When to visit›Uttarakhand›Nainital›May
Nainital in May: a fine time to go
May: 7 rainy days — and inside the recommended window.
May is the middle of Nainital's season — the recommended window is March – June, September – November. Mild days around 22°C, nights near 13°C, occasional rain. Stays run about 30% above the usual rate this month.
June is in season too. The season runs to the end of June, next month. The rains usually arrive in June, next month. Deep winter usually sets in in January, 8 months away. The cold months usually begin in November, 6 months away.
2 days in Nainital in May · from ₹9,050 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 · NainitalMild days around 22°C, nights near 13°C, occasional rain.
What a day in Nainital looks like
The things most people actually do here, by time of day.
Morning
- Naini Lake shikara boat ride at sunrise1h 30m · easy
- Snow View Point ropeway & Himalayan panorama2h · easy
- Naina Devi Temple (Shakti Peeth) darshan1h · easy
- Naini Peak (China Peak) hike — 360° views3h · strenuous
- Jim Corbett National Park day trip (65km)5h · moderate
Afternoon
- Eco Cave Gardens & Khurpa Tal walk2h · moderate
- Bal Mithai & Singodi — local Kumaoni sweets30m · easy
Evening
- Mall Road sunset walk & local café1h 30m · easy
About 16h 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
₹9,050 for two
- Stay · 1n₹2,457
- Food₹2,600
- Local + entry₹3,500
- Buffer₹493
Mid-range
₹17,870 for two
- Stay · 1n₹5,324
- Food₹6,000
- Local + entry₹5,400
- Buffer₹1,146
Luxury
₹43,881 for two
- Stay · 1n₹18,408
- Food₹14,000
- Local + entry₹8,400
- Buffer₹3,073
May 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 Nainital. How we price this
Add the journey from your city — see the full priceBook Nainital 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 Nainital for May, at this month's stay rates.
- 1🌅 Slow Day2h out
- Bal Mithai & Singodi — local Kumaoni sweets · afternoon, 0.5h
- Mall Road sunset walk & local café · evening, 1.5h
The altitude and cool air hit as you arrive — a slow evening settling in before the hills tomorrow.
- 2🏔️ Adventure Day4h out
- Naini Peak (China Peak) hike — 360° views · morning, 3h
- Naina Devi Temple (Shakti Peeth) darshan · morning, 1h
Final day in Nainital — adventure activities are clustered here to maximise energy and minimise repeated transit.
Swap places, change the pace, set your own dates.
Plan my Nainital tripGetting to Nainital
Usually the biggest line in the budget — and the one the estimate above leaves out.
Delhi → Kathgodam
train · 6h
₹600
1 way / person
Kathgodam → Nainital
cab · 1.5h
₹1,500
1 way / person
Cheapest listed route is Delhi → Kathgodam by train. Return for two works out to about ₹2,400 — so a whole trip lands near ₹11,450 for two, travel included.
Fares are typical one-way estimates per person from Nainital's common gateways, not live prices — book early and expect festival months to run higher.
Every month, scored
What you’ll actually do in Nainital
All of these are open in May.
- Naini Lake boat ride
- Naina Devi Temple
- Snow View ropeway panorama
- Mall Road evening walk
- Tiffin Top (Dorothy Seat) trek
- Cave Garden natural limestone caves
- Kilbury bird sanctuary walk
- Pangot village birdwatching
- Naukuchiatal lake (9-cornered)
- Bhimtal island aquarium
- Jim Corbett National Park (70km)
Within reach: Naini Lake · Mall Road · Snow View Point · Naina Devi Temple · Tiffin Top.
Packing for May
- Light layers and a jacket for the evenings.
- Sunscreen and a cap for long days outdoors.
- Walking shoes with grip and a power bank — charging points and signal are patchy on hill roads.
May questions, answered
Is May a good time to visit Nainital?
Yes — May is one of Nainital's best months: it sits in the middle of the recommended season (March – June, September – November), and mild days around 22°C, nights near 13°C, occasional rain. Tourisma's fit score for May is 83/100.
See a May plan for NainitalHow much does a trip to Nainital cost in May?
A typical 2-day trip for two costs from ₹9,050 (budget) to ₹43,881 (luxury), excluding travel to Nainital. Seasonally adjusted for May.
Price it for your group and cityWhen is the best time to visit Nainital?
The best months are April, October, November. From May: June is in season too. The season runs to the end of June, next month. The rains usually arrive in June, next month. Deep winter usually sets in in January, 8 months away. The cold months usually begin in November, 6 months away.
What is there to do in Nainital?
Naini Lake boat ride. Naina Devi Temple. Snow View ropeway panorama. Mall Road evening walk. Tiffin Top (Dorothy Seat) trek. Cave Garden natural limestone caves. Kathgodam is the nearest railhead, 35 km away.
Nearby, same trip
Also on in Uttarakhand in May: Ganga Dussehra (Haridwar, Rishikesh).
Elsewhere in India in May
Also 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?
Nainital in May, priced for your group, dawn-starts built in — about 40 seconds.
From ₹9,050 for two · stay, food & local travel — getting there extra
Plan Nainital in May