January holds up well in Varanasi — 4th best month
Good · 8.3/10January averages 15°C (59°F), the range most people find easiest for walking a city all day without either overheating or losing daylight to weather.
Rain is a non-issue at 9 mm for the month, with about 1 days with 6+ hours of sunshine and 10.6 hours of daylight to work with.
It scores 8.3/10 here, 4th of 12 months, against 9.4/10 in the destination's best month.
Plan for peak pricing, with crowds are moderate.
Pack layers you can shed by midday plus one warm layer for the evening.
February in Varanasi tops the year's climate scores
Best window · 9.4/10February averages 20°C (67°F) — pleasant for mornings and evenings on foot in the city, with a midday break when the sun is strongest.
Rain is a non-issue at 12 mm for the month, with about 16 days with 6+ hours of sunshine and 11.1 hours of daylight to work with.
On our climate-comfort scale this is the top-ranked month of the year for Varanasi at 9.4/10 — the reference point every other month on this page is measured against.
Plan for peak pricing, with this is one of the busiest months here. You are paying the year's highest rates for the year's best conditions — book early or shift a few weeks either side.
Pack light clothing, a hat and real sun protection.
March in Varanasi: strong conditions, 5th of 12
Good · 7.9/10Days in March average 26°C (79°F) — front-load outdoor plans before the heat builds and treat the middle of the day as indoor time.
With around 25 mm of rain, any showers tend to pass through rather than settle in; about 24 days with 6+ hours of sunshine and 11.8 hours of daylight fill the rest.
That is 7.9/10 on the same scale — 5th of 12 months, versus 9.4/10 for the best month here.
Budget for mid-season pricing, and crowds are moderate.
Pack the lightest breathable clothing you own, a hat, and more water than feels necessary.
If your dates are flexible, February is materially better in Varanasi — 1.5 points higher on the same scale.
April in Varanasi: mixed conditions, plan around the weather
Trade-offs · 6.1/10April averages 33°C (91°F) — genuinely punishing heat. Anything outdoors needs to happen before 10am.
Rain is a non-issue at 8 mm for the month, with about 30 days with 6+ hours of sunshine and 12.6 hours of daylight to work with.
It scores 6.1/10 here, 8th of 12 months, against 9.4/10 in the destination's best month.
Figure on mid-season pricing, with crowds are moderate.
Pack the lightest breathable clothing you own, a hat, and more water than feels necessary.
Flexible dates? February scores 3.3 points higher here — enough to change the trip.
May in Varanasi — workable with trade-offs
Trade-offs · 6.3/10At 35°C (96°F), May is at its most extreme: early starts are not optional, and afternoons belong indoors.
With around 16 mm of rain, any showers tend to pass through rather than settle in; about 31 days with 6+ hours of sunshine and 13.2 hours of daylight fill the rest.
That is 6.3/10 on the same scale — 7th of 12 months, versus 9.4/10 for the best month here.
Expect mid-season pricing, and crowds are moderate.
Pack the lightest breathable clothing you own, a hat, and more water than feels necessary.
If your dates are flexible, February is materially better in Varanasi — 3.1 points higher on the same scale.
June in Varanasi: expect compromises
Hardest · 4.9/10June averages 37°C (98°F) — genuinely punishing heat. Anything outdoors needs to happen before 10am.
Rainfall runs 99 mm, so plan one flexible day in three; you still get about 26 days with 6+ hours of sunshine and 13.6 hours of daylight.
It scores 4.9/10 here, 9th of 12 months, against 9.4/10 in the destination's best month.
Figure on low-season pricing, with crowds are light for this destination.
Pack the lightest breathable clothing you own, a hat, and more water than feels necessary, a packable rain layer.
Flexible dates? February scores 4.5 points higher here — enough to change the trip.
July in Varanasi — the hardest end of the year
Hardest · 3.2/10July averages 31°C (89°F) and humidity near 73%, so the practical pattern is early mornings, a long midday break, and evenings back outside.
