The First Thing You Notice Is the Smell
It hits you before the lights do — burning mustard oil, sugar syrup bubbling in brass pots, sulfur from firecrackers already going off three days early. Diwali doesn’t arrive on a single evening. It seeps into the city gradually, starting around mid-October, until by the 20th the whole place is vibrating with it.
The Festival of Lights runs October 20-24 in 2026, though the main night — Lakshmi Puja — is October 20. That’s when things get loud. Really loud. But more on that later.
Five Days, Five Different Festivals
People talk about Diwali like it’s one event, but it’s actually five days stacked together, each with its own rituals. Dhanteras (October 18) kicks things off — it’s essentially a massive shopping day. Gold jewelry, kitchen utensils, anything metal. The markets in Chandni Chowk and Lajpat Nagar in Delhi are packed to the point where you can barely move through them. Not exaggerating.
October 19 is Naraka Chaturdashi, sometimes called Chhoti Diwali. The fireworks start in earnest. Then October 20, the main event — Lakshmi Puja. Families spend the afternoon cleaning, decorating, drawing rangoli patterns at their doorstep, and by evening the entire neighborhood is lit up with diyas and LED strings and whatever else they can find. The prayers happen at dusk, and then the fireworks go until well past midnight.
The two days after are quieter. Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj are more family-focused, less spectacle. Most tourists time their visit around the 18th through the 21st.
Where to Go (And What You’re Getting Into)
Varanasi is the answer everyone gives, and honestly it deserves the reputation. The Dev Deepawali celebration happens about two weeks after Diwali proper — the ghats along the Ganges are lit with what looks like a million oil lamps reflected in the river. It’s genuinely stunning. But Varanasi during festival season is also chaotic in ways that can overwhelm first-time India visitors. The lanes in the old city are narrow, the crowds are intense, and finding your way back to your hotel at night when everything looks different under firelight is an experience in itself.
Jaipur is probably the more manageable option if you want the visual spectacle without quite as much sensory overload. Nahargarh Fort and the old walled city light up beautifully. Plus the Rajasthani food during Diwali is exceptional — look for ghevar and mawa kachori at the sweet shops near Johari Bazaar.
Amritsar doesn’t get mentioned enough. The Golden Temple (Harmandir Sahib) surrounded by thousands of candles and reflected in the Amrit Sarovar pool is one of those scenes that genuinely stops you. Diwali has special significance in Sikh tradition — it commemorates the release of Guru Hargobind from imprisonment — so the celebrations here have a different energy than the Hindu heartland.
Mumbai and Delhi are the obvious big-city choices. More fireworks, bigger markets, more variety in food and entertainment. Also more pollution — the air quality in Delhi during Diwali is a serious concern, and it’s gotten enough media attention that you should factor it into your planning. We’ll get to that.
The Parts Nobody Romanticizes
Let’s talk about the difficult stuff, because every Diwali article skips it.
Air quality. Delhi’s air during and after Diwali is genuinely bad. The combination of firecrackers and existing pollution pushes AQI readings into the ‘hazardous’ range some years. The government has been trying to restrict firecracker use — green crackers only, time limits — but enforcement varies. If you have respiratory issues, this is worth taking seriously. Consider carrying an N95 mask, and maybe skip Delhi in favor of a less polluted city.
Noise. Earplugs are not optional. Firecrackers in Indian cities are not the controlled displays you might be used to — they’re set off in streets, on rooftops, sometimes seemingly right outside your window, from about 6 PM until 2 or 3 AM. It can be jarring. Some neighborhoods are louder than others — ask your hotel about this when booking.
Scams and inflated prices. Tourist-facing businesses raise prices during Diwali. Rickshaw fares, hotel rates, even some restaurant menus shift upward. This is normal peak-season behavior, not unique to India, but budget accordingly. Negotiate rickshaw fares before getting in.
Getting around. Traffic is worse than usual. Ride-hailing apps work but surge pricing is real. The Delhi Metro still runs on schedule and is honestly your best option in the capital.
The Food Deserves Its Own Section
Diwali is as much about eating as it is about lights. Every household makes sweets — or buys them from the neighborhood mithai shop, which is the more common reality these days. The good stuff: kaju katli (cashew fudge, ubiquitous), gulab jamun (fried milk dumplings in sugar syrup), barfi in about fifteen variations, and regional specialties that change depending on where you are.
In Rajasthan, look for ghevar — a honeycomb-textured disc soaked in sugar syrup. In Bengal, the Diwali sweets lean heavier on milk-based preparations. In South India, the savory snacks (murukku, ribbon pakoda) are as important as the sweets.
The thing about Diwali food culture that catches visitors off guard: people will give you sweets. Your hotel staff, shopkeepers, random neighbors — it’s customary. Accept them. Refusing is awkward. If you’re worried about hygiene, the packaged mithai boxes from established shops like Haldiram’s are generally safe.
Booking and Getting There
Flights to India in October are peak season pricing. Book early — like, months early. Delhi, Mumbai, and Jaipur all have international airports. Varanasi’s Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport has fewer international connections, so you’ll likely need to connect through Delhi.
Hotels fill up fast, especially in Varanasi and Jaipur. The old city areas give you the most immersive experience but are also the loudest and hardest to navigate. If you value sleep, stay slightly outside the old quarters. Trip.com is decent for comparing hotel rates across Indian cities — I’ve found their prices competitive for mid-range properties, though for budget guesthouses you’re better off booking directly or through local platforms.
For activities — cooking classes, heritage walks, temple visits — booking in advance is smart during Diwali since group sizes are limited. KLOOK has a reasonable selection of Diwali-themed experiences in the major tourist cities. Not everything on there is worth the premium, but the guided old Delhi walks and Varanasi boat tours get consistently decent reviews. KKday also lists some India experiences, though their coverage is thinner outside the big cities.
Rangoli, and Why You Should Try Making One
Rangoli — the geometric patterns made from colored powder, flower petals, rice, and sometimes chalk — appears at doorsteps, temple entrances, and hotel lobbies throughout the festival. The tradition is tied to welcoming Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity. The designs range from simple circles to elaborate mandalas that take hours.
Some hotels and cultural centers offer rangoli workshops for visitors. They’re usually free or cheap, and genuinely fun even if your end result looks nothing like the ones on Instagram. The powder stains your fingers for a day or two. Consider that a souvenir.
When to Show Up, When to Leave
Arrive October 17 or 18 to catch the Dhanteras shopping frenzy and watch the city transform. The 19th and 20th are the main event. By the 22nd, the energy drops off noticeably — decorations come down, the streets get cleaned up, and it starts feeling like aftermath rather than celebration.
If you can extend your trip, the Dev Deepawali in Varanasi falls on the full moon about fifteen days after Diwali (check the exact date, it shifts with the lunar calendar). It’s a separate event and arguably more photogenic than Diwali itself, though much less chaotic.
One practical note: October weather across North India is generally pleasant — mid-20s to low 30s Celsius during the day, dropping to around 15-18 at night. Pack layers for evenings. The monsoon is over by then, so rain is unlikely but not impossible.
