How to plan your days on the mountain
A domestic holiday town first: loved above all by families from Gujarat and from the hot plains of Rajasthan.
The busiest weeks: the summer holidays, Diwali and the turn of the year.
Weekdays and edges: everything on this list is better on a weekday and at the edges of the day.
- Plateau
- Roughly 22 km long
- Busiest
- Summer holidays, Diwali, New Year
- Best days
- Weekdays
- Best hours
- Early and late
- Getting around
- Car and driver
- Our rhythm: start early, rest in the middle, and keep the famous viewpoints for the quiet hours, or skip them for a ridge of our own.
- Small but steep: nothing is far on the plateau, but roads are narrow and winding and the climbs to shrines and viewpoints are steep.
- A car and driver: for the length of your stay makes the days easy, and a good guide makes the difference at Dilwara.
- Shoes with grip: the granite steps are worn smooth.
- One note on names: 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.
- Still Abu: the new name is still working its way into maps, signboards and timetables, and most people, including us, still simply say Abu.
- The full history: our main Mount Abu guide tells it, and this page is its practical companion.
Temples and holy places
- Distance
- Under 3 km from town centre
- Built
- 11th to 16th centuries
- Photography
- Not allowed inside
- Leave behind
- Leather, food and drink
- Allow
- At least an hour and a half
The Dilwara temples, with a guide and time
What: five Jain temples of white marble inside one walled compound, a little under three kilometres from the town centre.
Who built them: ministers and merchants of Gujarat and Rajasthan, between the eleventh and sixteenth centuries.
- Plain outside: inside, ceilings, pillars and arches are carved so finely that the marble turns translucent at the edges.
- The rules: visiting hours for non-Jain visitors are limited, photography is not allowed inside, and leather, food and drink stay outside.
- Time: at least an hour and a half, with a guide who can read the carving for you.
- Each temple explained: our Dilwara temples guide.
The ceilings of Vimal Vasahi and Luna Vasahi
If you see only two: make them these.
Vimal Vasahi: the oldest, built around 1031 by Vimal Shah, a minister of the Chaulukya king Bhima I, dedicated to Adinath, with fifty-nine small cells around its courtyard.
- Luna Vasahi: built in 1230 by the brothers Vastupala and Tejapala for Neminath, and finer still.
- The pendant: hanging from Luna Vasahi's central dome, one of the wonders of Indian art. Stand beneath it, let your eyes adjust, and find the dancers and musicians circling the dome.
- The carvers: our journal's Dilwara guide has more.
Achaleshwar Mahadev and its toe of Shiva
Unusual even for India: at the foot of Achalgarh, devotees worship not a linga but a mark in the rock said to be the toe of Shiva, pressed down to hold the mountain still.
- The Nandi: a great bull cast in five metals faces the shrine.
- The tank: beside the temple, guarded by three stone buffaloes and an archer, figures from a local legend of demons and a king.
- When: in the morning, when the priests are at the shrine and the light is soft.
The climb to Adhar Devi
The name: also called Arbuda Devi, after the mountain's oldest name.
- The shrine: cut into a cleft in the granite high on a hillside, close to town.
- The climb: a long flight of steps, and at the end you stoop through a narrow opening in the rock.
- The reward: a fine view over the town and forest, with temple bells drifting down the hill as you climb.
Gaumukh and the hermitage of Vasishtha
Where: on the far side of the plateau, down a long stairway through the forest.
Gaumukh: a spring flowing from a carved cow's mouth.
- Vasishtha's shrine: associated with the sage whose sacrificial fire, legend says, gave birth to the Agnivanshi Rajput clans.
- The feel: birdsong and dappled light.
- Go fit, go early: the walk back up is steep, so go only if you are fit, and in the morning.
The Brahma Kumaris and the Peace Park
World headquarters: Mount Abu is home to this spiritual movement, whose white-clad members are part of everyday life in town.
- Their campus: visitors are welcome, and volunteers explain their meditation practice.
- The Peace Park: on the road towards Guru Shikhar, a peaceful garden of lawns and flowers between two hills.
- Who it suits: travellers who enjoy quiet and conversation, whatever their beliefs.
Nakki Lake and the viewpoints
A dawn walk around Nakki Lake
Before the stalls open: the water is still, and the only people about are joggers, a few pilgrims and tea sellers lighting their stoves.
- The circuit: under an hour at an easy pace, past granite boulders, small temples and old houses.
- Why: the best introduction to the town, and the most peaceful hour Abu offers.
- The details: our Nakki Lake guide.
A rowing boat in the late afternoon
By day: the lake fills with pedal boats and shikara-style rowing boats.
- When to go: a weekday afternoon, when the light softens and the hills turn gold.
- Ask the boatman: to row you towards the far shore, away from the jetties.
- Why: simple, slightly old-fashioned fun, and children love it.
The scramble up to Toad Rock
The rock: above the southern side of the lake, a granite boulder shaped uncannily like a toad about to leap into the water.
- The path: short and steep, from the lake road.
