Why February is the month we choose
Comfort, first: mornings are crisp rather than cold, so you can leave the down jacket at home and carry a shawl instead.
Warm afternoons: warm enough for lunch in the garden and a swim, but never hot enough to send you indoors.
Easy drives: the long drives across the state, which can be tiring in May and dusty in June, are a pleasure in February, with the windows down and the fields rolling past.
- Weather
- Warm, sunny days in the mid to high twenties; cool nights around 10 to 12°C in Jaipur
- Rain
- One of the driest months; a short shower is possible but rare
- Crowds
- Steady, calmer than January
- Festivals
- The Jaisalmer Desert Festival and the Baneshwar fair at the Magh full moon, Basant Panchami
- Best for
- First-timers, families, older travellers, photographers and walkers
- Pack
- A light jacket, a shawl, cotton and linen, a sun hat
- Light, second: the air is still clear from winter, but the sun is higher and warmer.
- The honey hour: from about four in the afternoon the sun turns the sandstone of every fort the colour of honey. Photographers come back for February year after year.
- No haze yet: the haze that settles over the plains from April has not yet arrived.
- The land, third: February is the month the rabi crops, the winter harvest sown after the monsoon, stand tall in the fields.
- Colour in the fields: mustard turns whole districts yellow, coriander paints the fields of Hadoti white and wheat is a deep green.
- Poppies: in a few licensed villages near Chittorgarh, they flower.
- In the desert: the Jaisalmer Desert Festival fills the town with camels, music and turbans.
- Our favourite month: every part of a Rajasthani journey is easy in February, which is why we call it that.
The weather, week by week
The first week, the last of the cold
Mornings: in Jaipur and Shekhawati they can still be chilly, around ten degrees.
- Nights: cold in the desert.
- Days: sunny and in the low to mid twenties.
- A warm layer: still useful for the jeep in Ranthambore and for the boat on Pichola at dusk.
The middle of the month, the sweet spot
Days: warm, usually in the mid to high twenties.
- Nights: cool rather than cold.
- The fortnight we would choose: if a guest could pick only one in the year, it would be this one.
- Perfect for: walking the old cities, the full forest walk from Kumbhalgarh down to Ranakpur, and nights in a desert camp without heavy quilts.
The last week, the first warmth
Afternoons: in the desert and on the plains they touch thirty.
- Flame of the forest: the first trees burst into orange flower in Ranthambore and the Aravallis.
- Mornings and evenings: still beautiful.
- Holi: in some years it falls at the very end of February, though in 2027 it falls later, in March.
Rain, fog and wind
One of the driest months: a short winter shower is possible but rare.
- The fog has gone: the fog that troubles Delhi and Agra in January has mostly cleared, so flights and trains run on time far more often.
- The Taj at sunrise: usually clear.
- The seasons in detail: our page on the weather and climate of Rajasthan explains them.
The Desert Festival under the Magh full moon
A moving date: Magh follows the moon, so the festival moves each year. It usually falls in February and occasionally begins in late January, as it did in 2026.
For 2027: early listings point to the second half of February, around the full moon of 20 February, but the state tourism department sets the dates, and we confirm them each year before we plan.
The procession: it winds through Jaisalmer, with camels, horsemen, folk musicians and women carrying brass pots.
- Length
- About three days
- Ends
- On the full moon of Magh
- Usually
- February, occasionally late January
- 2027
- Early listings point to the second half of February; we confirm each year
- Finale
- The Sam sand dunes
- The contests: the best turban, the longest moustache and the most handsome man of the desert, which the crowd judges loudly.
- The camels: they race, dance and play polo.
- The evenings: Manganiyar and Langa musicians, the hereditary singers of the Thar, perform, and Kalbelia dancers whirl in black and silver skirts.
- The final night: it moves out to the Sam sand dunes, with music under the full moon.
- Joyful and very crowded: the best rooms in Jaisalmer sell out months ahead, and the dune camps near Sam are full for the finale.
