10 Cultural Festivals That Are Worth Traveling For & 10 That Are Completely Overrated
10 Cultural Festivals That Are Worth Traveling For & 10 That Are Completely Overrated
Looking To Get Festive?
Finding a fest that delivers more than just noise is a little tricky because not all festivals get it right, all the way from planning to execution. Some of them just feel like costume parties with a price tag. Before we get to them, first check out the festivals that feel alive and absolutely worth it.
1. Holi Festival (Mathura & Vrindavan)
Color explodes like divine confetti in Mathura’s alleyways, where Holi becomes a pilgrimage. Locals chant, dance, and drench each other in layers of pigment steeped in centuries of spiritual storytelling. Here, you're in it, headfirst.
2. Gion Matsuri
Kyoto’s Gion Matsuri, dating to 869 CE, fills lantern-lit streets with incense as intricately crafted yamaboko floats glide past like wooden phantoms. Detail-obsessed artisans display sacred pageantry with samurai precision. Arrive early because prime viewing spots disappear before sunset.
3. Inti Raymi
The sun god still rules Cusco every June 24th, when Incan rituals resurrect atop the Sacsayhuamán fortress. Actors here don gold regalia, speaking Quechua, summoning ancestral awe. This is cultural fire, and you’ll feel it in your bones.
4. Timkat
At dawn, Ethiopian priests lift the Ark of the Covenant replicas into misty processions backed by drumbeats and ululations. When you get here, you’ll barely believe this unfolds in the 21st century. Locals pour into sacred waters in holy rhythm—and you're invited to watch.
5. Día De Los Muertos (Oaxaca)
Skulls smile, candles flicker, and marigold petals lead the dead home in Oaxaca’s rich graveyard vigils. Here, you’ll meet families who picnic with ancestors, not memories. This event is loyalty and a masterclass in how cultures mourn with color, not silence.
Día de Muertos en Oaxaca. Descubre cómo se vive esta tradición. by Frank Coronado
6. Pushkar Camel Fair
Camels wear sequins. Traders chant. Devotees bathe before sunrise in the sacred Pushkar Lake. Visitors attest to feeling the air thicken with incense and folklore. When you get here, skip the glossy arenas and walk the rural pockets where real Rajasthan breathes.
Pushkar Camel Fair | India's Best Festival? by vagabrothers
7. Venice Carnival
Masks whisper secrets through fog-draped alleys, and if you listen closely, 18th-century Venice answers where elaborate costumes turn strangers into nobles. Attendees usually drift between opera, masquerade balls, and canal-side processions. Want a pro tip? Book early.
Giorgio Minguzzi from Italy on Wikimedia
8. Naadam Festival
This Mongolian showdown puts biceps and bareback horses at center stage. Genghis Khan would approve. Children race stallions, and archers never miss (or try not to). If you crave unfiltered nomadic grit, grab a ger and stake your claim.
9. Thaipusam
Witnessing devotees pierce their cheeks, tongues, or backs while hauling ornate kavadis through Kuala Lumpur’s Batu Caves isn't light fare. This is spiritual fervor in high gear—sweaty and unforgettable. Stay respectful. It’s not a spectacle.
10. Surajkund Mela (Haryana, India)
This craft fair near Delhi blends traditions from across India into a vibrant, walkable village of handmade wonders. Cultural performances and regional cuisine make it a celebration of diversity, not just a spectacle. It's immersive, not touristy, and feels genuinely alive.
So now you’ve seen the festivals that actually earn the hype—the ones rooted in something real, wild, or downright moving. But not every event hits that sweet spot. This lot might look good on paper, but it doesn’t exactly hold up in person.
1. Oktoberfest (Munich)
Oktoberfest has become a crowded beer fest where some still enjoy the traditional tents, but many steer clear of tourist-packed areas. Prices are steep, and the crowds are relentless. These days, even many locals don’t bother.
Oktoberfest Munich TIPS and What to Know BEFORE Visiting by Travel With Wes
2. La Tomatina
Hurling tomatoes in Spain might sound charming until you’re pelted senseless in a slippery alley with thousands of day-trippers from all over. La Tomatina, a roughly one-hour tomato fight in Buñol, draws overhyped day-trippers.
3. Coachella
This isn’t Woodstock. It’s a fashion-forward photo op masquerading as a music festival. First, regulars spend hours queuing, and second, they spend more hours squinting since the regulars' spaces are far from any real stage. You only get close when you pay more.
4. Carnival (Rio)
Sure, the feathers and samba shimmer on screen, but in person? Sky-high ticket tiers, security checkpoints, and elbow-to-elbow chaos. Rio Carnival’s main events are crowded and costly, but free street blocos offer vibrant alternatives. Just skip the glitz.
5. St. Patrick’s Day (Dublin)
Temple Bar turns into a theme park of Guinness gimmicks and plastic shamrocks. Parades and beer tents dominate the scene. Cultural displays and historical reenactments try to squeeze in a nod to tradition, but there’s little room left for reflection.
S Pakhrin from DC, USA on Wikimedia
6. Burning Man
Originally built on radical self-expression, today’s Black Rock City feels more like a dusty showroom for tech elite escapism. The principle of gifting fizzles when private camps run velvet ropes. It’s a utopia with a backstage pass price tag.
Dan Rademacher from Oakland, CA, USA on Wikimedia
7. Songkran (Bangkok)
Thailand’s New Year's water ritual turned into a cross between a squirt-gun war and a spring break frenzy. Respectful cleansing was replaced by foam parties and drenching strangers for social media stunts. Sure, you’ll dry off eventually, but not before culture takes a back seat.
8. Harbin Ice Festival
Dazzling sculptures? Absolutely. But expect long queues, overpriced tickets, and industrial cold that hurts your eyelids. Locals often skip it entirely. The photos taken here are spectacular, but that's just about it. Don’t expect warmth beyond the LED-lit castles.
9. Hogmanay (Edinburgh)
Once a raw Scottish tradition of fire and folklore, now you get bottled-in crowd-control pens and ticketed light shows. The fireworks take forever to be displayed; then, they hustle out under floodlights. It feels like New Year’s Eve with bagpipes added.
Edinburgh Hogmanay Street Party: Top 10 Things You Have To See by Travelverse
10. Cherry Blossom Festival (Tokyo)
Yes, the blooms are stunning. But you’ll share them with thousands of tripods and tour groups yelling across Ueno Park. Finding peace here is unlikely. Hanami once meant quiet reflection, but that now is a picnic gridlock.
