March is the month of Holi – Holika Dahan on Sunday 21 March and Rangwali Holi, the day of colours, on Monday 22 March 2027 – and the month the Indian heat begins. The first half is still excellent almost everywhere; by the last week Delhi is near 30°C and Rajasthan is heading for the forties. It is the last comfortable month in the north and the best month of the year for tiger sightings.
Holi 2027: the dates and how it actually works
Holi runs over two days and they do different things:
- Sunday 21 March 2027 – Holika Dahan. Bonfires are lit in the evening, marking the burning of the demoness Holika. It is a quiet, communal, largely local occasion.
- Monday 22 March 2027 – Rangwali Holi, the day everyone knows: coloured powder (gulal), water, music and complete chaos, mostly from morning until early afternoon. By about 14:00 it is over and the country is cleaning up.
Mathura and Vrindavan, where Krishna is said to have grown up, start roughly a week early and run the most famous versions – including Lathmar Holi at Barsana and Nandgaon, where women drive men off with sticks. Those dates fall before the 21st, so check the local schedule if that is the trip.
Practical advice, and it matters. Wear clothes you will discard. Oil your hair and exposed skin beforehand so the colour washes out. Sunglasses protect your eyes. Buy natural colours rather than the cheapest synthetic ones. Women travellers, particularly solo, should be aware that Holi crowds can involve unwanted physical contact – many people choose a hotel, hostel or organised event rather than open streets, and that is a reasonable choice rather than a timid one.
Weather: the heat arrives
- Delhi and the north – about 29°C by day and 16°C at night, dry. Pleasant at the start of the month, hot by the end.
- Rajasthan – warming fast; Jaisalmer and Jodhpur reach the mid-thirties in the last week. Mornings and evenings are still good.
- Goa – the season ends. Hot, humid and emptying, with many beach shacks closing from mid-month.
- Kerala and the south – hot and humid; the hill stations of Munnar, Wayanad and Kodaikanal are the comfortable option.
- Central India – hot and dry, and the best wildlife viewing of the year is starting.
- The Himalaya – the foothills are in spring: rhododendron in bloom in Uttarakhand and Sikkim, and the best month for Darjeeling, Rishikesh and Dharamshala.
Tiger season
Continue planning your India trip
From March, India’s tiger reserves enter their strongest period. The forest is bare, the water sources have shrunk to a handful, and animals have to come to them. Ranthambore, Bandhavgarh, Kanha, Tadoba and Pench all report their best sighting rates from March through May.
The trade-off is temperature – a morning safari in an open jeep in April is punishing, in March it is fine. March is the month that gets both.
Where to go as the heat builds
The Indian answer is altitude, and March is when the hill stations reopen properly:
- Uttarakhand – Rishikesh, Mussoorie and Nainital; the Ganga is cool and the rafting season is on.
- Himachal – Dharamshala, Shimla and the Kangra valley in blossom.
- Sikkim and Darjeeling – rhododendron season, with clear Kanchenjunga views on good mornings.
- The Western Ghats – Munnar, Coorg and Wayanad, cooler than the coast below them.
Prices and crowds
High season through the first half, easing in the second as the heat pushes foreign visitors out. Goa discounts from mid-March as the season closes. Holi itself creates a domestic travel spike – trains and flights around 20–23 March 2027 will be heavily booked, and Mathura and Vrindavan fill completely.
See the cost of travelling India.
What to pack
Light cotton, sun protection and a hat – the sun is strong by mid-March. Keep one warm layer for hill stations and early safaris. For Holi: clothes you will throw away, sunglasses, and hair oil. See what to pack for India.
The March 2027 calendar
- Mid March – Lathmar Holi at Barsana and Nandgaon, and the extended Braj Holi at Mathura and Vrindavan, roughly a week before the main date.
- Sunday 21 March – Holika Dahan; bonfires in the evening.
- Monday 22 March – Rangwali Holi, the day of colours, mostly morning to early afternoon.
- 20–23 March – heavy domestic travel; book trains and flights well ahead.
- From mid March – the Goa season ends; beach shacks begin closing.
- Through March – tiger reserves entering their best period; hill stations reopening.
- Late March – Delhi and Rajasthan turn genuinely hot.
Read alongside
- India in February – the best all-round month.
- India in April – serious heat, and the hill-station season.
- Best time to visit India – all twelve months compared.
- India itinerary – routes that work in spring.
- Solo travel in India – worth reading before Holi.
- What to pack for India – the spring list.
- India travel guide – regions and how to combine them.
Frequently asked
When is Holi in 2027?
Holika Dahan is on Sunday 21 March 2027, with the bonfires in the evening, and Rangwali Holi – the day of colours – is on Monday 22 March 2027, running mostly from morning to early afternoon.
Where is the best place to celebrate Holi?
Mathura and Vrindavan hold the most famous versions, starting about a week early, including Lathmar Holi at Barsana and Nandgaon. Jaipur, Udaipur and Pushkar also run large celebrations, and many hotels and hostels host safer, organised events.
Is Holi safe for travellers?
It is joyful and it is chaotic. Crowds can involve unwanted physical contact, which women travellers in particular should factor in; choosing a hotel, hostel or organised event rather than open streets is a sensible option. Wear clothes you will discard, oil your skin and hair, and protect your eyes.
How hot is India in March?
Delhi averages about 29°C by day and 16°C at night, pleasant early in the month and hot by the end. Rajasthan reaches the mid-thirties in the last week, and Goa becomes hot and humid.
Is March good for tiger safaris?
It is the start of the best period. The forest is bare and water sources have shrunk, so sightings improve sharply – and unlike April and May, the temperature still makes a morning jeep safari comfortable.
Is Goa worth visiting in March?
Early March, yes. From mid-month the season ends: it turns hot and humid, beach shacks begin closing and prices drop as visitors leave.
Where should I go to escape the heat in March?
The hill stations reopen properly now – Rishikesh, Mussoorie and Nainital in Uttarakhand, Dharamshala and Shimla in Himachal, Darjeeling and Sikkim for rhododendron season, and Munnar, Coorg and Wayanad in the Western Ghats.
Should I avoid travelling during Holi?
Not avoid, but plan. Trains and flights around 20–23 March 2027 are heavily booked, Mathura and Vrindavan fill completely, and many businesses close on the day itself.
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Written by
John Morrison is the founder and lead travel writer at Packzup. Over the past decade he has explored destinations across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania — always self-funded, never on a press trip.