- How we do it: we take guests to the events with a local guide who knows where to stand, then bring them back to a quiet hotel for lunch.
- Read more: our Desert Festival page has the full programme, and our Desert Festival journey is a ready-made route that builds a week around it.
More fairs and festivals in February
The Baneshwar fair, the Kumbh of the tribes
When and where: on the same Magh full moon, far to the south in Vagad, where the Som and Mahi rivers meet.
Who comes: tens of thousands of Bhil families. People call it the Kumbh of the tribes.
- What happens: ritual baths at dawn, a temple of Shiva and shrines to the saint Mavji, and days of music, trading and reunions.
- How we visit: it is a real pilgrimage rather than a show, so we go with respect, starting early and leaving before the evening crowds.
- Read more: the Baneshwar fair and the nearby town of Dungarpur.
Basant Panchami, the festival of spring
When: the fifth day of the bright half of Magh, usually in February.
- What it honours: Saraswati, the goddess of learning and music, and the start of spring.
- How it looks: people wear yellow, the colour of the mustard fields, children begin their lessons with a prayer, and in some towns kites go up once more.
- The feel: a gentle, pretty day rather than a spectacle.
Maha Shivratri, Shiva's great night
When: February or March, depending on the moon.
- What happens: devotees fast through the day and keep vigil through the night at Shiva temples, offering milk, water and bel leaves.
- Powerful places: the Eklingji temple north of Udaipur, Neelkanth Mahadev inside Kumbhalgarh fort and Achaleshwar Mahadev on Mount Abu.
- If it falls on your dates: we can arrange a respectful visit.
Music in the forts
A month of music: in recent years February has been a month of music festivals.
- World Sacred Spirit Festival: held at Mehrangarh in Jodhpur and at Ahhichatragarh in Nagaur.
- Udaipur World Music Festival: it has brought musicians from around the world to stages around the lake city.
- Check first: programmes and dates change from year to year, so ask us what is on when you plan.
The Shekhawati Festival and the Nagaur fair
The Shekhawati Festival: in many years the state has held the Shekhawati Festival in February, with folk music, camel and horse events, village sports and haveli walks around Nawalgarh.
- The Nagaur fair: the Nagaur cattle fair can also fall in late January or February.
- Moving dates: both have moved in the calendar in recent editions, so we check before we commit.
Ramadan in Ajmer
When: in 2026 and 2027 the holy month of Ramadan begins in February.
- At the dargah: in Ajmer, the lanes come alive after sunset when the fast is broken, the food stalls stay open late and the qawwali has a special warmth.
- Etiquette: dress modestly and let a local guide lead the way.
Over the border
Agra: the Taj Mahotsav, a crafts and culture fair, in the second half of February.
- Khajuraho: the Dance Festival brings India's great classical dancers to an open-air stage before the temples.
- Kutch: in Kutch, the white salt desert is still brilliant and the tent city of the Rann Utsav is still open.
The month of mustard and coriander
Around Mandawa and Nawalgarh the mustard is in flower, and the painted havelis rise out of yellow fields. Farmers work in the cool of the morning, and the women's bright odhnis, the long head-cloths of Rajasthan, move through the crop like flowers of another colour.
The fullest countryside: the winter crops are sown after the monsoon and harvested in March and April, so February is when the fields are at their fullest.
- Shekhawati: Mandawa and Nawalgarh are the places to see the mustard.
- Hadoti in white: in the old kingdom of Bundi and Kota, the fields turn white with coriander flowers, and the air smells faintly of the spice.
- Bundi now: Bundi is lovely, with the palace and its painted Chitrashala in soft light and evenings warm enough to sit out late.
- Mewar and Chittorgarh: in the villages, wheat and gram are green.
- Poppies: here and there you may see the white and mauve of opium poppies, grown under government licence for medicine and closely watched.
- A month for slow drives: we plan routes that leave the highway for the village roads, stop for tea at a farm, and arrive at the next palace in time for the late-afternoon light.
