Best time to visit Haridwar — seasons, rain and festivals
A caution on the numbers
Wikipedia's weather table for Haridwar cites a weather website, not an IMD station, and the article's own text gives wider ranges. So we quote only the broad pattern: when it is hot, when it rains, and roughly how warm the days are.
The short version
October to March is the comfortable stretch, with a January daytime high of about 20 °C on Wikipedia's table. May is hot, at about 36 °C on the table, and the article's text gives summers of 25 to 44 °C. July and August are the wettest months, at about 599 and 568 mm, and November the driest at about 23 mm. The hill temples of Mansa Devi and Chandi Devi are best climbed in the cooler part of the day.
Month by month
April to June. The hottest months. Climbing to the hill temples in the midday heat is hard, so use the early morning and the evening, and carry water.
July to September. The monsoon, with about 599 mm in July and 568 mm in August. The river runs high and muddy; Wikipedia says the water of the Ganga is mostly clear and cold except in the monsoon, when soil flows down from the upper reaches.
October and November. The rains end and the days cool. Around Dussehra the Ganga canal at Har Ki Pauri is partly dried for cleaning, and the water is restored around Diwali, so the ghat looks different then, though the aarti continues. November is the driest month.
December to March. Cooler, with a January daytime high of about 20 °C on the table. Early mornings are cold by the river, so carry a layer. Maha Shivaratri draws pilgrims to the Daksheswara Mahadev Temple at Kankhal.
The Kumbh Mela
The Kumbh Mela is held at Haridwar every 12 years, and Har Ki Pauri's article adds an Ardh Kumbh every six. These are the largest gatherings the city sees, and the ghats are very crowded. We have no verified dates, so check the official schedule well ahead.
Plan around it
Use the one-day plan in any season, and the two-day plan in the cooler months. See how to reach Haridwar and things to do in Haridwar.
Plans that include this
All Haridwar itineraries →
Questions people ask
When is the best time to visit Haridwar?
The cooler months from October to March, with a January daytime high of about 20 °C on Wikipedia's table. Summer is hot, about 36 °C in May on the table and up to 44 °C in the article's text. July and August bring about 599 and 568 mm of rain, and November is driest at about 23 mm.
Is the river dry at any time of year?
Wikipedia says the waters of the Ganga canal at Har Ki Pauri are partly drawn down around the night of Dussehra, to clean the riverbed and repair the ghats, and restored around Diwali. The aarti continues. The dates follow the lunar calendar, so check them if you plan a visit in October or November.
Is the Kumbh Mela held every year?
No. Wikipedia says the Kumbh Mela is held in Haridwar every 12 years, and Har Ki Pauri's article adds an Ardh Kumbh every six. These are the largest gatherings, with very heavy crowds. We have no verified dates here, so check the official schedule well in advance if you plan to attend.