Holi Festival of Colors.

Our 8-day Holi Festival Photo Tour and Cultural Adventure is all about overwhelming your senses, and overwhelmed you will be. Holi is a traditional Hindu festival that celebrates the beginning of spring and the triumph of good over evil. This joyous festival is known around the world for the powders that revelers throw on each other, leaving festival-goers coated in color by the end of the day. Holi is one of the biggest Indian festivals celebrated and has a special place in Indian culture. We begin in Delhi and then immerse ourselves in four days of celebrations in two of the most important Holi cities, Vrindavan and Barsana. We will also visit the iconic Taj Mahal during this trip.

Vrindavan, the land of Krishna attracts pilgrims from all over India and the world during Holi. We will start in the morning at the Banke Bihari Temple to partake in the festival prelude, drinking in the sunrise glow and the anticipation on the faces of the devotees. We will seek to capture the electric atmosphere as the celebration commences with rose and lotus petals filling the air before raining down on the excited participants. Next comes the paint, the element that Holi is most famous for. This spectacle makes for some unforgettable shots of the crowds, from children engaged in fits of laughter to elders chanting, all drenched in every shade imaginable: hot pink, emerald green, and yellow ocher. 

Next, we will head to the neighboring town Barsana, the birthplace of Lord Krishna’s beloved Radha, where other forms of Holi are celebrated. Specifically, we will experience Laddu Holi, where instead of bright pigments, revelers launch Laddus, round Indian sweets, into the sky as offerings to Hindu deities. In temples and out in the streets, we will snap candid moments of people’s sticky hands and faces smeared with the treats. 

Continuing on our Holi expedition, we will visit Nandgaon to enjoy a particularly mischievous form of Holi, Lathmar Holi, which is a spiritual reenactment of the love story between Radha and Krishna. According to Hindu mythology, Lord Krishna, who was said to have come from Nandgaon, would go to Barsana (Radha’s village) to flirt and tease her while the women of the town would fend him away with sticks. A few days before the main Holi festivities, women gather in the streets in colorful traditional garb and playfully beat the men with “lathis”. As well as the colors, flowers, and smiles, our task will be to encapsulate so many of the heightened emotions felt during the Holi festivities: the love and courtship, the explosive energy, and pure joyful chaos. 

This immersive 8-day photography tour is more than just a quest to capture exceptional images; it is an invitation to elevate your craft and see the world through a new lens. Our expert photographer guides will not only lead you to the most photogenic locations under the best light but also help you master the art of visual storytelling. Along the way, you will refine your camera techniques and discover how to navigate the challenges of photographing in a foreign land. You will also learn to anticipate a scene before capturing the decisive moment, elevating ordinary photos into extraordinary works of art. 

Join us for spirited discussions, enriching camaraderie, and moments of unforgettable inspiration. Let yourself get swept away with the infectious joy of this devoted dance of colors that is India’s Holi festival. Your visual Indian odyssey begins here! 

Vrindavan, the land of Krishna attracts pilgrims from all over India and the world during Holi. We will start in the morning at the Banke Bihari Temple to partake in the festival prelude, drinking in the sunrise glow and the anticipation on the faces of the devotees. We will seek to capture the electric atmosphere as the celebration commences with rose and lotus petals filling the air before raining down on the excited participants. Next comes the paint, the element that Holi is most famous for. This spectacle makes for some unforgettable shots of the crowds, from children engaged in fits of laughter to elders chanting, all drenched in every shade imaginable: hot pink, emerald green, and yellow ocher. 

Next, we will head to the neighboring town Barsana, the birthplace of Lord Krishna’s beloved Radha, where other forms of Holi are celebrated. Specifically, we will experience Laddu Holi, where instead of bright pigments, revelers launch Laddus, round Indian sweets, into the sky as offerings to Hindu deities. In temples and out in the streets, we will snap candid moments of people’s sticky hands and faces smeared with the treats. 

Continuing on our Holi expedition, we will visit Nandgaon to enjoy a particularly mischievous form of Holi, Lathmar Holi, which is a spiritual reenactment of the love story between Radha and Krishna. According to Hindu mythology, Lord Krishna, who was said to have come from Nandgaon, would go to Barsana (Radha’s village) to flirt and tease her while the women of the town would fend him away with sticks. A few days before the main Holi festivities, women gather in the streets in colorful traditional garb and playfully beat the men with “lathis”. As well as the colors, flowers, and smiles, our task will be to encapsulate so many of the heightened emotions felt during the Holi festivities: the love and courtship, the explosive energy, and pure joyful chaos. 

This immersive 8-day photography tour is more than just a quest to capture exceptional images; it is an invitation to elevate your craft and see the world through a new lens. Our expert photographer guides will not only lead you to the most photogenic locations under the best light but also help you master the art of visual storytelling. Along the way, you will refine your camera techniques and discover how to navigate the challenges of photographing in a foreign land. You will also learn to anticipate a scene before capturing the decisive moment, elevating ordinary photos into extraordinary works of art. 

Join us for spirited discussions, enriching camaraderie, and moments of unforgettable inspiration. Let yourself get swept away with the infectious joy of this devoted dance of colors that is India’s Holi festival. Your visual Indian odyssey begins here! 

*All prices are per person and based on double occupancy. Please select single occupancy for a private room. For your convenience, we offer optional early arrival and late departure accommodations so you can extend your stay before or after the trip. We typically stay in upscale boutique hotels in the 4 and 5-star category. Not all destinations offer these types of properties. We look for unique hotels that offer cultural, historic, and/or authentic features. Depending on the size of the group, smaller boutique hotels may have limited room inventory. In some countries or in remote locations, we may be limited to lodges or branded chain hotels. In Cuba, we stay in upscale family-owned Casas (bread & breakfasts). On all of our tours, breakfast is almost always included, but not guaranteed. Meal categories listed include (B) for breakfast, (L) for lunch, and (D) for dinner.