- For lovers of the countryside: read our village Rajasthan journey.
Where to go in February
Jaisalmer and the dunes
- Our favourite Jaisalmer month: warm days, cool nights and the Desert Festival make every part of a stay comfortable.
- How to spend it: a dawn on the dunes, an afternoon in the haveli lanes and an evening of Manganiyar music at Suryagarh.
Jodhpur and the blue city
If we had to choose one month for Jodhpur: it would be this one.
- The blue lanes: walk Brahmpuri in the late afternoon without breaking a sweat.
- On horseback: ride Marwari horses across the fields at Rohet.
- Where to stay: RAAS Jodhpur, for the view of Mehrangarh lit up at night.
Jawai and its leopards
The sweet spot: in Jawai, mornings are crisp but no longer bitter.
- Wildlife: the birds are still on the reservoir and the leopards are active on the granite at both ends of the day.
- Book early: camps such as SUJAN JAWAI fill fast.
Udaipur, Kumbhalgarh and Ranakpur
Mewar in February: music, soft light and comfortable walking.
- Udaipur: the lakes are full.
- Kumbhalgarh: the walk on the wall is a pleasure.
- Ranakpur: the marble of Ranakpur is cool and calm on a weekday morning.
Bundi and Hadoti
- In season: the coriander is in flower, the stepwells still hold water and the havelis are full of light.
- Book early: this is perhaps the loveliest month in Bundi.
Ranthambore as the forest opens
Better visibility: the forest is drying and opening up week by week.
- Kind weather: the jeep is comfortable for everyone, from children to grandparents.
- Book ahead: lodges and permits need booking well in advance.
The best light of the year, and where to catch it
Jaisalmer Fort: from the Vyas chhatris at sunset, when the whole fort turns the colour of a lit lamp.
Mehrangarh: from the rooftops of the blue city in the late afternoon, with the fort above and the indigo houses below.
Udaipur: the City Palace and Lake Pichola from Ambrai Ghat as the sun drops behind the hills.
- Mustard fields outside Mandawa: in the first hour after sunrise, with a haveli in the background and mist lifting off the crop.
- The Taj Mahal: from Mehtab Bagh across the river at dusk, now that the winter fog has gone.
- Taragarh in Bundi: at first light, looking down on the blue town and the lake.
- The dunes at Sam or Khuri: at dawn, before anyone else has walked on them.
- Photographing people: our photography tips for Rajasthan explain how to do it with respect.
- A journey built on light: our photographer's journey follows the best light in every city.
Food at the turn of the season
The fullest markets: green peas, carrots, cauliflower, fenugreek leaves and fresh green chickpeas are still plentiful.
Gatte ki sabzi: gram-flour dumplings in a yoghurt curry, one of the vegetable dishes to eat this month.
- Methi with peas: fresh fenugreek at the end of its season.
- Ker sangri: the dried desert beans and berries that make the cooking of the Thar unlike anything else in India.
- Winter sweets: sesame and jaggery sweets are still in the shops.
- Gujiya: as Holi draws nearer, the sweet-makers begin to fry these crescent pastries filled with sweetened milk solids and nuts.
- Mirchi bada: a large green chilli stuffed with spiced potato and fried in gram-flour batter, best on a cool February evening near the clock tower in Jodhpur.
- Find the real thing: our Jodhpur food guide and our Rajasthani food guide explain where.
Crowds, rates and booking
Calmer monuments: the New Year crowds have gone and Indian school holidays are over, so they are less crowded than in late December or early January.
Still busy hotels: international travellers choose February for the same reasons we do, so palace hotels, desert camps and Ranthambore lodges stay full.
- Season
- High season
- Book ahead
- Five to eight months
- Busiest town
- Jaisalmer, during the Desert Festival
- Rates
- High-season levels most of the month
- Weddings: they continue, especially at weekends.
