The mountain's five seasons
- Altitude
- About 1,220 m
- Best months
- October and November
- Cold and bright
- December to February
- Short spring
- March
- Summer rush
- April to June
- Monsoon
- July to September
After the rains, October and November
Our favourite time: the monsoon has washed the air clean, the forests are still green, the streams are running and Nakki Lake is full.
The weather: days are warm and sunny, nights are cool.
- The views: from Guru Shikhar they run far across the plains.
- The one interruption: Diwali, usually in late October or November, when holidaymakers from Gujarat fill the town for a week or so.
- Outside that week: these are the calmest, loveliest days of the year.
Winter, December to February
Cold by Rajasthani standards: days are bright and crisp, ideal for walking and sightseeing.
- The nights: they can drop close to freezing, and on the coldest mornings there is frost on the grass and on car roofs.
- Clear air: a wonderful season for views and stars.
- The busy patch: Christmas and New Year bring a rush of visitors and the Winter Festival. The rest of the season is quiet.
Spring, March
A short, pleasant season: it sits between the cold and the heat, with warm days and mild evenings.
- The forest: dry and open, and the town is still uncrowded.
- Holi: a burst of colour, usually in March.
- Good for: birding and walking, before the summer haze arrives.
Summer, April to June
The classic hill-station season: while the plains below are often above 40°C, Abu is several degrees cooler, with pleasant mornings and evenings.
- Who comes: families from across Rajasthan and Gujarat, in their thousands, especially in the school holidays of May and June.
- The cost of company: the lake shore is busy, the roads jam at weekends and hotel rates are at their highest.
- Afternoons: they can still be warm, and a haze often softens the views.
Monsoon, July to September
The wettest place in Rajasthan: Abu receives more rain than anywhere else in the state.
Arrival: usually in late June or early July, wrapping the plateau in cloud, filling the streams and setting waterfalls running down the slopes.
- The mood: beautiful, wet and atmospheric, and the forest turns an almost unreal green.
- The catch: views can vanish for days at a time, paths are slippery, and the ghat road needs care.
- Still busy at weekends: visitors from Gujarat come specially to see the rain.
Why the calendar matters more than the weather
Mount Abu is the nearest hill station to Gujarat, and Gujarati families love it. When Gujarat is on holiday, Abu is full.
The summer school vacation: the biggest crowd of the year.
- Busiest
- Summer school holidays
- Also full
- Diwali into Gujarati New Year
- Year-end
- Christmas and New Year week
- All year
- Long weekends
- Calmest
- Weekdays in the quieter months
- The long Diwali break: in Gujarat it runs into the Gujarati New Year, the day after Diwali.
- The Christmas and New Year week: and any long weekend.
- What that means: the lake road moves at walking pace, the viewpoints are packed and every good room is taken months ahead.
- The rest of the time: the mountain is calm. On a weekday in the quieter months you may have Dilwara, Guru Shikhar and the forest trails almost to yourself.
- A note on the name: in 2026 the Rajasthan government announced that Mount Abu would be renamed Abu Raj, a change it described as honouring the place's traditional name.
- Either name: you may see either on maps, timetables and signboards while records are updated, though most people still simply say Abu.
- The longer story: our main Mount Abu guide tells the story of the mountain.
Mount Abu month by month
- Makar Sankranti
- 14 January
- Mahashivratri
- February or March
- Holi
- Usually March
- Summer Festival
- From Buddha Purnima, usually May
- Paryushan
- August or September
- Winter Festival
- Last days of December
January, frost and clear skies
The coldest month: mornings are sharp, with frost on the coldest nights.
What to wear: a proper jacket, gloves and a warm hat for the dawn walk around Nakki Lake.
- By mid-morning: the sun is warm and the light very clear, and the views from Guru Shikhar are among the best of the year.
- Kites: Makar Sankranti, on 14 January, is celebrated with great enthusiasm in neighbouring Gujarat as Uttarayan, the kite festival, and kites fly over the town too.
