India travel guides — cities, festivals, food and rides
Honest, practical travel guides to India's cities, states and festivals.
✈️ Trip idea of the weekDiscover the Golden Triangle
Delhi, Agra and Jaipur in one unforgettable loop — forts, food and the Taj at sunrise.
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Pick a city, any city 👇
Jaipur
RajasthanThe Pink City's palaces, bazaars and rooftop thalis.
Goa
GoaBeaches, Portuguese quarters and beach-shack seafood.
Varanasi
Uttar PradeshDawn boat rides, ancient ghats and legendary street food.
Udaipur
RajasthanLake palaces, sunset cafés and the Venice of the East.
Mumbai
MaharashtraThe maximum city — colonial landmarks to midnight vada pav.
Delhi
DelhiTwo cities in one: Mughal monuments and modern markets.
Party calendar 🥳
Time your trip around the celebrations.
Teej Festival
Jaipur, Rajasthan
Monsoon green, mehndi and a gilded palanquin procession through the old city. Wear something bright.
Ganesh Chaturthi
Mumbai, Maharashtra
Eleven days of pandals, drums and a final procession to the sea at Girgaum Chowpatty.
Navratri Garba Nights
Ahmedabad, Gujarat
Nine nights of concentric-circle dancing that only really starts after 10pm. Comfortable shoes.
Durga Puja
Kolkata, West Bengal
A UNESCO-listed street takeover — hop pandals till 3am, eat kathi rolls, sleep in November.
Rann Utsav
Dhordo, Gujarat
A tent city rises on the white salt desert of Kutch — full-moon nights here are unforgettable.
Shillong Cherry Blossom Festival
Shillong, Meghalaya
The Khasi hills turn pink for autumn — live music, food stalls and the Northeast's best weather.
Pushkar Camel Fair
Pushkar, Rajasthan
Fifty thousand camels, folk music and a full moon over the desert — Rajasthan's most photogenic week.
Ganga Mahotsav
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
Five nights of classical music on the riverfront, leading straight into Dev Deepawali. Go for both.
Dev Deepawali
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
A million clay lamps light the ghats of the Ganges fifteen days after Diwali. Book boats early.
Qutub Festival
Delhi, Delhi
Sufi and classical performances staged against the floodlit Qutub Minar on cool winter nights.
Hornbill Festival
Kohima, Nagaland
The 'festival of festivals' — sixteen Naga tribes, one valley, ten days of music, food and craft.
Kolkata International Film Festival
Kolkata, West Bengal
Eight days of world cinema across the city's old single-screen halls, plus long coffee-house arguments.
Kochi-Muziris Biennale
Kochi, Kerala
South Asia's biggest contemporary art show, spread through the warehouses and yards of Fort Kochi.
Sawai Gandharva Bhimsen Mahotsav
Pune, Maharashtra
India's most revered Hindustani classical festival, running through the night on a December lawn.
Bikaner Camel Festival
Bikaner, Rajasthan
Camels in embroidered finery, fur-cut competitions and desert dancing in the Thar's quietest corner.
Magh Mela
Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh
A month-long tent city at the Sangam — the annual, gentler cousin of the Kumbh Mela.
International Kite Festival
Ahmedabad, Gujarat
Uttarayan turns the sky into a battlefield of paper and string. Rooftops, undhiyu and no sleep.
Jaipur Literature Festival
Jaipur, Rajasthan
The world's largest free literary gathering — five days of authors, arguments and courtyard chai.
Republic Day Parade
Delhi, Delhi
Kartavya Path in full ceremony — state tableaux, flypast and a very early, very cold start.
Hampi Utsav
Hampi, Karnataka
Vijayanagara ruins lit up for three nights of dance, puppetry and processions among the boulders.
Goa Carnival
Panaji, Goa
King Momo takes the city for four days — floats down 18th June Road, then everyone heads to the beach.
Kala Ghoda Arts Festival
Mumbai, Maharashtra
South Mumbai's art district goes car-free for nine days of installations, film and street theatre.
Udaipur World Music Festival
Udaipur, Rajasthan
Three free stages, lakeside gardens and acts from thirty countries — the Venice of the East plugged in.
Jaisalmer Desert Festival
Jaisalmer, Rajasthan
Turban-tying contests, camel polo and a moonlit finale on the Sam dunes outside the golden fort.
Mewar Festival
Udaipur, Rajasthan
Boat processions on Lake Pichola, palace fireworks and Rajasthan's spring welcomed in royal style.
Gangaur Festival
Jaipur, Rajasthan
Eighteen days of devotion end with idols of Gauri carried past the City Palace at dusk.
Thrissur Pooram
Thrissur, Kerala
Caparisoned elephants, duelling percussion ensembles and a dawn fireworks finale. Kerala at full volume.
São João Festival
Panaji, Goa
Monsoon's welcome party: flower crowns, feni, and villagers jumping into every well in sight.