Best Places to Visit in India in April: The Hills, the North-East and the Islands

April sits in the middle of the India Meteorological Department's (IMD) pre-monsoon season. IMD's heat-wave criteria begin at 40°C on the plains, and April's averages already come within a few degrees of that across Rajasthan and the Gangetic plain, while the hill towns stay between about 10°C and 21°C.

April's Delhi, Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Srinagar, Gulmarg and Chennai numbers are IMD's 1991–2020 normals, Leh's come from IMD's 2011–2024 table, and the remaining four rows from IMD's city climate profiles.

The plains and the desert

Heat is the story. IMD's profiles give Agra a 38.1°C average high in April and Varanasi 38.8°C, and Jaisalmer averages 38.9°C. Agra's profile also notes dust storms from March to July. IMD issues colour-coded heat-wave warnings in its daily bulletins, with a five-day outlook, on its website.

The hills and valleys

Srinagar averages 20.6°C by day and 7.9°C at night, and Shimla 20.5°C and 11.4°C. Himachal Tourism says visitors converge on Manali in summer from April to July, and calls April to October a good time to visit Spiti. Gulmarg is still cold, with a 10.4°C average high. In Ladakh, Leh averages 14.8°C by day but 1.7°C at night, and the Leh district gives both highways an opening season that starts in May. Further south in the Himalayan foothills, Dehradun, the gateway to Mussoorie and Rishikesh, already averages 32.3°C.

The south

April is Kochi's hottest month, at 33.0°C on average, and its rain starts to build, to 104 mm. In Thiruvananthapuram, IMD's profile says thunderstorms are most frequent in April, May, October and November. Chennai averages 34.7°C by day and 26.9°C at night.

The east and the north-east

Kolkata averages 35.3°C by day. IMD's profile says thunderstorms there are frequent from April to October, and in April and May they sometimes bring hail. In Guwahati, thunderstorms from March to May occasionally bring dust storms, hail and squalls, and in Meghalaya IMD describes abundant rain at Shillong from April to October.

The Andaman Islands

April is Port Blair's hottest month, at a 32.3°C average high, and the last of its drier months, with 74 mm. IMD describes the islands as wet through the year except from January to April.

• Kashmir. Srinagar's spring days average about 21°C; our Kashmir travel guide covers Srinagar, Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sonmarg.
• Himachal Pradesh. Shimla and Manali are at the start of their season, and Spiti opens up through the spring. Our Himachal Pradesh travel guide compares the hill towns, and our Himachal Pradesh tour packages join them up.
• Uttarakhand and the Char Dham. The four shrines open for the season in spring on dates set each year: in 2026, Gangotri and Yamunotri opened on 19 April, Kedarnath on 22 April and Badrinath on 23 April, according to All India Radio. Our Char Dham travel guide explains the route.
• Assam. The Assam Forest Department's season for Kaziranga runs to the end of April, and Assam Tourism says the best sightseeing lasts until early April.
• The Andaman Islands. The last dry weeks, with Jolly Buoy island open until mid-May.
• Tiger reserves, early. Ranthambore is open until June, by Rajasthan Tourism's account, and Kanha until 30 June; Kanha's reserve says some visitors prefer the hot months because tigers are more often seen near water. Keep to the morning drives.

• Midday on the plains. Delhi, Agra, Jaipur and Varanasi average 36.5 to 38.8°C by day. See the forts and monuments at opening time, rest after lunch and go out again in the late afternoon.
• Ladakh by road. The Leh district's open seasons for the Srinagar–Leh and Manali–Leh highways start in May. Flights reach Leh daily from Delhi, and the district's rule of at least 48 hours' acclimatisation in Leh applies before any higher trip.
• The Rohtang Pass. Himachal Tourism says it reopens by May after its winter closure; the Atal Tunnel keeps the road from Manali to Lahaul open all year.
• Heat-wave days. Check IMD's colour-coded warnings before long drives across Rajasthan and the plains, and carry water.

May is hotter again on the plains, and the high passes start to open; see India in May. Our guide to the best time to visit India shows how April fits the year.

• Baisakhi. Punjab Tourism says Vaisakhi is celebrated on 13 or 14 April each year, marking the Sikh New Year, the start of the harvest and the founding of the Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699. Our Amritsar travel guide covers the Golden Temple city.
• Bohag Bihu. Assam Tourism places Bohag Bihu, the spring Bihu, in mid-April; see our Assam travel guide.
• Vishu. Kerala Tourism says Vishu falls in April and marks the beginning of the harvest calendar in Kerala.
• Thrissur Pooram. Kerala Tourism places it in the Malayalam month of Medam (April–May), at Thekkinkadu Maidanam in Thrissur, bringing together ten temples.
• Gangaur. In years when it falls in April, Jaipur's Gangaur procession leaves the City Palace; Rajasthan Tourism places the festival in Chaitra (March–April).
• The Apricot Blossom Festival. The Leh district lists it in April, in Ladakh's central and lower Indus valley.