Best time to visit Shimla
The best time to visit Shimla is April–May and October–November, judged on twenty years of weather records and the events worth going for.
Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India
°C
mm
- Average daily high and low
- Precipitation
- Good month
- Best month
- Made good or best by an event
| Month | Average daily high | Average daily low | Precipitation | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 11.8 °C / 53 °F | 1.6 °C / 35 °F | 84 mm / 3.3 in | neither best nor good |
| February | 14.7 °C / 58 °F | 3.7 °C / 39 °F | 100 mm / 3.9 in | good month |
| March | 19.2 °C / 67 °F | 7.7 °C / 46 °F | 98 mm / 3.9 in | good month |
| April | 23.6 °C / 74 °F | 11.7 °C / 53 °F | 84 mm / 3.3 in | best month |
| May | 26 °C / 79 °F | 15 °C / 59 °F | 84 mm / 3.3 in | best month |
| June | 26.5 °C / 80 °F | 17.5 °C / 64 °F | 165 mm / 6.5 in | good month |
| July | 25.2 °C / 77 °F | 19.4 °C / 67 °F | 388 mm / 15.3 in | neither best nor good |
| August | 25 °C / 77 °F | 19.2 °C / 67 °F | 364 mm / 14.3 in | neither best nor good |
| September | 24.2 °C / 76 °F | 16.6 °C / 62 °F | 230 mm / 9.1 in | neither best nor good |
| October | 22 °C / 72 °F | 11.5 °C / 53 °F | 35 mm / 1.4 in | best month |
| November | 18.4 °C / 65 °F | 6.7 °C / 44 °F | 22 mm / 0.9 in | best month |
| December | 14.7 °C / 58 °F | 3.1 °C / 38 °F | 30 mm / 1.2 in | good month |
Good and best months depend on more than temperature, rain and events. How they are chosen
Each activity on this page has its own good and best months, rated on twenty years of daily weather records. Which measures count, and how much, depends on the activity: humidity for exploring outdoors, wind for the beach, hiking and skiing, snow for skiing alone. Between them, the activities are rated on:
- Daytime highs
- Night-time lows
- How warm it feels
- Humidity
- How much of the day is sunny
- Hours of daylight
- Monthly rainfall
- How many days it rains
- Days of heavy rain
- Wind
- Snowfall and days with snow
- Major events, such as festivals
The chart shows the good and best months for exploring outdoors.
The event icon marks a month that an event lifts to good or best, such as a festival or a natural spectacle. Choose “Weather only” in the toolbar to rate the months on weather alone.
Best months by activity
Exploring outdoors
Mild days and nights, mostly dry and bright. The default for 'when should I go'.
- JJanuary: neither
- FFebruary: good
- MMarch: good
- AApril: best
- MMay: best
- JJune: good
- JJuly: neither
- AAugust: neither
- SSeptember: neither
- OOctober: best
- NNovember: best
- DDecember: good
- Best
- April–May, October–November
- Good
- February–March, June, December
Why these months
February · good
In its favour: share of daylight that is sunny 86%, feels like (high) 12.8 °C / 55 °F, precipitation 100 mm / 3.9 in, average daily high 14.7 °C / 58 °F, wet days 9.6 days, days with heavy rain 3.4 days, relative humidity 69%.
Against: average daily low 3.7 °C / 39 °F.
March · good
In its favour: feels like (high) 18.2 °C / 65 °F, average daily high 19.2 °C / 67 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 91%, precipitation 98 mm / 3.9 in, days with heavy rain 3.3 days, relative humidity 64%, average daily low 7.7 °C / 46 °F.
Against: wet days 12.8 days.
April · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 23.3 °C / 74 °F, average daily high 23.6 °C / 74 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 91%, precipitation 84 mm / 3.3 in, days with heavy rain 2.6 days, average daily low 11.7 °C / 53 °F, relative humidity 57%.
Against: wet days 12.6 days.
May · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 26.6 °C / 80 °F, average daily high 26 °C / 79 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 92%, precipitation 84 mm / 3.3 in, days with heavy rain 2.6 days, average daily low 15 °C / 59 °F, relative humidity 58%.
Against: wet days 12.9 days.
June · good
In its favour: feels like (high) 28.4 °C / 83 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 86%, average daily high 26.5 °C / 80 °F, average daily low 17.5 °C / 64 °F, relative humidity 70%.
Against: precipitation 165 mm / 6.5 in, wet days 16.9 days, days with heavy rain 5.5 days.
October · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 22 °C / 72 °F, average daily high 22 °C / 72 °F, precipitation 35 mm / 1.4 in, share of daylight that is sunny 94%, days with heavy rain 0.6 days, wet days 7 days, average daily low 11.5 °C / 53 °F, relative humidity 74%.
November · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 16.8 °C / 62 °F, average daily high 18.4 °C / 65 °F, precipitation 22 mm / 0.9 in, share of daylight that is sunny 96%, wet days 3.6 days, days with heavy rain 0.6 days, average daily low 6.7 °C / 44 °F, relative humidity 72%.
December · good
In its favour: precipitation 30 mm / 1.2 in, share of daylight that is sunny 93%, wet days 4 days, days with heavy rain 0.9 days, average daily high 14.7 °C / 58 °F, relative humidity 69%.
Against: feels like (high) 12.2 °C / 54 °F, average daily low 3.1 °C / 38 °F.
Hiking and trekking
Cool enough to climb in, dry enough to enjoy, long enough days.
