When to visit›Maharashtra›Ellora Caves›December
Ellora Caves in December: a fine time to go
December: comfortable 27°C days — and inside the recommended window.
December is the middle of Ellora Caves's season — the recommended window is October – March. Warm days around 27°C, nights near 16°C, almost no rain. Stays run about 30% above the usual rate this month.
January is in season too. The season runs to the end of March, 3 months away. The rains usually arrive in June, 6 months away. The heat usually builds in April, 4 months away.
3 days in Ellora Caves in December · from ₹8,475 for two
Stay, food & local travel — getting there extra
Day-by-day plan with the journey from your city, priced for December — ready in seconds, no sign-up.
What the weather actually does
10-year average · Ellora CavesWarm days around 27°C, nights near 16°C, almost no rain.
What a day in Ellora Caves looks like
The things most people actually do here, by time of day.
Morning
- Kailasa Temple monolith (Cave 16)2h 30m · moderate
- Buddhist caves 1–12 (Vishvakarma chaitya)2h · moderate
- Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga Temple darshan1h · easy
- Daulatabad Fort climb2h 30m · strenuous
Afternoon
- Hindu caves — Dashavatara & Dhumar Lena1h 30m · moderate
- Jain caves — Indra Sabha (Cave 32)1h 30m · easy
- Bibi Ka Maqbara (the "mini Taj")1h · easy
- Ellora heritage museum1h · easy
About 13h of activity in total — the planner spreads this across your days and fits travel time around it.
What a December trip costs · 3 days, total for two
Budget
₹8,475 for two
- Stay · 2n₹3,003
- Food₹3,120
- Local + entry₹1,730
- Buffer₹622
Mid-range
₹19,497 for two
- Stay · 2n₹6,279
- Food₹7,200
- Local + entry₹4,580
- Buffer₹1,438
Luxury
₹53,126 for two
- Stay · 2n₹23,317
- Food₹16,800
- Local + entry₹9,080
- Buffer₹3,929
December multiplier already applied (1.30× on stays). 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 Ellora Caves. How we price this
Add the journey from your city — see the full priceBook Ellora Caves for December
Opens with December dates for two — change them on the booking site.
Tourisma may earn a small commission if you book — it never changes your price.
A December plan, day by day
3 days in Ellora Caves for December, at this month's stay rates.
- 1🏛️ Heritage Day5h out
- Hindu caves — Dashavatara & Dhumar Lena · afternoon, 1.5h
- Jain caves — Indra Sabha (Cave 32) · afternoon, 1.5h
- Bibi Ka Maqbara (the "mini Taj") · afternoon, 1h
- Ellora heritage museum · afternoon, 1h
Landing in a living museum — the architecture greets you before you even unpack.
- 2🏛️ Heritage Day8h out
- Kailasa Temple monolith (Cave 16) · morning, 2.5h
- Buddhist caves 1–12 (Vishvakarma chaitya) · morning, 2h
- Daulatabad Fort climb · morning, 2.5h
- Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga Temple darshan · morning, 1h
These sites are clustered to minimise backtracking — history in a logical sequence.
- 3🏛️ Heritage Day3h out
- Ramesvara Cave (Cave 21) sculptures · flexible, 1.5h
- Chota Kailash · flexible, 1.5h
Final day in Ellora Caves — the historical weight of this place demands a full day — each site contextualises the next.
Swap places, change the pace, set your own dates.
Plan my Ellora Caves tripGetting to Ellora Caves
Usually the biggest line in the budget — and the one the estimate above leaves out.
Aurangabad → Ellora Caves
bus · 45m
₹60
1 way / person
Aurangabad → Ellora Caves
cab · 40m
₹600
1 way / person
Cheapest listed route is Aurangabad → Ellora Caves by bus. Return for two works out to about ₹240 — so a whole trip lands near ₹8,715 for two, travel included.
Fares are typical one-way estimates per person from Ellora 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 Ellora Caves
All of these are open in December.
- Kailasa Temple monolith (Cave 16)
- Ramesvara Cave (Cave 21) sculptures
- Cave 32 Jain shrine
- Cave 10 Vishvakarma Buddhist chaitya
- Indra Sabha Jain cave
- Dashavatara Cave panels
- Dhumar Lena cave
- Cave 29 Dumar Lena Hindu
- Chota Kailash
- 34 caves total circuit
- Ghrishneshwar Temple (Jyotirlinga) nearby
- Ellora Museum
Within reach: Ajanta Caves · Bibi Ka Maqbara · Daulatabad Fort · Aurangabad Caves.
Packing for December
- Light layers and a jacket for the evenings.
- Sunscreen and a cap for long days outdoors.
- Comfortable walking shoes — old quarters are seen on foot.
December questions, answered
Is December a good time to visit Ellora Caves?
Yes — December is one of Ellora Caves's best months: it sits in the middle of the recommended season (October – March), and warm days around 27°C, nights near 16°C, almost no rain. Tourisma's fit score for December is 96/100.
See a December plan for Ellora CavesHow much does a trip to Ellora Caves cost in December?
A typical 3-day trip for two costs from ₹8,475 (budget) to ₹53,126 (luxury), excluding travel to Ellora Caves. Seasonally adjusted for December.
Price it for your group and cityWhen is the best time to visit Ellora Caves?
The best months are January, November, December. From December: January is in season too. The season runs to the end of March, 3 months away. The rains usually arrive in June, 6 months away. The heat usually builds in April, 4 months away.
What is there to do in Ellora Caves?
Kailasa Temple monolith (Cave 16). Ramesvara Cave (Cave 21) sculptures. Cave 32 Jain shrine. Cave 10 Vishvakarma Buddhist chaitya. Indra Sabha Jain cave. Dashavatara Cave panels. Aurangabad is the nearest railhead, 30 km away.
Nearby, same trip
Elsewhere in India in December
Also in season this month, from Tourisma's ranking of all 238 destinations for December.
- North Goa Beaches · Goa · from ₹16,618 for two, 4 days
- Rann of Kutch · Gujarat · from ₹5,335 for two, 2 days
- Konark Sun Temple · Odisha · from ₹4,708 for two, 2 days
- Kohima · Nagaland · from ₹5,530 for two, 2 days
- South Goa Beaches · Goa · from ₹11,734 for two, 4 days
- Pelling · Sikkim · from ₹4,514 for two, 2 days
- Gangtok · Sikkim · from ₹9,916 for two, 3 days
- Kisama (Hornbill Festival) · Nagaland · from ₹7,593 for two, 2 days
Want this as a real plan?
Ellora Caves in December, priced for your group, dawn-starts built in — about 40 seconds.
From ₹8,475 for two · stay, food & local travel — getting there extra
Plan Ellora Caves in December