10 Best Places to Visit in India in May 2026

May is a very strange, but lovely month too, to travel in India. Not ideal, but not that bad either. You'll notice it quickly. Step outside one afternoon and the heat is already there. Not creeping in. Just a present. It makes you move differently. You start looking for shade without thinking about it. You take more breaks. Sitting down feels normal, not lazy. Walking slows, but in a way that makes you notice things more. You don’t rush. You stop asking how fast you’re moving and start paying attention to where you are. Days feel longer in May. Not productive-long. Just stretched. Walking five minutes feels like effort for no reward. You’re not in pain. You’re just irritated. The sun pulls energy out of you quietly. People don’t decide to rest. They stop mid-walk. Stand near a wall. Look at their phone for no reason. Sometimes you’re not tired. You just don’t want to continue.

Still, India doesn’t follow one rule. It never has. Some places get destroyed by May. Others are fine. Almost indifferent. At this point, where you are matters more than the month itself. Cities feel worse. Heat gets trapped. Roads feel crowded even when traffic hasn’t changed. Everything feels sticky. Slow. But places with height, trees, or nothing built too close together behave differently. Once winter actually ends, mountain roads start opening. Not cleanly. One section at a time. Snow disappears slowly. Skies stay clear most days. Long drives stop feeling like a bad idea. If you don’t try to do too much, May travel can still work. Some regions just suit this month better. Hills help. More than people admit. Walking feels normal again. You’re not thinking about water every two minutes. Mountain pilgrimage towns open after months of being shut. Forests don’t feel dead anymore. Animals hang around water, so things feel active without being loud. These places aren’t empty. They’re just quiet. That’s the difference. Travel slows down without effort. Fewer people. Less noise. Nobody is pushing you to move faster. Days pass without urgency, and that changes how everything feels.

Top 10 Places to Visit in India in May in 2026

The month of May is not that elegant and suitable for travelling in India especially, but that is not true for some places. Some hilly towns, mountain valleys and green stretches of land still stay peaceful and much cooler and these are places that you must visit this time . You can visit the monasteries in Spiti,  enjoy the majestic Himalayan views at Auli , or can visit the tea gardens in Darjeeling and Ooty without worrying about the heat or crowds. Each spot has its own vibe, pace, and little things to know that make your visit easy and enjoyable. Here are the best places to visit in may in India:

1. Spiti Valley, Himachal Pradesh

Spiti Valley, sits high up in Himachal Pradesh, far from busy roads. The land looks dry and open. Mountains everywhere. Nothing interrupts the view. Villages are small. Far apart. Life depends on weather more than clocks. There’s barely any noise. No horns. No rush. Time moves slowly here, but it doesn’t feel boring. Just steady. Reaching Spiti is a long road journey once snow clears. Manali. Shimla. Sometimes Kullu first. Either way, you commit to it.

Top Attractions: Key Monastery, Chandratal Lake, small high-altitude villages

Ideal For: People who don’t like noise or tight plans

Weather: Cool days. Cold nights. May is mostly clear

Tip: Carry cash. Keep warm clothes. Nothing is close here

2. Auli, Uttarakhand

Auli feels different. Not dramatic. Just quiet in a clean way. Open slopes. Wide air. Space that goes on longer than expected. You don’t feel like doing much there, and that’s the point. May weather usually behaves, which helps. Plans don’t fall apart daily. People come here to stop moving for a bit. Nothing more. You can also explore the place through an Auli tour package. You reach Auli by road from Haridwar or Rishikesh. Dehradun does the train and flight part.

Top Attractions: Himalayan views, cable car, open meadows

Ideal For: Anyone tired of routine

Weather: Fine most of the day. Cold early and late

Tip: Don’t plan much. Just sit around

3. Shillong, Meghalaya

Shillong handles May better than most places. It stays comfortable without trying. Hills are soft. Clouds drift in and leave. The waterfalls are very lovely there. The city stays active but never loud. No hurry. Things keep going. Green everywhere. Most people reach via Guwahati, then take the road and slowly feel the change.

