Best places to visit in India in April

Where India is at its best in April

Each line below is the reason this place works in the summer, written for that place, not a generic blurb.

• Kasol Himachal Pradesh

  Parvati valley's trance-backpacker hub, gateway to treks

  Prime season - Mar-May bring warm days, full guesthouses and a steady flow of backpackers.

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• Almora Uttarakhand

  Understated Kumaoni market town with Himalayan views

  Warm days, cool nights: a calmer, cheaper alternative to Nainital's summer crowds

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• Aharbal Falls Jammu and Kashmir

  The Veshaw crashes 25 m through a pine gorge, Kashmir's Niagara

  Apr-Jun snowmelt is peak thunder: the Veshaw explodes through the notch and spray soaks the lower ledge, go early on weekends.

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• Gangtok Sikkim

  Sikkim's capital and gateway: monasteries, MG Marg cafés

  Mar-Apr is peak (flower festival, clearest skies); by May haze builds ahead of the monsoon.

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• Shergaon Arunachal Pradesh

  Sherdukpen pine-forest village at 2,000 m, the quiet turn-off on the Tawang road

  Mar-May is orchid and rhododendron time in the pines; days reach 20 C, the forest walks are dry and the Eco Camp fills on weekends with Guwahati families

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• Kodaikanal Tamil Nadu

  Misty Palani lake town loved by trekkers, backpackers

  Warm days, cool nights, best visibility of the year - the classic escape-the-heat season, expect crowds

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• Darjeeling West Bengal

  Queen of the Hills - tea, toy train, Kanchenjunga views

  Mar-Apr is peak: rhododendrons bloom and skies are clearest, but it's crowded, book ahead.

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• Jowai (Nartiang & Krangsuri) Meghalaya

  Jaintia monolith field, a Shakti Peetha and blue Krangsuri pools

  March-April is warm and green and Krangsuri holds its turquoise colour right up until the first heavy rains.

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• Mount Abu Rajasthan

  Rajasthan's only hill station, oasis from the heat

  Peak season for a reason. The one hill station where plains-dwellers escape 45C heat.

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• Kaziranga National Park Assam

  One-horned rhino capital: jeep and elephant safaris

  May is the tail end before closure. Hot, grass tall, park shuts by month's end.

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• Morni Hills Haryana

  Chandigarh's nearest hills, low-key and quiet

  A genuine escape from Chandigarh's plains heat, several degrees cooler up in the hills.

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• Aryan Valley (Dha & Garkon) Ladakh

  Flower-crowned Brokpa villages and apricot terraces on the Indus

  Mid-Apr apricot blossom snows pink over the stone lanes; May brings green terraces, 20 C days and a trickle of travellers.

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• Tadoba Maharashtra

  Maharashtra's oldest reserve, its best tiger sightings

  Brutal heat but the best sighting odds of the year as tigers cluster at waterholes.

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• Shirui (Ukhrul) Manipur

  Tangkhul Naga village under the 2,835 m peak where the Shirui lily blooms

  April brings rhododendron on the upper trail and by the last week of May the lily flowers; festival week fills every bed in Ukhrul, so book early or camp at Shirui

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• Longwa (Mon district) Nagaland

  Konyak village whose chief's house sits astride the frontier

  Aoleang in the first week of April is the year's big draw, and by late May the hill road starts breaking up again.

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• Manali Himachal Pradesh

  Himalayan backpacker basecamp for treks and easy adventure

  Peak escape-the-heat season - Apr-May are warm, green and busiest, book Old Manali stays ahead.

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• Bageshwar Uttarakhand

  Saryu-Gomti confluence town and gateway to Pindari glacier

  March-April is warm and clear at 15-28C; May is hazier at 30C but is the other good window for the Pindari trek.

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• Katra (Vaishno Devi) Jammu and Kashmir

  Base town for the year-round Vaishno Devi pilgrimage climb

  March-April brings Navratri crowds in good weather; by May plains heat climbs toward 40C.

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• Namchi Sikkim

  South Sikkim pilgrim town with a 108-ft Shiva and Char Dham

  March-April is warm, flowering and clear; by late May the pre-monsoon build-up greys out the ridge most afternoons.

