Best time to visit Varanasi, India

Our verdict

The best time to visit Varanasi is January-March

Based on all the essential things any traveller needs to know about visiting Varanasi such as the cost of travel, weather, peak travel seasons and many more, January-March is the best time of year to go.

In summer, the average maximum temperature is around 43℃ (110℉), but temperatures can sometimes reach as high as 45℃ (113℉) on the hottest days of the year. The weather at night in the winter, which is around January-time, can get down to a minimum of 8℃ (47℉).

If you want to get the most out of your time visiting Varanasi, or you’re just afraid of the dark, the days in May are usually the longest between sunrise and sunset. You don’t want to get wet on your holiday, do you? Well if you’re trying to avoid the rain, then steer clear of Varanasi in July. Head over there in May instead if you want to increase your chances of not being rained on.

For more information about when to travel to Varanasi, the monthly weather breakdown and the best information and tools to book your trip, continue reading below.

Warmest month

May

Least rainfall

May

Most daylight

May

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Varanasi seasons

Before you continue, it’s important to know when the seasons are in Varanasi as they might be different to yours depending on where in the world you’re travelling from. Varanasi is in the Northern Hemisphere, so the seasons fall during these months:

Season Months
Summer June to August
Autumn/fall September to November
Winter December to February
Spring March to May

Average temperatures in Varanasi

If the temperature is a big factor for you to help you decide when to visit, the chart below shows the average minimum and maximum temperatures in Varanasi for each month side-by-side so you can easily see the difference in weather throughout the year. To see the temperatures in both Celsius (°C) and Fahrenheit (°F), hover or tap the shaded boxes on the graph.

Varanasi climate by month

If you already have a rough idea about which months you might want to travel, the section below shows a detailed breakdown of the climate in Varanasi for each month so you can see if it all suits your wants and needs. Scroll down, or use the quick menu below to jump to your preferred month.

Jump to:

JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC

Varanasi in January

  • Average temperature: 16℃ (61℉)
  • Average high temperature: 24℃ (75℉)
  • Average low temperature: 11℃ (52℉)
  • Average humidity: 56%
  • Average sunny days: 28 days
  • Average rainfall: 8mm (0") over 3 days
28 days
of pure sunshine
3 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Varanasi in January, make sure you pack a coat or jumper for the evenings, and t-shirts and light gear for the daytime.


Varanasi in February

  • Average temperature: 20℃ (68℉)
  • Average high temperature: 28℃ (82℉)
  • Average low temperature: 14℃ (57℉)
  • Average humidity: 49%
  • Average sunny days: 24 days
  • Average rainfall: 7mm (0") over 3 days
24 days
of pure sunshine
3 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Varanasi in February, make sure you pack t-shirts for the daytime and maybe a light jumper for the evenings as it cools down a bit.


Varanasi in March

  • Average temperature: 27℃ (80℉)
  • Average high temperature: 35℃ (94℉)
  • Average low temperature: 20℃ (67℉)
  • Average humidity: 30%
  • Average sunny days: 27 days
  • Average rainfall: 9mm (0") over 4 days
27 days
of pure sunshine
4 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Varanasi in March, make sure you pack t-shirts for the daytime and maybe a light jumper for the evenings as it cools down a bit.


Varanasi in April

  • Average temperature: 34℃ (93℉)
  • Average high temperature: 41℃ (105℉)
  • Average low temperature: 26℃ (79℉)
  • Average humidity: 21%
  • Average sunny days: 25 days
  • Average rainfall: 5mm (0") over 3 days
25 days
of pure sunshine
3 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Varanasi in April, make sure you pack t-shirts, shorts and sun protection.


Varanasi in May

  • Average temperature: 37℃ (99℉)
  • Average high temperature: 43℃ (110℉)
  • Average low temperature: 31℃ (87℉)
  • Average humidity: 24%
  • Average sunny days: 27 days
  • Average rainfall: 3mm (0") over 3 days
27 days
of pure sunshine
3 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Varanasi in May, make sure you pack t-shirts, shorts and sun protection as it's really hot all day and night.


Varanasi in June

  • Average temperature: 37℃ (99℉)
  • Average high temperature: 42℃ (107℉)
  • Average low temperature: 32℃ (90℉)
  • Average humidity: 35%
  • Average sunny days: 18 days
  • Average rainfall: 45mm (2") over 10 days
18 days
of pure sunshine
10 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Varanasi in June, make sure you pack t-shirts, shorts and sun protection as it's really hot all day and night.


Varanasi in July

  • Average temperature: 32℃ (90℉)
  • Average high temperature: 36℃ (96℉)
  • Average low temperature: 29℃ (84℉)
  • Average humidity: 64%
  • Average sunny days: 7 days
  • Average rainfall: 196mm (8") over 23 days
7 days
of pure sunshine
23 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Varanasi in July, make sure you pack t-shirts, shorts and sun protection.


Varanasi in August

  • Average temperature: 30℃ (87℉)
  • Average high temperature: 34℃ (94℉)
  • Average low temperature: 27℃ (81℉)
  • Average humidity: 71%
  • Average sunny days: 6 days
  • Average rainfall: 148mm (6") over 23 days
6 days
of pure sunshine
23 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Varanasi in August, make sure you pack t-shirts and shorts.. It stays warm all day and night.


Varanasi in September

  • Average temperature: 29℃ (84℉)
  • Average high temperature: 33℃ (92℉)
  • Average low temperature: 25℃ (78℉)
  • Average humidity: 72%
  • Average sunny days: 11 days
  • Average rainfall: 133mm (5") over 17 days
11 days
of pure sunshine
17 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Varanasi in September, make sure you pack t-shirts and shorts.. It stays warm all day and night.

Varanasi in October

  • Average temperature: 26℃ (79℉)
  • Average high temperature: 32℃ (89℉)
  • Average low temperature: 21℃ (71℉)
  • Average humidity: 62%
  • Average sunny days: 23 days
  • Average rainfall: 29mm (1") over 6 days
23 days
of pure sunshine
6 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Varanasi in October, make sure you pack t-shirts and shorts.. It stays pretty warm most of the time.


Varanasi in November

  • Average temperature: 23℃ (73℉)
  • Average high temperature: 29℃ (85℉)
  • Average low temperature: 18℃ (64℉)
  • Average humidity: 46%
  • Average sunny days: 29 days
  • Average rainfall: 3mm (0") over 1 days
29 days
of pure sunshine
1 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Varanasi in November, make sure you pack t-shirts for the daytime and maybe a light jumper for the evenings as it cools down a bit.


Varanasi in December

  • Average temperature: 18℃ (65℉)
  • Average high temperature: 25℃ (77℉)
  • Average low temperature: 13℃ (56℉)
  • Average humidity: 45%
  • Average sunny days: 30 days
  • Average rainfall: 6mm (0") over 1 days
30 days
of pure sunshine
1 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Varanasi in December, make sure you pack t-shirts for the daytime and maybe a light jumper for the evenings as it cools down a bit.


Top FAQs

The hottest month of the year in Varanasi is usually May, where temperatures tend to rise to around 43℃ (110℉) in the middle of the day or early afternoon.
The month with the least amount of rain in Varanasi is generally around May. The dry season often coincides with cooler weather, so you should check the temperatures in May first to make sure it’s still a good time to go.
The rainiest time of year in Varanasi is generally around July, although the wetter season can sometimes extend a few months either side of July too.
If you want to get the most out of your time visiting Varanasi, or if you're just afraid of the dark, the days in May are usually the longest between sunrise and sunset.

Varanasi map