Global festivals and how to see them

Participating – or just observing – a festival in another country is a fantastic way to gain a unique insight into the culture of the place you’re visiting. A number of our tours are designed to do just this – read on for a roundup of some of our favourite festival holidays around the world…

Day of the Dead, Mexico

El Dia de los Muertos (‘The Day of the Dead’) is a colourful two-day event that takes place across 1-2 November. It’s a time when people unite to remember loved ones who have passed away. Together they tend to the graves of those who have died and leave candles, sugar skulls, flowers and food.

It may sound mournful, but the ancient Aztecs actually believed mourning the dead was an insult; tears were thought to make the spirit’s journey into the afterlife more difficult. So this is a time of celebration and life-affirming joy.

Communities across Mexico celebrate El Dia de Los Muertos with their own traditions. As we make our way across the country, following Mexico’s Mayan Trail, we’ll witness the different ways this festival is marked, from sampling pan de muerto (bread of the dead) at a Mexico City bakery, to admiring the marigold-draped ofrendas (offerings) in the candlelit streets and squares of Oaxaca.

Rio Carnival Winner’s Parade, Brazil

Rio Carnival is one of Latin America’s most colourful and elaborate celebrations. Think dazzling costumes with feathers and sequins shimmying alongside gigantic floats.

Each year, we time a departure of Grand Tour of South America to coincide with the festival’s closing event, the Winners’ Parade. You’ll have the chance to buy tickets to the parade, where you’ll see the champion of the festival reunite with the four runners-up, celebrating the victory and closing the Rio Carnival samba parades.

The tickets aren’t cheap (you should budget for upwards of £250pp), but it’s really worth the cost – this is one of the most exciting events in the Carnivale calendar.

Inti Raymi, Peru

Inti Raymi is the Peruvian annual festival of the Sun – an epic nine-day extravaganza full of skirt swirling, hat tossing, feasting and tradition. Dating back more than 500 years, the festival is the most anticipated event in Cuzco’s calendar.

Dancers and actors are specifically selected to perform the rituals of Inti Raymi, the main two roles being Sap Inca (the Sun King) and his wife Mama Ocllo. Over the course of several days before the big event, the streets of Cuzco swell with excitement. The alleyways and side roads running off the main squares bubble to life with the twirling, dipping and swaying of authentic folk dances and Peruvian music.

On our June departure of Footsteps of the Incas, you’ll arrive just in time for all the fun. We’ll experience the finale of the festivities – think drums, panpipes, sunset bonfires and a theatrical re-enactment in the mystical stone ruin of Sacsayhuamán.

New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, USA

With stays in Memphis and Nashville, a trip to the legendary Studio B and a visit to Graceland, Southern Sights and Sounds is already a music lover’s dream holiday.

Take it one step further on our festival departure, which has you arriving in the Big Easy in time for the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Known locally as Jazz Fest, it’s a two-week celebration of music, crafts, culture and food. Expect live performances, street parades and good vibes galore. You’ll have a couple of free days in the city to attend as many festival events as you wish.

Diwali, India

It’s wonderful to be in India for Diwali, the festival of lights which marks the start of the Hindu New Year. There are fireworks and floating candles, lanterns and oil lamps, and plenty of feasts and sweet treats. It’s India’s biggest holiday, so wherever you are in the country, there’ll be celebrations to see and join in with.

Diwali dates differ slightly from year to year, as they follow the lunar calendar, but they’ll always fall in the autumn. Celebrations tend to start a couple of days before and continue for a few days afterwards. A number of our India tours will usually be travelling during Diwali, so have a browse of dates and itineraries to see which one you might like. 

Mardi Gras, New Orleans, USA

Mardi Gras in New Orleans is a time when the whole city goes a little bit wild – in a good way. Mardi Garas is a French term, literally translating to ‘Fat Tuesday’. It origins are religious, taking place the day before Ash Wednesday, which traditionally is the first day of fasting until Easter.

These days, it’s welcomed excuse to eat delicious food (such as beignets), drink and have a good time. Experience the parties, toe-tapping music and street parades of Mardi Gras in New Orleans on a special departure of Southern Sights and Sounds in February, which will see you arriving in the atmospheric French Quarter just in the nick of time to join in the celebrations.

Gion Festival, Japan

Gion Matsuri is the biggest festival in Japan – a month-long event with street parties, huge floats and locals in flowing yukata (summer kimonos). It takes place every July in Kyoto, and is a wonderful event for experiencing Japanese culture.

It originated as a way to appease the gods during a plague in 869, but over time it has evolved into a huge celebration of Kyoto culture. The celebrations are centred on a collection of parade floats (yamaboko), built from crafted wood and Nishijin textiles. They’re paraded through the streets to eager crowds for the main procession, but in the days before they're on display along Shijo-dori Street for those who want to take a closer look.

Essence of Japan has a handful of departures which tie in with Gion Festival. We’ll take a walking tour around the main areas of the festival, enjoy free time to explore at leisure, and even sit down to a special celebratory dinner one evening with a Maiko (apprentice geisha) performance. 

Thimphu Festival, Bhutan

Thimphu Tshechu Festival takes place over three days in autumn each year (exactly which days depends on the Bhutanese lunar calendar). It’s a celebration of culture, tradition and spiritual heritage, held to honour Guru Rinpoche, who first introduced Buddhism to Bhutan.

There are traditional dances (cham) with performers in elaborate costumes and masks, Bhutanese music, and stalls selling handicrafts and local food specialities. It’s an amazing opportunity to experience Bhutanese culture. We aim to coincide a departure of Mystic Realms of India and Bhutan with the festival, giving you the chance to immerse yourself in the celebrations.

Takayama Festival, Japan 

Held in April and again in October, the Takayama Festival is a celebration of the beginning and end of the harvest. It takes place in the old town of Takayama, in the heart of the Japanese Alps, with some fantastic floats. It’s been ranked as one of Japan’s three most beautiful festivals (the Gion Festival also features). 

You can experience the Takayama Festival on Essence of Japan – there are a number of departures across April and October which stop in the town during the festival, with free time to enjoy the celebrations at leisure.

For more travel inspiration, take a look at our full collection of festival holidays.

This post was first published in 2019 and updated in 2025.