Bundi's four seasons, in short
Greener than the west: Bundi sits in Hadoti, the south-eastern corner of Rajasthan, which gets far more rain than Jaisalmer.
A bowl of hills: the town can feel hotter than the open plains in summer and cooler at dawn in winter. Those two facts shape every season.
The cool season: warm, sunny days and cool nights. December and January mornings can be properly cold, with lows in single figures.
- Cool
- Mid-October to early March
- Hot
- Late March to June
- Rains
- Late June or early July into September
- Golden weeks
- Late September and October
- Rainfall
- A little over 700 mm a year
- Wettest
- July and August
- Easiest for sightseeing: the cool months suit climbing Taragarh, walking the lanes and long mornings in the palace.
- The hot season: fierce. May is the hottest month, with average highs above 40°C, and the lakes and stepwells run low.
- Summer, by choice only: we plan Bundi then only for guests who know what they are choosing, with dawn starts and long rests.
- The rains: the hills turn green, Nawal Sagar and Jait Sagar fill, waterfalls appear in the gorges, and the Chitrashala's painted storms suddenly make sense.
- The monsoon trade-offs: humidity, wet days and slippery old stone paths.
- The golden in-between: late September and October, still green, lakes full, skies washed clean and the heat easing.
- The bigger pattern: our guide to the weather and climate of Rajasthan explains it.
Bundi month by month
- Makar Sankranti
- 14 January, kites over the town
- Holi
- Usually March
- Gangaur
- About two weeks after Holi
- Hariyali Teej
- Shravan, July or early August
- Kajli Teej
- Bhadrapad, usually August
- Bundi Utsav
- Kartik, October or November
January, crisp dawns and kites
Weather: the coldest month. Mornings start in single figures and feel colder on the fort ridge, while afternoons are pleasantly warm and sunny.
Mist: it often fills the valley at dawn, which makes Taragarh at sunrise magical.
- Festival: on Makar Sankranti, 14 January, kites fill the sky over the town and children shout from every rooftop.
- Crowds: modest, though the first fortnight brings some holiday visitors.
- Pack: a warm layer, a shawl and a hat for early starts. Haveli rooms with thick walls can be chilly at night, so ask for heaters.
- Good this month: long sunny lunches on the haveli roof, maize rotis with white butter and jaggery, and birdwatching on Jait Sagar, where winter visitors join the resident herons and egrets.
- Read more: our guide to Rajasthan in January.
February, coriander in flower
Perhaps the loveliest month: warm days, cool nights, clear and soft light.
The fields: around Bundi and Kota they turn white with coriander flowers. Mustard, wheat and gram are growing too, so the drive through Hadoti is green and gold.
- Festivals: Basant Panchami, the festival of spring, often falls this month. Maha Shivratri can fall in February or March, with crowds at the Shiva temples.
- Crowds: a popular time, so book havelis early.
- Good this month: coriander-field walks with a farming family, the palace and Chitrashala in even light, day trips to Kota and Keshoraipatan, and evenings warm enough to sit out late.
- Read more: Rajasthan in February.
March, Holi and the turn of the season
Weather: warming steadily, with hot afternoons by the end of the month, but pleasant mornings and evenings.
Holi: the festival of colours usually falls in March. In a small town like Bundi it is exuberant and very local.
- How we plan Holi: carefully, with a safe, friendly celebration rather than the rough edges of the street. Read about Holi in Rajasthan.
- Gangaur: the festival of Parvati beloved by Rajasthani women follows Holi by about two weeks, in late March or April.
- Rhythm: start sightseeing early and rest at midday.
- Good this month: the last comfortable weeks for Taragarh, Holi with a family in the old town, the first mango blossom in the orchards, and calm once the winter crowds have gone.
- Read more: Rajasthan in March.
April, the heat arrives
Weather: hot, with afternoons regularly in the high thirties and often passing 40°C by the end of the month.
Landscape: harvested and dusty, with the lakes dropping.
- Festivals: Gangaur sometimes falls in early April, and Ram Navami and Hanuman Jayanti bring temple celebrations.
