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Everyone says skip Rajasthan in July. Most of them are wrong.
The desert state in monsoon looks nothing like what you have seen on travel reels. The lakes actually fill. The forts get wrapped in cloud. Bundi’s stepwells overflow in a way that makes you stop walking and just stand there. It is a different Rajasthan, and honestly, a better one for certain kinds of travellers.
Thinking of a monsoon trip to Rajasthan? Talk to our team for the best route.
If you have been waiting for a version of this place without the tour groups, the marked up hotel rates and the 45 degree heat, monsoon is your window. The best places to visit in Rajasthan during monsoon are not consolation prizes for off season budgets. They are genuinely worth it.
Here is where to go, and what actually changes when the rains arrive.
Depends on what you want from a trip.
If you are after peak season energy, packed bazaars, every camel safari slot booked two weeks out, skip it. But if you want Rajasthan with room to breathe, where the ghats are not crowded, rooftop restaurants have actual tables, and you can walk through a 500 year old fort without bumping into someone’s selfie stick, then yes. Very much so.
July and August bring the heaviest rainfall. September is the sweet spot, the rains wind down, the green stays, the heat is manageable, prices are still low. September in Rajasthan might be the most underrated travel month in the country. Not exaggerating.
One real thing to plan around: some rural roads and a few wildlife zones get restricted during heavy rain. Always check local conditions before heading somewhere remote, especially if a monsoon road trip across Rajasthan is on the cards.
Rajasthan has exactly one hill station. This is it. And it never looks better than it does between July and September.
The Aravalli range around Mount Abu gets properly green during this time, not some grass here and there green. The kind where the photos look filtered even when they are not. Nakki Lake fills up, the surrounding hills go misty, and the whole place slows down in a good way.
Dilwara Temples are here too. Jain marble carvings that are among the finest anywhere in the world. During monsoon, you will actually get to see them quietly. Without the usual shuffle of three tour groups trying to move through the same corridor.
For families, this is probably the most practical pick among all Rajasthan monsoon destinations. Cool air, manageable altitude, enough to fill two to three days without anything feeling forced.
Neither. It is just a different city.
Lake Pichola fills and the City Palace reflection becomes genuinely dramatic. The Monsoon Palace, Sajjan Garh, earns its name completely during this season. Often wrapped in low cloud, the views from up there stop you mid sentence. Fateh Sagar, Badi Lake, the green hills that ring the whole city, they show up properly only in the rains.
Romantic? Yes, but not in the heavily curated, planned for photos way. More quiet, more accidental. You will sit at Ambrai Ghat with an actual table to yourself. The evenings are cool enough to stay out late.
Boat rides on Pichola can be paused during very heavy rain days. Plan outdoor activities for early mornings or evenings, those windows are usually clear. Our 3 day Udaipur itinerary works well in monsoon, just keep it flexible by day.
Say Bundi to most people planning a Rajasthan trip and you get a blank look. Good.
This town has over 50 stepwells, called baoris, and during the rainy season most of them fill. Raniji ki Baori is the one to see first. The water rises, green lines the ancient stone walls in a way that looks deliberate, and the light on overcast mornings is genuinely worth getting up early for.
Taragarh Fort sits above the town and gets a full wash of rain fed green that makes it look like concept art. The murals inside are some of Rajasthan’s finest, talked about in guidebooks but rarely seen because Bundi never made it onto the main tourist circuit.
That is the point, really. Two days here during monsoon beats a rushed hour at any more famous destination. If you are planning a longer Rajasthan itinerary, Bundi deserves a proper slot, not a quick detour. Our complete 7 day Rajasthan itinerary for first time visitors shows how a stop like Bundi fits into a wider route.
Kumbhalgarh is worth visiting any time. In monsoon, it’s something else.
The fort’s perimeter wall, one of the longest in the world, stretches across Aravalli hills that are fully green from July onwards. Walking the battlements with mist rolling across the forested valley below is an experience that a clear sunny day simply cannot replicate. Different vibe entirely.
The wildlife sanctuary surrounding the fort gets quieter during the rains. Leopards, wolves, sloth bears. Sightings are not guaranteed but the vegetation and the absence of tourist buses makes for better conditions.
From Udaipur it is about two hours by road. The drive through the Aravallis during monsoon is scenic enough to justify the trip on its own.
Most people have never heard of it. That’s both the limitation and the whole appeal.
In the far south, near the Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh borders, Banswara sits in an area sometimes called the City of Hundred Islands because of how the Mahi River spreads across the landscape. During monsoon, the surrounding tribal belt turns deep green. The Mahi fills up. The whole area transforms in a way that has no business being in Rajasthan if you go by the postcard version of this state.
Anand Sagar Lake, Tripura Sundari Temple, Kagdi Pick Up Weir. None of these are famous. All of them are worth seeing in the rains.
Best as an add on if you are already in southern Rajasthan or crossing into Gujarat. Not worth a standalone trip from Jaipur, but if you are routing through Dungarpur or Chittorgarh, it fits.
Chittorgarh Fort is the biggest fort in Rajasthan by area. It sits on a hill. During monsoon, the entire escarpment turns green and the scale of the place becomes easier to take in when it is not washed out in dry haze and heat.
Vijay Stambha framed against cloud cover is a genuinely different image from any other season. Fewer visitors means you can actually move through the site instead of shuffling behind a tour group.
