When to visit›Maharashtra›Ajanta Caves›May
Ajanta Caves in May: doable, with the right plan
May: 39°C days — and outside the recommended window.
May is outside Ajanta Caves's recommended window (October – March); the season opens in October, 5 months away. Very hot days around 39°C, nights near 26°C, the odd shower.
The next season opens in October, 5 months away. The rains usually arrive in June, next month. The next mild, dry spell usually starts in October, 5 months away.
2 days in Ajanta Caves in May · from ₹4,486 for two
Stay, food & local travel — getting there extra
Day-by-day plan with the journey from your city, priced for May — ready in seconds, no sign-up.
What the weather actually does
10-year average · Ajanta CavesVery hot days around 39°C, nights near 26°C, the odd shower.
What a day in Ajanta Caves looks like
The things most people actually do here, by time of day.
Morning
- Cave 1 & 2 — Padmapani & ceiling frescoes2h · easy
- Cave 16 & 17 — Dying Princess & finest paintings1h 30m · easy
- All 29 caves circuit walk4h · moderate
Afternoon
- Cave 26 — reclining Buddha1h · easy
- Viewpoint over horseshoe canyon & Waghora1h · moderate
About 9h 30m of activity in total — the planner spreads this across your days and fits travel time around it.
What a May trip costs · 2 days, total for two
Budget
₹4,486 for two
- Stay · 1n₹900
- Food₹2,080
- Local + entry₹1,180
- Buffer₹326
Mid-range
₹10,659 for two
- Stay · 1n₹1,995
- Food₹4,800
- Local + entry₹3,080
- Buffer₹784
Luxury
₹25,573 for two
- Stay · 1n₹6,405
- Food₹11,200
- Local + entry₹6,080
- Buffer₹1,888
Covers stay with GST, food, local transport, entry & activities, 8% buffer for two people sharing one room — the same figures the planner opens on. Excludes travel to Ajanta Caves. How we price this
Add the journey from your city — see the full priceBook Ajanta Caves for May
Opens with May dates for two — change them on the booking site.
Tourisma may earn a small commission if you book — it never changes your price.
A May plan, day by day
2 days in Ajanta Caves for May, at this month's stay rates.
- 1🙏 Spiritual Day2h out
- Cave 26 — reclining Buddha · afternoon, 1h
- Viewpoint over horseshoe canyon & Waghora · afternoon, 1h
Landing in a living museum — the architecture greets you before you even unpack.
- 2🏛️ Heritage Day3.5h out
- Cave 1 & 2 — Padmapani & ceiling frescoes · morning, 2h
- Cave 16 & 17 — Dying Princess & finest paintings · morning, 1.5h
Final day in Ajanta Caves — these sites are clustered to minimise backtracking — history in a logical sequence.
Swap places, change the pace, set your own dates.
Plan my Ajanta Caves tripGetting to Ajanta Caves
Usually the biggest line in the budget — and the one the estimate above leaves out.
Aurangabad → Ajanta Caves
bus · 2.5h
₹180
1 way / person
Aurangabad → Ajanta Caves
cab · 2h
₹1,200
1 way / person
Jalgaon → Ajanta Caves
bus · 1.5h
₹100
1 way / person
Cheapest listed route is Jalgaon → Ajanta Caves by bus. Return for two works out to about ₹400 — so a whole trip lands near ₹4,886 for two, travel included.
Fares are typical one-way estimates per person from Ajanta Caves's common gateways, not live prices — book early and expect festival months to run higher.
Every month, scored
What you’ll actually do in Ajanta Caves
All of these are open in May.
- Cave 1 Bodhisattva Padmapani masterpiece
- Cave 2 ceiling frescoes
- Cave 16 "Dying Princess" painting
- Cave 17 — most paintings
- Cave 26 reclining Buddha
- Viewpoint over horseshoe canyon
- Viewpoint over Waghora stream
- 29 caves total walk
- Archaeological site museum
- Ajanta hills panorama walk
- Waterfall near Cave 29
Within reach: Ellora Caves · Aurangabad · Daulatabad Fort · Bibi Ka Maqbara.
Packing for May
- Loose, light full-sleeve cotton, a hat and sunscreen — keep the afternoons for shade.
- Two litres of water a day and electrolyte sachets; start sightseeing by 7 am.
- Comfortable walking shoes — old quarters are seen on foot.
May questions, answered
Is May a good time to visit Ajanta Caves?
It can work — May is not Ajanta Caves's best month: the recommended season is October – March, and very hot days around 39°C, nights near 26°C, the odd shower. Tourisma's fit score for May is 61/100.
See a May plan for Ajanta CavesHow much does a trip to Ajanta Caves cost in May?
A typical 2-day trip for two costs from ₹4,486 (budget) to ₹25,573 (luxury), excluding travel to Ajanta Caves. Seasonally adjusted for May.
Price it for your group and cityWhen is the best time to visit Ajanta Caves?
The best months are January, November, December. From May: The next season opens in October, 5 months away. The rains usually arrive in June, next month. The next mild, dry spell usually starts in October, 5 months away.
What is there to do in Ajanta Caves?
Cave 1 Bodhisattva Padmapani masterpiece. Cave 2 ceiling frescoes. Cave 16 "Dying Princess" painting. Cave 17 — most paintings. Cave 26 reclining Buddha. Viewpoint over horseshoe canyon. Jalgaon is the nearest railhead, 59 km away.
Nearby, same trip
Elsewhere in India in May
Instead in season this month, from Tourisma's ranking of all 238 destinations for May.
- Haridwar · Uttarakhand · from ₹6,526 for two, 2 days
- Rishikesh · Uttarakhand · from ₹7,733 for two, 3 days
- Gulmarg · Jammu & Kashmir · from ₹9,694 for two, 2 days
- Bomdila · Arunachal Pradesh · from ₹4,855 for two, 2 days
- Tawang · Arunachal Pradesh · from ₹10,176 for two, 3 days
- Ziro Valley · Arunachal Pradesh · from ₹4,855 for two, 2 days
- Kodaikanal · Tamil Nadu · from ₹6,390 for two, 2 days
- Yumthang Valley · Sikkim · from ₹5,335 for two, 2 days
Want this as a real plan?
Ajanta Caves in May, priced for your group, dawn-starts built in — about 40 seconds.
From ₹4,486 for two · stay, food & local travel — getting there extra
Plan Ajanta Caves in May