Gujarat is India's westernmost state, a broad sweep of Arabian Sea coastline, salt desert, and temple towns on the border with Pakistan and Rajasthan. It holds four UNESCO World Heritage Sites plus the walled city of Ahmedabad, the only Asiatic lion population on earth at Gir, the white salt flats of the Rann of Kutch, and the 182-metre Statue of Unity. It is also an alcohol-prohibition state with a famously vegetarian kitchen, from the multi-course Gujarati thali to Surat's locho and Kutch's dabeli.
Gujarat runs from hot semi-arid in the north and Kutch to tropical wet-and-dry along the south Gujarat coast, and the calendar splits cleanly into three. Winter (November to February) is the reason to come: Ahmedabad averages highs of 28-31C with lows of 12-14C and effectively no rain, and the White Rann and Rann Utsav season runs right through it. Summer (March to June) is severe - Ahmedabad peaks around 42C in May and Kutch and north Gujarat push past 45C in heatwave years. The south-west monsoon arrives around mid-June and drops roughly 290 mm on Ahmedabad in July and 265 mm in August, with south Gujarat around Surat, Valsad and the Dangs taking several times more. Rainfall falls away sharply from south Gujarat towards Kutch, which is genuine desert.
Best time to visit
Best: Year-round
Avoid: None
Month-by-month weather
Typical conditions throughout the year.
January
20C/68F
The best month of the year - dry, sunny, cool mornings, the White Rann at full brightness and Uttarayan kites over every rooftop on 14 January
February
23C/73F
Still excellent and slightly warmer; Rann Utsav continues at Dhordo and Gir safaris are at their most rewarding before the heat builds
March
28C/82F
Warm and rising fast; the final Rann Utsav weeks run to 7 March and sightseeing shifts to early morning and evening
April
32C/90F
Hot and dry with highs around 40C; cities become hard work by midday and Kutch is punishing
May
35C/95F
The hottest month, with Ahmedabad highs averaging 42C and heatwave days above 45C in Kutch and north Gujarat
June
33C/91F
Brutal until the monsoon breaks mid-month; Gir's jungle trail closes on 16 June and Arabian Sea cyclone risk peaks on the Kutch coast
July
30C/86F
The wettest month, around 290 mm in Ahmedabad and far more in south Gujarat; green landscapes, flooded underpasses, low prices
August
29C/84F
Still heavily wet and humid; Janmashtami brings crowds to Dwarka and the Tarnetar tribal fair falls in late August or early September
September
29C/84F
Monsoon withdraws and the state is at its greenest; humid and dengue-prone, but waterfalls at Saputara and the Dangs are spectacular
October
29C/84F
Navratri garba fills nine nights (11-19 October 2026) and Gir reopens on 16 October; hot early in the month, excellent by the end
November
25C/77F
Dry, clear and comfortable; Rann Utsav opens at Dhordo on 1 November and the salt flat turns white as the water recedes
December
21C/70F
Peak season - cool, cloudless days, cold desert nights in Kutch, full Rann Utsav programme and the best light of the year for photography
The seasons
What to expect in each part of the year.
Spring
Months: Mar-Apr
A short, rapidly heating window rather than a spring. March still works for sightseeing with highs around 36C, the last Rann Utsav weeks run to early March, and Holi lights up the state. By April highs hit 40C and outdoor plans need rearranging around the middle of the day.
Summer
Months: May-Jun
The hardest season in Gujarat. Ahmedabad averages highs above 42C in May, Kutch and north Gujarat exceed 45C on heatwave days, and the city operates a formal Heat Action Plan. The monsoon breaks around mid-June, bringing relief, humidity and the closure of Gir's jungle trail on 16 June.
Fall
Months: Sep-Oct
The monsoon withdraws through September, leaving the landscape green and the air washed clean. Navratri fills October with nine nights of garba across every city, Gir reopens on 16 October, and by late October conditions are excellent. Humidity lingers into September and dengue risk peaks.
Winter
Months: Nov-Feb
The season Gujarat is designed for. Dry, sunny days with highs of 28-33C and cool nights down to 12-17C, the White Rann at its brightest, Rann Utsav running at Dhordo from 1 November to 7 March, Gir safaris at their most productive, and Uttarayan filling the sky with kites on 14 January.
Crowds & peak times
When to expect tourists and when to avoid them.
- High Season
- Nov-Feb statewide, peaking at Rann Utsav weekends, the Christmas-New Year week, Uttarayan around 14 January and Navratri in October
- Shoulder Season
- Mar and late Sep-Oct (warm or humid but workable, with lower rates outside festival dates)
- Low Season
- Apr-Aug (extreme heat then monsoon; lowest hotel prices of the year and Gir closed 16 June to 15 October)
Major events & festivals
Time your visit around what matters.
Rann Utsav, Dhordo
Gujarat Tourism's four-month desert festival on the White Rann of Kutch, built around a temporary tent city at Dhordo village with Kutchi folk music, craft bazaars, camel rides and full-moon nights on the salt flat. Entry to the Rann itself needs a border permit from the Bhirandiyara check post
Uttarayan / International Kite Festival, Ahmedabad
Makar Sankranti turns the skies over every Gujarati city into a day-long kite battle from before dawn until after dark, with the Gujarat Tourism International Kite Festival staging international fliers on the Sabarmati riverfront in the days leading up to it. Beware manja, the glass-coated string, on roads and bridges
Navratri, statewide
Nine nights of garba and dandiya raas across Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Rajkot and Surat - the largest participatory dance festival on earth, with stadium-scale grounds and neighbourhood circles alike. Sharad Navratri 2027 runs 30 September to 9 October
Uttarardh Mahotsav, Modhera Dance Festival
Classical Indian dance performed against the floodlit 11th-century Sun Temple at Modhera and its stepped kund, staged annually by the Gujarat tourism and culture departments
Bhavnath Mahadev Fair, Junagadh
A five-day fair at the foot of Girnar hill where Naga sadhus process to the Bhavnath Mahadev temple, accompanied by folk music, mahamandal aarti and a large pilgrim encampment
Tarnetar Fair, Surendranagar district
A three-day rural fair at the Trinetreshwar Mahadev temple, famous for embroidered Tarnetar umbrellas, raas and hudo folk dance, and its traditional role as a matchmaking gathering for the Bharwad and Rabari communities
Diwali and Gujarati New Year
Diwali is followed immediately by Bestu Varas, the Gujarati new year, when businesses open new account books and families visit relatives. Cities are lit and loud, and many shops close for several days
Asiatic lion safari season, Gir National Park
The Gir jungle trail is closed every year from 16 June to 15 October for the monsoon, reopening on 16 October. December to March offers the most comfortable conditions; April to mid-June is hot but gives the highest sighting rates around water sources