Best places to visit in India in August

Where India is at its best in August

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

• Leh Ladakh

  Ladakh's backpacker capital and high-pass road-trip hub

  Peak season - both highways open, dry rain-shadow weather, hostels and cafes buzzing.

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• Jispa (Bhaga Valley) Himachal Pradesh

  Bhaga riverside village on the Leh road, base for Baralacha La and Suraj Tal

  Jun-Sep is the season: Baralacha La and Suraj Tal a 2 h drive up, Deepak Tal 8 km on, Manali-Leh buses and bikers passing through; rain rarely reaches this far

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• Manasbal Lake Jammu and Kashmir

  Lotus-choked lake under Nur Jahan's Jarokha Bagh terrace

  Jul-Aug is peak lotus, solid pink across the north shore; Jun and Sep are quieter but still worth the shikara hour.

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• Bhandardara Maharashtra

  Dam-lake basecamp for Maharashtra's highest peak, Kalsubai

  Randha Falls and the valley go full postcard-green, though trails turn slick on weekends.

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• Ninai Falls (Dediapada) Gujarat

  Monsoon cascade in the teak forests behind the Statue of Unity

  Aug-Sep is full flow: a broad white curtain off the basalt lip with mist in the canopy; Jul depends on how early the rains land.

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• Shivanasamudra Falls Karnataka

  Twin Kaveri cataracts in full thunder after the rains

  Jul-Sep is the spectacle: Gaganachukki becomes a churning wall of whitewater and the viewing rails pack out on weekends.

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• Mandu Madhya Pradesh

  Ruined Malwa plateau city famous for its monsoon mist

  Mandu's real season: mist over Roopmati's pavilion, tanks fill, roads can get slick though.

  HeritageOffbeatCulture

• Sanaghagara & Badaghagara (Keonjhar) Odisha

  Twin falls of the Machha Kandana, a few minutes out of Keonjhar town

  July fills the Machha Kandana; Aug-Sep Badaghagara roars through the forest below, though spray soaks the rocks and paths get slippery.

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• Karkatgarh Falls (Kaimur) Bihar

  A 300 ft wide curtain of the Karmanasa where crocodiles bask below

  Jul-Sep the river spreads into its full 100 ft high curtain, the falls at their widest; rocks are slick and levels rise fast after rain.

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• Chitrakote Falls (Bastar) Chhattisgarh

  India's widest waterfall in the heart of tribal Bastar

  Chitrakote's real fame: Indravati floods the 300m ledge into a genuine roar; roads turn muddy though.

  WaterfallsOffbeatCulture

• Hirni Falls (Bandgaon) Jharkhand

  A 37 m forest falls on the Ramgarha, off the Ranchi to Chaibasa road

  July fills the river; Aug-Sep it pours off the plateau edge in a broad torrent, though the rocks get slick and swimming is unwise.

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• Banswara (Mahi Backwaters) Rajasthan

  Hundred islands of the Mahi backwaters in tribal Vagad

  Jul-Sep the wettest district in Rajasthan turns properly green, and by August the island-dotted Mahi spread is at its widest.

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• Ananthagiri Hills (Vikarabad) Telangana

  Deccan forest ridge where the Musi river starts, 90 km out

  Jul-Sep is when this place earns the drive, the Musi headwaters running and the whole ridge properly dense.

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• Lakhaniya Dari (Ahraura) Uttar Pradesh

  A jungle walk to a Vindhyan waterfall past prehistoric painted rock shelters

  Jul-Sep the falls are at full strength; the path crosses streams and the plunge pool is deep, so do not swim.

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• Chorla Ghat Goa

  Cloud-forest edge of Goa above the Vazra Sakla waterfall

  Jul-Sep is the point: Vazra Sakla thunders across the valley, moss and mist everywhere; expect rain most hours and pack for it.

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• Mangar Bani Haryana

  Sacred Gujjar grove guarding NCR's last primary Aravalli forest

  June is a furnace, but July-Sept rain flips the dhau canopy deep green, the one window when these Aravallis genuinely look alive.

