10 Travel Ideas for Upcoming Festival Season 2025

In a Glance: Planning your trips around festivals in 2025? From Diwali in Varanasi and Durga Puja in Kolkata to Goa’s Sunburn, Munich’s Oktoberfest, and Tokyo’s winter illuminations, this guide lists the top festival destinations in India and abroad. Find out the best time to visit, what to pack, and how to make the most of each celebration.

The festival season in 2025 isn’t just about public holidays; it’s about turning long weekends into lifelong memories. This is the time when India’s cities turn into art galleries, its deserts into performance stages, and its beaches into music arenas.

Globally too, streets come alive with light, music, food, and traditions that have been cherished for centuries.

If you’re wondering where to go during this vibrant time, here’s a handpicked list of festival destinations in India and abroad, blending spiritual escapes, cultural adventures, and music-filled nights.

Plus, we’ll share when to go, what to pack, and how to make the most of each celebration.

Where to Travel This Festival Season 2025: Top 10 Picks

1. Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh: Diwali by the Ganges

Few places can rival the magic of Diwali in Varanasi. As dusk falls, thousands of diyas float gently on the Ganges, their golden reflections dancing with the ripples.

The evening Ganga Aarti transforms the riverfront into a spiritual theatre, accompanied by chanting, bells, and the scent of incense.

• Best Time: Late October 2025

• Travel Tip: Book your stay early, river-facing rooms fill up fast during this time.

• A night boat ride offers the most breathtaking view of the illuminated ghats.

2. Pushkar, Rajasthan: The World-Famous Camel Fair

Step into a scene straight out of a Rajasthani folk tale, with camels adorned in colourful attire, folk musicians filling the air with melodies, and traders haggling over prized livestock.

The Pushkar Camel Fair is part cultural festival, part traditional marketplace, and wholly unforgettable.

• Best Time: November 2025

• Travel Tip: Rise early to witness the desert sunrise before exploring the fairgrounds.

• Hot air balloon rides are a great way to see the festivities from above.

3. Shillong, Meghalaya: Autumn Festival & Music Escapes

Shillong’s Autumn Festival blends Khasi cultural performances with indie music concerts, art exhibits, and food stalls that showcase the Northeast’s diverse flavours.

The crisp mountain air makes it the perfect backdrop for a festival getaway.

• Best Time: October–November 2025

• Travel Tip: Combine your trip with a road journey to Cherrapunji for dramatic waterfalls and misty valleys.

4. Goa: Sunburn Music Festival

If your idea of a festival is sand under your feet and bass in your veins, Sunburn delivers.

This three-day music carnival features global DJs, dazzling light shows, and an infectious energy that spills from the stage onto the beach.

• Best Time: December 2025

• Travel Tip: Early morning beach walks can be a serene contrast to the festival’s nightlife.

• Book accommodation within walking distance to avoid traffic delays.

5. Kolkata, West Bengal: Durga Puja Extravaganza

Durga Puja in Kolkata is an explosion of art, devotion, and street food. Every neighbourhood competes to build the most elaborate pandal, turning the city into an open-air art exhibition.

The celebrations often run into the early hours of the morning, blending tradition with a city-wide street party.

• Best Time: October 2025

• Travel Tip: Try local delicacies like phuchkas, kathi rolls, and mishti doi between pandal visits.

• Comfortable shoes are a must, you’ll be walking a lot.

Also read: Foodie Guide to Kolkata Durga Puja Prep Season

6. Rishikesh, Uttarakhand: Yoga & Spiritual Retreats

Not every festival escape needs to be loud. Rishikesh offers a different kind of celebration, one that’s centred on stillness, self-discovery, and the sound of the river.

Attend yoga retreats, meditate by the Ganga, and take gentle treks in the surrounding hills.

• Best Time: October–November 2025

• Travel Tip: The evening Ganga Aarti at Parmarth Niketan is as moving as any grand celebration.

Also read: International Yoga festival, Rishikesh: Everything you need to know

7. Munich, Germany: Oktoberfest Adventures

Raise a stein, join the music, and take in the colourful parades at the world’s largest beer festival. Oktoberfest isn’t just about the drink, it’s about Bavarian traditions, folk costumes, hearty food, and a contagious sense of cheer.

The air is alive with accordion tunes and the aroma of freshly baked pretzels. Every corner feels like a snapshot of Bavarian heritage, wrapped in joy and camaraderie.

• Best Time: Late September–Early October 2025

• Travel Tip: Pair your festival days with side trips to nearby fairy-tale castles like Neuschwanstein.

8. Kutch, Gujarat: Rann Utsav

When the moonlight hits the white salt desert of Kutch, Gujrat, the landscape glows like snow. Rann Utsav celebrates this surreal beauty with camel rides, folk dances, and luxury tent stays right on the salt flats.

As music drifts through the crisp desert air, the night transforms into a cultural carnival under a sky full of stars. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime blend of nature’s magic and Gujarat’s vibrant traditions.

• Best Time: November 2025–February 2026

• Travel Tip: Plan your visit around a full moon night for the most magical views.

9. Tokyo, Japan: Winter Illuminations

Japan turns into a wonderland in winter, with cities like Tokyo dazzling under elaborate light installations. While not tied to a single festival, the illuminations are an unmissable seasonal event that draws travellers from around the world.

Streets sparkle with intricate displays, from twinkling trees to glowing tunnels of light. Each installation feels like stepping into a living work of art, making winter nights in Japan truly unforgettable.

• Best Time: November–December 2025

• Travel Tip: Try seasonal treats like yaki-imo (roasted sweet potato) as you stroll through the glowing streets.

Also read: 30 Best Things to Do in Japan

10. Kerala: Cochin Carnival

End the year on a high note at the Cochin Carnival. Expect colourful parades, beach games, and the grand burning of the effigy ‘Pappanji’ at midnight on December 31, a symbolic farewell to the old year.

The streets burst into life with music, dance, and laughter, creating an atmosphere of pure celebration. It’s the perfect tropical setting to welcome the new year with joy and vibrant energy.

• Best Time: Last Week of December 2025

• Travel Tip: Arrive a day early to enjoy the pre-carnival festivities and snag the best viewing spots.

Making the Most of Festival Season 2025

Wherever you go, early planning is your best friend, festival dates attract high demand for flights and hotels, so book as soon as possible. If you’re chasing vibrant cultural experiences, Varanasi’s Diwali, Kolkata’s Durga Puja, and the Rann Utsav are ideal. For music lovers, Goa’s Sunburn and Munich’s Oktoberfest bring the energy. Families will love the colourful and kid-friendly Cochin Carnival or the serene Rishikesh retreats.

Packing for festival travel means being practical yet prepared for surprises, carry comfortable shoes, weather-appropriate layers, and a power bank to keep your devices ready for photos and navigation. Respect local customs, dress appropriately for religious events, and be mindful of crowds.

And finally, remember that some of the most photogenic festival destinations, Varanasi’s glowing ghats, the white desert of Kutch, and Kolkata’s artistic pandals, are best enjoyed when you slow down and take them in, rather than rushing from one spot to another.

Also read: 17 Cultural Festivals in India to Experience from October to December 2024

Final Word

The festival season of 2025 offers a calendar full of possibilities, from spiritual light shows on the Ganges to electronic beats on Goa’s beaches, from desert fairs under Rajasthani skies to snowy illuminations in Tokyo. This is your year to plan not just trips, but celebrations that connect you with cultures, traditions, and stories you’ll carry long after the music fades and the lights go out.