3 nights / 4 days
Braj Holi — Lathmar at Barsana, Nandgaon & Vrindavan
The four days Braj is famous for — Lathmar at Barsana, Nandgaon the next morning, Holika Dahan and then Rangwali in Vrindavan.
Day by day
Day 1
Barsana — Lathmar Holi
Arrive and go straight up to the Shriji Temple at Barsana for darshan before the crowd thickens. Lathmar Holi happens in the lanes below through the afternoon: the women of Barsana drive the men of Nandgaon back with lathis, and it is as loud, as joyful and as rough as that sounds. We position you somewhere you can actually see it without being in the middle of the press.
Day 2
Nandgaon, then Mathura
Nandgaon returns the visit in the morning — the men of Barsana this time, at the Nandbaba Temple. Quieter than Barsana and, for many people, the better day. In the evening we come back through Mathura for Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi and the Yamuna aarti at Vishram Ghat.
Day 3
Vrindavan — Banke Bihari and Holika Dahan
Banke Bihari early, when the temple plays Holi with its own devotees and the phool and rang begin. Prem Mandir and Nidhivan in the afternoon. After dark, Holika Dahan — the bonfire — which we take you to on foot from wherever you are staying.
Day 4
Rangwali Holi, then home
The main day. Colour everywhere from early morning, and the whole town is playing. We keep the morning loose because no schedule survives Rangwali, then clean up, eat, and drive you back in the afternoon.
What’s included
- Pick-up and drop at your chosen location
- All sightseeing by private air-conditioned vehicle
- All toll, state taxes, parking and driver allowance
- Local guide for temple visits
- Three nights' hotel stay, booked early because Holi week sells out by January
- Breakfast each morning
- Somewhere to stand at Barsana and Nandgaon that is not the middle of the crush
- Gulal and a change of clothes kept in the car
What’s not
- Meals not listed in the itinerary
- Air fare and train tickets
- Monument entry tickets where noted (e.g. the Taj Mahal)
- Personal expenses such as phone calls and laundry
- Travel insurance
- Anything not listed under what's included
Honestly, before you book
- Braj plays Holi for about forty days, but these four are the ones people come for. Hotels in Vrindavan and Barsana are full by January and rates are two to three times normal — the earlier you tell us, the less this costs you.
- Barsana on Lathmar day is genuinely rough in a crowd. It is not the day for someone unsteady on their feet, and it is not the day for a pushchair. Say so and we will build the four days around Nandgaon and Vrindavan instead, which are gentler and nearly as good.
- Wear clothes you will throw away, and expect the colour to stay in your hair for a week. Natural gulal is easy; the synthetic colour sold in the lanes is not, and we will tell you which stalls sell which.
- Phones and cameras get wrecked. Bring a waterproof pouch, or leave the phone in the car and let us photograph the day for you.
Questions we get asked
- When is Holi in Braj in 2027?
- Lathmar Holi at Barsana falls on 17 March 2027, Nandgaon on 18 March, Holika Dahan on 21 March and Rangwali Holi on 22 March. Braj starts playing from Basant Panchami in February, so there is colour somewhere in the region for weeks before the main days.
- Is Holi in Barsana safe for women?
- Lathmar Holi is a women's festival — the women of Barsana are the ones holding the lathis, and it is their day. That said, the crowd is dense and mixed, so we keep our group together, put you where you can see without being in the press, and have someone with you the whole time. Plenty of families bring daughters. We will be straight with you about which parts of the day to skip.
- Can elderly parents manage this?
- Nandgaon, Banke Bihari and Holika Dahan, yes. Barsana on Lathmar day, usually not — it is a hill, then a crowd, and the two together are a lot. We will plan their day separately so nobody has to sit in a hotel room.
- How early do we need to book?
- For Holi, by December. Hotel rooms in Vrindavan go first and the good ones are gone by January. We would rather turn you away in February than put you somewhere we would not stay ourselves.