April is when India ceases travelling sideways and starts travelling upwards. Three things happen at the same time and are related. The plains become truly challenging, with most of north and central India reaching temperatures over forty degrees. The Himalayas open up, with snow being melted on the roads and pilgrimage temples throwing open their gates for the first time since November. There are also school holidays, meaning everyone goes up into the hills in the same fortnight.

This makes altitude, not region, the logical way to organize an April trip. Two places 300 kilometers apart may be intolerable and wonderful within hours of each other simply because one is 800 meters higher. This guide categorizes the most interesting places in India in April based on just that, along with the laws that determine the opening times of Himalayan shrines, and the truth about holiday pricing that comes with it.

April in India at a Glance

Detail	What to Know
The plains	Widely 38 to 45 degrees by the second half of the month
The hills	Comfortable everywhere above roughly 1,200 metres
What opens	The Char Dham shrines, high roads and spring trekking routes
What closes	Affordable travel, as summer holiday rates take hold
The fixed festival date	Around 14 April, when several regional new years fall together
Wildlife	The best sighting odds of the year, in the hardest conditions
Book by	February, if you want a hill station in April at a sane price
Still shut	Ladakh via Manali, Spiti via Kunzum, and the Valley of Flowers
Best value	The first ten days, before the holidays begin
The planning variable	Altitude, more than anything else

The Altitude Ladder

This is the framework the rest of the guide runs on. In April, elevation predicts your comfort more reliably than latitude does, and it is worth knowing roughly where a destination sits before you book it.

Altitude Band	Typical April Days	Where That Puts You	Verdict
Below 500 m	38 to 45 degrees	Delhi, Rajasthan, central India, most of the coast	Mornings only, or avoid
500 to 1,200 m	30 to 36 degrees	Mount Abu, Pachmarhi, Saputara, Araku, Yercaud, Panchgani	Bearable, cheap, underrated
1,200 to 2,000 m	22 to 30 degrees	Shimla, Nainital, Ooty, Kodaikanal, Munnar, Darjeeling, Shillong	The sweet spot, and the busiest
2,000 to 3,000 m	15 to 25 degrees	Manali, Auli, Gulmarg, Tawang, Chopta, Lachung	Excellent, and just opening up
Above 3,000 m	Cold, nights below freezing	Char Dham, upper Ladakh, high passes	Opening late in the month only

Using the above table is easy. If April is the only time when you can travel and you do not like crowds, head to the 500m – 1200m range. They are all very nice, relatively cheap, and mostly ignored by everyone who tries to get accommodation in Shimla.

What Actually Opens in April

April is the unlocking month, and the Char Dham opening system is worth understanding properly because almost nobody explains how the dates are set.

Shrine	When the Date Is Announced	When It Opens
Yamunotri	Ahead of the season by the temple committee	On Akshaya Tritiya itself
Gangotri	Ahead of the season by the temple committee	On Akshaya Tritiya itself
Kedarnath	On Maha Shivratri	Usually two to four days after Akshaya Tritiya
Badrinath	On Basant Panchami, by the Tehri royal family	Usually two to four days after Akshaya Tritiya

Akshaya Tritiya may fall in either late April or early May, depending on the year, which is the reason why yatra takes place either way. The end of the yatra also works on this principle, being based on the Bhai Dooj, Diwali, and Vijayadashami holidays. Compulsory registration is required for every pilgrim, as well as prior booking of the stay in both Kedarnath and Badrinath.

• Other places that open during April: The road from Srinagar to Leh, normally towards the end of the month or beginning of May, depending upon snow melting.
• Treks in spring in the regions of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh due to the melting of snow in the low altitude passes.
• The north valleys of Sikkim, comprising Yumthang and Lachung as rhododendrons season continues.
• Places that remain closed: The road from Manali to Leh and Kunzum La to Spiti, normally wait until June, and the Valley of Flowers, which opens on 1st June.

