How we pace a day on the mountain
Dilwara sets the clock: the temples open to non-Jain visitors only for set hours, usually in the middle of the day, so the rest of the day is planned around them.
Guru Shikhar: clearest at first light, before the haze builds and the car park fills.
Nakki Lake: magical at dawn and crowded at noon.
- Dawn
- Guru Shikhar or Nakki Lake
- Midday
- Dilwara, in its visiting hours
- Afternoon
- Lunch and a long rest
- Dusk
- Forest or a quiet sunset
- Avoid
- Holiday weeks from Gujarat
- The forest: alive in the early morning and at dusk.
- Put it together: add lunch and a rest at a princely house, and the day almost plans itself.
- The calendar: Abu is the nearest hill station to Gujarat, and in the summer school holidays, the Diwali week and the Christmas and New Year period it is full.
- Read first: our guide to the best time to visit Mount Abu explains the seasons, and our main Mount Abu guide tells the story behind every stop.
- 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 works: you may see both on signs and timetables for a while, but your driver, your hotel and everyone on the mountain will know exactly where you mean.
One day on the mountain
Arrival, the afternoon before
The climb: drive up the ghat road from Udaipur or Abu Road in daylight, enjoying the change from plains to forest.
- Settle in: check in at your house, have tea on the lawn and walk down to Nakki Lake as the light softens.
- Before dinner: sit for half an hour on a terrace with a view and watch the lights of the plains come on far below. It is the moment most guests realise they are in the hills.
- Early night: have an early dinner and go to bed. Tomorrow starts early.
Dawn, Nakki Lake and Toad Rock
First light: walk the shore while the water is still and the tea sellers are just lighting their stoves.
- Toad Rock: climb the short, steep path and look back over the lake and the town.
- Then breakfast: our Nakki Lake guide has the details.
Late morning, the high ground
Guru Shikhar: the highest point of the Aravallis at 1,722 metres. Climb the steps to the shrine of Dattatreya and its great bell.
- Pause at the top: if the day is clear, the whole plateau lies below, with its granite domes, forest and the glint of Nakki Lake, and the plains of two states fading beyond.
- On the way back: stop at Achaleshwar Mahadev at the foot of Achalgarh, with its toe of Shiva and its great Nandi of five metals.
Midday, the Dilwara temples
Arrive as it opens: leave phones, cameras, leather and bags in the car.
- Take your time: at least an hour and a half inside with a good guide, mostly in Vimal Vasahi and Luna Vasahi, under their carved marble ceilings.
- Read first: our Dilwara temples guide explains what to look for.
Afternoon and evening, rest and sunset
Late lunch and a rest: the mountain is best taken slowly.
- Late afternoon: tea or a drink on a terrace with a view, or a quiet spot on the ridge with blankets and a flask, rather than the crowds at Sunset Point.
- Dinner: by a fire in winter, or under the stars on the lawn.
Two days, the version we recommend
- One night
- Dilwara and the lake
- Two nights
- Our recommendation
- Three nights
- Walkers and birders
- Four nights
- Add Gaumukh and Ambaji
Day one, the lake and the temples
Dawn: walk around Nakki Lake at first light and climb Toad Rock before breakfast.
Late morning: rest on your hotel lawn.
- Dilwara: when it opens to visitors, with a guide and plenty of time.
- After a late lunch: a rowing boat on the lake in the softening light.
- Sunset: from a quiet point on the ridge or the terrace of your hotel.
- After dinner: step onto the lawn and look up. On a clear night, away from the lake lights, the sky over the plateau is full of stars.
Day two, the high ground and the forest
Leave early: reach the summit of Guru Shikhar before the haze.
Achalgarh: climb past the gates of Rana Kumbha's fort to its small Jain temples, and visit Achaleshwar Mahadev at the foot of the hill.
- After lunch and a rest: a drive or walk in the sanctuary with a naturalist, ending at Trevor's Tank as the light goes, watching for sambar coming down to drink.
- Forest by height: ask your naturalist how it changes, from dry thorn and deciduous woods on the lower slopes to greener, denser trees near the top.
- Rare in Rajasthan: few places in the state show that range so clearly.
Three days, for walkers and the curious
Day one, the lake and Dilwara
- As in the two-day plan: the lake and Toad Rock at dawn, a rest, and Dilwara in its visiting hours.
- Later: a boat in the late afternoon and a quiet sunset.
Day two, Guru Shikhar, Achalgarh and the forest
Morning: the summit at first light, then Achalgarh and Achaleshwar Mahadev.
- Afternoon: lunch and a rest, then a naturalist's drive ending at Trevor's Tank.
- If you are lucky: a sloth bear may cross the road in the dusk on the way home.
Day three, Adhar Devi, birds and a slow afternoon
Adhar Devi, early: climb the long flight of steps to the temple of the mountain's goddess, cut into a cleft in the granite, stooping through the narrow opening at the top.