- The mood: outside the New Year rush, January is peaceful.
- Read more: our Rajasthan in January page.
February, bright and calm
The weather: cold at night but noticeably milder by day, and one of the best months for sightseeing.
Calm sights: Dilwara is quiet on weekdays, the trails are dry and the birds are active.
- Mahashivratri: the great night of Shiva falls in February or March, and the temple of Achaleshwar Mahadev at the foot of Achalgarh fills with devotees through the night.
- Basant Panchami: the festival of spring brings yellow clothes and flowers.
- Good for: couples and walkers.
March, warm days and Holi
The weather: pleasant, with warm days and mild evenings.
Holi: the festival of colours usually falls this month, and the town celebrates it with cheerful energy.
- Birding: the forest is drying out, which makes birds easier to see. A good month to look for the green avadavat with a local birder.
- By month's end: the heat on the plains is building, and the first summer visitors begin to arrive.
- Read more: our Holi in Rajasthan page explains how to enjoy it.
April, the season begins
The contrast: warm on the mountain and hot on the plains, and that is what fills Abu from now until the monsoon.
- Mahavir Jayanti: Jain families celebrate the birth of the last Tirthankara in March or April, and Dilwara is especially busy with pilgrims.
- The sweet spot: early April, before the school holidays begin, with long days, pleasant evenings and manageable crowds.
- Read more: our Rajasthan in April page sets it in context.
May, the Summer Festival and the rush
The height of summer: families from across the region come for the cool air, the lake is crowded with boats and the bazaar stays busy late into the evening.
- The Summer Festival: Rajasthan Tourism holds it from Buddha Purnima, the full moon of Vaishakh, with processions to Nakki Lake, boat races, folk dance and evening qawwali.
- The Garasia: the tribal community also gather on the mountain at this time.
- For peace: come midweek, stay in a house with big grounds and see the sights at dawn.
June, crowds and the first clouds
Early June: still crowded with summer visitors.
As the month goes on: the air grows heavy and the first monsoon clouds build over the plateau.
- Towards the end: the rains often arrive, cooling everything and bringing the smell of wet earth and pine.
- Rates: they begin to ease after the school holidays end.
- Who it suits: a month of transition, best for travellers who do not mind either warmth or a shower.
- Read more: our Rajasthan in June page explains the season.
July, the mountain in cloud
Fully monsoon: clouds drift through the town and over the lake, and rain falls in long, heavy spells.
Water everywhere: streams and waterfalls run down the slopes, and the forest turns a deep, glowing green.
- Come for the atmosphere: views can vanish for days at a time, so do not come for panoramas.
- Dilwara: beautiful in the soft light.
- The best way to enjoy the rain: an afternoon on a covered veranda with a book and a pot of tea.
August, rain, Shravan and Janmashtami
The wettest stretch: in most seasons, August is the wettest part of the year.
Shravan: the month sacred to Shiva, when devotees visit Achaleshwar Mahadev and the mountain's other shrines.
- Janmashtami: the birth of Krishna is celebrated in the temples.
- Paryushan: Jain families observe eight days of fasting and reflection in August or September, bringing pilgrims to Dilwara.
- On the road: the ghat road needs care after heavy rain, and Gujarati weekenders still come to see the mist and the waterfalls.
September, the rains ease
Lighter rain: it becomes more broken, the clouds lift for longer, and the views return, washed and sharp.
- The forest: at its greenest, with wildflowers along the paths and the lake full.
- Quiet and good value: one of the quietest months, with low rates and very few visitors outside weekends.
- Navratri: late in the month or early in October, nine nights of the goddess begin, and nearby Ambaji in Gujarat fills with pilgrims.
October, green, clear and calm
One of the two best months: the monsoon has ended, the hills are green and the skies clear.
The temperature: perfect for walking by day and sitting by a fire at night.
- Navratri and Dussehra: music and garba dancing in the town, a reminder of how close Gujarat is.