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• Ziro Valley Arunachal Pradesh

  Apatani tribal valley of paddy fields and music festival

  Lovely window: paddy fields turning green, pleasant days before the rains set in.

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• Ooty (Udhagamandalam) Tamil Nadu

  Nilgiris' colonial hill capital, toy train and tea gardens

  Peak hill-season crowds (Apr-May), pleasant 15-25C days, book ahead as plains tourists flood in

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• Sandakphu West Bengal

  West Bengal's highest point - sunrise over 4 of 5 top peaks

  Apr rhododendrons carpet the ridge red and pink; by May haze builds as monsoon approaches.

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• Mawphlang Sacred Forest Meghalaya

  Khasi sacred grove where you may not carry a single leaf out

  March-April is the best walking window for the 16 km David Scott Trail down to Lad Mawphlang, before the rain.

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• Ranthambore Rajasthan

  Rajasthan's best shot at a wild tiger sighting

  Hot, but arguably the best sightings window. Animals gather at shrinking waterholes as forests dry out.

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• McLeod Ganj Himachal Pradesh

  Dalai Lama's home-in-exile - Tibetan culture hub

  Peak season - Mar-May bring warm days, packed meditation courses and full Dharamkot guesthouses.

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• Chopta Uttarakhand

  Basecamp for the Tungnath-Chandrashila alpine trek

  Prime trekking season: wildflower meadows, clear alpine views, good trail conditions

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• Kokernag & Verinag Jammu and Kashmir

  Verinag's Mughal spring tank and Kokernag's trout gardens

  Mar is thin and grey; Apr-May is blossom season across the Kokernag gardens at 18-26 C with the trout farm running.

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• Pelling Sikkim

  Closest hotel-window views of Kanchenjunga in Sikkim

  Mar-Apr brings the best light on the peaks; by May haze creeps in ahead of the rains.

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• Dirang Arunachal Pradesh

  Monpa valley with hot springs, en route to Tawang

  Best weather of the year. Apple orchards blooming, mild days, easy access.

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• Coonoor Tamil Nadu

  Quieter, lower Nilgiri twin to Ooty, ringed by tea estates

  Warm pleasant days among tea gardens, a quieter overflow alternative to a packed Ooty

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• Kalimpong West Bengal

  Quiet hill town near Darjeeling - monasteries, nurseries

  Mar-Apr flower nurseries (Kalimpong supplies orchids nationwide) are in full, fragrant bloom.

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• Bir Himachal Pradesh

  India's paragliding capital amid Tibetan monasteries

  Paragliding season in full swing - Mar-May bring reliable thermals and clear valley views from Billing.

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• Dwarahat (Dunagiri) Uttarakhand

  Fifty odd Katyuri stone temples in a quiet Kumaon bazaar

  March to May give the best light on the carved stone, 18 to 28 C, and the Syalde Bikhauti drums fill the bazaar in mid April.

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• Martand Sun Temple (Mattan) Jammu and Kashmir

  Lalitaditya's ruined 8th-century sun temple on a karewa plateau

  Mar is still bare and grey; Apr-May is ideal at 18-25 C with almond and mustard on the karewas and the lawn to yourself.

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• Ravangla Sikkim

  Laid-back South Sikkim town under a 130ft Buddha statue

  Mar-Apr rhododendrons bloom around the park; pleasant before the pre-monsoon haze sets in.

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• Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary (Lama Camp & Bompu) Arunachal Pradesh

  Birders' tented camps on a forest track up to 2,800 m, home of the Bugun liocichla

  Mar-May is breeding season: the Bugun liocichla sings below Lama Camp, tragopans call at dawn, and by May the pre-monsoon showers and leeches begin at Bompu

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Also in peak season in April

59 more, all of them in their best window this month.

