Pushkar Camel Fair
Oct–Nov, around Kartik Purnima (lunar calendar)
The fair has two halves, and timing your visit decides which one you see. In the first days, herders from across western Rajasthan bring camels, horses and cattle to the sandy grounds outside town, and the trading, grooming and bargaining start before dawn. This is when the photographs are made. By the final days, the livestock thins out and the town fills with pilgrims arriving for the full-moon bath.
Rajasthan Tourism runs a programme alongside the trading, with competitions, folk music and events at the fair ground. Some years have been reshaped by livestock health rules or local restrictions, and camel numbers are lower than they were a generation ago. Dates follow the lunar calendar and are announced each year, so check current status before you travel.
We plan the fair from a temporary luxury tented camp near the grounds, or from a hotel just outside town, and arrive two or three days before the full moon. Early mornings on the dunes with a photographer-guide, a sunset walk on the ghats and one evening at the main events is the pattern that works. Avoid the full-moon day itself unless you want the pilgrimage.
How to do it well
- Arrive 3–4 days before Kartik Purnima to see the livestock trading at its peak
- Be on the fair ground by 6.30 am; the light and the activity are both best early
- Book fair-season tents 6–9 months ahead, and check current status before you travel
Questions travellers ask
Good to know
When is the Pushkar Camel Fair in 2026
The fair follows the Hindu lunar calendar and ends on Kartik Purnima, the full moon of Kartik, which usually falls in late October or November. The livestock trading starts several days earlier. Rajasthan Tourism publishes the official dates each year, so check current status before you travel and plan to arrive three or four days before the full moon.
Are there still camels at the Pushkar Fair
Yes, though fewer than in past decades, and most arrive in the first days of the fair. By the last two days many herders have sold and left. Some years have also seen livestock restrictions for animal health reasons. To see the trading at its fullest, plan to be on the grounds early in the fair.
Where do you stay for the Pushkar Fair
Luxury operators set up temporary tented camps near the fair grounds each year, with proper beds and attached bathrooms. Permanent options include resort hotels on the edge of town, such as The Westin Pushkar. Everything books out months ahead for fair week, so we hold rooms as soon as the dates are announced.
Is the Pushkar Fair crowded
Very, especially on the last days around the full moon, when hundreds of thousands of pilgrims come to bathe in the lake. The early days are calmer and better for the livestock. With a private guide and early starts, you can see the fair well; avoid driving into town on the full-moon day itself.
Festival journeys
Routes built around the calendar
