Top Billing: 7 Best Festivals Around the World for Culture and Tradition
Festivals offer a unique way to connect with a country’s culture, and with us, you’re not just a spectator – you’re part of the experience. Our expert local guides bring these celebrations to life, sharing in-depth knowledge of the traditions, rituals, and histories behind each festival.
Whether they’re helping you navigate the vibrant streets of India during Holi, explaining the cultural significance of Peru’s Inti Raymi Festival or taking you to watch horse racing and archery at Mongolia’s Naadam Festival, our guides provide insider insights that make these events a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Here are seven destinations, worth looking into if you want to join in on some of the world’s most extraordinary festivals with Exodus leading the way!
1. Inti Raymi, Peru
Peru’s Inti Raymi, or “Festival of the Sun”, is one of the country’s most vibrant celebrations, held annually during the winter solstice in June. Honouring the Inca sun god, Inti, this ancient celebration symbolises the renewal of life and the hope for a bountiful harvest. The festival begins with a grand ceremony at the Sun Temple (Qorikancha), where a reenactment of ancient rituals takes place, led by the Sapa Inca (emperor) and his entourage. After this, colourful processions continue through Cuzco’s main streets, ending at the historic Sacsayhuamán fortress, where elaborate ceremonies featuring traditional music, colourful costumes, and reenactments of Inca rituals unfold.
Thousands of locals and travellers head to Cuzco every year to witness this spectacular homage to Peru’s Inca heritage – and you can too. In 2025, our Essential Peru adventure has a special Inti Raymi Festival Departure that allows you to immerse yourself in this iconic event where your group can get tickets to the Sun Temple show, if availability allows. This trip also comes with show-stopping highlights like visiting Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley and the fascinating Uros Islands on Lake Titicaca.
Essential Peru – Inti Raymi Festival Departure
Wonders of southern Peru and attend a festival in Cuzco
2. Pushkar Camel Fair, India
You could say the Pushkar Camel Fair, held annually in the sacred town of Pushkar, India, is one of the world’s most unique festivals. Originally a livestock trading event, it has evolved over time into a cultural spectacle featuring camel races, traditional music, folk dances, camel beauty pageants and a lot of colourful bazaars, selling textiles, jewellery and crafts.
Every year, we have a special departure for the Pushkar Camel Fair, on our Colours of Rajasthan trip. On Day 8, you’ll have a full day to immerse yourselves in the festivities, while gaining insight into the traditions and customs from your expert local guide. While you are there, you can also explore Pushkar’s spiritual side by visiting the holy Pushkar Lake to see pilgrims bathe, and the ancient Brahma Temple, where chanting of mantras takes place during this time.
We also have a couple of trips that fall during Holi and Diwali festivals, two of India’s most iconic and widely celebrated festivals. Holi, “The Festival of Colours”, celebrates the arrival of spring in March and signifies the victory of good over evil. Streets come alive as everyone smears each other with coloured powders, symbolising unity and equality – while water balloons and flower petals only add to the fun. Diwali is known as “The Festival of Lights” and usually takes place in October or November, marking the victory of light over darkness. During this time, fireworks illuminate the night sky and streets come alive with markets selling lanterns, sweets and traditional attire which creates a wonderful atmosphere that’s worth experiencing!
Colours of Rajasthan – Pushkar Festival (2026)
Experience the best of India's colourful desert state
3. Day of the Dead, Mexico
While Mexico is known for its lively festivals year-round, the Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos), is arguably one of the country’s most captivating and meaningful. The main festival usually happens on the 1st or 2nd of November every year. Rather than a mournful occasion, the Day of the Dead is instead seen as a joyful celebration of life that honours deceased loved ones. It’s a time when families welcome back the souls of their ancestors with altars (ofrendas) adorned with offerings including marigolds, candles, food, and photographs.
In Oaxaca, one of the most iconic locations for the celebration, the streets are transformed into a sea of vibrant costumes, candles, and intricate sand art, with bustling markets filled with traditional foods and crafts. While in the rural village of Romerillo, the atmosphere is more intimate, with smaller colourful parades, folk dances, and families gathering for the symbolic cleaning of graves. And with us, you get to choose where you want to experience it, as we have two separate departure dates, one celebrating the main day in Oaxaca and one celebrating in Romerillo.
As always, our expert local guides will immerse you deeper into the festival, by explaining the ancient rituals and traditions behind the ofrendas (altars), the vibrant processions, and the stunning sand art that decorates the streets. On these trips, you and your group will get the opportunity to taste the local cuisine, and festival treats like pan de muerto (bread of the dead) too.
Discover Mexico – Day of the Dead (Oaxaca)
Pre-Columbian temples, colonial towns, highlands and jungles.