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• Athirappilly Falls Kerala

  An 80ft waterfall curtain at its thundering best in monsoon

  This is peak season here - the falls roar at full width; stick to viewing platforms, rocks are lethal

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• Courtallam (Kutralam) Tamil Nadu

  Nine falls that run when the rest of Tamil Nadu is bone dry

  Jul-Aug is the Saral season, when southwest monsoon spilling through the Shencottah gap fills all nine falls and packs them.

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• Valley of Flowers Uttarakhand

  UNESCO alpine meadow of rare flora, open Jul-Sep only

  The only real window: park opens in June but flowers aren't out yet; peak bloom is Jul-Aug, fading by mid-Sep

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• Markha Valley Ladakh

  Ladakh's classic homestay trek below Kang Yatse's white pyramid

  Jul-Sep is prime: rain-shadow dry trails, parachute-tent cafes up, and a homestay bed with dinner waiting in every hamlet.

  TrekOffbeatMountains

• Kaza (Spiti) Himachal Pradesh

  Spiti's cold-desert capital - monasteries and moonscapes

  Spiti's real peak - a rain-shadow desert, so this is HP's warmest, driest, greenest window.

  MountainsOffbeatDesertCulture

• Naranag Jammu and Kashmir

  Ruined 8th-century Shiva temples at the Gangabal trailhead

  Jun-Sep is the trekking window: two days up to Gangabal under Harmukh, with guides and ponies hired in the village.

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• Igatpuri Maharashtra

  Vipassana meditation hub and monsoon trekking base

  Peak season for trekkers - Kalsubai and the ghats turn lush, though trails get slippery.

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• Saputara Gujarat

  Gujarat's only hill station, on the Maharashtra border

  Valleys turn green and Gira Falls runs full - this is when it actually looks alpine.

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• Agumbe Karnataka

  Rainforest village known as South India's Cherrapunji

  This is the season - 700cm+ of rain, roaring falls, king cobras out, but leeches everywhere.

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• Patalpani Falls (Mhow) Madhya Pradesh

  A 91 m monsoon plunge on the Choral, with a heritage hill train to Kalakund

  Jul-Sep is the reason to come, as the river drops about 91 m into a misty gorge; weekends are packed, so go midweek and keep off the edge.

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• Nrusinghanath (Gandhamardan Hills) Odisha

  A 1413 AD hill shrine below Gandhamardan's chain of cascades

  Jul-Sep is when the hill works. Kapildhara and the dharas above it all run, the sal drips, leeches on the ridge path, buses still get through.

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• Telhar Kund (Kaimur) Bihar

  An 80 m waterfall off the Kaimur plateau, deep in Bihar's southern forest

  Jul-Sep is the reason to come, as streams off the Adhaura plateau pour over the cliff; rocks are slippery and the water rises fast.

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• Ghatarani Falls (Gariaband) Chhattisgarh

  A stepped forest waterfall beside a Devi temple, a day out from Raipur

  July brings the water back; Aug-Sep it runs full over the wide rock tiers, but the wet rock is slippery, so bathe only at the edges.

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• Sadni Falls (Gumla) Jharkhand

  A 60 m snake-like cascade of the Sankh off the edge of the Netarhat plateau

  Jul-Sep the river coils down the scarp in full flow; forest roads off the Netarhat plateau turn muddy, so go in a sturdy car.

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• Menal (Falls & Temples) Rajasthan

  Monsoon waterfall plunging into a gorge by 11th century temples

  Jul-Sep is the show: the Menali river leaps off the plateau in full spate with spray drifting over the shikharas; wet rock, so mind the rim.

  WaterfallsHeritageOffbeat

• Kuntala Falls Telangana

  Telangana's tallest fall, 45 m of the Kadam off a ledge

  Jul-Sep is peak flow and the roar is the whole point, but the lower deck shuts when the river is in spate.

  WaterfallsOffbeat

• Rajdari & Devdari Falls (Chandraprabha) Uttar Pradesh

  Two forest waterfalls inside Chandraprabha sanctuary on the Kaimur scarp

  July fills the Chandraprabha and Aug to Sep is the reason to come, both falls in full roar, though the last stretch of track turns to mud

  WaterfallsWildlifeOffbeat

• Alchi (Sham Valley) Ladakh

  11th-century Kashmiri murals in a low Indus orchard village

  Jun-Sep stays dry with apricots ripening in July; the Choskor murals are unlit, so come when light reaches the doors.