Ranakpur is about three hours from Udaipur. The Chaumukha Jain Temple here has 1,444 individually carved marble pillars. No two are identical. The forested valley around it gets properly green during the rains and the approach road through the hills is one of the better scenic drives you can do in the state this time of year.
Short on time but based in Jaipur? The options are better than most people expect.
Sariska: Tiger reserve, two hours out. Safari operations continue through monsoon with some restrictions. The forest goes lush in a way that is visually worth the drive.
Alwar: Siliserh Lake Palace sits on a reservoir that fills dramatically in the rains. Heritage hotel stay here is excellent value off season.
Pushkar: The lake fills, the ghats take on a different character, and the town is far quieter than its usual festival time self.
Abhaneri: Chand Baori stepwell. Always good, better in soft monsoon light. Go early morning.
All of these work as one or two night getaways. If you are unsure whether 4 days is enough to cover a broader trip, our guide on whether 4 days is enough for a Rajasthan trip goes into how pacing works, regardless of season.
This needs to be said clearly because the marketing around green Rajasthan can mislead.
Western Rajasthan, meaning Jaisalmer, Barmer, most of Bikaner, does receive monsoon rain. It does not transform visually. The landscape remains largely arid. The temperature drops, which is nice, but if you are going for the green scenery, you will not find it there.
The places that actually change are the Aravalli belt, Mount Abu and surrounding Sirohi, Kumbhalgarh and its sanctuary, Bundi and Chittorgarh in the Hadoti region, Banswara and Dungarpur in the tribal south, and the hills around Udaipur and Ranakpur.
These are the places to visit in Rajasthan in rainy season if the visual transformation is what you are after.
Rajasthan is safe to travel during monsoon. Flash flooding can affect low lying areas and some rural roads during very heavy rain but the major towns and highways are fine. Do not drive through visibly flooded roads, do not hike during active storms, check conditions before heading somewhere remote.
Hotel rates drop across the state between June and September. Heritage properties that cost heavily in winter often run 30 to 50 percent lower during this window. That alone is a strong reason to consider it.
Mosquitoes are more active after the rains. Carry repellent, cover up in evenings, make sure your accommodation has screens or AC.
Solo travel in Rajasthan is generally fine year round including monsoon. Our guide on solo female travel in Rajasthan covers what to expect in detail.
Best month within the monsoon window: September, without question. Green landscape, winding down rains, still low prices, no peak crowd. If July or August is your only option, lean toward the Aravalli hill areas and build flexibility into the plan. For a wider comparison of how seasons affect pricing and crowds, see our guide on whether you should travel in Rajasthan during peak season.
The monsoon places to visit in Rajasthan are no longer the best kept secret they once were, but they are still far from crowded. Bundi in the rain. Kumbhalgarh in the mist. Udaipur with empty ghats at 7 AM. These are not compromises for people who could not book in December. They are a better version of the state for people who know what they are after.
If you have more time and want to combine a few of these with the main circuit, our best route for a 10 day Rajasthan tour shows how places like Kumbhalgarh and Ranakpur fit alongside Udaipur and the desert cities.
If you are ready to put an actual itinerary together around any of these, our Rajasthan tour packages cover monsoon options across different trip lengths and group sizes. Worth a look before September books up.
Which city in Rajasthan is best during monsoon?
Udaipur and Bundi are the two strongest picks. Udaipur for the lake views and the general quietness that the off season brings. Bundi for stepwells and a fort without the tourist crowd. Mount Abu works better for families who want cooler air.
Is Mount Abu good in the rainy season?
Very much so. The Aravalli range around it turns properly green, the Nakki Lake fills, and the mist gives the whole area a different quality. July and August can be heavy on rainfall. September is more comfortable if you have flexibility on dates.
Where exactly does Rajasthan turn green during monsoon?
The Aravalli belt is where the transformation is real. Mount Abu, Kumbhalgarh, Bundi, the Udaipur surroundings, Banswara and Dungarpur in the south, and the valleys near Ranakpur. Western Rajasthan sees limited greening even in good monsoon years.
Is it safe to travel Rajasthan in monsoon?
Yes, for most travellers and most destinations. Avoid rural roads after very heavy rain, stay flexible with itineraries, check conditions before remote trips. The major towns and highways are accessible throughout the season.
What are the best monsoon weekend getaways in Rajasthan?
From Jaipur: Alwar, Sariska, Abhaneri, Pushkar. From Udaipur: Kumbhalgarh, Ranakpur, Chittorgarh. All under three hours by road and all genuinely good in the rains.
Can I visit Jaisalmer during monsoon?
You can. The heat drops, the prices drop more, and it is much quieter. But the dramatic green landscape that makes monsoon Rajasthan worth planning for, you will not find it there. Go if you love the desert itself, not for the seasonal transformation.
What is the best month in rainy season to visit Rajasthan?
September. The monsoon is tapering, the state is still lush, the heat is manageable, and the peak season has not arrived yet. Probably the most underappreciated month on the Rajasthan travel calendar.
Want a monsoon itinerary built around these exact places? Reach out and we will plan it for you.
Planning a wider India trip too?
Our guide to 50 tourist places in India gives a broader picture of where Rajasthan fits into a longer journey.