Best Time to Visit Kanpur

November to February: the sweet spot

This is when Kanpur is easiest to enjoy. Days are mild and dry, and sunshine is plentiful. December and January are the coolest, with lows around 8°C to 10°C. Mornings by the Ganges feel properly chilly, so you'll want a jacket at the ghats (steps down to the river) like Sarsaiya Ghat or Permat. Evenings are cosy, and a hot cup of chai from a street stall tastes better than ever.

By February it's warming up, and the afternoons are pleasant for walking. Kanpur isn't a big tourist stop, so crowds stay small. But hotels fill up with business travellers and wedding guests in winter, so rooms can be tighter than you'd expect. This is the season for the Kanpur Zoo (Allen Forest Zoo), the ISKCON-style Jhakarkati area temples, and the grand Jain Glass Temple. It also suits a food crawl through Parade and Naveen Market for chaat, thaggu ke laddu and malai makhan, a frothy winter sweet.

March to June: heat first, then pre-monsoon rain

March is fair, with warm days and cool nights. Holi, the festival of colours, usually falls in March. Kanpur is known for Ganga Mela, a colourful celebration that comes about a week after Holi and keeps the party going for days. It's a fun time if you like noise and don't mind getting splashed.

April to June is hard going. May is the hottest month at 43°C, and nights barely cool down. Stick to indoor sights and go out only after dark. June brings some rain, but it just makes the air heavier. If you're travelling on a budget, hotel rates drop, but you'll pay in sweat.

July to October: monsoon and the shoulder

July and August are the wettest months, with rain on more than 20 days each. July is wettest at 270 mm. Humidity is high, skies are grey, and roads can flood in low parts of the city. Trains and roads can be slow. September stays damp too, so it's still a poor pick.

October is the turning point. Rain mostly stops, the sun returns, and the heat eases. It's a good month, and it overlaps with Navratri and Dussehra, when you'll see Ramlila plays and big effigies of Ravana burned in the evenings. Diwali often lands in late October or November, and the markets glow with lights. If you want festivals without winter's wedding rush, October is a smart choice.