Best Places to Visit in India in September: Weather, Where to Go and What to Avoid

September is a month of two halves. The monsoon begins to pull back from the north-west of India, and by IMD's normal dates it has left Jodhpur by 19 September, Jaipur by 23 September, Delhi by 25 September and Agra by 28 September. Further south and east it stays: the normal withdrawal from Mumbai is 8 October, and from Goa and Puri 14 October. These are averages, and the real dates move from year to year. The figures below are IMD's long-term averages for named stations.

• The northern plains dry out over the month. New Delhi (Safdarjung) averages 128 mm of rain in September, on five or six days, against 227 mm in August, with days still around 34°C and nights around 25°C. Varanasi, where the monsoon normally lingers until 4 October, averages about 233 mm.
• The Himalaya turns clear and cooler behind the main range. Leh averages 8.9 mm of rain, with days around 24°C and nights around 9°C; Srinagar 37 mm, about 28°C by day and 13°C at night. The foothills stay wet until the monsoon leaves: its normal departure is 24 September at Shimla and 27 September at Dehradun.
• The desert is almost dry but still hot. Jaisalmer averages 32 mm of rain, on about two days, with days around 37°C and nights around 25°C.
• The west coast is still in the monsoon, though lighter than in July. Mumbai (Santacruz) averages about 341 mm, on 14 days; Goa about 260 mm, on 13 days; Kochi about 310 mm.
• The south has a surprise in store: September is Bengaluru's wettest month, at about 208 mm, with days around 29°C. Chennai averages about 146 mm, with days around 34°C.
• The east and north-east stay wet: Kolkata (Alipore) averages about 318 mm, and Guwahati about 198 mm.

For the monsoon's normal dates in every region, see our monsoon guide; for the months either side, India in August and India in October.

Ladakh, early in the month

Leh's September is dry and cooler, and the Manali–Leh highway, which the Leh district gives as open from May or June to September or October, is still running. Nights are cold, around 9°C at Leh and colder higher up, so pack warm layers. Our Ladakh travel guide covers routes and acclimatisation.

Spiti

The Lahaul and Spiti district gives mid-May to mid-October as the best time to visit, and September falls well inside it. Spiti is in the rain shadow and gets scanty rain; the district still rates landslide risk as high, so leave a spare day. The Kunzum route from Manali generally closes from about October or November, so September is one of the last full months to drive the whole loop. See our Spiti Valley travel guide.

The Kashmir valley

With 37 mm of rain on average and days around 28°C, Srinagar's September is one of its drier, milder months. Our Kashmir travel guide covers Srinagar, Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sonmarg, and our Kashmir tour packages are planned around the valley.

Rajasthan, late in the month

Once the monsoon withdraws, normally from Jodhpur on 19 September and Jaipur on 23 September, Rajasthan dries out quickly, though days in the desert stay hot, around 37°C at Jaisalmer. The last week of September suits a trip that carries on into October. Our Rajasthan travel guide helps choose the route.

• A rigid plan for the first half of the month. The monsoon withdraws from the north-west only from about 17 September, and the dates vary from year to year, so keep early-September plans on the plains flexible.
• Beach holidays on the west coast. Mumbai and Goa still average rain on 13 or 14 days of the month.
• Bengaluru without an umbrella. September is its wettest month.
• Long foothill drives before the monsoon leaves. The Geological Survey of India says landslides occur every year, mostly in the monsoon; in the Himalayan foothills the monsoon normally lasts until the last week of September.
• Kaziranga, whose season the Assam Forest Department gives as November to April.

• Onam, Kerala's harvest festival, runs for ten days from the Atham asterism in the month of Chingam, which Kerala Tourism places in August or September; in years when Chingam falls late, it is a September festival. Our Onam guide explains the festival.
• Pack for two climates. Light cotton for the plains and the south, a rain layer for the west coast and the east, and warm layers for the Himalaya, where September nights fall below 10°C at Leh.