There are festivals, and then there’s Holi, which truly is in a league all on its own. Strangers smear your cheeks with neon pink powder, Bollywood music fills the streets, and every corner smells of gujiya and fresh marigolds. If you’re in India during March, you’ll feel Holi before you even see it: the drums, the laughter, and the clouds of colour will find you.
Something people don’t often know is that Holi isn’t the same everywhere. Every city, town, and village has its own spin on it. Some are spiritual, others resemble street carnivals, and a few are so unique that they’ve become literally world-famous. If you’re thinking of travelling for the festival, these are the ten places that capture Holi at its most unforgettable.
If there’s one place that really shows you what Holi is about, it’s Mathura and Vrindavan. Mathura is known as Krishna’s birthplace, and Vrindavan is where he spent his childhood, so the festival here has deep roots. For a full week, temples are packed, processions move through the streets, and everyone ends up drenched in powder. Banke Bihari temple in Vrindavan is especially crowded, and stepping inside feels like being hit with a wall of colour, music, and chanting all at once.
People who travel here often want a way to hold onto the experience afterwards. A simple option is using Adobe Express to design your own Holi posters and turn those chaotic snapshots into something bright and personal. It fits the spirit of Mathura and Vrindavan well, where the memories are just as vivid as the festival itself.
The day before Holi, Barsana’s streets don’t just fill with colour — they fill with laughter and shouts as the famous Lathmar Holi begins, where women from the town use sticks to playfully hit men from the neighbouring village of Nandgaon. The men carry shields to protect themselves, and the crowd cheers them on. It looks chaotic, but it’s light-hearted and everyone treats it as part of the tradition, even tourists who may be in the centre of the action on the streets with all us locals, or may be taking it all in from the balconies of their Uttar Pradesh hotels.
Beyond the stick fights, there’s still the usual Holi scene: coloured powder, loud drums, and crowded lanes full of shouting and laughter. Visitors usually watch from the sidelines or rooftops, since being in the centre isn’t for everyone. It’s loud, unusual, and one of the most distinctive Holi celebrations you’ll find in India.
Holi in Delhi is hard to pin down because it happens everywhere at once. In some places you’ll stumble onto big organised parties with DJs, hoses spraying water into the crowd, and food stalls lined up at the edges. In others, it’s just kids ambushing you from rooftops with balloons, or families pulling you in off the street to share a sweet and smear some gulal on your face.
The city can feel chaotic on an ordinary day, so you can imagine what it’s like when everyone’s in festival mode. Colours fly in every direction, the air smells of fried snacks and bhang thandai, and even the quieter neighbourhoods aren’t really quiet. If you want Holi loud, messy, and unfiltered, Delhi is exactly that.
Jaipur does Holi in style. The City Palace often hosts the biggest celebration, with music, folk dancing, and a bonfire the night before. You’ll see locals dressed up for the occasion, kids running through the palace grounds with fists full of colour, and tourists joining in without hesitation. It has that mix of grandeur and fun that fits the city perfectly.
Step outside the palace and the streets have their own buzz. Shopkeepers, rickshaw drivers, and families all get involved, throwing gulal and calling strangers over to join them. The colourful dust contrasts so wonderfully against the pink walls of the old city, and every corner you turn feels like a photo opportunity. It’s lively without being overwhelming, and the atmosphere is truly next level.
Holi in Pushkar feels like one big street party. The main square quickly fills with people (a mix of locals, backpackers, and families) all throwing colours and dancing to drums and loudspeakers. Within minutes you’re covered in gulal and laughing with complete strangers. The energy is high, but it’s also welcoming, so even first-timers find it easy to join in.
What sets Pushkar apart is the vibe. Because it’s a holy town, alcohol isn’t part of the festival, which keeps things fun without tipping into chaos. The focus stays on music, colour, and the simple joy of being in the crowd. By the afternoon, the streets are a blur of colour, music, and smiling faces – it’s messy, it’s noisy, and it’s unforgettable.
