A travel Guide to Mount Abu

Mount Abu Tourism

Mount Abu is the only hill station and a major tourist place in Rajasthan. Located in the Sirohi district amidst the Aravalli hills, Mount Abu, India, has a cool temperature with lush green surroundings. This place is often referred to as ‘an Oasis in the Desserts’, which explains all the lakes, rivers, forests, and waterfalls here. Several viewpoints offer amazing views of the Aravalli hills and surrounding plains, rivers, and forests.

This town has several Hindu temples, which are a major part of Mount Abu tourist attractions. The Dilwara temples hold significance, as well. This place has been important since the Vedic period and is also mentioned in the Puranas. Hence, visiting the various temples is included in most Mount Abu tours.

The Mount Abu tourist places interests visitors with interest in architecture, culture, and tradition to spiritual and nature-loving visitors. You can easily find hotels in Mount Abu with beautiful views. It’s a place you can enjoy with your family, friends, and even alone.

This Mount Abu travel guide will help you plan your trip there.

Places to visit in Mount Abu

1. Dilwara Temples

Dilwara Temples is on the top of the list of the best Mount Abu tourist places. It’s considered the most beautiful and amazing spiritual site for the Jains. This architectural marvel was constructed between the 11th and 13th century. Dilwara Temples is a group of five different temples, including Vimal Vasahi, Pittalhar, Luna Vasahi, Mahavir Swami, and Parshavanatha. These temples are a treat for history and architecture enthusiasts as they are renowned for the magnificent use of marvel and complex carving on every corner. The stunning patterns and designs on roofs, walls, archways, and pillars will take you back a thousand years. Dilwara Temples take you through the values and principles of Jainism.

2. Nakki Lake

This man-made gem of Mount Abu is located in the Aravalli hill ranges with surrounding lush greenery, mountains, and rocks. The ashes of Mahatma Gandhi were immersed here. This fact makes this place among the most visited Mount Abu tourist places. You can see the nearby natural wonders from this lake. There is a famous Toad Rock that derives its name from looking like a toad that's about to jump in the lake. There is also a path that will lead you up to a sunset point. The scenic beauty of this place makes it perfect for nature lovers and photographers.

3. Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary

Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary is spread across an area of 288 km with igneous rocks with large cavities formed as weathering effects of water and wind. This is one of the key attractions of Mount Abu tourism. This place is added to the must-visit tourist places list due to its rich biodiversity. It's the perfect place for you to witness the wildlife, flora, and fauna of the region in their natural habitat. The sanctuary is very soothing to nature lovers with all the scenic views from the Aravalli ranges.

4. Achalgarh Fort

Located at a distance of 11 km to the North of Mount Abu, this fort was built during the reign of the Paramara dynasty to keep an eye on the enemy’s movements. There are old temples in this complex fort that hold great religious importance. The Jain temples here are presumed to be built around the 15th century AD and the Achaleshwar Mahadev Temple around the 9th century AD. When you visit this place, you'll find various attractions such as Shivalinga and Nani made out of five different metals. You can visit this place during the day with no entrance fees. Out of all Mount Abu attractions, this place is famous for sightseeing, historical heritage, and religious importance.

5. Guru Shikhar

Guru Shikhar is the highest peak of the famous Aravalli range and stands at the height of 1722 meters from sea level. The cave stop has been converted into a temple in remembrance of Guru Dattatreya, after whom this peak was named. It’s about 15 km from Mount Abu and you'll need to climb a few steps to reach the top. The weather around the peak gets misty and cloudy during October and November. Once you reach the top, there is a bell with '1411 AD' inscribed on it. You can ring that bell as a way of announcing your achievement of reaching the top of the valley.

Things to do in Mount Abu

With different places comes different activities. There are a plethora of things to do in Mount Abu.

Boating at Nakki Lake

A boat ride at Nakki lake is among the top Mount Abu tourist attractions. You can pedal your way through the lake with greenery and pristine waters surrounding you. You'll get to see the life in this hill station around the ghats. Sailing through the entire lake will take about 30 minutes. The prices are also very low for boating. You can either take a shikara boat or a pedal boat. The best time for this activity is from November to April.

Trekking

Trekking on one of the routes of the Aravalli mountain belt is a must-have experience in Mount Abu. The Aravalli mountain belt is among the most ancient mountain belts in the entire world. Most of the trails for trekking are in the Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary. The treks have difficulty levels ranging from easy to medium. It's a very cost-friendly activity which is most fun to do, from October to March.

Camping

Among the lush green fields of Mount Abu, you can set up a camp to enjoy starry nights with a bonfire and food. Note that camping in Mount Abu is very different from camping in the Himalayas or Nilgiris. Along with camping, you can enjoy other activities such as rappelling, rock climbing and zorbing. You should camp during the summers rather than monsoon and winters.

Rock Climbing

Rock climbing is a fun activity for everyone from beginners to pro trekkers and is one of the best things to do for adventure lovers visiting Mount Abu. If you are a first-timer, you can easily find expert trainers and supervisors to smoothen things out for you. The difficulty level of rock climbing in Mount Abu ranges from easy to moderate level. It's advised to avoid rock climbing during the monsoon season.

Best time to visit Mount Abu

Mount Abu is a relatively cooler place in Rajasthan, making it an escape for locals and tourists in summer. The temperature never rises above 30 degrees Celsius and the weather is pleasant almost throughout the year. The monsoon here is from July to September, with plenty of rainfall. So, monsoon is not the best season to visit Mount Abu.

Even though this hill station attracts the most crowds in summer, the best time to visit Mount Abu is from September to November and has pleasant weather. October and November also mark the beginning of the festive season which makes this destination much more attractive with several cultural and religious programs. For a trip in the peak season, booking hotels beforehand will be very helpful.

How to reach Mount Abu

Mount Abu is very well connected with the rest of the country via airways, roadways, and railways. Here’s how to reach Mount Abu:

By Airways: No direct flights to Mount Abu are available. However, there are frequently available flights to Udaipur, flights to Maharana Pratap Airport Udaipur, which is the nearest airport to Mount Abu. Since it’s a domestic airport, you can easily board a flight from any airport in the country. Foreign visitors can board a plane to Jaipur international airport and then reach Mount Abu from there.

By Roadways: Road is the most common and easy way to reach Mount Abu. It’s well connected with major cities and NH 14 is only 24 kilometres from here. There are many bus and taxi services available to reach Mount Abu.

By Railways: The nearest railway station is the Abu Road Railway Station connecting with major cities from Mumbai to Delhi. It’s a short drive from here to Mount Abu.