Jodhpur's three seasons
Drier than Jaipur: rain is scarce, the sun strong, and the stone of the fort and old city holds heat long into the evening.
- Winter
- October to March, the season
- Summer
- April to June, often above 40°C
- Monsoon
- July to September, short storms
- Coldest dawns
- December and January
- Busiest hotels
- Late October to early January
- Why it matters: the same itinerary can feel wonderful in January and exhausting in May.
- Across the state: our guide to weather and climate in Rajasthan explains the patterns.
Winter, October to March
The season: clear skies, warm days, cool nights, and soft golden light on Mehrangarh at both ends of the day.
Cold dawns: December and January mornings are properly cold, sometimes close to single figures. A jacket on the ramparts at opening time is no luxury.
- Late February: the warmth returns.
- March: pleasant until the last week or two.
- Busy weeks: hotels fill from late October to early January, and around the festival weeks.
Summer, April to June
The heat: it builds from April, and May and June are often well above 40°C.
Aandhi: hot winds and dust storms, as locals call them.
- City hours: shops open early, close in the afternoon and come alive again after sunset.
- Our rhythm: start at dawn, rest through midday, go out again at dusk.
- The rewards: empty monuments, easier bookings and a city entirely its own. Read our piece on summer in Rajasthan.
Monsoon, July to September
Less rain: far less than eastern Rajasthan, often in short, dramatic storms followed by sunshine.
- The change: the heat eases a little, the air turns humid, and the scrub on the hills around Kaylana turns a rare green.
- The fort: magnificent under cloudy skies.
- Who it suits: travellers who like a city to themselves and don't mind the odd downpour.
Jodhpur, month by month
- Our pick
- February
- Festival month
- October
- Hottest
- May and June
- Monsoon arrives
- Usually early July
- Busiest
- Christmas to New Year
- Quietest
- June
January, cold dawns and kites
Weather: Jodhpur at its crispest, with cold mornings, pleasant afternoons and endless blue sky.
Makar Sankranti, 14 January: old-city rooftops fill with families flying kites over Brahmpuri.
- Countryside: demoiselle cranes at Khichan, and the Nagaur cattle fair often in late January or February.
- Good now: the Bishnoi villages at dawn, with blackbuck in frost-touched fields, long sunny lunches on a palace terrace, and fireside evenings at a village fort such as Rohet Garh.
- Crowds: steady after the New Year rush ends in the first week.
- Day trip: the best month for a slow trip to Khichan, with a night towards Jaisalmer.
- Plan: wrap up for the fort, and read our Rajasthan in January guide.
February, the sweetest month
Our choice: if we had one month for Jodhpur, it would be this. Warm days, cool nights, clear light.
Sacred Spirit: the World Sacred Spirit Festival has been held in February at Mehrangarh and Ahhichatragarh in Nagaur.
- On the way west: the Desert Festival in Jaisalmer often falls this month. Book well ahead.
- Good now: almost everything. Brahmpuri in the late afternoon without a sweat, Marwari horses across the fields at Rohet, and Osian for temples and a dune sunset.
- Weddings: common in the cool months, so listen for a band and look for a groom on a white horse.
- One week only: choose one here. See our Rajasthan in February guide.
March, Holi and the turn of the season
Holi: late February or March, at the full moon of Phalgun, with colour, drums and a great deal of noise. Join a local family rather than the streets, in clothes you can throw away.
Gangaur begins: the sixteen days start after Holi, with women carrying clay images of Gauri through the lanes.
- Weather: lovely in the first half, getting hot by the end.
- Good now: early fort visits in comfortable weather, and the last winter birds on the lakes.
- Crowds: thinning after Holi. By month's end the palace pools feel essential.
- Read more: our Rajasthan in March guide.
April, Gangaur and Dhinga Gavar
Gangaur ends: in March or April, with processions of the goddess Gauri.
Dhinga Gavar: Jodhpur's own festival of women, who walk the old city at night in costume carrying sticks. Any unmarried man in their path risks a playful tap.
