Shirdi
Sai Baba's samadhi town with darshan running around the clock
Best time to visit Shirdi
- Jan, peak season
- Feb, peak season
- Mar, shoulder season
- Apr, best avoided
- May, best avoided
- Jun, off-season
- 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 May
Shirdi season by season
Winter December to February Prime time
Dec-Feb is 12-30 C and even the free queue clears in two or three hours instead of most of a day.
Summer March to May Shoulder
Ram Navami is the year's biggest urs, but Apr-May bakes at 40 C in an open queue with no shade or breeze.
Monsoon June to September Quiet, but open
Jun-Sep sits in the Ahmednagar rain shadow with only 500 mm, so the town works fine, just grey and humid.
Autumn October to November Prime time
Oct-Nov brings the Vijayadashami punyatithi crowds, then settles into the easiest weather of the year.
What Shirdi is actually like
Thousands of pilgrims, sansthan queue halls and a 5,000-seat prasadalaya; simple and safe to do alone
Getting to Shirdi
Shirdi has its own airport and the Sainagar railhead; Nashik 85 km, Aurangabad 120 km by frequent bus
Practical ways in: flighttrainroad
Trip facts
- How long to stay
- 1 day
- Budget
- Shoestring
- How busy
- Busy at its peak
- Solo travel
- Easy solo
- Altitude
- 515 m
- State
- Maharashtra
- Coordinates
- 19.7645, 74.4762
Common questions
When is the best time to visit Shirdi?
November to February is peak season in Shirdi. March and October is shoulder season: thinner crowds, a bit more risk in the weather. Avoid April to May. Oct-Nov brings the Vijayadashami punyatithi crowds, then settles into the easiest weather of the year.
How many days do you need in Shirdi?
1 day is the usual stay. Thousands of pilgrims, sansthan queue halls and a 5,000-seat prasadalaya; simple and safe to do alone.
How do you get to Shirdi?
Shirdi has its own airport and the Sainagar railhead; Nashik 85 km, Aurangabad 120 km by frequent bus. Practical ways in: flight, train and road.
Is Shirdi expensive, and does it get crowded?
Shoestring by Indian travel standards, and it runs busy at the busiest time of year. Easy solo.
Is there a festival in Shirdi?
Mar/Apr: Ram Navami urs at the Sai Baba samadhi mandir. Time a trip around it and you see the place at its loudest, but book beds early.
Nearby, and where to go next
-
Nashik
Maharashtra
Vineyard tastings above the Godavari ghats at Panchavati
100 km from Shirdi, roughly about 2 h by road
-
Ajanta-Ellora
Maharashtra
2,000-year-old rock-cut Buddhist, Hindu and Jain caves
100 km from Shirdi, roughly about 2 h by road
-
Bhandardara
Maharashtra
Dam-lake basecamp for Maharashtra's highest peak, Kalsubai
110 km from Shirdi, roughly about 2 h by road
-
Harishchandragad
Maharashtra
Konkan Kada's overhanging cliff and a rock-cut Shiva temple
130 km from Shirdi, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad)
Maharashtra
Bibi ka Maqbara, Daulatabad's dark stairway and the Ajanta base
120 km from Shirdi, roughly about 2 h by road
-
Igatpuri
Maharashtra
Vipassana meditation hub and monsoon trekking base
130 km from Shirdi, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Trimbakeshwar
Maharashtra
Jyotirlinga at the Godavari's source under Brahmagiri hill
130 km from Shirdi, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Saputara
Gujarat
Gujarat's only hill station, on the Maharashtra border
160 km from Shirdi, roughly about 3 h by road
More places to visit in Maharashtra
- Ajanta-Ellora Maharashtra
- Alibaug Maharashtra
- Amboli Maharashtra
- Bhandardara Maharashtra
- Bhimashankar Maharashtra
- Chandoli National Park Maharashtra
- Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad) Maharashtra
- Chikhaldara Maharashtra
- Gaganbawda Maharashtra
- Ganpatipule Maharashtra
- Harishchandragad Maharashtra
- Igatpuri Maharashtra
- Kaas Plateau Maharashtra
- Lonar Crater Lake Maharashtra
- Lonavala Maharashtra
- Mahabaleshwar Maharashtra
- Malvan-Tarkarli Maharashtra
- Matheran Maharashtra
- Mumbai Maharashtra
- Murud-Janjira Maharashtra
- Nanded (Hazur Sahib) Maharashtra
- Nashik Maharashtra
- Panchgani Maharashtra
- Pandharpur Maharashtra
- Panhala Maharashtra
- Pench Tiger Reserve (Maharashtra) Maharashtra
- Raigad Fort Maharashtra
- Rajgad Fort Maharashtra
- Sahastrakund Falls Maharashtra
- Salher Fort Maharashtra
- Sevagram (Wardha) Maharashtra
- Tadoba Maharashtra
- Tapola (Shivsagar Lake) Maharashtra
- Toranmal Maharashtra
- Trimbakeshwar Maharashtra
- Tuljapur Maharashtra
- Velas (Turtle Village) Maharashtra
- Vengurla Maharashtra