Flight Tips

Winter school holidays in India generally run from around Christmas into the first half of January, though exact dates vary by state and board. Flights across this window get booked up and priced up fast because of the Christmas and New Year rush, so book both onward and return legs early, check infant fee rules

Rovaniemi in Finnish Lapland, home to the official Santa Claus Village on the Arctic Circle, is a popular December trip from India. Indian passport holders need a Finland Schengen visa, which typically takes two to three weeks to process, so apply well ahead of travel. Fly via Helsinki, Finland’s only direct link to India, or

Dubai’s Burj Khalifa show, Singapore’s Marina Bay Countdown and Sydney’s Harbour Bridge fireworks are three of the most watched New Year’s Eve displays, and all three are reachable from India with advance planning. Dubai needs a UAE e-visa, or visa-on-arrival for a limited group of travellers; Singapore needs an e-visa applied for ahead of time;

As of October 2026, Karnataka Tourism had not published official dates for Hampi Utsav 2027. At the inauguration of the 2026 festival on 14 February 2026, the Chief Minister said the festival would move to a fixed 3 to 5 November slot every year going forward, which points to around that window, but recent editions

Republic Day 2027 falls on Tuesday, 26 January, with the parade along Kartavya Path followed by Beating Retreat on Friday, 29 January. Tickets are sold through the official Aamantran portal (aamantran.mod.gov.in) and the Aamantran app, in two price tiers, alongside designated counters in Delhi in past years. Book Delhi flights early and build in a

Magh Mela 2027 at the Sangam in Prayagraj runs from Paush Purnima on Friday, 22 January to Mahashivratri on Saturday, 6 March, with Makar Sankranti on Friday, 15 January as the opening snan and Mauni Amavasya on Saturday, 6 February as the largest bathing day. It is an annual mela, not a Kumbh year. Fly

Kerala’s houseboat season runs roughly October through March, with November to February generally considered the most comfortable window, cool and dry, while October offers a greener backwater and lighter crowds just after the monsoon. The nearest airports for Alappuzha and Kumarakom are Cochin International Airport (COK), about 80 to 90 km from Alappuzha, and Thiruvananthapuram

The Cochin Carnival runs through the final two weeks of December into 1 January in Fort Kochi, built around parades, beach games and folk performances, and closing with the midnight burning of the Pappanji effigy on New Year’s Eve, 31 December. The 2026 edition’s exact dates were still tentative at the time of writing, so

Yes, the Shillong Cherry Blossom Festival 2026 is officially happening, scheduled for 20 and 21 November 2026 at the New Shillong Highland Grounds in Mahmawdkuk, its new permanent venue. The nearest airport with limited flights is Shillong’s own Umroi Airport (SHL), but most travellers fly into Guwahati (GAU) and continue to Shillong by road, since

The Konark Dance Festival 2026 is scheduled for 1 to 5 December, held in an open-air auditorium beside the Sun Temple in Konark, Odisha, as listed by Odisha Tourism. The nearest airport is Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar (BBI), about 65 km from Konark by road, with Puri a short drive beyond it. Updated