- Weather: rising heat, so plan early mornings and afternoons at the pool.
- Good now: dawn on the ramparts, the rock park in the first hour of light, and slow hotel afternoons.
- Crowds: visitor numbers drop sharply, and the fort and stepwell feel calm.
- In the markets: the first mangoes, and chhach, spiced buttermilk, on every corner.
- Read more: our Rajasthan in April guide.
May, the fierce heat
Weather: one of the hottest months, with long blazing days and warm nights.
Who should come: only travellers who handle heat well, or those passing through on a longer journey.
- If you do: pick a hotel with a good pool and plan nothing between eleven and five.
- Good now: the city as locals live it, with crowds only at the clock tower in the cool of the evening. Kulfi sellers and lassi shops do a roaring trade.
- On the road: drive early, and let hotel staff guide your day. They know the heat better than any forecast.
- Read first: our Rajasthan in May guide.
June, dust storms and the first clouds
Weather: hot and often dusty, with afternoon storms that turn the sky ochre.
First clouds: late in the month, and more often in early July, the monsoon clouds arrive and the whole city looks up.
- Crowds: the quietest month for visitors.
- Good now: sunrise at Mehrangarh, beautiful and nearly private, and palace-terrace evenings as the hot wind drops.
- A cooler stop: on a longer journey, consider Mount Abu, the hill station of Rajasthan, further south.
- Read more: our Rajasthan in June guide.
July, the monsoon arrives
Weather: the monsoon usually arrives in early July, in short bursts. The heat breaks a little and the sky over the fort turns grey and violet.
Teej: the festival of swings and green clothes for married women, in July or August.
- Locals: families picnic at Kaylana Lake, and the hills turn faintly green.
- Good now: dramatic skies for photography, the smell of rain on hot stone, and the green flush around Kaylana and Mandore.
- Monsoon snacks: pyaaz kachori and mirchi bada taste best on a wet afternoon, and the halwais know it.
- Be flexible: expect humidity and occasional disruption. See our Rajasthan in July guide.
August, green hills and quiet lanes
Weather: rain some days, sunshine on others.
Festivals: Janmashtami, the birth of Krishna, and Raksha Bandhan often fall now, and old-city temples are decorated.
- Photographers: cloud-filled skies behind Mehrangarh.
- Good now: uncrowded monuments, lakes on the city's edge starting to fill, and the old city at its most local.
- Peacocks: they call and dance in the gardens of Mandore and Bal Samand, and the countryside looks almost lush.
- Read more: our Rajasthan in August guide.
September, the land at its greenest
Weather: the rains taper off. Warm and can be humid, with lovely light.
Greenest and fullest: the countryside at its greenest, the reservoirs fullest, and green fields of bajra in the villages.
- Cranes: the first demoiselle cranes reach Khichan towards the end of the month.
- Navratri: sometimes begins in late September.
- Good now: crystal-clear light after the last storms, easy hotel bookings, first cool evenings, the Bishnoi villages and the drive to Osian.
- Value: a good shoulder month for value and calm. See our Rajasthan in September guide.
October, the folk festival and the full moon
The season opens: warm days early in the month, but delicious evenings.
Folk festival: around the full moon of Sharad Purnima, the Rajasthan International Folk Festival fills Mehrangarh with music for several days and nights, with dawn concerts on the ramparts.
- Marwar Festival: over the same full moon.
- More festivals: Navratri and Dussehra usually fall now, and some years Diwali too.
- Book early: many months ahead for festival week, with hotel, passes and car together.
- Read more: our Rajasthan in October guide.
November, Diwali and perfect weather
Weather: warm by day, cool at night, the dust settled and the light clear. One of the best months of all.
Diwali: late October or November, when the old city glows with oil lamps and fairy lights.
- Pushkar: the Pushkar camel fair is usually in November, about four hours away.
- Good now: the classic stay, with the fort at opening time, lanes in the late afternoon and rooftop dinners facing the floodlit walls.
- Weddings: palaces and gardens may be busy at weekends.
