanes stacked under Mehrangarh's 120 m clifftop fort
200 km from Pushkar, 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
- Nawalgarh (Shekhawati) Rajasthan
- Neemrana Rajasthan
- Osian (Osiyan) Rajasthan
- Ranakpur Rajasthan
- Ranthambore Rajasthan
- Sariska Tiger Reserve Rajasthan
- Tal Chhapar Rajasthan