The green avadavat: spend a few hours with a local birder looking for this threatened finch-like bird, olive-green above and yellow below, which finds one of its homes on these slopes.
- Afternoon: do nothing at all on a garden lawn.
- Evening: visit the Peace Park of the Brahma Kumaris, or walk the old hill station past the churches and the polo ground.
- More on birds: our page on birding.
Four days on and around the mountain
Day one, settle in
Arrive by lunch: rest, and walk the lake at dusk.
- Keep it light: the change from the plains to the cool air of the hills is reason enough to slow down.
- Evening: ask your house for an early dinner, a hot water bottle in winter, and plan tomorrow's start with your guide over tea.
Day two, Dilwara and the lake
- The classic day: Nakki Lake and Toad Rock at dawn, Dilwara with a guide in its visiting hours, a boat on the lake, and sunset from a terrace.
- For marble lovers: ask your guide about returning to Dilwara on a second day to look again at the ceilings you liked best.
Day three, the high ground and Gaumukh
Morning: Guru Shikhar at first light, then Achalgarh and Achaleshwar Mahadev.
- Gaumukh, if you are fit: after lunch and a rest, walk down the long forest stairway to where water flows from a carved cow's mouth.
- Vasishtha's shrine: associated with the sage whose fire, the legend says, gave birth to the Agnivanshi Rajput clans.
- The climb back: steep. End at Trevor's Tank for the birds.
Day four, Ambaji and the Kumbhariya temples
Into Gujarat: drive down the ghat road and across the border, about an hour and a half, to Ambaji, one of the most important temples of the goddess in western India.
Kumbhariya: nearby, Jain temples carved in marble in the eleventh century, a quiet cousin of Dilwara with fine ceilings and very few visitors.
- Then: return to the mountain for a last evening by the fire, or continue onwards into Gujarat.
- Context: our Jain and Hindu temples page sets these shrines in context.
- Avoid Navratri: unless you have come for it, because Ambaji then fills with pilgrims from across Gujarat.
Arriving and leaving the mountain
- Udaipur
- About 3.5 to 4 hours
- Abu Road station
- About 28 km, 45 minutes
- Ahmedabad
- About 4 to 5 hours
- Jawai
- About 2.5 hours
- Ranakpur, Kumbhalgarh
- About 3.5 to 4 hours
- Nearest good airport
- Udaipur
From Udaipur
The drive: about three and a half to four hours, through the hills of southern Mewar and down into the plains before the climb begins.
- Timing: leave after breakfast, stop for tea on the way, and arrive for a late lunch at your house.
- Flights: Udaipur's airport is the nearest with good connections, so many guests also fly out from there.
From Abu Road station
The station: at the foot of the mountain, about 28 kilometres from town, on the main line between Ahmedabad and Jaipur and Delhi.
- Met on the platform: our driver meets you, and the drive up the ghat road takes around 45 minutes.
- Overnight trains: from Delhi or Jaipur they arrive in the morning, which gives you a full first day.
- The options: our guide to trains in Rajasthan.
From Ahmedabad and Gujarat
The drive: about four to five hours by road.
- A natural first or last night: for travellers starting or ending in Gujarat.
- Avoid: Friday evenings and Sunday afternoons, when Gujarati weekenders come and go.
Leaving for Jawai or Ranakpur
Distances: Jawai is about two and a half hours away, and Ranakpur and Kumbhalgarh around three and a half to four.
- In daylight: leave after an early lunch on your last day so you reach your next lodge before dark.
- Or at dawn: spend the morning at Ranakpur's temple on the way north.
- More drive times: our road distances page.
Where Abu fits in a longer journey
Two nights on a southern loop: begin in Udaipur, drive to Ranakpur and Kumbhalgarh, then Jawai for two nights of leopard safaris.
Then the mountain: climb to Abu before flying home from Udaipur or crossing into Gujarat.
- Two marbles: seeing Ranakpur and Dilwara on the same journey is one of the great experiences of Indian art.
- Into Gujarat: Abu is the first or last chapter of our Mount Abu and Gujarat journey, which continues to Ahmedabad, about four to five hours away, and on to Kutch.
- A summer break: in the hot months, two nights here make a cool, restful pause between Udaipur and Jodhpur.
- The southern sights together: our Mewar Lakes and Temples journey shows how they fit.
Eating along the way
Breakfast: after the early walk or Guru Shikhar, come back for a proper one at your house, with hot parathas and tea.
Lunch on Dilwara days: often a vegetarian thali in town, Gujarati and Rajasthani dishes side by side, with waiters refilling your plate until you give up.
- Lakeside stalls: in the late afternoon, roasted corn with lime and chilli, hot pakoras and masala tea. Worth one evening of your stay.
- Dinner: ask your house to cook a Rajasthani meal or a recipe from the family that built it.
- On a cold night: ask for dinner outside by a fire.
- No onion or garlic: Jain pilgrims and anyone who prefers it will find the town's kitchens well practised.