- Crowds: visitor numbers fall sharply. Havelis are quiet and some offer lower rates.
- Rhythm: dawn and dusk only. Taragarh at first light, the palace as it opens, a long rest through the heat, the stepwells in the late afternoon.
- Good this month: empty monuments, the deepest views into the stepwells, early walks in the blue lanes, and slow afternoons reading in a cool haveli room.
- Read more: Rajasthan in April.
May, the hottest month
Weather: the peak of the heat. Average highs are well above 40°C, some days approach the upper forties, and nights stay warm.
The stepwells: at their lowest, which shows you how deep they go, but the water left at the bottom is stagnant.
- Dust storms: they sometimes roll in on the hot afternoon winds.
- Our advice: we don't recommend Bundi in May for most travellers. If you must cross Rajasthan now, keep Bundi to one night, rise before dawn and stay indoors at midday.
- Good this month, for the determined: dawn on the fort, cold lassi and mango in the bazaar, and seeing how a town of stepwells was built to survive this heat.
- Read more: our guide to summer in Rajasthan and Rajasthan in May.
June, waiting for the rains
Weather: the first half is still very hot and heavy, with humidity building. Everyone in town watches the sky.
The monsoon arrives: usually in the second half of June or early July.
- Saundhi khushboo: the scent of wet earth when the first rain hits hot ground, a smell every Rajasthani loves.
- Who for: the curious rather than the comfortable.
- The first storm: wind, thunder and children dancing in the lanes. If you are here for it, you will never forget it.
- Good this month: the town's relief as the rain arrives, and late June can already bring the first green to the hills.
- Read more: Rajasthan in June.
July, the hills turn green
Weather: the monsoon settles in, with heavy showers, cloudy days and bursts of sunshine.
Landscape: within weeks the brown hills turn a startling green, streams run, and the lakes begin to fill.
- Peacocks: they dance and call from every slope.
- Festival: Hariyali Teej, the green Teej, falls in Shravan, usually July or early August, with women in green and swings in the trees.
- Crowds: the town is almost empty of visitors and at its most beautiful.
- Take care: it is humid and you will get wet. Fort paths and stepwell steps are slippery, so go with a guide and good shoes.
- Good this month: the empty palace and a rooftop chai while storm clouds roll over the ridge. Read Rajasthan in July.
August, Kajli Teej and the painted rains
Weather: usually the wettest month, and Bundi's own.
Kajli Teej: in Bhadrapad, the town's great festival. The goddess is carried through the streets, women dress in green and leheriya, swings hang from trees and a fair fills the evenings.
- More festivals: Raksha Bandhan and Janmashtami, Krishna's birthday, often fall in August, and the Krishna murals of the Chitrashala feel especially alive.
- Sweets: ghevar, the honeycomb sweet of the Teej season, in every sweet shop.
- Flexibility: heavy rain can close roads for a few hours.
- Good this month: the painted monsoon outside the window, and Nawal Sagar filling up beneath the palace.
- Read more: Teej and Rajasthan in August.
September, full lakes and waterfalls
Weather: rain eases, with longer sunny spells. Humidity is still high, and some days are sticky and hot.
Landscape: full lakes, Jait Sagar thick with lotus, waterfalls through the gorges, and a green valley.
- Festival: Ganesh Chaturthi often falls in late August or September.
- Our secret: late September gives you the monsoon landscape without most of the monsoon, and very few other travellers.
- Good this month: Kshar Bagh and the cenotaphs at their greenest, and the quietest, most intimate Bundi you will ever see.
- Read more: Rajasthan in September.
October, golden weeks and Navratri
Weather: the rains are over and the heat easing, though early October afternoons can still be warm. The light is clean.
Festivals: Navratri, the nine nights of the goddess, and Dussehra usually fall in October.
- Kota Dussehra: the great fair nearby is one of the biggest in Rajasthan. Read about Kota Dussehra.
- Later in the month: Diwali can fall in late October or November, and the Bundi Utsav sometimes begins in late October.
- Crowds: a superb month, with numbers climbing in the second half.
- Good this month: full lakes reflecting the palace, Navratri music in the evenings, and comfortable weather returning for Taragarh and long walks.