222 mm makes this the wettest stretch of the year, though about 20 days with 6+ hours of sunshine still appear — keep an indoor fallback ready.
It scores 3.2/10 here, 11th of 12 months, against 9.4/10 in the destination's best month.
Plan for low-season pricing, with crowds are moderate.
Pack the lightest breathable clothing you own, a hat, and more water than feels necessary, a proper rain shell rather than an umbrella.
Flexible dates? February scores 6.2 points higher here — enough to change the trip.
August in Varanasi — off-season conditions
Hardest · 2.7/10Days in August average 29°C (85°F) and humidity near 83% — front-load outdoor plans before the heat builds and treat the middle of the day as indoor time.
Expect monsoon-level rainfall at 245 mm: only about 15 days with 6+ hours of sunshine across the month, and stretches of heavy rain are normal.
That is 2.7/10 on the same scale — 12th of 12 months, versus 9.4/10 for the best month here.
Expect low-season pricing, and crowds are light for this destination.
Pack the lightest breathable clothing you own, a hat, and more water than feels necessary, a proper rain shell rather than an umbrella.
If your dates are flexible, February is materially better in Varanasi — 6.7 points higher on the same scale.
September in Varanasi: expect compromises
Hardest · 3.5/10Days in September average 29°C (83°F) and humidity near 84% — front-load outdoor plans before the heat builds and treat the middle of the day as indoor time.
157 mm of rain signals a properly wet month, with only about 16 days with 6+ hours of sunshine to count on — build indoor options into the schedule.
That is 3.5/10 on the same scale — 10th of 12 months, versus 9.4/10 for the best month here.
Budget for low-season pricing, and crowds are light for this destination.
Pack the lightest breathable clothing you own, a hat, and more water than feels necessary, a proper rain shell rather than an umbrella.
If your dates are flexible, February is materially better in Varanasi — 5.9 points higher on the same scale.
October holds up well in Varanasi — 6th best month
Good · 7.2/10October averages 26°C (78°F) — pleasant for mornings and evenings on foot in the city, with a midday break when the sun is strongest.
Rainfall runs 47 mm, so plan one flexible day in three; you still get about 17 days with 6+ hours of sunshine and 11.4 hours of daylight.
It scores 7.2/10 here, 6th of 12 months, against 9.4/10 in the destination's best month.
Figure on mid-season pricing, with crowds are moderate.
Pack light clothing, a hat and real sun protection, a packable rain layer.
Flexible dates? February scores 2.2 points higher here — enough to change the trip.
November in Varanasi — one of the year's strongest windows (2nd)
Best window · 8.9/10November averages 21°C (70°F) — pleasant for mornings and evenings on foot in the city, with a midday break when the sun is strongest.
Rain is a non-issue at 3 mm for the month, with about 9 days with 6+ hours of sunshine and 10.7 hours of daylight to work with.
A 8.9/10 puts this among the year's best months in Varanasi (2nd of 12); only February scores higher, at 9.4/10.
Plan for peak pricing, with this is one of the busiest months here. You are paying the year's highest rates for the year's best conditions — book early or shift a few weeks either side.
Pack light clothing, a hat and real sun protection.
December is one of the strongest months in Varanasi (3rd)
Best window · 8.6/10Temperatures hover around 17°C (62°F) — the kind of month where neither heat nor cold forces the schedule.
At just 4 mm for the month, rain will not shape your plans; you get about 5 days with 6+ hours of sunshine and 10.4 hours of daylight.
On our climate-comfort scale this is one of the strongest months of the year for Varanasi at 8.6/10 (3rd of 12), just behind February at 9.4/10.
Budget for peak pricing, and this is one of the busiest months here. You are paying the year's highest rates for the year's best conditions — book early or shift a few weeks either side.
Pack layers you can shed by midday plus one warm layer for the evening.