Top Attractions: Waterfalls, lakes, viewpoints, nearby nature

Ideal For: People who want green spaces but a city base

Weather: Mild. Clouds keep moving

Tip: Things don’t run on strict time here

4. Kedarnath, Uttarakhand

Kedarnath opens in the last week of April, and that shift alone changes the place. Even with people around, it stays quiet. Mountains sit close. The air feels thinner. You go by road till Gaurikund and then walk. There’s no shortcut after that. You can also book a Kedarnath Tour Package from Haridwar to visit this beautiful place.  Dehradun is still the nearest airport, whether you like it or not.

Top Attractions: Kedarnath Temple, walking trails, river views

Ideal For: People okay with slow walking

Weather: Cold. Worse at night

Tip: Carry less. Walking gets tiring

5. Badrinath, Uttarakhand

Badrinath stays cool because it’s high and surrounded by peaks. The town feels steady. Unflashy. Rivers close by. Mountains are always visible somewhere. When summer gets aggressive elsewhere, Badrinath usually holds its ground. You reach it by road from Haridwar or Rishikesh. You can also book a Badrinath Tour Package  to visit this place. Dehradun handles the rest.

Top Attractions: Badrinath Temple, Alaknanda River, mountains

Ideal For: People who want quiet days

Weather: Cool days. Cold nights

Tip: Nights are colder than expected 

6. Coorg, Karnataka

Coorg doesn’t feel like hill stations people usually imagine. It’s quieter. Coffee plantations. Forest roads. Mist shows up some mornings, disappears later. May doesn’t bring crowds here. Less movement. Less sound. You usually come by road from Mysuru. The airport is Mangaluru, but most people just drive.

Top Attractions: Coffee estates, forest roads, viewpoints

Ideal For: People who enjoy driving

Weather: Warm later in the day. Damp mornings

Tip: Road turns are sudden here ,so be slow

7. Ooty, Tamil Nadu

Ooty keeps working even in May. The weather stays manageable. Not cold. Just okay. Tea gardens stretch out. Paths don’t exhaust you. Viewpoints don’t demand effort. Rushing feels unnecessary here. Coimbatore connects by road and air. Mettupalayam handles trains.

Top Attractions: Tea gardens, walking paths, viewpoints

Ideal For: People who don’t want to rush

Weather: Better than cities. Mostly fine

Tip: Go out early, it gets busier later

8. Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh

Tawang feels far. Not just geographically. Mentally. Long drives. Quiet monasteries. Big valleys that don’t seem interested in you. Buildings feel secondary to land. Travel mostly happens by road from Tezpur. That’s part of the deal.

Top Attractions: Monasteries, valleys, mountain roads

Ideal For: Long drives, quiet stretches

Weather: Cold. Changes quickly

Tip: Always keep extra days

9. Darjeeling, West Bengal

Darjeeling has never rushed. It still doesn’t. Mornings start misty. Afternoons clear slowly. Evenings cool down. Tea gardens everywhere. Life keeps the same pace regardless of visitors. You reach it by road from Siliguri, like most people.

Top Attractions: Tea gardens, viewpoints, walks

Ideal For: Slow days, waiting around

Weather: Cool. Foggy mornings

Tip: Views show up randomly, so be ready for that

10. Jim Corbett, Uttarakhand

Jim Corbett in summer feels active without being chaotic. Forests. Rivers. Open land. Animals stick close to water, so sightings improve naturally. It doesn’t feel crowded. Just alive. You reach Corbett easily by road from Delhi. Ramnagar is the nearest railway station, and most people arrive there by train before continuing to Corbett by road.

Top Attractions: Safaris, rivers, wildlife

Ideal For: Nature over comfort

Weather: Warm days. Easier mornings

Tip: Take water with you and book early

Conclusion

May is not an easy month but it is a lovely month too to travel in India. When you stop pushing yourself and let the heat slow you down, your travel will start feeling more peaceful. Towns, hills and forests move at their own pace and if you start moving at that pace you’ll feel the difference and your journey might become more peaceful. If you keep plans simple and expectations light, May turns into a month of calm journeys, open roads and places that don’t ask much, only time and attention.