Holi 2027: Date, Flight Planning and Travel Tips From India

Updated November 2026 · HappyFares

Holi 2027 sits in the second half of March, which means plans for home trips and Braj pilgrimages can start now. Here is how the dates work and how to plan the flights around them.

When is Holi in 2027?

Published panchangs list Holika Dahan on Sunday, 21 March 2027, and Holi (Rangwali Holi or Dhulandi) on Monday, 22 March 2027, and a public holiday calendar also gives Monday, 22 March for Holi. The bonfire of Holika Dahan is lit on the evening before the colour day, so the two festival days run back to back.

There is one wrinkle for office-goers. The Department of Personnel and Training’s 2027 list of gazetted holidays for central government offices in Delhi shows Holi on Tuesday, 23 March, a day after the panchang date. Central offices outside Delhi pick Holi from an optional list rather than a fixed holiday, and private employers, schools and state governments set their own calendars, so confirm which day you actually get off before you pay for a ticket.

If your office is closed on Monday, 22 March, you get a natural three-day weekend from Saturday, 20 March. If your holiday is the Tuesday, a long break needs Monday as a leave day, and the weekend-to-Tuesday trip only works if you take it. That difference changes which flights make sense, so settle it first.

When should you book flights for Holi 2027?

Festival weekends are among the busiest times for domestic flying, and the most popular departures typically fill first. Fares usually rise as seats sell, so booking earlier generally gives you more choice of timings and more fare options. Booking late is not impossible, but your preferred flight may no longer be available.

• Fix your dates first, then compare fares across a few days either side of them.
• Set a price alert on your route so you can see movement without checking every day.
• Book the outbound and the return together if you can. The return after Holi tends to be busy because many people travel back on the same Monday or Tuesday.
• Pick a fare type that allows changes if your holiday day is still uncertain. Fares that allow changes usually cost more than the lowest fares, so weigh that against the risk.

How do you fly to Mathura and Vrindavan for Holi?

Mathura and Vrindavan do not have an airport of their own. Travel guides generally name the airport at Agra as the closest, with Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport as the main gateway with the widest choice of flights. Agra has limited commercial service and schedules change, so check each airline’s own route list before you plan around it.

Most visitors fly into Delhi and then continue by road or rail. If you are travelling during the festival week, allow generous time for the road leg, because Braj towns see heavy local traffic. The Holi celebrations in the Braj region build up over the days before the main festival, including Lathmar Holi in Barsana and Nandgaon. Local dates are estimates until announced, so confirm them with temple authorities and the Mathura district administration before you book.

What about flying home from Delhi and Mumbai?

Delhi and Mumbai are two of the biggest starting points for people heading home for Holi, especially to cities across northern and eastern India. Expect flights out of these two cities on the Friday and Saturday before the festival to be popular, and flights back on Monday and Tuesday to be popular as well.

A few practical habits help:

• Choose a mid-morning or early afternoon departure if you can. Early and late slots are often the first to sell.
• Consider an alternative nearby airport if your home town has few flights. A connection can sometimes give you better timings than a single flight that is full.
• Keep a buffer on the return. Do not schedule an important meeting on the morning after you land.

What should you check before you fly?

Check the baggage allowance for your fare, since it differs between airlines and fare types. Checking in is free on every Indian airline, online or at the airport, so do not pay anyone for it. Web check-in lets you skip the queue at the counter if you travel with cabin baggage only.

Keep your government photo ID handy, and reach the airport with time to spare on festival days, when security and bag-drop queues are longer than usual. If you are travelling with children, check the airline’s rules for infants and the age at which a child needs their own seat.

Common Questions

What is the date of Holi in 2027?

Holi (Rangwali Holi) is on Monday, 22 March 2027, with Holika Dahan the evening before, on Sunday, 21 March. The central government’s holiday list shows Tuesday, 23 March for its Holi holiday.

Is Holi a public holiday everywhere in India?

Not uniformly. It is on the central government’s gazetted list for offices in Delhi, but states, banks, schools and private companies publish their own calendars. Confirm yours before booking.

Which airport is closest to Mathura and Vrindavan?

Neither town has its own airport. Agra is usually named as the nearest, and Delhi has far more flights. Check the airline’s route list for Agra, because schedules there change.

Should I book the return flight at the same time?

Usually yes. Return flights after the festival tend to be busy, and booking both legs together lets you compare the whole trip on your chosen days.

Does web check-in cost money?

Checking in is free on every Indian airline, online or at the airport. If a page asks you to pay for it, it is not the airline’s own charge.

Festival dates, rules and fees change; verify current specifics with the airline, DGCA, or the airport before you travel.