The dry, cool months from November to February are the best time to visit Inle. Days are bright and mild — around 24°C — though nights up in the hills can drop close to freezing. Bring a jumper.
March to May is hot and hazy as farmers burn fields across the surrounding hills. The rainy season runs June to October; the lake is at its fullest and the surrounding hills at their greenest, but boat trips can be cut short by squalls. The biggest event is the Phaung Daw Oo Festival in September or October, when four of the pagoda's Buddha images are paraded around the lake for eighteen days — a major draw for Burmese pilgrims and a striking spectacle if your visit coincides.