Winter in Rajasthan runs from November to February. January is the coldest month, with average lows of 8.4°C in Jaipur and 9.3°C in Jaisalmer, and afternoons around 22 to 24°C, according to India Meteorological Department normals for 1991 to 2020. The month you choose changes the trip more than most travellers expect. November has warm afternoons and a busy festival calendar; December has peak pricing; January has the coldest nights; and February brings the warmth back before the April heat. Bout India plans Rajasthan trips from our Jaipur base, and this is the month-by-month picture we use.
TL;DR
- January is the coldest month everywhere in Rajasthan. IMD averages put January lows between 7.6°C (Udaipur) and 9.6°C (Jodhpur) on the plains, and 2.9°C at Mount Abu.
- The night is the number to plan around. In Jaisalmer, the average gap between afternoon and night is about 14°C in January, and the record January low is-5.9°C.
- November is still warm. Average November nights stay between 13°C and 16.2°C, the mildest of the season, which suits travellers who dislike cold nights.
- December is the price month, not the weather month. From 20 December to 10 January, rates run 25 to 40 per cent above shoulder season, and bookings are non-refundable.
- February is the value month. Averages match late November, and the 2027 Jaisalmer Desert Festival runs from 18 to 20 February.
- Mount Abu is the outlier. Its average December and January lows sit below 4°C.
How cold does each Rajasthan city get in winter?
Statewide ranges hide the difference between cities. This table uses India Meteorological Department climate normals for 1991 to 2020, as published in the climate tables for each city. Each cell gives the average daily high and average daily low in °C.
|
City |
November |
December |
January |
February |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29.6 / 14.4 | 25.1 / 9.9 | 22.5 / 8.4 | 26.1 / 12.0 | |
| 29.8 / 13.0 | 26.0 / 8.8 | 24.5 / 7.6 | 27.9 / 10.3 | |
| 31.2 / 14.7 | 26.9 / 11.2 | 24.5 / 9.6 | 27.4 / 11.7 | |
| 31.2 / 16.2 | 25.8 / 11.0 | 23.4 / 9.3 | 27.3 / 12.5 | |
| 31.2 / 14.4 | 26.0 / 9.2 | 23.1 / 7.7 | 26.9 / 11.6 | |
| Mount Abu | 24.4 / 7.1 | 21.8 / 3.8 | 19.6 / 2.9 | 22.6 / 5.5 |
Three things stand out. Udaipur, which most people picture as the mild lake city, has the coldest average January night of the five plains cities at 7.6°C. The desert cities are the warmest in the afternoon and swing hardest at night. And Mount Abu, Rajasthan's only hill station, runs about 5°C colder than anywhere else on a typical itinerary.
Why the night matters more than the day
Rajasthan's winter afternoons are mild everywhere; the nights are what catch people out. On IMD averages, Jaisalmer drops from 23.4°C in a January afternoon to 9.3°C overnight, and it has recorded minus 5.9°C in January. Bikaner has recorded minus 4.0°C in January, and Mount Abu minus 7.4°C in December.
Those record lows are extremes, not forecasts, but they show the range a cold snap can reach. For a traveller, the practical point is simple. A day of sightseeing in a light layer can end at a rooftop dinner or a desert camp, where the temperature has fallen by half. Our winter planning guide covers the Delhi fog season that sits on either side of a Rajasthan trip.
November: warm afternoons and the festival month
November is the warmest winter month. Average highs sit at 29.6°C in Jaipur and 31.2°C in the three desert cities, and nights stay between 13 and 16°C on the plains. It suits travellers who want Rajasthan's colour without cold evenings.
The calendar is busy. Diwali falls on Sunday 8 November 2026, and our Diwali guide explains why Jaipur rooms for that night book a year in advance. Rajasthan Tourism lists the Pushkar Fair for 17 to 24 November 2026 and the Bundi Festival for 27 to 29 November 2026. Pushkar's rooms sell out around the fair, so a November route through it needs that booking settled first.
December: cooler nights and peak prices
December averages 25 to 27°C in the afternoon on the plains and 9 to 11°C at night. Rajasthan Tourism holds the Kumbhalgarh Festival from 1 to 3 December and the Mount Abu Winter Festival from 29 to 31 December.
The constraint in December is booking, not weather. Between 20 December and 10 January, good hotels and guides in Udaipur, Jodhpur and Jaisalmer sell out, rates run 25 to 40 per cent above shoulder season, and our booking policy makes Christmas and New Year week non-refundable. Our Christmas in India guide covers which properties run festive programmes.
January: the coldest nights and the literary crowd
January is the coldest month in every city in the table. Average lows fall to between 7.6 and 9.6°C on the plains, and afternoons stay between 22.5 and 24.5°C, which makes midday sightseeing at forts like Mehrangarh and Amer comfortable.
January 2027 carries three dated events. The Bikaner Camel Festival runs on 9 and 10 January, the Kite Festival fills Jaipur's rooftops on 14 January for Makar Sankranti, and the Jaipur Literature Festival runs from 14 to 18 January at Hotel Clarks Amer. The Camel Festival still falls within the 20 December to 10 January peak window, so book it at peak rates. Availability eases from 11 January, which puts the Kite Festival and the Literature Festival outside it.
February: the value month, and the Desert Festival
February warms quickly. Average highs return to 26 to 28°C and lows to 10 to 12.5°C, not far from late November. Our month-by-month calendar calls February and March the value months, with dry weather across the plains before the April heat.
Rajasthan Tourism lists the Nagaur Fair for 12 to 15 February 2027 and the Jaisalmer Desert Festival for 18 to 20 February 2027. In 2026, the Desert Festival ran from 30 January to 1 February, so the dates move every year and you need to check the official calendar.
Which month suits which trip?
Match the month to the part of the trip that matters most to you, not to the phrase "best time to visit". On the IMD numbers and the 2026 to 2027 festival calendar, this is how we advise travellers.
- A desert camp night in Jaisalmer. Choose November or late February. Nights average 16.2°C in November and 12.5°C in February, against 9.3°C in January. We book Suján The Serai and Suryagarh for travellers who want the desert without roughing it.
- Festivals. November for Diwali in Pushkar and Bundi, or February for Nagaur and the Desert Festival.
- Christmas or New Year in a palace. December, with the non-refundable terms understood before the deposit is paid.
- Lower rates with the same weather. February. Late January and February deliver almost the same afternoons as December at the lower end of our 2026 cost bands.
- A Golden Triangle extension. Any month from November to February works for Jaipur, and our 10-day route sets out the drive times.
What to pack for Rajasthan in winter
Pack for two climates in one day. Afternoons anywhere from the low 20s to low 30s call for light cotton, and covered shoulders and knees work for both the heat and temple visits, as our India clothing guide explains.
For December and January evenings, bring an insulated jacket, not just a shawl, because average lows fall below 10°C in every plains city in the table in January, and in Jaipur, Udaipur and Bikaner in December. For a desert camp or Mount Abu, add a warm hat and a fleece to sleep in.