- Read more: our Rajasthan in November guide.
December, cold mornings and festive weeks
Weather: cool and bright, with cold early mornings and clear days.
The busiest weeks: around Christmas and New Year, when palace hotels fill early, often with weddings too.
- Fewer people: come in early December for the same weather.
- Good now: cold bright mornings for the fort, sunny outdoor lunches, and fires at night at the village forts.
- Winter food: hot jalebi in the morning and gond ke laddoo, rich sweets made with edible gum for the cold months.
- Plan: book early, and read our Rajasthan in December guide and our page on Christmas and New Year.
Festivals worth planning around
- Folk festival
- Around the October full moon
- Marwar Festival
- The same full moon
- Gangaur
- Spring, after Holi
- Navratri to Diwali
- Autumn
Rajasthan International Folk Festival
Where and when: at Mehrangarh, around the October full moon.
- Who performs: Manganiyar and Langa singers, Kalbelia dancers and musicians from around the world.
- The magic: the fort's courtyards become stages, and the dawn sessions are the most beautiful of all.
- Our view: our favourite festival in Rajasthan. The fort at night, full of music, is never forgotten.
Marwar Festival
When: over the same autumn full moon.
- What: the region's folk heroes, celebrated with music, dance and processions in the city and at Mandore.
- The feel: more local and less formal than the folk festival, full of the old stories Jodhpur still tells.
Gangaur and Dhinga Gavar
Jodhpur's own: Gangaur is celebrated across Rajasthan, but Dhinga Gavar belongs to Jodhpur.
- The night: women take over the old city in costume, singing and carrying sticks, mischievous and joyful.
- Visitors: welcome to watch with a local guide. Ask before photographing.
Wildlife, birds and the light
Around the Bishnoi villages: blackbuck and chinkara graze all year, easiest to see in the cool of a winter morning.
Khichan's cranes: the demoiselle cranes arrive around September and stay until about March.
Winter water birds: ducks and others at Kaylana, Bal Samand and the lakes of the countryside.
- Blackbuck and chinkara
- All year, best on winter mornings
- Demoiselle cranes
- Khichan, about September to March
- Water birds
- Winter, at Kaylana and Bal Samand
- Best light
- Winter, both ends of the day
- How we plan it: our Bishnoi villages morning and our piece on the demoiselle cranes of Khichan.
- Winter light: clean and golden at both ends of the day.
- Brahmpuri at sunrise: the first hour is magical, when the blue walls glow softly.
- Monsoon light: dramatic skies, less predictable.
- Summer light: harsh by mid-morning, so shoot at dawn and dusk.
- Our angles: in best photo spots in Jodhpur.
Crowds, bookings and value through the year
Peak weeks: the October folk festival, Diwali, and Christmas to the first days of January.
Holiday crowds: Indian holidays and long weekends fill the city, especially with families from Gujarat and Delhi.
- Busiest
- Folk festival, Diwali, Christmas to early January
- Also busy
- Indian holidays and long weekends
- Emptiest
- April to September
- Shoulder weeks
- Early October, late March, September
- What that means: palace hotels sell out early, the fort is busy from mid-morning and the best guides are booked months ahead.
- Rarely overwhelming: outside those weeks, even in high season, if you keep to the early hours.
- April to September: the city empties of visitors, hotels are easier to book, and you can often get a better room in the same palace or haveli.
- The trade-off: heat in the first half, rain in the second.
- Best of both: shoulder weeks such as early October, late March and September.
- Across the state: our Rajasthan travel guide and best time to visit Rajasthan compare Jodhpur with the other cities.
The sights, season by season
Mehrangarh: at opening time in every season. In December and January bring a jacket for the ramparts. From April to June, be back at the hotel by late morning.
The rock park: the first hour of light, in winter for birds and cool rock, in the monsoon for a green flush.
