When to Go

When to Go

If you decide to go to Agra from April to early July, even Indians might look at you as if you're crazy. There's no denying this region is at its hottest then, making sightseeing in Agra and Khajuraho, which involves hours in the sun, borderline unbearable. December and January are ideal, but it can get chilly in the evenings. (That said, it could be argued that December at the Taj Mahal is actually the worst, since you're simply trading the sun for sky-high prices and unbelievable amounts of foot traffic.) The weather from early February to mid-March is wonderfully temperate, and the mid-monsoon period (late July through early August) is good: temperatures are in the 80s, rain is intermittent, and hotel rates go down. As for Orchha, it's at its best during the monsoon, when the river is in full flow and the surrounding scrubland is green.