- When: early morning or late afternoon, in shoes with grip.
- The view: look back over the lake and the town spread below.
Sunset Point, early or not at all
The setting: facing west over the plains, crowded at dusk with families, photographers and snack sellers.
- The mood: festive and cheerful. If you want to see it, arrive well before the sun goes down.
- The quiet option: ask us for a spot on the ridge instead, with our own tea, blankets and a view nobody else is sharing.
- How we choose: our page on the best sunsets in Rajasthan.
Honeymoon Point in the morning
Also called: Anadra Point, looking out over the plains and the green valley below the plateau.
- Go in the morning: it is busiest in the evening, and in the morning the air is clear, with the valley sometimes filled with cloud in the monsoon.
- Bring binoculars: raptors ride the warm air rising off the cliffs as the day heats up.
- On a clear day: you can follow the line of the plains far towards Gujarat.
The high ground and the old fort
- Guru Shikhar
- 1,722 m, Rajasthan's highest
- Summit shrine
- Dattatreya, with a great bell
- Achalgarh
- About 10 km from town
- Rebuilt by
- Rana Kumbha, 15th century
- Go
- Early, before the haze
Sunrise or early morning at Guru Shikhar
The highest point: at 1,722 metres, of the Aravalli range and of Rajasthan.
- The shrine: a small temple to the sage Dattatreya on the summit, with a great bell that pilgrims ring on arrival.
- The view: on a clear winter morning it runs across the whole plateau and down to the plains of Rajasthan and Gujarat.
- Timing: leave early, before the haze builds and the car park fills, and be ready for a few hundred steps from the road.
Achalgarh fort and its Jain temples
Where: about ten kilometres from town, a path climbs past the gates of Achalgarh.
Its builders: first raised by the Paramaras, rebuilt in the fifteenth century by Rana Kumbha of Mewar, who also built Kumbhalgarh.
- At the top: small Jain temples and wide views over the forest.
- The mood: quiet, a little overgrown and full of atmosphere.
- Combine it: with Achaleshwar Mahadev at its foot.
A slow walk through the old hill station
The British lease: in the nineteenth century the British leased the plateau from the Maharao of Sirohi, and it became the summer headquarters of the officials who managed the Rajputana states.
- The princes followed: building summer houses of their own.
- What you see: the old churches, the polo ground and the lodges of Jaipur, Bikaner and other states, much of it now hotels.
- The story: our journal piece on the Mount Abu hill station.
Tea on a palace lawn
Even if you are not staying: arrange tea at one of the old princely houses, now hotels, on a lawn shaded by old trees.
- The ritual: a cane chair, a pot of tea and the smell of pine and eucalyptus. Our grandparents enjoyed it, and it has not changed much.
- The houses: our guide to luxury hotels in Mount Abu describes them.
Forests, birds and sloth bears
- Declared
- 1960
- Area
- About 290 sq km
- Signature animal
- Sloth bear
- Birds recorded
- More than 150 species
- Prize bird
- Green avadavat
A naturalist's drive in the sanctuary
The whole mountain: it lies within the Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary, which runs from the foothills to Guru Shikhar.
- Who lives here: sloth bears above all, with leopards, sambar, wild boar, langurs and jungle cats.
- How we go: early-morning drives and walks with naturalists, on the routes the forest department permits.
- Our rule: we stop and wait rather than chase. Our ethical encounters guide explains the rest.
Birds at Trevor's Tank
What: a small reservoir in the woods just outside town, one of the most peaceful places on the mountain.
Early morning: sit quietly by the water for an hour and watch the birds come and go, and with luck a sambar coming down to drink.
- A short walk: it is also good for an easy stroll on the forest edge.
- The name: it comes from the British engineer who built it.
- Protected forest: keep to the paths and keep your voice low.
Looking for the green avadavat
The bird: a threatened, finch-like species with an olive-green back and bright yellow underparts, which finds one of its homes on these slopes.
- Other birds: more than 150 species have been recorded on the mountain, including grey junglefowl and red spurfowl.
- Best chance: a dedicated morning with a local birder.
- Further afield: our birding page covers Rajasthan's other great sites.
A guided forest walk
Unlike the rest of Rajasthan: greener, denser woods near the top, bamboo in the valleys and wildflowers after the rains.
- How: only with a local guide, on recognised trails, in daylight.
- Why the care: sloth bears are shy but dangerous if surprised, and the paths can be confusing among the boulders.
Thalis, roasted corn and the bazaar
A Gujarati and Rajasthani thali
Two cuisines: the town's vegetarian thali restaurants serve both side by side.
- On the plate: dal and kadhi, several vegetables, rotis and rice, pickles and a sweet, with waiters refilling your plate until you give up.
- When: a good thali is a fine lunch after a morning at Dilwara.
- Each bowl explained: our Rajasthani thali guide.
Corn, pakoras and tea by the lake
- In the evenings: stalls around Nakki Lake sell corn roasted over coals and rubbed with lime and chilli, hot pakoras and endless cups of masala tea.
- Stay safe: eat at a busy stall where everything is cooked fresh in front of you.