Varanasi brings a spiritual depth to Holi that you simply won’t find anywhere else in India, let alone the world. It often starts on the ghats, with people gathering by the Ganges to sing, drum, and throw colours as the sun comes up. The mix of powder in the air, bells ringing from the temples, and the river moving steadily alongside it all creates a scene that will stay with you for years to come.
After the ceremonies come to a close, the narrow lanes of the old city burst with colour, music and food stalls. Children chase each other through the alleys, shopkeepers hand out sweets, and neighbours share thandai in chipped clay cups. It’s frenetic and crowded, but it never loses that deep devotion for which Varanasi is known for. Celebrating Holi here feels less like a one-day party and more like being part of a living tradition.
In Shantiniketan, Holi takes on a softer, cultural tone. Known locally as Basant Utsav, it was started by Rabindranath Tagore as a celebration of spring through music, poetry, and performance. On the morning of the festival, students from universities gather in colourful Indian attire, singing Tagore’s songs and dancing in the open courtyards. The whole place feels less like a street party and more like a festival of the arts.
Colours still play a role, but they’re not thrown about with the same wild energy you see in the north. Instead, gulal is used in a gentler, symbolic way, adding to the atmosphere rather than dominating it. For visitors, it’s a chance to experience Holi in a way that’s thoughtful, graceful, and deeply connected to Bengal’s cultural heritage. If the rowdy side of Holi doesn’t appeal, Shantiniketan is where you’ll find a celebration that’s beautiful in a completely different way.
Goa is famous for doing things differently, and Holi is no exception to the rule. Here, the festival often overlaps with Shigmo, a traditional spring celebration that features street parades, folk dances, and brightly decorated floats. Add in Goa’s beachside energy and you get something that feels like part carnival, part cultural showcase.
In towns and villages, you’ll find locals gathering with music and gulal, while along the coast, beach shacks and clubs throw colourful Holi parties that run well into the night. It is one of the handful of places where you can begin the day at a cultural parade, spend the afternoon by the sea, and finish the day dancing under the stars with colour-streaked hair. Goa’s Holi has a laid-back charm, but it never misses out on the vibrancy.
Hampi might not be the first place that comes to mind for Holi, but it has quietly built a reputation as one of the most unique spots to celebrate. The ancient ruins and temples provide a dramatic backdrop, and when Holi arrives, those historic spaces come alive with drums, dancing, and clouds of colour. Locals and travellers gather along the Tungabhadra River, smearing gulal and sharing in the music, giving the festival here a raw, joyful energy.
What makes Hampi special is the stark contrast between the setting and the celebration. The colours and music bring a new life to its ancient ruins. It’s not as crowded or overwhelming as the big northern cities, which makes it easier to join in and actually connect with people. The mix of history, scenery, and community spirit gives Hampi’s Holi a charm that’s hard to replicate elsewhere.
Last but certainly by no means the least, Udaipur brings elegance to Holi. The celebrations generally kick off with the royal family performing Holika Dahan at the City Palace, which is a bonfire tradition representing the triumph of good over evil. The next day, the city is awash with bright colours as locals and tourists unite in camaraderie.
From narrow lanes to lakeside ghats, people come together to play Holi with a mix of joy and warmth. The lakes and palaces give the whole festival a dreamlike quality — you’ll see colours drifting through courtyards, children laughing by the water, and music echoing through the markets. After a day of festivities, winding down by Lake Pichola, clothes still streaked with gulal, feels like the perfect way to end it. Udaipur’s Holi has a rare blend of grandeur and friendliness, making it one of the most memorable places to celebrate in India.
Holi is one of those rare festivals where no two experiences are ever alike. From the temple rituals of Mathura to the beach parties of Goa, every destination adds its own spin on this famous festival. You can go for spirituality, for culture, or just to dance until you’re covered in every shade of the rainbow.
Wherever you choose, one thing is certain — the colours will wash off, but the memory of your first Holi in India will stay with you forever.