Busy dates for hotels in Varanasi
The festivals, events, public holidays and seasons that fill hotels in Varanasi over the coming year, with the dates and who each brings. Every date is taken from the page that announces it, and links to it.
Checked on , and again each month.
- Dates listed
- 18 confirmed
- Next
- Chhath Puja, 15 November 2026
- Season
- Season: October to March
- Checked
- 13 October 2026
The dates, month by month
November 2026
- Chhath PujaFestival
Worshippers gather on the ghats; a restricted holiday on the central list.
Confirmed by Government of India holiday list 2026
- Dev DeepawaliFestival
The ghats are lit with lamps on Kartik Purnima. Brings pilgrims and international visitors.
Confirmed by Incredible India (Ministry of Tourism)
- Guru Nanak's BirthdayPublic holiday
The same day as Dev Deepawali; with Monday 23 November off it is a four-day break from Saturday 21 November.
Confirmed by Government of India holiday list 2026
- CII Banaras Culture BiennaleEvent
Five weeks of art, crafts, music and talks in temples, on the riverfront and in museums.
Confirmed by Incredible India (Ministry of Tourism)
December 2026
- Christmas long weekendLong weekend
Christmas Day is Friday 25 December 2026, so the weekend runs Friday to Sunday. Brings families and couples.
Confirmed by Government of India holiday list 2026
- New Year's Eve and New Year's DayPublic holiday
New Year's Day is Friday 1 January 2027 (a restricted holiday for central offices), so the weekend runs on to Sunday 3 January. Brings couples and groups.
Confirmed by Government of India holiday list 2027
January 2027
- Magh Mela, PrayagrajFestival
The bathing fair at the Sangam in Prayagraj, about 120 km from Varanasi. Brings pilgrims.
Confirmed by Incredible India (Ministry of Tourism), citing UP Tourism
- Republic DayPublic holiday
With Monday 25 January off it is a four-day break from Saturday 23 January.
Confirmed by Government of India holiday list 2027
March 2027
- Maha ShivratriFestival
A restricted holiday on the central list. Brings pilgrims.
Confirmed by Government of India holiday list 2027
- Id-ul-FitrPublic holiday
The date can move by a day with the sighting of the moon.
Confirmed by Government of India holiday list 2027
- HoliFestival
Holika Dahan is Monday 22 March and Holi Tuesday 23 March 2027, so with the Monday off it is a four-day break from Saturday 20 March.
Confirmed by Government of India holiday list 2027
- Good Friday and Easter long weekendLong weekend
Good Friday is 26 March 2027 and Easter Sunday 28 March, a Friday-to-Sunday weekend. Brings families and couples.
Confirmed by Government of India holiday list 2027
April 2027
- Mahavir Jayanti long weekendLong weekend
Mahavir Jayanti is Monday 19 April 2027, so the weekend runs Saturday to Monday. Brings families and couples.
Confirmed by Government of India holiday list 2027
May 2027
- Id-ul-Zuha (Bakrid) long weekendLong weekend
Bakrid is Monday 17 May 2027, so the weekend runs Saturday to Monday; the date can move with the moon. Brings families and couples.
Confirmed by Government of India holiday list 2027
- Buddha PurnimaFestival
Sarnath, where the Buddha gave his first sermon, is on the edge of Varanasi. Brings pilgrims.
Confirmed by Government of India holiday list 2027
August 2027
- Independence DayPublic holiday
It falls on a Sunday, so there is no extra day off; Milad-un-Nabi and Parsi New Year fall on the same day.
Confirmed by Government of India holiday list 2027
October 2027
- DussehraFestival
Durga Puja's Saptami, Ashtami and Navami fall on 6, 7 and 8 October.
Confirmed by Government of India holiday list 2027
- Diwali long weekendLong weekend
Diwali is Friday 29 October 2027, with Govardhan Puja on Saturday 30 and Bhai Duj on Sunday 31 October. Brings families.
Confirmed by Government of India holiday list 2027
The seasons
- SeasonOctober to March
As given by UP Tourism
Not announced yet
These fill hotels too, but their next dates aren't announced. They are added here once they are.
- Ganga Mahotsav 2026Last held in November 2025.
Last dates from thestatesman.com
- Kashi Tamil Sangamam (fifth edition)Last held in December 2025.
Last dates from newsonair.gov.in
For each date: a page, an offer and a post
A page on your website
Six weeks before a date that brings your kind of guest, a page that answers what they will ask: how far you are from the venue, parking, an early breakfast, a late checkout.
An offer for it
A stay built around the date, such as two nights with breakfast and a late checkout, on your own website at the same time as the page.
A post about it
On your Google listing and your social media, two to three weeks before, saying what you offer for it and how to book it with you.
Questions about Varanasi's busy dates
When is the busiest time for hotels in Varanasi?
- UP Tourism gives October to March as Varanasi's season. Within it, the festivals and events below fill hotels on their own dates, some of them well outside it.
Which dates fill hotels in Varanasi next?
- Chhath Puja (Sunday 15 November 2026), Dev Deepawali (Tuesday 24 November 2026) and Guru Nanak's Birthday (Tuesday 24 November 2026). Each is confirmed by the page it links to below.
How are these dates checked?
- Each is taken from the page that announces it: the event's own website, the state's tourism website, or the Government of India's list of holidays. An event whose next dates aren't announced is listed as not announced yet, and nothing is guessed. The list is checked again each month.
Can OneHorizyn show the busy dates near my own hotel?
- Yes. Its demand calendar lists the festivals, fairs and busy periods of the next six months for your town, shows how busy each coming night looks from what your competitors charge, and checks for each busy period whether you have an offer and a page ready.
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