4. Paro Festival, Bhutan
Bhutan, The Land of the Thunder Dragon, is renowned for its ancient traditions, spectacular landscapes, and Gross National Happiness philosophy. Visiting during the country’s key festivals offers a deeper understanding of Bhutan’s rich cultural identity, as most are held to honour Guru Rinpoche, who introduced Buddhism to Bhutan. These festivals, known as “tshechus” are held in dzongs (fortresses) and ancient monasteries across the country, where locals and travellers can watch masked dances, accompanied by traditional music.
One of the most popular tshechus in Bhutan is the Paro Tshechu, held in springtime in the Paro Valley. This festival features elaborate masked dances (cham dances) performed by monks and laymen. One of the key highlights for many is the unfurling of the giant sacred scroll painting, known as the Thangka (Thongdrel), which is believed to bless everyone who views it. The Thimphu Tshechu is celebrated in the capital city, Thimphu, and takes place during the autumn season. This festival includes similar masked dances and prayer ceremonies but also has unique performances, that are performed in few other places. Trongsa is another iconic tshechu that occurs in December which is more intimate and less crowded than the others and also includes rare cham dances. With special departures happening during the Paro, Thimphu and Trongsa festivals, you can time your visit to see these extraordinary performances for yourself.
Festivals of Bhutan – Paro
Experience traditional Buddhist cultures of Bhutan
5. Naadam Festival, Mongolia
If you’re looking to gain a deeper understanding of Mongolian culture, there’s no better time to visit than during its two most iconic festivals: Naadam and the Golden Eagle Festival. Held every July, the Naadam Festival is Mongolia’s largest celebration, a thrilling spectacle that showcases the nation’s ancient traditions of horse racing, wrestling and archery. Taking place in Ulaanbaatar and other smaller provinces across the country, this incredible festival is a time for locals to honour their heritage with traditional music, vibrant parades, and local dance, and gives travellers unique insight into Mongolia’s treasured traditions.
In October, the Golden Eagle Festival is set in the stunning Altai Mountains. Here, you’ll bear witness to the skills of the eagle hunters, as they compete with their trained golden eagles in breathtaking displays of ancient hunting techniques. This remote festival offers a rare glimpse into Mongolia’s ancient customs—perfect for adventurous travellers eager to see something truly extraordinary!
Discover Mongolia – Naadam Festival
Explore Mongolia's vast open lands and the Naadam Festival
6. Kandy Perahera, Sri Lanka
Visiting Sri Lanka during one of its vibrant festivals allows you to delve deeper into the island’s rich cultural traditions – and Kandy Perahera (also known as “Esala Perahera”), is one of the most spectacular celebrations of Buddhist heritage. Held annually in August, the festival honours the sacred tooth relic of the Buddha, enshrined in the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy. This 10-day celebration traces back to the 4th century when the relic was first brought to Sri Lanka from India, and it is believed that the relic’s presence brings blessings of prosperity and rain for harvests to the island.
Kandy Perahera’s grandeur has only grown over time, incorporating traditional dance, royal pageantry, live music and symbolic rituals, making it one of the most important and visually stunning Buddhist festivals in Sri Lanka. Some of our trip departure dates coincide with the Kandy Perahera festival, so you could get to see this mesmerising spectacle for yourself, as our Exodus guides will take you to the grand procession in Kandy, where the streets are filled with ornately dressed dancers, fire performers, drummers and elephants. This is a once-in-a-lifetime event, for locals and travellers alike, and an experience you should definitely put on your list this year.
Discover Sri Lanka
Spend two weeks exploring the delights of this diverse island
7. Tết Nguyên Đán, Vietnam
If you want to see Vietnam at its peak the Tết Nguyên Đán, or the Lunar New Year, is the perfect time to visit for the celebration and the comfortable temperatures this time of year glorious hot weather. Depending on the lunar calendar, Tết is usually celebrated around late January or early February and is one of the country’s most important holidays which marks the arrival of spring and the start of a new lunar year. During this special time, families come together to clean their homes, honour their ancestors, and prepare for a fresh start to the new year.
If you travel during the lead-up to Tết, you’ll likely see the streets of Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi lined with colourful lanterns, kumquat trees and budding peach blossoms. The local markets are also particularly lively this time of year, as they’re selling seasonal treats like mứt (candied fruits) and bánh chưng (sticky rice cake) which are traditionally enjoyed during Tết. We’d recommend travelling during this time as it’s great to see family reunions, taste delicious New Year’s sweets and if you’re lucky, watch traditional lion dances and firework displays.
Vietnam Highlights
The best of Vietnam, cherry-picked to showcase the heart and soul of the nation in just over a week
If this has inspired you to join our expert local leaders during some of the world’s most iconic festivals, take a look at our Festival Departures.
