Holi: Crossborder Colors of Joy

Kathmandu → Kathmandu → Mathura/Vrindavan

Highlights

• Celebrate Holi in both Nepal and India — from Kathmandu's ancient Durbar Square to Krishna's birthplace in Vrindavan, the most intense Holi on earth.
• Festival Tour · 9 Days
• Small group, guide-led

Day-by-day itinerary

1. D1

   Kathmandu Holi at Durbar Square

   Arrive in Kathmandu on Holi eve. Wake to a city transformed — the ancient bricks of Basantapur are invisible under clouds of red, blue, and yellow. Join the crowds throwing colors, dancing to drums, and sharing sweets. Wear old white clothes (they'll never be the same). Your guide provides waterproof phone covers and coconut oil for skin protection.

   Kathmandu → Mathura/Vrindavan As per plan

2. D2

   Pokhara Lakeside Holi

   Fly to Pokhara for a more relaxed lakeside Holi celebration. Boats on Phewa Lake become floating parties. The snow-capped Annapurna range forms a surreal backdrop to the colored chaos below. Evening cleanup and recovery at a lakeside cafe.

   Kathmandu → Mathura/Vrindavan As per plan

3. D3

   Fly to Delhi, Drive to Vrindavan

   Cross into India and drive to Vrindavan, Krishna's sacred town. Evening orientation walk through the temple-lined lanes and preparation for the intensity of Braj Holi.

   Kathmandu → Mathura/Vrindavan As per plan

4. D4

   Vrindavan Temple Holi

   Experience Holi at Banke Bihari Temple where priests throw colors from the deity's altar onto ecstatic devotees. The narrow lanes become impassable rivers of colored water and flower petals. Visit the Gopinath Temple for the unique tradition where men dress as women to reenact Krishna's gopi-leela.

   Kathmandu → Mathura/Vrindavan As per plan

5. D5

   Widows' Holi & Barsana Lathmar

   Morning at the ashram where widows broke tradition to celebrate Holi — a powerful statement of joy over sorrow. Afternoon drive to Barsana for Lathmar Holi, where women armed with bamboo sticks (lathis) chase men who try to shield themselves with shields. The energy is electric, the laughter contagious, the colors unforgettable.

   Kathmandu → Mathura/Vrindavan As per plan

Price includes

• Local storyteller guide
• Stays as per itinerary
• Daily breakfast
• All ground transfers

Make it yours (upsells)

Everything apart from the trip itself is an upsell — tick what you want.