The Fortnight When Half of India Celebrates New Year

This is the least exploited travel incentive of the whole year in India.

Every year, around April 14, the sun moves to Mesha, and since it is a solar and not a lunar phenomenon, it always falls on the same day or days of every year. In this period, there are at least eight festivals of new year celebrated in different parts of India, and every festival has its own rituals.

Festival	Where	What Makes It Distinct
Baisakhi	Punjab	Harvest festival and a major date in the Sikh calendar
Vishu	Kerala	The Vishukkani arrangement, viewed first thing on waking
Puthandu	Tamil Nadu	Kanni viewing, mango and neem in the new year dish
Bohag Bihu	Assam	Husori singing, dance and a week of village celebration
Pohela Boishakh	West Bengal	New account books opened, processions and sweets
Pana Sankranti	Odisha	Sweet drink offerings and temple rituals
Jur Sital	Mithila, Bihar	Water sprinkled on elders as a blessing
Sajibu Cheiraoba	Manipur	A hill climb after the family feast

For a traveller, this is a rare opportunity. Pick any one of those regions for the middle of April and you land in the middle of a genuine local festival rather than a tourist event, and unlike most Indian festivals the date does not move from year to year.

Best Places to Visit in India in April: The Master Shortlist

Destination	State	Why April	Altitude Band
Tawang	Arunachal Pradesh	Passes clear, monastery views at their best	2,000 to 3,000 m
Gulmarg	Jammu and Kashmir	Snow on the upper slopes, meadows below	2,000 to 3,000 m
Auli and Chopta	Uttarakhand	Rhododendron and clear peaks	2,000 to 3,000 m
Lachung and Yumthang	Sikkim	The valley of flowers of the east in bloom	2,000 to 3,000 m
Manali and Solang	Himachal	Warming up, before the peak crowds arrive	2,000 m
Shillong and Cherrapunji	Meghalaya	Pre-monsoon green, waterfalls beginning	1,200 to 1,600 m
Munnar and Wayanad	Kerala	Cool hills while the plains burn	1,500 to 1,700 m
Kodaikanal and Ooty	Tamil Nadu	Flower season and comfortable days	2,000 m
Darjeeling and Kalimpong	West Bengal	Clear Kanchenjunga before the haze	1,200 to 2,000 m
Mount Abu	Rajasthan	The only cool place in the state	About 1,200 m
Pachmarhi	Madhya Pradesh	Central India’s hill escape, quiet and cheap	About 1,100 m
Araku and Yercaud	Andhra and Tamil Nadu	Low hills, low prices, low crowds	900 to 1,500 m
Coorg and Chikmagalur	Karnataka	Coffee country in the pre-monsoon green	900 to 1,500 m
Andaman Islands	Andaman	Good diving early in the month	Sea level
Tadoba and Bandhavgarh	Maharashtra and MP	The best tiger sightings of the year	Plains, and very hot

The Mid Hills: The Sweet Spot and the Scrum

April is almost perfect between the elevations of 1,200 and 2,000 metres. The days hover in the twenties, the nights are cool and everything is green until the monsoon comes. 

The trouble is everyone knows it. Shimla, Manali, Nainital, Mussoorie, Ooty and Darjeeling take up much of India’s holiday tourism in summer, and from mid-April the roads, the malls and the lookouts become crowded. Hotel tariffs in the favored destinations can double from what they were in March.

• But if you want the mid-hills without the crowds, then April 1st to 10th, before the school holidays, is ideal.
• Alternatively, you could choose the less known sibling. Kalimpong rather than Darjeeling, Chikmagalur rather than Ooty, Kausani rather than Nainital, and Tirthan rather than Manali.
• Alternatively, leave out one band. The hills that range from 500 to 1,200 metres in altitude are 3–4 degrees warmer and a fraction of the cost.