- Read more: Rajasthan in October.
November, the Bundi Utsav and Kartik Purnima
Weather: pleasant, dry and sunny, with cool mornings and evenings.
Bundi Utsav: held in Kartik, usually October or November, with processions, folk music and dance, crafts and fireworks. See Bundi Utsav.
- Kartik Purnima: at the full moon, pilgrims bathe in the Chambal at Keshoraipatan and float lamps at dusk.
- Diwali: if it falls this month, it fills the bazaar and havelis with lamps. See Diwali in Rajasthan.
- Crowds: high season. The best haveli rooms book out early, especially around the Utsav.
- Good this month: perfect weather for every monument, and the first winter weddings, with brass bands in the lanes.
- Read more: Rajasthan in November.
December, clear skies and cold mornings
Weather: sunny days, clear skies and cold nights, with mornings in single figures by the end of the month.
Mist: it often hangs over the lakes at dawn.
- Weddings: the winter season is in full swing, and you often hear a brass band before you see a groom on his horse.
- Crowds: Christmas and New Year bring more visitors, but Bundi never feels crowded the way Jaipur and Udaipur do.
- Pack: warm layers for early starts and evenings on the roof.
- Good this month: long sunny afternoons in the palace and cenotaph gardens, and dinner on the roof wrapped in a shawl, with the palace lit above you.
- Read more: Rajasthan in December and Christmas and New Year in Rajasthan.
Why the monsoon is Bundi's season
Painters of the rain: Bundi's painters loved the monsoon more than any other school in Rajasthan.
On the walls: dark clouds edged with white, lightning, peacocks and women waiting on terraces for lovers to come home through the storm.
- Months
- July to September
- Festival
- Kajli Teej
- Rain pattern
- A shower or two, then cloud and sun
- Trade-offs
- Humidity, slippery stone, mosquitoes
- We plan
- Extra time, flexible days
- Life and longing: in a dry land the monsoon meant life, and also longing, because travel stopped and men far away on campaign could not return.
- Kajli Teej: Bundi's great festival celebrates exactly this season.
- Not constant rain: many days have a heavy shower or two, with long spells of cloud and sun, and the evenings can be glorious.
- Yours alone: the hills turn green, the lakes fill, and the town is almost entirely yours.
- The occasional road closure: we plan with a guide who knows when to wait out a storm.
- Next door: our Monsoon in Mewar journey shows how we plan the rains in Udaipur, and the same spirit works in Hadoti.
Light, mist and photographs
Winter dawns: mist in the valley, with the palace rising out of it.
Spring: comfortable conditions for long walks with a camera.
The monsoon: drama, with storm clouds over the ridge, reflections in full lakes, and green everywhere.
- December and January
- Misty, atmospheric dawns
- February and March
- Clean, soft light all day
- Monsoon
- Storm clouds and reflections
- After the rains
- The cleanest air of the year
- April to June
- Harsh light, heavy haze
- After the rains: the rain has washed the dust out of the air.
- Summer: photographers usually skip it.
- The palace: shoot it in the first and last hours.
- The stepwells: in the late afternoon, when sun slants down the steps.
- The blue lanes: in the soft shade of mid-morning.
- More: our photography tips for Rajasthan cover etiquette and gear.
Crowds, bookings and the quiet weeks
Small havelis fill fast: Bundi's best havelis have only a handful of rooms each, so they fill far faster than the hotels of a bigger city.
Palace-facing rooms go first: book early for them.
- Busiest
- Late October to February
- Peaks
- Diwali, Bundi Utsav, Christmas and New Year
- Book ahead
- Three to six months; earlier for festivals
- Quietest
- April to September
- Calm mornings: even in high season the monuments are rarely crowded early.
- Day-trip groups: they usually reach the palace in the late morning and leave by mid-afternoon.
- Always calm: the dawn climb to Taragarh, the first hour in the Chitrashala and the last light at Raniji ki Baori, all year.
- Quiet summer: because of the heat.
- Quiet monsoon: because most international travellers don't realise how lovely it is.
