The Pushkar camel fair held in October or November, timed to the Kartik Purnima full moon, brings camels, cattle and horses to the lakeside town of Pushkar in Rajasthan. Dates shift each year. One or two nights suits most visitors, and rooms book up early.
Pushkar camel fair held in October or November: dates and place
Pushkar is a Hindu pilgrimage town built around a holy lake, about 15 km from Ajmer and 145 km from Jaipur. The camel and livestock fair takes place here, on the fairground and around the lake ghats, and it is one of the largest gatherings of its kind in the country. Traders arrive with camels, cattle and horses, and the fair has grown a tourist side with camel races, decoration competitions and folk music.
The fair is timed around the Kartik Purnima full moon. That full moon typically falls in October or November, but it moves each year, so the exact dates change. Always check the current year's dates before you book flights or trains, because the main days drive the town's busiest period. For more detail, see our page on Pushkar Camel Fair.
How many days Pushkar deserves, and for whom
For most travellers, one or two nights is enough. Pushkar works well as a stop between Jaipur and Ajmer rather than a base for a full week. You can walk the lake, see the main temples and enjoy the bazaar in a single day, although an overnight stay lets you see the ghats at dawn and dusk, when the town is at its most atmospheric.
If you want the livestock trade and the camel races, plan two nights on the main fair days and book early. Accommodation in Pushkar sells out well ahead of these dates, and tented options appear for the fair itself, so the choice narrows quickly. You can read more on our page on Pushkar Camel Fair.
Travellers who are pairing Pushkar with Rajasthan's forts should treat Jodhpur as a separate trip. Experience My India offers a Mehrangarh Fort tour for that leg, which suits visitors who want the blue city and the fort without fitting them into a day trip from Pushkar.
If your Jaipur plans include the great hilltop fort, the best advice is simple: Amber Fort is best visited early, before the midday heat and the coach groups arrive. Arrive at the gate soon after it opens, and you will have the courtyards and ramparts largely to yourself for a while.
Sights in a sensible visiting order
Start at the lake in the early morning. The lake has 52 bathing ghats, and the first hour after sunrise is the calmest time to see them, with pilgrims bathing and priests sitting on the steps. Allow about 2 to 3 hours in total for the lake and its ghats, then walk to Varah Ghat in time for evening prayers. Readers who want more detail can start with our page on Amber Fort Experience.
Next, visit the Brahma Temple and the Savitri Temple on the hill. The Brahma Temple is in the town centre, close to the lake, so it fits naturally into the morning walk. The Savitri Temple sits above the town and can be reached by the Savitri ropeway, or on foot if you are fit and prefer the slow climb. Leave time for the view back over the lake and the town from the top.
Finish in Sadar Bazar in the late afternoon. The lanes are cooler at that hour, shops are open and it is a good place to buy simple textiles and spices. Keep the dunes and the camel ride for the last hours of daylight, when the light is soft and the heat has eased.
Best time to visit by season
October or November is the window for the camel and livestock fair, timed to Kartik Purnima. If you want to see the fair itself, these months are the only time to plan for it, and you should expect crowds, dust and noise. The fair is a working livestock market, not a staged show, so it can feel intense if you are not used to large gatherings. More on this is on our page on Experience My India.
If you prefer a quieter town, avoid fair week and choose the weeks either side. The lake and ghats are calmer then, the bazaar is easier to walk and accommodation is easier to find. You will miss the camel races and the full scale of the trade, but you will still see the lake and temples at their most peaceful.
Outside the fair, the same rules apply: mornings and evenings are the best times to walk the ghats, and the middle of the day is for resting in the shade.
How to get there from Jaipur and Ajmer
Pushkar is about 15 km from Ajmer and about 145 km from Jaipur. If you arrive by rail, Ajmer is the shorter leg, so many visitors break their journey there and continue to Pushkar by road. From Jaipur, the distance is longer, and the road journey takes more time than the distance alone suggests. For more detail, see our page on Golden Triangle Tour Package.
Confirm current road and rail times before you travel, since journey times and schedules change and are not included here. Plan a buffer for connections, especially during the fair period, when roads around the town can be busy.
For those who want a planned circuit that combines Pushkar with Jaipur, a private route can be easier than arranging each leg yourself. The Golden Triangle Tour Package from Experience My India is one example of a full itinerary that covers the classic Rajasthan route, and it can be adapted if you want more time at Pushkar. Readers who want more detail can start with our page on Jaipur City Tour.
If you have only a day or two in Jaipur before or after Pushkar, the Jaipur City Tour from Experience My India is a helpful way to cover the main sights in one structured day, without losing time to planning each stop.
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