Planning around school holidays: summer, Puja, Diwali and Christmas

By the Nexara Holidays travel desk · 2 min read

Most families can only travel during school holidays, when prices peak. Planning ahead makes a big difference.

Summer holidays (April to June)

The longest break and the busiest travel season.

• Hill stations: Ooty, Kodaikanal, Munnar, Shimla, Manali and Darjeeling.
• Kashmir and Ladakh: summer is their main season. See Srinagar.
• Abroad: Singapore, Malaysia, Bali, Europe and Japan.

Book three to five months ahead, especially for Europe, which needs visas.

Puja and Dussehra break (September or October)

• Sikkim and Darjeeling as the monsoon ends.
• Rajasthan as it begins to cool.
• Thailand, Dubai and Singapore.

Diwali break (October or November)

• Short trips to Goa, Rajasthan, Kerala or Dubai.
• Singapore's Little India for Deepavali lights.

Christmas and New Year (late December)

• Goa, Kerala, the Andamans and Rajasthan.
• Snow in Kashmir and Himachal.
• Dubai, the Maldives and Europe's Christmas markets.

The most expensive season of all. Book four to six months ahead.

Tips

• Travel at the start of the holiday when flights are sometimes cheaper than at the end.
• Consider less popular destinations with similar experiences.
• Avoid long weekends for short trips unless booked early.

See Travelling during Diwali, Pongal and Christmas holidays: how to plan and our Family holidays page.

Quick planning checklist

• Fix dates as soon as the school calendar is out.
• Check passports and visas early for trips abroad.
• Book flights first, then hotels, for peak periods.
• Keep one free day for rest before school restarts.
• Share the itinerary with the children so they look forward to it.

Early booking matters more than anything else for school holidays.