For us, festivals are the smell of incense, the fizz of fireworks and the squelch of a fresh tomato. They arrive with the thunder of bespeckled dancers and ride on till the wee hours with plenty of dancing and music. They’re the lantern-lit, confetti-filled, mud-slinging reminder that life is there to be enjoyed to the max, and that there’s no such thing as too much fun in the name of pomp and ceremony.
From the holy waters of the Ganges and the graveyards of Mexico to the tulip fields and orange groves of Europe, festival season never truly dies – and we’ve got your private pass all ready to go. It’s time to strap on your sandals, pick up some maracas and dive right in.
Our Festival trips
14 Days From $4,060
Taking in five major festivals across Whistler, Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper National...
9 Days From $4,115
Join a nine day Israel and Palestinian Territories adventure with Christmas in...
13 Days From $3,545
Get a taste of China on this cultural and ice-filled adventure.
15 Days From $4,210
Embrace the festive atmosphere at the Naadam Festival, with visits to the region's...
15 Days From $4,010
Embrace the festive atmosphere at the Naadam Festival, with visits to the region's...
14 Days From $3,970
Travel through the untouched beauty and fascinating culture of Ethiopia. From the...
2 Days From $200
Travel from Istanbul to Gallipoli for the 2019 Anzac Day Dawn Service. Sleep out under...
11 Days From $2,350
Experience the acclaimed Sarawak Rainforest Music Festival along with Kuching and the...
7 Days From $2,290
Unravel the mystery of Sleepy Hollow’s Headless Horseman and learn of Salem’s fiery...
9 Days From $2,365
Embrace the music of the South during this trip from Atlanta to New Orleans. Visit...
10 Days From $1,915
From Bucharest to Sibiu, Sighisoara to Brasov get beneath the history, mythology and...
12 Days From $3,000
Travel to Egypt and experience the history and culture of the land of the pharaohs on a...
8 Days From $4,220
Follow the Winter Festival Trail around Japan’s northernmost island. See the world’s...
5 Days From $1,480
Brave the sub-zero temperatures of Harbin and you’ll be rewarded with the most...
12 Days From $5,075
Get to know the south with this trip through Atlanta, Charleston, Asheville, Nashville,...
6 Days From $3,200
Carnival, the famous festival of Rio de Janeiro, is the greatest party on earth! Join...
6 Days From $1,960
Join Carnival, the greatest party on earth! The famous festival of Rio de Janeiro is an...
Browse Festivals by regions
Need inspiration
Feb 06, 2018
The best solo trips for every stage of life
While writing The Solo Travel Handbook, published by Lonely Planet, I picked the...
Sep 13, 2017
10 surprising facts about Ethiopia
Diverse landscapes, a kaleidoscope of cultures and one of the world's fastest...
Jun 26, 2017
Celebrating life on Day of the Dead
Some people confuse Day of the Dead celebrations with Halloween, but really, Dia...
Traveller reviews
Our trips score an average of 4.59 out of 5 based on 46 reviews in the last year.
Mongolia's Naadam Festival, June 2018
Belinda Loli Lopez
Spectacular combination of Mongolian cultural experience with the Naadam Festival and the scenic wonders of the Gobi. Long trips are rewarded by the chance to stay in beautiful remote surroundings. An introduction to a country to which you will probably wish to return. Take a decent camera with you.
Review submitted 24 Jul 2018
Mongolia's Naadam Festival, June 2018
Andrea Salter
Fantastic trip! I loved every minute of it. Mongolia is a wonderful country and just so different. Attending the training camps before the festival was fabulous as we then knew people who were competing at the festival and the rules etc. The travelling across the steppe to the Gobi desert was really interesting, the contrast of the changes in the landscape and the nomadic way of life. I would highly recommend this trip
Review submitted 22 Jul 2018
Mongolia's Naadam Festival, June 2018
Nicole Collins
The pre-Nadaam camps make this trip. The itinerary is worth it for that alone. Transport in the loafs is fun but cramped at times. Long travel days. Not much is open in UB during Nadaam so be prepared for limited eating options. Otherwise a nice itinerary.