The High Himalaya, Just Waking Up

• Tawang: Sela Pass remains clear up to April and the views from the monasteries are good. An Inner Line Permit and Protected Area Permit is required for Indian and foreign nationals respectively.
• Gulmarg: still covered in snow in the upper regions and green pastures below. Gondola operates in phases based on the situation.
• Auli and Chopta: flowering rhododendrons on the slopes and good views of Nanda Devi with no winter crowd.
• North Sikkim: Flowering of Yumthang Valley and the upper Lachung valleys during April and a permit is required.
• Ladakh: accessible throughout the year via flights and via road from Srinagar but generally begins in late April or early May. The Manali route opens up in June.
• Spiti: Spiti is accessible only via the Shimla and Kinnaur route in April. Kunzum Pass still remains closed.

Wildlife: The Best Odds, the Hardest Conditions

April is the month that is most likely to give you an opportunity to see a tiger, and also when a four-hour drive on an open jeep becomes really tough.

Here’s why. The forest dries up, all the seasonal water bodies dry up, and the wildlife is confined to only a few waterholes. The grass cover is the lowest. It is one of the most predictable times of the year to spot wildlife in India. However, it gets beyond 40 degrees in central Indian parks by mid-day.

• Book the early drive every single time, and forego the afternoon one in case the temperatures are too hot.
• Bring along enough water that you have more than expected, along with a hat, glasses and a light scarf for the dust.
• Tadoba, Bandhavgarh, Kanha, Pench and Ranthambore are all ideal for viewing wildlife.
• Do keep in mind that all these parks shut down for the rains beginning mid-June, so April and May are the last.
• This is certainly not the time to take kids and elderly people for an expedition.

The South in April

April Southern India offers extremes.

• The plains can be harsh, but the hills and a few of the major temple festivals are at their finest in April.
• Munnar, Wayanad, Coorg and Chikmagalur: comfortable, green and the best value for money hill destination in the country in April.
• Thrissur Pooram: Kerala’s most spectacular temple festival, celebrated in the Malayalam month of Medam, generally coinciding with the latter part of April or first week of May. Decorated elephants, contesting percussion bands and one of the biggest firework shows in India. Date varies annually, check in advance.
• Chithirai festival, Madurai: massive temple festival celebrating the celestial marriage of Meenakshi, generally held in the months of April or May.
• Lakshadweep and Andaman Islands: doable in the early days of April, getting increasingly humid in the month.
• Mangoes start ripening in the Western and Southern states of India – another valid reason to visit the region.

The Summer Holiday Surcharge

This is the truthful part that is rarely mentioned by any April guides.

From around the second week of April, school holidays start in the country and travel needs rise tremendously. Hotel prices at hill stations go up, flights and train trips get booked up fast, and the very same room which cost you a specific price in March will be costlier in late April.

If You Book For	What Happens to Price and Crowds
1 to 10 April	Still close to shoulder rates in most places, and quiet
11 to 20 April	Rising quickly as holidays begin and the new year festivals fall
21 to 30 April	Peak summer pricing at every popular hill station
The 500 to 1,200 m hills	Far less affected, at any point in the month
Wildlife lodges	Often good value, because the heat deters casual visitors

Where Not to Go in April

• Delhi, Rajasthan, Gujarat and central India for sightseeing. It isn’t dangerous, but unpleasant from about ten o’clock in the morning onwards.
• Goa and the west coast. Season is over and there is increasing humidity.
• Spiti via Manali and Manali to Leh road, both of which are snow covered.
• Valley of Flowers – it remains closed till 1 June.
• Hill stations in the last ten days, if cost is an issue for you.
• Central India safaris, especially if you find it difficult to tolerate heat, no matter how good the sighting.

Entry Fees and Ticket Prices

These are approximate figures for planning. Forest, ASI and state rates are revised periodically, so confirm at the counter before you travel.

