Best month · Kumaon

Kumaon in May

Peak season. Families from the plains fill Nainital, Bhimtal and Ranikhet, and traffic on the Kathgodam road can stall for hours on weekends. Kafal berries appear by the roadside. Higher places such as Munsiyari and Chaukori are pleasant and less crowded. Book stays and the Shatabdi weeks ahead and leave early in the day.

Weather: Nainital about 12 to 24 °C; warm days
Prices: Peak
Crowds: High
Best overall: Mar – May · Oct – Nov

Photo: Ashish Gupta from Noida, India · CC BY 2.0 · Commons

← April Kumaon all year June →

Where to go

Our picks for May

Photo: Ashish Gupta from Noida, India · CC BY 2.0 · Commons

2,200 m · Town · Kumaon

Munsiyari

Panchachuli up close and the winter home of the Johar traders

Best Mar – May · Oct – Nov3–4 nights

Photo: Abhijit Kar Gupta from Kolkata, India · CC BY 2.0 · Commons

2,010 m · Village · Kumaon

Chaukori

A quiet ridge facing Panchachuli, near the Patal Bhuvaneshwar cave

Best Mar – May · Oct – Nov1–2 nights

Photo: Abhijit Kar Gupta from Kolkata, India · CC BY 2.0 · Commons

1,890 m · Hill station · Kumaon

Kausani

Gandhi's ridge, a poet's birthplace and a 300 km wall of peaks

Best Mar – May · Oct – Nov2 nights

Trips

Trips at their best in May

Every Kumaon trip

Photo: Krishan09 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons Comfort

Kumaon · 6 nights · sleeps to 2,400 m

Kumaon birding: Sattal and Binsar

Private car with driver

From, per person₹40,000Mar – May · Nov – Dec

Photo: Skalvanov · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons Comfort

Kumaon · 6 nights · sleeps to 2,084 m

Kumaon lakes family holiday

Private car with driver

From, per person₹42,000Mar – May · Oct – Nov

Photo: Travelling Slacker · CC BY 2.0 · Commons Saver

Kumaon · 5 nights · sleeps to 2,400 m

Almora, Binsar and Jageshwar on a budget

Shared taxis and jeeps, with two shared private-cab legs

From, per person₹14,000Mar – May · Oct – Nov

Photo: ParthaPratimNath · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons Saver

Kumaon · 6 nights · sleeps to 2,171 m

Hostel trail: Mukteshwar and Kasar Devi

Shared taxis and jeeps

From, per person₹11,500Mar – May · Oct – Nov

Photo: Travelling Slacker · CC BY 2.0 · Commons Saver

Kumaon · 7 nights · sleeps to 2,200 m

Munsiyari and the Johar valley by shared jeep

Shared jeeps and buses via Almora, Chaukori, Thal and Bageshwar

From, per person₹18,500Apr – May · Oct – Nov

Elsewhere in May

Other hives this month

KashmirBestBest Apr – Jun · Sep – Oct LadakhGoodBest Jun – Sep HimachalBestBest Apr – May · Oct – Nov Spiti & LahaulGoodBest Jun – Jul · Sep GarhwalBestBest Mar · May · Sep – Oct NepalGoodBest Mar – Apr · Oct – Nov Darjeeling & KalimpongBestBest Mar – May · Oct – Nov SikkimBestBest Mar – May · Oct – Nov BhutanGoodBest Mar – Apr · Oct – Nov ArunachalGoodBest Mar – Apr · Oct – Nov

Questions

Kumaon in May, answered

Is May a good time to visit Kumaon?

What is the weather like in Kumaon in May?

Nainital about 12 to 24 °C; warm days. Conditions differ by altitude and coast, so check the forecast for each stop a week before you travel.

Where should we go in Kumaon in May?

We suggest Munsiyari, Chaukori, Kausani. In Nainital, use the shuttle and park outside town; private cars face long waits at peak hours.