  HeritageSpiritualOffbeat

• Kibber (Spiti) Himachal Pradesh

  Whitewashed village at 4,270 m, India's best chance of seeing a snow leopard

  Jun-Sep is easy Spiti: Kunzum open from Manali, the Chicham bridge 3 km on, the Kibber sanctuary walks, blue sheep on the slopes; hardly any rain this deep in

  WildlifeOffbeatMountainsSnow

• Sonamarg Jammu and Kashmir

  Meadow of Gold below Zoji La, base for the Great Lakes trek

  Prime season - the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek runs Jul-Sep and the road onward to Ladakh is fully open.

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Also in peak season in August

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

• Amboli Maharashtra
• Aryan Valley (Dha & Garkon) Ladakh
• Bahuti Falls (Mauganj) Madhya Pradesh
• Bangus Valley (Bungus) Jammu and Kashmir
• Chandratal Himachal Pradesh
• Drass Ladakh
• Gaganbawda Maharashtra
• Gokak Falls Karnataka
• Gurez Valley (Dawar) Jammu and Kashmir
• Hanle Ladakh
• Jawhar Maharashtra
• Jog Falls Karnataka
• Kargil Ladakh
• Lamayuru Ladakh
• Lonavala Maharashtra
• Machail (Paddar) Jammu and Kashmir
• Miyar Valley (Urgos) Himachal Pradesh
• Naldurg Maharashtra
• Nubra Valley Ladakh
• Pangi Valley (Killar) Himachal Pradesh
• Pangong Tso Ladakh
• Photoksar (Fotoksar) Ladakh
• Phurlijharan (Kalahandi) Odisha
• Pin Valley (Mudh) Himachal Pradesh
• Purne (Phugtal Gompa) Ladakh
• Rangdum Ladakh
• Rumbak (Hemis National Park) Ladakh
• Sahastrakund Falls Maharashtra
• Suru Valley (Panikhar) Ladakh
• Tarnetar Gujarat
• Trilokinath (Udaipur, Lahaul) Himachal Pradesh
• Tso Kar Ladakh
• Tso Moriri Ladakh
• Tulail Valley (Badugam) Jammu and Kashmir
• Turtuk Ladakh
• Warwan Valley (Inshan) Jammu and Kashmir
• Wilson Hills (Dharampur) Gujarat
• Zanskar Ladakh

Shoulder season in August

Fewer people, cheaper beds, and a real chance the weather does not cooperate. 146 places sit in shoulder season this month.