- The Desert Festival: during it, Jaisalmer is the busiest town in the state.
- Rates: at high-season levels for most of the month.
- When to book: five to eight months ahead, and earlier for the Desert Festival dates, a lake-view room in Udaipur or a leopard camp at Jawai.
- The closest match: for a quieter, slightly gentler version of the same weather, the first half of March, before Holi and the heat.
What to pack for February
A light jacket or fine wool jumper: for mornings, safaris and evenings in the desert.
Leave the heavy coat: at home, unless you are in Shekhawati or Mount Abu in the first week.
- A shawl or light pashmina: for dinners outdoors.
- Cotton and linen: for the days, with long sleeves and long trousers or skirts for temples and the bazaars.
- Sun hat and sunscreen: the February sun is stronger than it feels.
- Something festive: for the Desert Festival or a wedding. Rajasthanis dress up, and they love it when guests do too.
- The rest: our full packing list.
A February week in Mewar and Marwar
- Who it suits: travellers who want comfort, landscape and wildlife. It can run the other way round.
- If your dates match the Desert Festival: choose our Desert Festival journey instead, which spends three nights in Jaisalmer.
Days one and two, Udaipur
Arrive: fly into Udaipur.
- First afternoon: a boat on Lake Pichola at the last hour of light, with Jag Mandir glowing on the water.
- Next morning: the City Palace as it opens, then the Jagdish temple and the old lanes.
- Afternoon and evening: time at Taj Lake Palace or The Oberoi Udaivilas, and dinner by the water.
Day three, Kumbhalgarh
The drive: about two hours into the Aravallis, through fields of wheat and mustard.
- Late afternoon: walk a stretch of the great wall when the stone turns gold.
- Evening: stay for the light show at the fort.
Day four, the forest walk to Ranakpur
Morning: with a local guide, walk down through the Kumbhalgarh sanctuary towards Ranakpur, a long morning on forest trails, with the car waiting at the end.
- After lunch: the Jain temple of Ranakpur in the softening light, with its forest of carved marble pillars.
- Onward: continue to Jawai, about two hours.
Day five, leopards of Jawai
- Dawn and dusk: drives among the granite hills, looking for leopards on the rocks above the shrines.
- Midday: walk to the reservoir to see the birds, or meet a Rabari herding family with one of the camp's trackers.
Day six, to Jodhpur
Morning: one last drive in Jawai, then about three hours north to Jodhpur.
- Late afternoon: walk the blue lanes of Brahmpuri below the fort with a guide who grew up there.
- To finish: the clock tower, for a mirchi bada.
Day seven, Mehrangarh
Morning: Mehrangarh at opening time, then the white marble of Jaswant Thada and a long lunch.
- Afternoon: a Bishnoi village south of the city to see blackbuck in the fields.
- Onward: fly out from Jodhpur the next day, or continue west to the desert.
Our advice for February
Decide early about the Desert Festival: if you want it, build the whole journey around its dates. If you don't, avoid Jaisalmer on those days, because the town is full.
Leave room for the countryside: February is the one month when the drive is as beautiful as the destination.
- Book Jawai and Ranthambore early: wildlife lodges have few rooms, and February is their busiest month after the winter holidays.
- Ask us about Shivratri: if it falls on your dates, check before visiting the great Shiva temples. They are beautiful that night and very crowded.
- Bring one smart outfit: February is a month of weddings and festival evenings, and you may well be invited to one.
Who February suits, and who might choose another month
Who will love it: first-time visitors, families with children, older travellers and anyone who wants to see a great deal without discomfort.
Also: photographers, walkers and those who want leopards and tigers with the weather on their side.
- Our pick of journeys: Royal Rajputana is at its very best in this month.
- The one drawback: it suits almost everyone, so you share it.
- For empty monuments or Holi colour: look at Rajasthan in March.
- For the cold, the kites and the camel festival: Rajasthan in January is for you.
- Every month side by side: our best time to visit Rajasthan guide compares them.