- Mehrangarh
- Opening time, every month
- Jaswant Thada lake
- Fullest September to November
- Toorji ka Jhalra
- Fullest water August to November
- Umaid Bhawan Museum
- Indoors, good at midday in summer
- Mandore
- Winter afternoons, green in the monsoon
- Jaswant Thada: the lake below the cenotaph is fullest after the monsoon, from September to November, the months for the classic reflection.
- Toorji ka Jhalra: the stepwell fills in the monsoon and holds most water from August to November. By April and May the level can drop a long way.
- Umaid Bhawan Museum: indoors and quick, one of the few sights pleasant at midday from April to June.
- Mandore: best on a winter afternoon. In the monsoon the gardens turn briefly green and the stream below the old fort may run.
- The clock tower: the last hour of light all year, and at its most festive in the weeks before Diwali.
Before you book
Festival dates move: the calendar follows the moon, so Holi, Gangaur, Navratri, Dussehra, Diwali and the October full moon shift each year. We confirm the dates each year before we plan.
Folk festival week: book the hotel, the festival passes and the car together, as early as you can.
- Christmas and New Year: the busiest weeks of the year, when palace hotels fill early, often with weddings.
- Wedding season: in the cool months, palaces and gardens may be busy at weekends.
- Summer and monsoon: easier bookings, and often a better room in the same palace or haveli.
- Guides: the best are booked months ahead for the peak weeks, so we reserve them with the hotel.
How we shape a day in the hot months
Opening time: leave for Mehrangarh when the ramparts are still cool, and be back at your hotel by late morning.
Midday: a long, light lunch in the shade, then rest or swim through the hottest hours.
- Late afternoon: out again for the stepwell, Brahmpuri or the clock tower, when the old city reopens.
- Dinner: late and outdoors on a terrace, when the hot wind finally drops.
- Water: more than you think you need, plus a glass of chhach or a salted lime soda for the minerals.
- Driving: keep road journeys to the early morning, and break long drives at a heritage stay rather than driving through the afternoon.
What to pack for Jodhpur
Cool season: light layers by day, and a warm jacket or shawl for early mornings and evenings, especially in December and January.
Hot season: loose cotton or linen that covers arms and legs, a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, high-factor sunscreen and a refillable water bottle.
- October to March
- Light layers, warm jacket or shawl
- April to June
- Loose cotton, hat, sunscreen, water bottle
- July to September
- Quick-dry clothes, umbrella, sandals
- All year
- Shoes with grip, a temple scarf
- Monsoon: light, quick-drying clothes, a compact umbrella and sandals that cope with wet lanes.
- All year: comfortable shoes with grip for the fort ramps and stepwell steps.
- Modest clothes: for temples and the old city. Shoulders and knees covered at shrines, with a scarf to hand.
- Full lists: our packing guide.
Our advice by traveller
First visit: November to February, when the weather is easiest and you can walk the old city at any hour.
Music lovers: plan for October and the folk festival.
- First visit
- November to February
- Music lovers
- October
- Quiet seekers
- Monsoon, September and March
- Young families
- Avoid April to June
- Photographers and quiet seekers: the monsoon and the shoulder months of September and March.
- Families with young children: avoid April to June, when the heat makes even short walks hard work.
- Fixed summer dates: Jodhpur still works with the right rhythm and hotel. Start at dawn, rest at a palace pool, go out after sunset.
- Plan the days: our Jodhpur itinerary adjusts each day to the season, and our things to do in Jodhpur marks what suits each month.
Pairing Jodhpur with the rest of your journey
Cool season: Jodhpur fits naturally between Jaipur and Jaisalmer.
December to February: the desert west is at its best, with cold, starry nights in the dunes at Manvar or around Jaisalmer.
- Leopards: wildlife lovers can head south to Jawai, often easiest to see in the cooler months, and on to Udaipur.
- Monsoon: turn south and east instead. Udaipur and the Aravalli hills are greenest from July to September, with Jodhpur as a short first or last stop.
- Hottest months: pair a few days in Jodhpur with the noticeably cooler hill station of Mount Abu.
- Sequencing by season: our Mewar and Marwar journey and desert triangle.
