Anyone who has begun to plan a trip to Rajasthan has surely read the article that “October to March is the best time to visit”. Yes, but it’s not all that — particularly if you’re travelling with your youngsters or older parents.This is truly the ideal window for families, and for more than just the “nice weather.” In most of Rajasthan the daytime temperatures are comfortably within the range of 20-28C and one can actually carry out activities of outdoor nature, like the visit to the fort, camel rides, desert safari, and so on, without anybody getting ‘warm-fingers’ (literally, of course!) by 11 AM.
The months of December and January are cooler with chilly mornings and evenings particularly in Jaisalmer and Mount Abu where the temperature drops to 5-8°C at night. Even though it is “desert weather,” pack a few warm clothing layers when travelling with young children as it can get very cold in the desert after dark.
It also coincides with some big festivals such as the Jaipur Literature Festival (January) and Pushkar Camel Fair (November) which may be a big advantage or disadvantage depending on the nature of your family. Up side: It is the peak season, hotel rates in Udaipur and Jaipur increase by 30-50% as compared to off season, and popular forts are really busy by mid morning. If travelling with a tour company, make hotel reservations 6–8 weeks in advance during December–January.
While it’s still workable, with caveats, March is coming.
It remains pleasant in early March with day time temperatures of 30-32°C, but then begins to ramp up by late March. If travel dates are in early March, you should be OK, but make outdoor travel (Amber Fort, City Palace, desert safaris) in the morning (before 11 AM) and save afternoons for indoor activities (museums, hotel pool time).
April–June: Not Recommended (Young Kids)
Summers in Rajasthan are not lightening some jokes. Even Bikaner, Udaipur and Jaipur experience temperatures of 42-45°C regularly and in the high 30s to low 40s in Jaipur and Udaipur. For young children and older travelers, fort visits are truly dangerous – little shade and dehydration can set in quickly.
If you can only go during the summer (e.g. school holidays) then Udaipur is the most comfortable to be at since the lakes have a mild cooling effect and Mount Abu is a hill-station getaway. If you have children under 8, avoid all Jaisalmer and Bikaner.July to September: Monsoon — An Underrated Option This is the one season you don’t see talked about often and for good reason, family trips are very deserving of it. While there is a lot of rain in Rajasthan, it is not constant, and the temperature never gets as low as 30°C, which is what Udaipur’s lakes fill up with, what Aravalli hills turn green with and which also makes for a marked discount on hotel rates in the region (40–50% off peak pricing).
The compromise: camel safaris are suspended on rainy days in Jaisalmer, and a few roads are muddy in the countryside. However, for a family-friendly honeymoon budget-conscious that just want to visit Udaipur, Jaipur and Mount Abu, monsoon is definitely an underrated holiday. The best way to insure against this is to read some of our Recommendation by Family Type articles.
November-December-February for families with toddlers/young kids.
• Families consenting to heat, seeking lower price: July to September (Udaipur/Mount Abu focus)
For school-holiday trips (April/May trip only): Take the time to visit Udaipur or Mount Abu before heading to Jaisalmer/Bikaner
For families who wish to experience festivals, the period of Late November (Pushkar Fair) or January (Jaipur Literature Festival) is the right time.
Planning Your Dates
After selecting your season, the next step is typically how many days to spend in the region, and which cities to visit — we’ve prepared a 7-day Rajasthan Family Itinerary to help you with that. For those who would like assistance in creating an itinerary based on their travel dates, our team at Aryan Services can prepare a day-to-day plan with hotel and travel options per the pace of your family. Get in touch here.