- The reward: if you are happy with the weather, you will have Bundi almost to yourself, and haveli families have more time for their guests.
How a Bundi day changes with the season
A cool-season day, October to March
Dawn: Taragarh at sunrise, above the mist in December and January, with a warm layer.
- Morning: the palace and the Chitrashala as they open, then the blue lanes before the sun climbs.
- Afternoon: a long sunny lunch on the haveli roof, then Raniji ki Baori in the late light.
- Evening: Nawal Sagar at dusk and dinner on the roof, wrapped in a shawl.
A hot-season day, April to June
First light: Taragarh, and down by eight.
- Early morning: the palace as it opens, and the lanes before the heat.
- Midday: indoors, resting in a cool haveli room with thick walls.
- Late afternoon: the stepwells, when the deepest steps show and the light slants down.
A monsoon day, July to September
Flexible plans: watch the sky, and let your guide decide when to go and when to wait out a storm.
- Between showers: the Chitrashala, the lakes filling, and peacocks on the slopes.
- Underfoot: good shoes and a guide for the fort and stepwell steps, which are slippery.
- Evening: rooftop chai as storm clouds roll over the ridge.
What to pack for each season
All year, for stairs: shoes with good grip for the palace ramp, the fort path and the stepwells.
All year, for sun and monkeys: a hat, sunglasses you can zip away, and a refillable water bottle.
- All year, for modesty: light clothes that cover shoulders and knees for the old town and temples, and a scarf to cover your head where asked.
- October to March: a warm fleece or shawl for dawn on Taragarh and evenings on the roof, and thicker layers in December and January.
- April to June: loose cotton or linen, strong sunscreen, electrolyte sachets and a willingness to rest at midday.
- July to September: a light rain jacket or umbrella, quick-drying clothes, sandals with grip for wet lanes, and insect repellent.
- Binoculars: for birds at the lakes and for palace details seen from the fort.
- A small, soft torch: for the dim rooms of the palace and the lower landings of the stepwells. Our full packing guide has more.
The right season for the right traveller
- First-timers
- Mid-October to early March
- Art lovers
- August or September
- Families
- November to February
- Festival seekers
- August, or Kartik
- Heat-sensitive
- November to February
First-time visitors to Rajasthan
- When: mid-October to early March, with February and November the sweet spots.
- Why: easy weather, comfortable monuments, and Bundi fits neatly into a classic route with Jaipur, Ranthambore and Udaipur.
Art lovers and repeat visitors
When: August or September.
- Why: the Chitrashala murals were painted with the monsoon in mind, and real storm clouds over the palace change how you read them.
- A bonus: the painted rooms are almost yours alone, and haveli hosts have time to talk.
Families with children
When: November to February, when midday heat won't wear small people out and the fort climb is comfortable.
- Avoid: the monsoon with very young children, as stone paths and stepwell steps are slippery.
- More: our guide to travelling with children.
Festival seekers
- When: Kajli Teej in August, or the Bundi Utsav in Kartik, usually October or November. We confirm dates as soon as they are announced.
- A second festival: Kota's Dussehra fair, forty minutes away, falls in the same season.
Older travellers and anyone sensitive to heat
When: November to February. Avoid April to June entirely.
- Rhythm: gentle mornings and a rest at midday.
- The fort: keep the climb for the coolest dawn of your stay, or skip it and enjoy the view from a haveli roof instead.
Planning Bundi into a longer journey
In winter: Bundi fits beautifully between Jaipur and Udaipur, or between Ranthambore and Chittorgarh, on our offbeat Rajasthan journey.
- Winter route
- Between Jaipur and Udaipur
- Offbeat route
- Ranthambore to Chittorgarh
- Ranthambore core zones
- Closed about July to September
- Monsoon pairing
- Udaipur and the lakes of Mewar
- In the monsoon: Ranthambore's core zones close, so a monsoon trip to Bundi pairs better with Udaipur and the lakes than with the tigers.
- Planning around the weather: our guide to the best time to visit Rajasthan compares every region.
- Then: read things to do in Bundi and our Bundi itinerary to see what each season makes possible.