• Abhaneri (Chand Baori) Rajasthan
• Agra Uttar Pradesh
• Aharbal Falls Jammu and Kashmir
• Ajanta-Ellora Maharashtra
• Alampur (Jogulamba) Telangana
• Alleppey (Alappuzha) Backwaters Kerala
• Amritsar Punjab
• Aranmula Kerala
• Ayodhya Uttar Pradesh
• Badami-Aihole-Pattadakal Karnataka
• Bagh Caves (Bagh village) Madhya Pradesh
• Bandipur National Park Karnataka
• Bani (Sarthal Devi) Jammu and Kashmir
• Barsur Chhattisgarh
• Bawangaja (Barwani) Madhya Pradesh
• Belpahari (Kankrajhore) West Bengal
• Belur-Halebidu Karnataka
• Bhaderwah Jammu and Kashmir
• Bhainsrorgarh Rajasthan
• Bhairavakona Andhra Pradesh
• Bharatpur (Keoladeo National Park) Rajasthan
• Bharmour (Manimahesh) Himachal Pradesh
• Bhimashankar Maharashtra
• Bhimbetka (with Bhojpur) Madhya Pradesh
• Bhindawas Wildlife Sanctuary Haryana
• Bhopal & Sanchi Madhya Pradesh
• Bidar Karnataka
• Bogatha Falls Telangana
• BR Hills (Biligiri Ranganatha) Karnataka
• Bundi Rajasthan
• Champakulam (Kuttanad) Kerala
• Champaner-Pavagadh Gujarat
• Chandigarh Chandigarh
• Chandor & Loutolim Goa
• Chanshal Pass (Dodra Kwar) Himachal Pradesh
• Chikhaldara Maharashtra
• Chitradurga Karnataka
• Chittorgarh Rajasthan
• Dassam Falls Jharkhand
• Delhi Delhi
• Deogarh (Devgarh) Rajasthan
• Deoghar (Baidyanath Dham) Jharkhand
• Dhankar Himachal Pradesh
• Dhosi Hill (Narnaul) Haryana
• Divar Island Goa
• Doodhpathri Jammu and Kashmir
• Dudhni Lake Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu
• Gandikota Andhra Pradesh
• Gangrel Dam (Ravishankar Sagar) Chhattisgarh
• Garadia Mahadev (Chambal Gorge) Rajasthan
• Ghatshila Jharkhand
• Gingee Fort (Senji) Tamil Nadu
• Hampi Karnataka
• Hasanur (Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve) Tamil Nadu
• Hundru Falls Jharkhand
• Hyderabad Telangana
• Idar (Idariyo Gadh) Gujarat
• Jaipur Rajasthan
• Jaisamand (Dhebar Lake) Rajasthan
• Jhalawar (Gagron & Jhalrapatan) Rajasthan
• Jogimara Caves (Ramgarh Hill) Chhattisgarh
• Junnar (Shivneri) Maharashtra
• Kaas Plateau Maharashtra
• Kabini Karnataka
• Kafnu (Bhabha Valley) Himachal Pradesh
• Kakolat Falls Bihar
• Kalaburagi (Gulbarga) Karnataka
• Kalna (Ambika Kalna) West Bengal
• Kanthalloor Kerala
• Kanyakumari Tamil Nadu
• Keoti Falls (Rewa) Madhya Pradesh
• Khajuraho Madhya Pradesh
• Kokernag & Verinag Jammu and Kashmir
• Kugti (Budhil Valley) Himachal Pradesh
• Kukru (Khamla Plateau) Madhya Pradesh
• Kumarakom Kerala
• Kumbhalgarh Rajasthan
• Kurukshetra Haryana
• Lakkundi (Gadag) Karnataka
• Laknavaram Lake Telangana

Festivals in August

• Alleppey (Alappuzha) Backwaters, Kerala: Aug: Nehru Trophy Snake Boat Race
• Aranmula, Kerala: Aug/Sep: Aranmula Uthrattathi snake boat race
• Bharmour (Manimahesh), Himachal Pradesh: Aug/Sep: Manimahesh Yatra, Janmashtami to Radhashtami
• Chitrakote Falls (Bastar), Chhattisgarh: Aug-Oct: Bastar Dussehra, a 75-day tribal festival.
• Divar Island, Goa: Aug: Bonderam flag festival
• Dwarka, Gujarat: Aug/Sep: Janmashtami (Krishna's birthday) - massive pilgrim crowds
• Ganpatipule, Maharashtra: Aug/Sep: Ganeshotsav at the swayambhu Ganpati temple (dates shift yearly)
• Hanol (Mahasu Devta), Uttarakhand: Aug/Sep: Jagra, a night of drums for Mahasu Devta
• Kaza (Spiti), Himachal Pradesh: Aug: Ladarcha trade fair
• Mahoba (Chandela Lakes), Uttar Pradesh: Aug: Kajli Mela at Kirat Sagar
• Mumbai, Maharashtra: Aug/Sep: Ganesh Chaturthi (Ganpati Visarjan) - huge processions
• Naranag, Jammu and Kashmir: Aug/Sep: Harmukh-Gangabal yatra from the temple
• Pondicherry (incl. Auroville), Puducherry: Aug 15: Sri Aurobindo's birthday celebrations at the Ashram
• Ravangla, Sikkim: Aug-Sep: Pang Lhabsol at Ralang Monastery
• Tarnetar, Gujarat: Aug/Sep: Tarnetar fair on Bhadarvi Sud 4-6
• Trilokinath (Udaipur, Lahaul), Himachal Pradesh: Aug: Pauri fair, three days of Lahauli song and dance at the temple

Best states to visit in August

Ladakh (19)Maharashtra (8)Jammu and Kashmir (8)Himachal Pradesh (8)Karnataka (4)Gujarat (4)Madhya Pradesh (3)Odisha (3)

Common questions