• Abbott Mount (Lohaghat) Uttarakhand
• Bani (Sarthal Devi) Jammu and Kashmir
• Barot Himachal Pradesh
• Barsey Rhododendron Sanctuary (Hilley) Sikkim
• Bhaderwah Jammu and Kashmir
• Binsar Uttarakhand
• Chail Himachal Pradesh
• Chakrata Uttarakhand
• Chamba Himachal Pradesh
• Chaukori Uttarakhand
• Dalhousie Himachal Pradesh
• Dzongu (Lepcha Reserve) Sikkim
• Hanol (Mahasu Devta) Uttarakhand
• Jageshwar Uttarakhand
• Janjehli (Shikari Devi) Himachal Pradesh
• Jibhi Himachal Pradesh
• Kanatal Uttarakhand
• Karsog Valley Himachal Pradesh
• Kartik Swami (Kanakchauri) Uttarakhand
• Kasauli Himachal Pradesh
• Kausani Uttarakhand
• Khajjiar Himachal Pradesh
• Khirsu Uttarakhand
• Kullu Himachal Pradesh
• Lansdowne Uttarakhand
• Lava & Rishop (Neora Valley) West Bengal
• Lolab Valley (Sogam) Jammu and Kashmir
• Malana Himachal Pradesh
• Mannavanur Tamil Nadu
• Masinagudi (Mudumalai) Tamil Nadu
• Mechuka (Menchukha) Arunachal Pradesh
• Mirik West Bengal
• Mukteshwar Uttarakhand
• Munsiyari Uttarakhand
• Mussoorie Uttarakhand
• Naggar Himachal Pradesh
• Nainital Uttarakhand
• Narkanda & Thanedar Himachal Pradesh
• Nirmand (Srikhand Mahadev) Himachal Pradesh
• North Sikkim (Lachen-Lachung) Sikkim
• Pahalgam Jammu and Kashmir
• Palampur & Andretta Himachal Pradesh
• Parashar Lake Himachal Pradesh
• Patal Bhuvaneshwar Uttarakhand
• Patnitop Jammu and Kashmir
• Raithal (Dayara Bugyal) Uttarakhand
• Ranikhet Uttarakhand
• Rewalsar (Tso Pema) Himachal Pradesh
• Sarahan (Bhimakali) Himachal Pradesh
• Shangarh (Sainj Valley) Himachal Pradesh
• Shimla Himachal Pradesh
• Srinagar Jammu and Kashmir
• Tawang Arunachal Pradesh
• Teetwal (Tithwal) Jammu and Kashmir
• Tirthan Valley (Gushaini) Himachal Pradesh
• Tosh Himachal Pradesh
• Yuksom Sikkim
• Zemithang (Gorsam Chorten) Arunachal Pradesh
• Zuluk Sikkim

Shoulder season in April

Fewer people, cheaper beds, and a real chance the weather does not cooperate. 198 places sit in shoulder season this month.