Review submitted 20 Jul 2018
Mongolia's Naadam Festival, June 2018
Karin Ioannidis
Loved Mongolia, the people, the culture, a deep lesson about what’s essential in life...
Review submitted 19 Jul 2018
Mongolia's Naadam Festival, June 2018
Andrea Withers
This is not a review for other travellers to read: This online feedback form did not have a place to provide feedback about the tour leader (Byambadorj Altankhuyag). I would like to be able to write the tour leader a glowing review. He was excellent. Please let me know how I can complete this portion of the feedback form.
Review submitted 16 Jul 2018
Mongolia's Naadam Festival, June 2018
Sarah Harrison
There doesn't seem to be an opportunity to tell you about the quality of our guide, which is a shame. He was the worst I have travelled with so far. He spent much of the trip drunk/hungover, shared very little information, had to be prompted to share arrangements, and frequently moaned about how much he disliked his job.
Review submitted 14 Jul 2018
Japan Winter Festivals, February 2018
Graeme Thorburn
Had such a wonderful time on my first ever tour. Meeting people, experiencing things that I never thought I would do, and loving every moment. Not herded about with time to wander by yourself if you want. If the tour does recommend a certain type of clothing, heed the advice. You'll be more comfortable for it.
Review submitted 11 Mar 2018
Egypt Experience - Abu Simbel Sun Festival, February 2018
Michael DiRaimondo
Tour guides are great! You will meet wonderful people. You will learn a great deal about the country you visit!
Review submitted 05 Mar 2018
Egypt Experience - Abu Simbel Sun Festival, February 2018
Vanessa Larsen
This was my first time in a multi day tour and I have to say I'm converted. Everything was taken care of which was really nice and our guide Ahmed was amazing - an Egyptologist and all-round expert in the history of Egypt and everything we saw. The Sun Festival was very very crowded though, so you may have to fight the crowds and may only get a fleeting glimpse of the statues inside. Hopefully the festival authorities make some changes to the festival such as limiting numbers and the way people need to queue.
Review submitted 05 Mar 2018
Egypt Experience - Abu Simbel Sun Festival, February 2018
Joanna Scutt
This is in general a great trip but do not chose the Sun Festival departure. You will be held outside the temple by guards until after the sunrise and crushed in a mad crowd surge. Better to enjoy it at your leisure at a quieter time. I would recommend the Saqqara and Memphis tour before the main trip and the Islamic Cairo in Depth tour afterwards if you have time, they are quite different from other things you see on the main tour.
Review submitted 04 Mar 2018
Egypt Experience - Abu Simbel Sun Festival, February 2018
Laurent Dubois
This trip to Egypt was the trip of a lifetime for me. I can't hide the fact that I was of course nervous about travelling to this country but in the end the beauties of ancient Egypt were attracting me so much. Everyone should go to Egypt once in its life. Travelling with Intrepid, I knew I would be well taken care of and with a cool gang of Aussies to make the trip enjoyable. Our guide Ahmed is amazing and share with us so many beautiful stories while taking very good care of us. Going to Egypt in February was the right decision. Beautiful weather and less crowd. However, if like me you choose the Sun festival trip to Abu Simbel be aware that the place is insanely crowded, to the point where you miss the whole show and don't spend enough time there to appreciate the beauty of the place. If I had to choose again, I would book the same trip but another week to avoid the Sun Festival. In the end, I LOVED LOVED LOVED this trip and I think you will too !
Review submitted 04 Mar 2018
Egypt Experience - Abu Simbel Sun Festival, February 2018
Trish Marr
Our guide made our experience. My trip to Egypt was a lifelong dream and with Ahmed’s guidance I lived my dream to the fullest
Review submitted 01 Mar 2018