- More: our Rajasthani food guide explains the dishes, and our private palace dinner page describes how we arrange evenings on a lawn.
Variations for different travellers
For families
What children love: boats on Nakki Lake, the scramble to Toad Rock, the bell at the top of Guru Shikhar and cool lawns after days in the hot cities.
- Dilwara: keep it short, and take older children who can stay quiet inside.
- Stay and do: a house with big grounds, plus a naturalist's walk, which most children find thrilling.
- More ideas: our page on family journeys.
For couples
The basics: a house with a view, the quiet months, and loose days.
- The day: the lake at dawn, Dilwara, a long lunch, and sunset on a private spot on the ridge with tea and blankets.
- The evening: a private dinner on a lawn by a fire.
- The classic southern honeymoon: combine Abu with Udaipur. Our Rajasthan honeymoons page explains how.
For repeat visitors and lovers of Jain art
Two sessions at Dilwara: with a guide who specialises in its iconography.
- Further afield: add the Kumbhariya temples across the border, and Ranakpur on the same journey.
- Preparation: our journal's Dilwara guide.
For walkers and birders
Three or four nights: between November and March.
- Every early morning: on the forest trails with a local guide or birder.
- The climbs: add the steps to Adhar Devi and the long stairway to Gaumukh.
- Safety: walk only in daylight, on recognised trails. Sloth bears are shy but dangerous if surprised.
For older travellers
Steps: Guru Shikhar, Toad Rock, Adhar Devi and Gaumukh all involve them. Dilwara and Nakki Lake are easier.
- The pace: one gentle outing in the morning and one in the late afternoon.
- The house: level paths and ground-floor rooms, with the car waiting close to each stop.
- More: our page on accessible travel.
Abu at festival time
- Winter Festival
- Last days of December
- Summer Festival
- From Buddha Purnima, usually May
- Book
- Many months ahead
- Stay
- Three nights
The Winter Festival, late December
What happens: folk music and dance, processions, a fair on the lake and fireworks over the water.
- If you go: book many months ahead and come for three nights.
- The rhythm: sightseeing in the mornings, evenings for the festival programme by the lake.
- The programme: our Mount Abu Winter Festival page explains it.
The Summer Festival, around Buddha Purnima
When: in the hot season, usually in May, beginning on the full moon of Buddha Purnima.
- What happens: Rajasthan Tourism holds processions to Nakki Lake, boat races, folk dances and qawwali in the evenings.
- The Garasia: the tribal community also gather on the mountain at this time.
- How to handle it: lively and crowded, so stay in a house with large grounds and see Dilwara and Guru Shikhar early, before the festival crowds are up.
Adjusting the plan by season
In winter
Cold mornings: from December to February they are sometimes near freezing, so start a little later after a hot breakfast.
- Evenings: keep dinners early and by a fire.
- Clearest views: Guru Shikhar is wonderful at any hour of the morning.
In summer
First light: from April to June, start early and avoid the lake road and viewpoints in the busy late afternoon.
- Dilwara: visit as it opens to visitors.
- Weekends: plan them with care, because the town is very full.
In the monsoon
Stay flexible: from July to September, watch the clouds and go out when the weather clears.
- A wet hour: keep Dilwara for it.
- Avoid: steep steps and forest paths after heavy rain, and allow extra time for the ghat road.
How we spend the evenings
Sunset, privately: from a terrace or a private spot on the ridge, with tea and blankets, rather than the crowded viewpoints. Our page on the best sunsets in Rajasthan explains how we choose them.
The bazaar, early: walk the lake shore when families are out buying sweets, woollens and roasted corn, then retreat before the crowds peak.
- A fire on the lawn: on a cold night, with folk musicians playing the songs of the region and dinner served beside it.
- The Milky Way: on a clear, moonless night in the cool season, lie back on a lawn chair with the garden lights off.
- Stay on lit roads: sloth bears and leopards forage on the edges of town at night, and the forest paths are no place to be.
Practical notes for every itinerary
Come midweek: and outside the summer holidays, Diwali and New Year if you can.
Check Dilwara's hours: visiting hours for non-Jain visitors are limited and can change, so confirm them for your exact dates.
- Best days
- Midweek
- Dilwara hours
- Limited; we confirm them
- Leave in car
- Phones, cameras, leather, bags
- Footwear
- Shoes with grip
- Ghat road
- Daylight only
- At Dilwara: leave phones, cameras, leather and bags in the car, and dress modestly.
- Shoes with grip: for Guru Shikhar, Toad Rock, Adhar Devi and Gaumukh. The granite steps are smooth.
- A warm layer: at any time of year, and a proper jacket in winter.
- Wildlife rules: never feed the monkeys, never approach a bear, and never walk forest paths after dark.
- The ghat road: drive it in daylight, and leave after a good lunch rather than in a rush. Our guide to getting around Rajasthan explains how we plan the road.