Place or Activity	Approximate Cost (Rs)	Notes
Tadoba jeep safari	4,000 to 6,000 per vehicle	Morning slot strongly preferred
Bandhavgarh or Kanha jeep	6,000 to 9,000 per vehicle	Best sightings of the year
Ranthambore jeep safari	2,000 to 2,500 per person	Canter seats cost less
Gulmarg gondola	800 to 1,600 per stage	Stages open by condition
Inner Line Permit, Arunachal	100 to 200	Apply online before travel
North Sikkim permit	Nominal, via a registered agent	Required for Yumthang
Char Dham registration	Free, but compulsory	Register online before travelling
Auli chair lift	300 per person	Ropeway status varies, confirm first
Munnar tea museum	100 to 200	Easy half day
Mount Abu Nakki Lake boating	200 to 500	Busy in the evenings
Thrissur Pooram viewing	Free in public areas	Paid vantage points sometimes sold
Hill station cab per day	2,500 to 4,000	Rates rise with the holidays

What April Costs

Trip Type	Budget Per Day (Rs)	What It Covers
Backpacker in the low hills	2,000 to 3,500	Guesthouse, local food, buses
Mid-range couple, popular hill station	8,000 to 14,000	Hotel, cabs, entry tickets in peak season
Mid-range couple, quieter hills	5,000 to 9,000	The same trip, one band lower
Wildlife trip	12,000 to 20,000	Lodge, two safaris, guide and permits
Char Dham with transport	4,000 to 8,000	Shared vehicles and simple stays

The consistent saving in April is not which destination you choose but which altitude band and which ten days. Both decisions move the cost more than anything else.

Practical Tips Most April Guides Skip

• Book your hill station stays before February. In March, the best properties in Shimla, Manali, Nainital and Ooty are booked or expensive.
• Register yourself for the Char Dham pilgrimage before your trip. Registration is mandatory and will be checked at checkpoints.
• Do not presume that a route through mountains is passable just because it is April. The clearance of snow from high altitude routes may vary by weeks every year.
• Go for safaris in the morning and relax in the afternoon. It is heat which will limit April, not availability.
• Bring warm clothes for any elevation above 2,000 metres. Nights can still be close to freezing point when the plain from where you have come was at forty degrees.
• Coordinate your mid-April trip with a regional new year celebration. The dates rarely change, the celebrations are real, and there are hardly any tourists.
• Drink more water than you need and spend your time indoors from noon to four anywhere below a thousand metres.

Trivia You Can Use to Sound Like a Regular

• At least eight festivals marking the new year of Indian regions take place in the middle of April and since they use solar calendar, they hardly change their date from year to year.
• Yamunotri and Gangotri always begin their season on the day of Akshaya Tritiya and the starting date of Kedarnath is announced on Maha Shivratri whereas Badrinath on Basant Panchami.
• Tigers are easier to spot in April and May precisely because the conditions become unbearable for people because they are connected with the shortage of water.
• Manali-Leh road and Kunzum Pass to Spiti remain closed till June whereas Srinagar to Leh road opens earlier.
• Valley of Flowers National Park is open from 1 June till 31 October every year.
• Pooram is conducted in Medam, the Malayalam month and has one of the biggest firework display in India.

Final Take: Choose an Altitude, Then a Date

The best destinations to visit in India in April are determined by two parameters. At what altitude the destination is situated, and what period of ten days in the month would you choose to visit. 1,200 meters is comfortable, 2,000 meters is the best weather in the country, and under 500 meters you will be restricted to morning times.

In case you can visit during the first ten days of April, you should visit popular hill stations before vacations start. In case it is impossible, you should give up one band and visit the hills from 500 to 1,200 meters which are not in dispute among tourists, or go high up to Tawang, Gulmarg or north Sikkim where the season starts. Booking should be done in February, registration for Char Dham earlier, go on your safaris at dawn, and if you can time your visit, visit somewhere in the middle of April when there is celebration of the local New Year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Note: Shrine opening dates, road clearance, permit rules and festival timings vary each year and are announced locally. Fees and rates are revised periodically. Confirm current details with the relevant authority before travelling.

Also read about: Best Places to Visit in South Goa: A Timeline, Not a Beach List