India has three major seasons: winter, summer and monsoon. The winter months (November-March) are pleasant throughout India with bright sunny days. In the Northern plains, the minimum temperature drops steeply and there is snowfall in hills. In Maharashtra, the south and eastern India, however, December and January are pleasantly cool, never very cold.

The summer months (April-June) are hot in most parts of India, and it is during this season that hill resorts such as Simla, Musoorie, Nainital, Kullu and the Kashmir Valley, Darjeeling, Shilong, Ootaccamund, Kodaikanal, Pachmarhi, and Mount Abu provide cool retreats.

The south-west monsoon usually breaks about the beginning of June on the west coast and reaches elsewhere later. With the exception of the south-eastern areas, India receives the major share of its rainfall between June and September. The south-eastern areas receive most of the rainfall from the north-east monsoon between mid-October and December-end.

Traditionally, India has been most popular in the winter months. However, with easy availability of air-conditioned hotels, transport and leisure facilities (such as dining and shopping), the summer months too have become popular, and India has become a year-round tourist destination.