- Diwali: it often falls in late October or November, and the week around it brings a flood of holidaymakers from Gujarat. Outside that week, October is wonderful.
- Read more: our Rajasthan in October guide.
November, our favourite month
After Diwali: once the crowds have gone home, this is the month we love most.
The weather: cool, clear air, the forest still green and the lake still full.
- The rhythm: mornings crisp enough for a shawl, afternoons warm enough for tea on the lawn.
- Calm sights: Dilwara, Guru Shikhar and Achalgarh are quiet on weekdays, and the birding is excellent.
- Read more: our page on Rajasthan in November explains why this month suits the whole southern circuit so well.
December, the Winter Festival and the cold
The weather: cold, with chilly nights and bright days.
Dattatreya Jayanti: on the full moon of Margashirsha, usually in December, pilgrims climb to the small shrine on the summit of Guru Shikhar.
- The Winter Festival: in the last days of the month, with folk music and dance, processions, a fair on the lake and fireworks.
- The busiest week: the festival is timed for the Christmas and New Year holidays, so book months ahead for those dates.
- The quiet weeks: the first three weeks of December are much calmer.
- Read more: our Winter Festival page has the details.
Wildlife and birds through the year
A rare variety: the Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary runs from the foothills to the summit of Guru Shikhar, and its range of height gives it unusually varied forest for Rajasthan.
Who lives here: sloth bears, leopards, sambar, wild boar, langurs and jungle cats, along with more than 150 species of birds.
November to March: the forest is cool, dry and open, resident birds are active and some winter visitors are present.
- Declared
- 1960
- Area
- About 290 sq km
- Range
- Foothills to Guru Shikhar
- Birds
- More than 150 species
- Best birding
- November to March
- The green avadavat: this is also the best season for the threatened finch-like bird that is the prize for serious birders.
- In the monsoon: the forest is lush and full of song, but dense, wet and harder to walk.
- In summer: it is hot in the lower forest, and animals are most active at dawn and dusk.
- Sloth bears: seen throughout the year, often at night on the edges of town.
- How we go out: our naturalists take guests out early in the morning, on the routes the forest department permits, in every season except the wettest weeks.
- Sacred places: our page on wildlife around the temples describes how we watch animals in Rajasthan's sacred places.
Light, views and the clearest days
After the monsoon and through winter: the clearest air of the year, from October to February.
What those months are for: the long views from Guru Shikhar and Achalgarh, sharp sunsets over the plains and stargazing on dark nights.
- Clearest air
- October to February
- Dawn mist
- Nakki Lake in winter
- Haze
- From April, by mid-morning
- Monsoon drama
- Cloud and sudden sun
- Photography
- Not allowed inside Dilwara
- Winter dawns: mist can lie on Nakki Lake, which makes the early walk especially beautiful.
- From April: a heat haze builds over the plains by mid-morning, softening the views, so go to the high points at first light.
- In the monsoon: the drama is in the clouds themselves, rolling through the trees and over the lake, with sudden breaks of sun.
- At Dilwara: photography is not allowed inside the temples in any season.
- Planning for light: our photography tips for Rajasthan explain how we do it.
Who should come when
First-time visitors and lovers of art
When: October, November, February and March, on weekdays.
- Why: comfortable weather and a calm visit to Dilwara.
- Avoid: the Diwali week and the Christmas and New Year holidays.
Walkers and birders
When: November to March.
- Why: the trails are dry, the air is clear and birds are easiest to see.
- Bring: layers for cold mornings.
Families escaping the heat
When: April to June, when Abu is a real relief from the plains.
- Where to stay: a house with large grounds, so the children have room away from the crowds.
- Timing: come midweek if you can.
Romantics and rain lovers
When: July to September, if you love mist, rain on a tin roof and the forest at its greenest.
- The room: choose one with a covered veranda.
- Accept: some days will be spent indoors.
Fitting Abu into the season of your journey
October to March: Abu fits beautifully into a southern loop with Udaipur, Ranakpur, Kumbhalgarh and Jawai.
