Best Time to Visit Varanasi

November to February: the easy season

This is when Varanasi is at its best. Days are warm but mild, and the skies are mostly clear. November is the driest month, with almost no rain. December and January have cool mornings, and the lows drop to around 9–10°C. That's chilly on a dawn boat ride along the Ganges, so you'll want a shawl while you watch the sun come up over the ghats (the stone steps leading down to the river).

It's also high season, so expect more people. Dev Deepawali, usually in November, is the big one. Thousands of oil lamps line the ghats, and the river glows. Rooms near Assi Ghat and Dashashwamedh Ghat fill up fast. Mornings in December and January can be foggy, which sometimes delays trains. Give yourself a buffer if you're connecting onward.

February is a little warmer and still lovely. Mahashivratri, the night of Shiva, often falls in February or March. The Vishwanath Temple area gets very busy then.

March to June: hot, then hotter

March is fair, with highs near 36°C. Holi, the festival of colours, usually lands in March. Varanasi celebrates loudly, and the narrow lanes of the old city turn into one big colour fight. If you don't want to get covered in powder, stay in your hotel that day.

April and May are tough. May reaches 43°C, and the lows barely cool off at night. Afternoons are for resting indoors. If you come, do your sightseeing at the river around sunrise and sunset. The upside is far fewer visitors and cheaper rooms. June is just as hot but gets muggier, with the first rain arriving.

July to October: monsoon and after

July to September is the wet season. It rains on most days, and the sun barely shows. The Ganges swells and covers many ghats. Boat rides can be stopped, and walking along the river often isn't possible. The old lanes can flood in heavy rain. It's the quietest time, though, and the air is green and fresh.

October is a good bridge month. Rain is mostly gone, but it's still humid at 71%. Navratri and Dussehra often fall in this month, and Ramlila, the retelling of the Ramayana, is staged in Ramnagar across the river. If you like theatre and fewer crowds, it's a good pick.