Pushkar Camel Fair 2026: dates, which days to go, and how to plan it
The Pushkar fair runs from 17 to 24 November 2026, but the camel trading starts earlier and the holy dip comes last. How the two fairs overlap, which days suit you, where to stay and how to get there.
The short answer
The 2026 Pushkar fair runs from 17 to 24 November, according to Rajasthan Tourism’s festival calendar and the Ministry of Tourism, ending on Kartik Purnima. Go in the first half of the week, or a few days before it, if you want the camels and the trading. Go for the last two days if you want the pilgrimage and the holy dip in the lake, and accept the biggest crowds of the year. Either way, book your room now: the town is small and fills early.
Two fairs in one week
What people call the Camel Fair is really two events that overlap. The first is a working livestock fair. Herders walk camels, horses and cattle in from across Rajasthan to trade on the sands at the edge of town, and this is the part most visitors come to photograph. It is organised separately from the cultural programme and usually starts before it: in 2025, trading was reported to have begun about a week before the published fair dates. The district publishes the livestock fair’s details on its official portal nearer the time.
The second is the fair Rajasthan Tourism publishes, with its programme of competitions and performances. Rajasthan Tourism names the matka phod, the longest-moustache contest and a bridal competition as the main draws, and the Ministry of Tourism lists camel parades and races, puppet shows and folk dance. The 2026 programme had not been published at the end of September, so treat any list you see before then as last year’s.
Because the fair revolves around live animals, it depends on animal-health rules. In some years livestock trading has been restricted because of disease outbreaks among cattle. It ran normally in 2025, but check the district’s announcements before you build a trip around the trading.
Which days to go
The fair changes character through the week, and the right days depend on what you want from it. The early days are for the animals: the fairground is busiest with herders and trading, the light over the dunes is best at dawn, and the crowds of visitors are still building. The middle of the week brings the competitions and the stage programme. The last days, ending on Kartik Purnima, are when pilgrims arrive in the greatest numbers for the holy dip in Pushkar Lake. Rajasthan Tourism counts 52 bathing ghats around it.
| When | What is happening | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Before 17 November | Herders arriving; livestock trading usually underway | Photographers; anyone who wants the camels without the crowds |
| The first days of the fair | Trading continues as the cultural programme begins | First-time visitors: the fullest picture of the fair |
| The middle of the week | Competitions and stage events; crowds building | Families who want the spectacle |
| The last days, to Kartik Purnima on 24 November | Pilgrims gather for the holy dip in the lake | Those coming for the religious side; the biggest crowds |
Where to stay during the fair
Pushkar is a small town, and fair week is the one time of year its rooms run short. Book as soon as your dates are fixed. RTDC, the state tourism corporation, publishes separate fair-week tariffs for its Hotel Sarovar on the lake, with no discounts during the fair, and takes bookings directly rather than through travel portals. Beyond that, the choice is the one our Pushkar guide describes for any time of year: a lakeside guesthouse puts you on the ghats but not out of earshot, while properties on the edge of town are calmer and ten minutes away.
Temporary tented camps go up around the fairground each year. They put you close to the trading and the dawn light, but standards differ from camp to camp. Before paying, ask whether the tent has an attached bathroom and running hot water, how it is kept warm at night, and exactly where the camp is relative to the fairground.
If Pushkar itself is full, Ajmer is 15 km away. Staying there and driving in each morning works, though you lose the early light. Many people see the fair as a single long day from a base in Jaipur, but it rewards at least one night.
Getting there
Pushkar is 15 km from Ajmer, whose railway station is the usual arrival point by train. The small Pushkar Terminus station has been connected to Ajmer since 2012, though most visitors take a taxi for the last stretch. From Jaipur it is 145 km by road, about three hours by car, and Jaipur’s airport, 146 km away, is the usual one to fly into. Kishangarh airport, nearer Ajmer, has scheduled flights; check with the airlines for current routes before you plan around it.
During the fair, roads into Pushkar get very busy, especially on the last days. Arrive early in the day, keep luggage light enough to walk the last stretch if a road is closed, and agree a drop-off point with your driver in advance.
The town’s customs, and the November weather
Pushkar is a pilgrimage town first. Rajasthan Tourism notes that it serves only vegetarian food, and by long local custom alcohol is not served and eggs are rarely available. Shoes come off before the ghats, and people bathing or praying are not a subject for your camera. Our guide to Pushkar Lake covers the ghats and the etiquette in more detail.
November is a good month in this part of Rajasthan: warm, dry days and cool nights. Dawn on the fairground is cold enough for a sweater or shawl, and the midday sun is strong. Carry a scarf or mask as well: the fairground is sand, and thousands of animals and people raise a lot of dust.
Fitting the fair into a Rajasthan trip
Pushkar sits naturally between Jaipur and Udaipur, so the fair slots into the classic route rather than needing a detour. Our first-trip Rajasthan itineraries show where it fits at five, seven and ten nights. Late November is also inside Ranthambore’s open season, and the Ranthambore safari guide explains when those permits open. For the fair dates they have long since gone on sale, so book the safari before anything else.
Planning your fair trip
Our Jaipur and Udaipur via Pushkar and the Rajasthan heritage circuit through Pushkar and Bundi both pass through the town and can be dated to the fair, with rooms held in advance. See all our Pushkar itineraries.
Sources
- Fairs and Festivals of Rajasthan, 2024–2030 (Pushkar Fair dates) — Rajasthan Tourism, Government of Rajasthan
- Pushkar Camel Fair — Incredible India, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India
- Pushkar Fair — Rajasthan Tourism, Government of Rajasthan
- Pushkar: how to reach and what to know — Rajasthan Tourism, Government of Rajasthan
- Shri Pushkar Pashu Mela: plot allotment portal — District Administration, Ajmer (NIC)
- Hotel Sarovar, Pushkar — Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation
- Kishangarh Airport — Airports Authority of India
More from the Journal
A closer look at your journey — the detail that turns information into a journey genuinely worth taking.
Australia itinerary for 10 and 14 days: which regions to combine, and how to fly between them
Australia is a continent, and no single itinerary covers it. What ten and fourteen days realistically fit, which regions combine well, where the Great Ocean Road, Blue Mountains, the Reef and Uluru belong, and the flights between them.
Driving in New Zealand with an Indian licence: rules, roads and when not to drive
New Zealand drives on the left, like India, but its roads are narrower, emptier and slower than the map suggests. The licence and permit rules, the roads, one-lane bridges, weather, rental and fuel, and when a coach or a flight is the better choice.
Jaisalmer desert camps: Sam or Khuri, which kind of camp, and what a night involves
A night in the Thar is the reason many people go to Jaisalmer, and camps range from canvas tents to resorts. What the evening involves, Sam or Khuri, the kinds of camp, the cold, and the questions to ask before you book.
Plan your journey
Our travel designers turn knowledge and inspiration into a journey crafted entirely around you.
Plan My Journey →