- JJanuary: best
- FFebruary: best
- MMarch: best
- AApril: best
- MMay: neither
- JJune: neither
- JJuly: neither
- AAugust: neither
- SSeptember: neither
- OOctober: best
- NNovember: best
- DDecember: best
- Best
- October–April
Why these months
January · best
In its favour: average daily high 11.8 °C / 53 °F, precipitation 84 mm / 3.3 in, wet days 8.6 days, share of daylight that is sunny 88%, days with heavy rain 3 days, feels like (high) 9.4 °C / 49 °F, average daily low 1.6 °C / 35 °F, wind (daily max) 8 km/h / 5 mph, daylight per day 10.4 h.
February · best
In its favour: average daily high 14.7 °C / 58 °F, precipitation 100 mm / 3.9 in, wet days 9.6 days, feels like (high) 12.8 °C / 55 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 86%, average daily low 3.7 °C / 39 °F, days with heavy rain 3.4 days, daylight per day 11.1 h, wind (daily max) 10 km/h / 6 mph.
March · best
In its favour: average daily high 19.2 °C / 67 °F, precipitation 98 mm / 3.9 in, feels like (high) 18.2 °C / 65 °F, average daily low 7.7 °C / 46 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 91%, daylight per day 12 h, days with heavy rain 3.3 days, wind (daily max) 11 km/h / 7 mph.
Against: wet days 12.8 days.
April · best
In its favour: average daily high 23.6 °C / 74 °F, precipitation 84 mm / 3.3 in, average daily low 11.7 °C / 53 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 91%, daylight per day 12.9 h, days with heavy rain 2.6 days, feels like (high) 23.3 °C / 74 °F, wind (daily max) 12 km/h / 7 mph.
Against: wet days 12.6 days.
October · best
In its favour: average daily high 22 °C / 72 °F, precipitation 35 mm / 1.4 in, wet days 7 days, days with heavy rain 0.6 days, feels like (high) 22 °C / 72 °F, average daily low 11.5 °C / 53 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 94%, daylight per day 11.4 h, wind (daily max) 10 km/h / 6 mph.
November · best
In its favour: average daily high 18.4 °C / 65 °F, precipitation 22 mm / 0.9 in, wet days 3.6 days, days with heavy rain 0.6 days, feels like (high) 16.8 °C / 62 °F, average daily low 6.7 °C / 44 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 96%, wind (daily max) 9 km/h / 5 mph, daylight per day 10.6 h.
December · best
In its favour: average daily high 14.7 °C / 58 °F, precipitation 30 mm / 1.2 in, wet days 4 days, days with heavy rain 0.9 days, feels like (high) 12.2 °C / 54 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 93%, average daily low 3.1 °C / 38 °F, wind (daily max) 8 km/h / 5 mph, daylight per day 10.2 h.
An activity is listed only where it applies: skiing at ski destinations, beach and swimming at beach destinations. The nearest ski area is Solang Valley, 134 km away.
Weather averages
Monthly averages over twenty years, 2006–2025. Highs, lows and precipitation are in the chart at the top.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feels like (high) | 9.4 °C | 12.8 °C | 18.2 °C | 23.3 °C | 26.6 °C | 28.4 °C | 29 °C | 28.7 °C | 26.9 °C | 22 °C | 16.8 °C | 12.2 °C |
| Days with heavy rain | 3 days | 3.4 days | 3.3 days | 2.6 days | 2.6 days | 5.5 days | 12.8 days | 13.3 days | 6.5 days | 0.6 days | 0.6 days | 0.9 days |
| Time rain usually falls | 3 pm | 3 pm | 2 pm | 3 pm | 3 pm | 2 pm | 2 pm | 2 pm | 2 pm | 2 pm | 2 pm | 3 pm |
| Sunshine per day | 9.1 h | 9.6 h | 11 h | 11.7 h | 12.6 h | 12.1 h | 9 h | 8.3 h | 10.2 h | 10.8 h | 10.1 h | 9.4 h |
| Relative humidity | 71% | 69% | 64% | 57% | 58% | 70% | 88% | 88% | 85% | 74% | 72% | 69% |
Air quality
Averaged over a shorter period (2022–2025) than the twenty-year averages above, and not counted towards good or best months.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air pollution (PM2.5) 2022–2025 | 31.1 µg/m³ | 21.6 µg/m³ | 16.7 µg/m³ | 16.7 µg/m³ | 19.4 µg/m³ | 24.7 µg/m³ | 21.6 µg/m³ | 17 µg/m³ | 18.7 µg/m³ | 18.4 µg/m³ | 26.1 µg/m³ | 24.6 µg/m³ |
| Air pollution (PM2.5, daily peak) 2022–2025 | 49.8 µg/m³ | 36.2 µg/m³ | 26.5 µg/m³ | 25.4 µg/m³ | 28.8 µg/m³ | 37.5 µg/m³ | 35.2 µg/m³ | 27.5 µg/m³ | 29.1 µg/m³ | 28.1 µg/m³ | 40 µg/m³ | 40.6 µg/m³ |
- Good 15 µg/m³ or less
- Fair 15 to 25 µg/m³
- Moderate 25 to 37.5 µg/m³
- Poor 37.5 to 50 µg/m³
- Very poor 50 to 75 µg/m³
- Extremely poor over 75 µg/m³
Each figure is compared with the World Health Organization's guideline for a day's air, 15 µg/m³ or less, and with its interim targets above that. The words are ours: the WHO does not name its steps. The figures are modelled monthly averages, so single days can be well above them. The daily peak is the average of each day's highest hour, shaded on the same scale.