A private dinner on a palace terrace
Family recipes: the old princely houses cook them on request, from slow-cooked dals to Rajput meat dishes.
- On a winter night: we arrange dinner on a lawn or terrace with a fire against the cold.
- How we plan them: our private palace dinner page.
Wandering the main bazaar
Cheerful rather than refined: woollens, toys, sweets, bangles and small souvenirs aimed at holidaying families.
- Go for the people-watching: in the evening, and keep the important purchases for Udaipur or Jaipur.
- Worth buying: in winter, the woollen shawls and caps are inexpensive and genuinely useful, and many visitors from the plains buy one on their first night.
Festivals on the mountain
The Winter Festival at the end of December
When: the last days of December, coinciding with the Christmas and New Year holidays.
- What happens: folk music and dance, processions, a fair on the lake and fireworks over the water.
- The mood: cheerful and very busy.
- The programme: our Mount Abu Winter Festival page.
The Summer Festival around Buddha Purnima
When: in the hot season, usually in May, beginning on Buddha Purnima, the full moon of the month of Vaishakh.
- Who holds it: Rajasthan Tourism.
- What happens: processions to Nakki Lake, boat races, folk dances and qawwali in the evenings.
- The Garasia: a tribal community of the region also come to the mountain at this time, and their songs and dances are a highlight.
Day trips from the mountain
- Ambaji
- About 1.5 hours, in Gujarat
- Jawai
- About 2.5 hours
- Ranakpur
- About 3.5 to 4 hours
- Chandravati
- Foot of the mountain, near Abu Road
Ranakpur, on the way or as a long day
The temple: the great marble Jain temple of Ranakpur, with its forest of carved pillars, about three and a half to four hours north.
- Best on the road: see it between Abu and Udaipur or Jodhpur rather than as a day trip.
- Two marbles: seeing Dilwara and Ranakpur on the same journey is unforgettable.
- Plan it: our Ranakpur temple guide.
Ambaji and the Kumbhariya temples
Ambaji: across the border in Gujarat, about an hour and a half's drive, home to one of the most important temples of the goddess in western India.
- At Navratri: crowded with pilgrims.
- Kumbhariya: close by, Jain temples carved in marble in the eleventh century, a quieter cousin of Dilwara, with fine ceilings and very few visitors.
Chandravati and the road to Sirohi
Chandravati: near Abu Road, the scattered remains of the capital of the Paramaras, who ruled Abu and whose ministers paid for the first Dilwara temple.
- Little survives: it was destroyed early in the fifteenth century, so go with a guide who can show you what is left and tell its story.
- Sirohi: beyond, the old capital of the Deora Chauhans who held Abu for centuries.
- Who it suits: a small, unvisited town for travellers who enjoy history away from the crowds.
Leopards at Jawai
Where: about two and a half hours away, the granite hills of Jawai.
- The leopards: they live alongside the Rabari herders and their flocks.
- How guests do it: many continue from Abu to Jawai for two nights of safaris from a luxury camp.
Mount Abu after dark
Stars from a hotel lawn
Dark skies: away from the lake lights, the sky over the plateau can be very dark on a clear winter night.
- How: ask your hotel to turn off the garden lights for half an hour, wrap yourself in a shawl and lie back on a lawn chair.
- What you see: Orion rising over the hills in the cool season, and on moonless nights the Milky Way.
- Elsewhere: our stargazing page explains how we plan nights under the sky across Rajasthan.
A fireside evening with folk musicians
When: cold evenings from December to February.
- What: a small fire on a hotel terrace or lawn, musicians playing the folk songs of the region, and dinner served beside it.
- Why: the most hill-station of evenings, and the one our guests remember most fondly.
The lake and the bazaar by lamplight
Early evening: before the shops close, the lake shore and main bazaar are at their most cheerful, full of families buying sweets, woollens and roasted corn.
- Half an hour: walk through it, then retreat to your hotel.
- Stay on lit roads: never take forest paths after dark, when bears and leopards are about.
What we tell our own family before they go up
Come midweek: and outside the school holidays, Diwali and the New Year. A November Tuesday and a May Saturday are two different towns.
A warm layer: at any time of year, and a proper jacket from December to February.
- Come
- Midweek, outside the holidays
- Pack
- A warm layer, always
- At Dilwara
- No phone, camera or leather
- Footwear
- Shoes with grip
- After dark
- No forest paths
- At Dilwara: leave your phone, camera, leather belt and bag in the car. You will look more closely without them.
- Monkeys and forests: never feed the monkeys, and never walk forest paths after dark.
- Shoes with grip: for Guru Shikhar, Toad Rock and Adhar Devi. The granite steps are worn smooth.
- Respect: for the pilgrims and the Brahma Kumaris. Abu is a holy mountain to many people. Our temple etiquette guide covers the basics.
- The ghat road down: leave plenty of time. It is narrow and full of bends, and a long lunch before you drive is never a bad idea.
- Pacing the days: our Mount Abu itinerary shows how we do it.