Into Gujarat: it is the bridge on our Mount Abu and Gujarat journey, which continues to Ahmedabad and Kutch.
- October to March
- Udaipur, Ranakpur, Kumbhalgarh, Jawai
- Winter in Gujarat
- Kutch and the Rann Utsav
- April and May
- Two nights between Udaipur and Jodhpur
- Monsoon
- Udaipur, lakes at their fullest
- Kutch in winter: its white desert is at its best, and the Rann Utsav festival runs through the season.
- April and May: Abu is a cool break in the middle of a hot journey, and we often place two nights here between Udaipur and Jodhpur.
- In the monsoon: combine it with Udaipur, whose lakes are fullest and most beautiful after the rains, on our Monsoon in Mewar journey.
Timing your day in each season
In the cool months
A later start: from October to February, the day can begin after a hot breakfast, because early mornings are cold and the light is clear all day.
- The order: Guru Shikhar in the morning, Dilwara during the hours it opens to visitors, then back to your house for tea on the lawn before the evening chill.
- December and January: plan outdoor dinners early, before the cold sets in.
In the summer
Start at first light: from April to June, walk the lake at dawn and reach Guru Shikhar before the haze and the crowds.
- Midday: rest through the warm middle of the day.
- Dilwara: busiest in the holiday months, so arrive as it opens to visitors.
- Evenings: keep them for a quiet terrace rather than the crowded viewpoints.
In the monsoon
Bend around the clouds: from July to September, watch the sky from your veranda in the morning and go out when it clears, often for an hour or two at a time.
- A wet-day plan: Dilwara, with its covered halls, is perfect.
- Avoid: forest trails and steep steps after heavy rain, when the granite is slippery.
Booking, prices and minimum stays
Peak weeks: for the summer holidays, the Diwali week and the Christmas and New Year period, we book the princely houses several months ahead.
Minimum stays: many houses set them for those weeks, along with higher rates.
- Peak weeks
- Several months ahead
- Shoulder months
- A month or two
- Monsoon
- Lower rates, easy rooms
- Early December
- Lower rates, easy rooms
- October, November, February and March: a month or two of notice is usually enough, though the best rooms with views still go first.
- The monsoon and early December: rates are lower and rooms are easy to find.
- Cars and guides: because the town fills so quickly at holiday times, we book them early for those dates too.
- Dilwara on a weekday: we plan the visit for one whenever we can.
- Choosing a house: our guide to luxury hotels in Mount Abu compares them, and our palace stays in Mount Abu page has more detail on each.
Comfort and health on the mountain
The altitude: at about 1,220 metres, Abu is well below the height at which altitude affects most travellers.
Guru Shikhar: at 1,722 metres, it is a climb of a few hundred steps, not a mountain expedition.
- Town
- About 1,220 m
- Guru Shikhar
- 1,722 m
- Altitude sickness
- Not a concern for most
- The sun: strong at this height, even in winter. Wear a hat and sunscreen on the high ground.
- The cold: nights from December to February are genuinely cold. Older travellers and children should have warm layers and hot drinks ready for the evening.
- The monsoon: take care on wet granite, and allow extra time for the ghat road.
- More advice: our guide to health and safety in Rajasthan.
What to pack for the mountain
A warm layer, always: even in summer, evenings on the mountain can be cool.
December to February: a proper jacket, gloves, a warm hat and thermal layers for the early mornings and evenings.
- Shoes with grip: for Guru Shikhar, Toad Rock, Adhar Devi and the forest trails. The granite steps are smooth.
- In the monsoon: a good rain jacket, an umbrella, quick-drying clothes and shoes that can get wet.
- For the temples: modest clothes covering shoulders and knees for Dilwara and the others, and no leather inside Dilwara.
- Binoculars and a torch: binoculars for birding, a small torch for the evening walk back from the lake.
- The full list: our guide to what to pack for Rajasthan.