• Achanakmar Tiger Reserve (Maikal Hills) Chhattisgarh
• Agartala & Unakoti Tripura
• Agatti Island (Lakshadweep) Lakshadweep
• Aizawl Mizoram
• Alchi (Sham Valley) Ladakh
• Amarkantak Madhya Pradesh
• Amboli Maharashtra
• Anini (Dibang Valley) Arunachal Pradesh
• Auli Uttarakhand
• Badrinath & Mana Uttarakhand
• Bandhavgarh National Park Madhya Pradesh
• Bandipur National Park Karnataka
• Bangaram Island Lakshadweep
• Baratang Island (Limestone Caves) Andaman & Nicobar Islands
• Barnawapara Sanctuary Chhattisgarh
• Baruva (Sompeta) Andhra Pradesh
• Basar Arunachal Pradesh
• Bateshwar & Chambal Safari (Bah) Uttar Pradesh
• Benreu (Mount Pauna) Nagaland
• Bhadra Tiger Reserve (Muthodi) Karnataka
• Bhairabkunda Assam
• Bharmour (Manimahesh) Himachal Pradesh
• Bhitarkanika National Park Odisha
• BR Hills (Biligiri Ranganatha) Karnataka
• Buxa Tiger Reserve (Jayanti) West Bengal
• Chandoli National Park Maharashtra
• Cherrapunji (Sohra) Meghalaya
• Chikhaldara Maharashtra
• Chikmagalur Karnataka
• Chitkul Himachal Pradesh
• Churdhar (via Nohradhar) Himachal Pradesh
• Coorg (Madikeri) Karnataka
• Dajipur (Radhanagari) Maharashtra
• Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary Jharkhand
• Dampa Tiger Reserve (Teirei) Mizoram
• Damro (Yamne valley) Arunachal Pradesh
• Dandeli Karnataka
• Dawki & Shnongpdeng Meghalaya
• Dehing Patkai National Park (Jeypore) Assam
• Deogarh (Devgarh) Rajasthan
• Deomali Odisha
• Dera Baba Nanak (Kartarpur Corridor) Punjab
• Devprayag Uttarakhand
• Dhosi Hill (Narnaul) Haryana
• Dibru-Saikhowa National Park (Guijan Ghat) Assam
• Diglipur (Ross & Smith Islands) Andaman & Nicobar Islands
• Doodhpathri Jammu and Kashmir
• Dudhwa National Park Uttar Pradesh
• Dzukou Valley Nagaland
• Gangasagar (Sagar Island) West Bengal
• Ganpatipule Maharashtra
• Gavi Kerala
• Ghuttu (Khatling Glacier) Uttarakhand
• Gir (Sasan Gir) Gujarat
• Goindwal Sahib (Baoli Sahib) Punjab
• Gorumara National Park (Lataguri) West Bengal
• Guhagar Maharashtra
• Gulmarg Jammu and Kashmir
• Guwahati Assam
• Haflong Assam
• Hajo & Sualkuchi Assam
• Haridwar Uttarakhand
• Harnai (Dapoli) Maharashtra
• Harsil Uttarakhand
• Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep) Andaman & Nicobar Islands
• Hmuifang Mizoram
• Hoollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary (Jorhat) Assam
• Jaisamand (Dhebar Lake) Rajasthan
• Jaldapara National Park (Madarihat) West Bengal
• Jawai Bandh (Bera) Rajasthan
• Jhalong & Bindu (Jaldhaka Valley) West Bengal
• Jim Corbett (Ramnagar) Uttarakhand
• Kabini Karnataka
• Kadmat Island Lakshadweep
• Kafnu (Bhabha Valley) Himachal Pradesh
• Kalesar National Park Haryana
• Kalpa Himachal Pradesh
• Kalpeni (Koomel Bay) Lakshadweep
• Kanha National Park Madhya Pradesh
• Kannur Kerala

Festivals in April

• Amritsar, Punjab: Apr: Baisakhi at the Golden Temple
• Badrinath & Mana, Uttarakhand: Apr/May: Badrinath kapat opening, date fixed at Basant Panchami
• Dwarahat (Dunagiri), Uttarakhand: Apr: Syalde Bikhauti fair, drums through the bazaar
• Goindwal Sahib (Baoli Sahib), Punjab: Apr: Baisakhi mela at the baoli
• Harsil, Uttarakhand: Apr/May: Gangotri portals open on Akshaya Tritiya
• Kedarnath, Uttarakhand: Apr/May: Kapat opening ceremony
• Longwa (Mon district), Nagaland: Apr: Aoleang Monyu (Konyak new year, 1-6 Apr)
• Madurai, Tamil Nadu: Apr-May: Chithirai Festival, Meenakshi's temple procession
• Piprahwa (Kapilavastu), Uttar Pradesh: Apr/May: Buddha Purnima prayers at the stupa
• Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir: Apr: Tulip Festival at Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden
• Talasari Beach (Chandaneswar), Odisha: mid-Apr: Chandaneswar mela on Chaitra Sankranti
• Talwandi Sabo (Takht Damdama Sahib), Punjab: Apr: Baisakhi mela at Takht Damdama Sahib
• Thrissur, Kerala: Apr/May: Thrissur Pooram at Vadakkumnathan
• Wan (Bedni Bugyal), Uttarakhand: Apr/May: the Latu Devta temple opens for its one day

Best states to visit in April

Himachal Pradesh (26)Uttarakhand (22)Jammu and Kashmir (11)Sikkim (9)Arunachal Pradesh (7)Tamil Nadu (5)West Bengal (5)Meghalaya (2)

Common questions