Holi in India Among Women

Your Holi journey begins on 19 March as you land in Delhi. The local team welcomes you with a traditional flower garland, a simple gesture that immediately makes the arrival feel warmer and more personal.

After the transfer and check-in, there is no pressure to start sightseeing. Take time to breathe, unpack and let the journey begin gently. Later, meet the other women during the welcome briefing. Some will arrive alone, others with a friend, but everyone is here for the same reason: to discover India and experience Holi in a way that feels joyful and supported.

This first evening is about first names, first smiles and the excitement of knowing that, in three days, you will celebrate the Festival of Colours together.

Delhi introduces itself through contrasts. At Jama Masjid, the scale and calm of the mosque create a striking pause before you step into the movement of Chandni Chowk. A cycle-rickshaw carries the group through lanes filled with spices, sweets, fabrics, voices and everyday scenes that make Old Delhi feel intensely alive.

At Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, the mood changes again. The community kitchen prepares food for thousands of people every day, without distinction. Watching this generosity in action often becomes one of the most human moments of the journey.

The visit continues at Akshardham Temple, where carved stone and peaceful spaces reveal another face of Indian spirituality. Later, the group moves from observing to participating during an Indian cooking class. You learn, taste, laugh over unfamiliar ingredients and finally share the meal you have prepared together.

On 21 March, leave Delhi for Jaipur as Rajasthan begins to prepare for Holi. During the drive, the group has time to talk, rest and watch the landscape change towards the rose-coloured capital.

After check-in, the evening leads you to Lakshmi Narayan Temple. The white marble seems to soften as daylight fades, while bells, prayers and devotional songs create a beautiful contrast with the colourful celebration waiting the next morning.

It is also Holika Dahan evening, the symbolic night before Holi. The programme does not add a separate public event, but the atmosphere of expectation is already present throughout Jaipur. You return to the hotel knowing that the next day will be the emotional heart of the journey.

22 March is Holi, and today India invites you to let go. Wear the white clothes you have brought for the occasion and join the group for a private celebration organised in a protected setting.

Colour appears gently at first — a little powder on a cheek, a handprint on a shoulder — and then the laughter takes over. Music, dancing, bright gulal, gujiyas and thandai turn the morning into one of those rare moments when everyone forgets to pose and simply enjoys being there.

The setting allows you to live the joy of Holi without having to manage a large public crowd alone. You can participate at your own pace, step back whenever you wish and share the celebration with women who arrived as strangers only a few days earlier.

By the end, the clothes may be impossible to save, but the photographs, inside jokes and feeling of freedom will become some of the journey’s strongest memories.

After the joyful intensity of Holi, Jaipur reveals its royal side. Amber Fort rises above the hills like a storybook palace. The supplied programme includes an elephant ride, based on two women per elephant, before you explore courtyards, mirrored rooms and the architecture of Rajasthan’s former rulers.

At Jantar Mantar, enormous instruments show how astronomers measured time and the sky long before modern technology. The City Palace then opens a world of royal collections, painted gateways and elegant courtyards.

Stops at Jal Mahal and Hawa Mahal offer some of Jaipur’s most photogenic views, while the traditional clothing experience creates two souvenir photographs. The programme also includes henna art, a visit to a local NGO and a block-printing demonstration, connecting the beauty of Rajasthan with the women and artisans who continue its traditions.

The day ends in the markets. This is time to touch fabrics, try jewellery, compare colours and perhaps choose the sari or handcrafted object that will always bring Jaipur back to mind.

Leave Jaipur on 24 March and continue towards Agra, with an important stop at Fatehpur Sikri. The former Mughal capital feels almost suspended in time, with vast courtyards, carved stone screens and palaces that still suggest the scale of Emperor Akbar’s court.

Your guide turns the architecture into stories of power, beliefs, alliances and women who lived behind the walls of the imperial city. There is space to walk slowly, take photographs and absorb the atmosphere rather than simply pass through another monument.

On arrival in Agra, check in and rest. The pace becomes quieter before the early start planned for the following morning.

Before sunrise, travel to the Taj Mahal while Agra is still waking. The first light changes the marble from grey to pale pink and then to luminous white, creating a moment that feels surprisingly intimate despite the monument’s fame.

The programme includes saree draping and two photographs at the Taj Mahal; the cost of the saree itself is separate. Beyond the photographs, your guide helps you notice the calligraphy, stone inlay, gardens and extraordinary balance that make the building more than a symbol of love.

After breakfast, explore Agra Fort, where red sandstone walls contain palaces, courtyards and views towards the Taj Mahal. Later, return to Delhi. The final evening is free for rest, last-minute shopping or one more relaxed conversation with the women who now feel very different from the strangers you met on Day 1.

Enjoy a calm morning on 26 March before the transfer to Delhi International Airport according to your flight time.

You leave with photographs of palaces and the Taj Mahal, but also with memories that are harder to frame: the first touch of colour on Holi morning, laughter during the cooking class, conversations in the van and the feeling of having lived India in a small circle of women.

The festival lasts one day. The confidence, friendships and stories created around it travel home with you.