As the Diwali travel rush takes off, so have the airfares, sending tickets on key routes to as high as Rs 19,000 owing to high demand and packed schedules.

Travel during Diwali - How Expensive?

Many popular routes are experiencing a fare surge of 50-100%, said Dr Vikas Katoch, Founder and CEO of Adotrip, an online travel platform.

For instance, flights between Mumbai and Patna are now averaging Rs 14,540, up from Rs 9,584, while Bengaluru to Lucknow has seen fares rise from Rs 6,720 to Rs 9,899. One-way fares from Pune to Nagpur have reached Rs 19,000 during the Diwali rush. "Hyderabad flyers are facing inflated fares on almost all major routes, with some fares doubling compared to last year," Katoch said.

The most expensive air travel routes this Diwali are from Hyderabad to major cities, said Rikant Pittie, Co-Founder and CEO of EaseMyTrip, an online travel aggregator. Pittie said that flights from Hyderabad to Nagpur and Kolkata, which usually cost between Rs 4,500 and Rs 6,500, are now priced between Rs 11,500 and Rs 16,500. Similarly, fares for Hyderabad to Delhi, normally ranging from Rs 5,500 to Rs 8,500, have surged to Rs 8,500-Rs 18,500.

"Ticket prices on other routes such as Hyderabad to Patna, Lucknow, Guwahati, Jaipur, and Chandigarh have also nearly doubled compared to regular fares," Pittie added.

The single biggest surge is for departures the day after Diwali, said Abhishek Daga, Co-Founder, Thrillophilia, a travel package provider.

Fares from Delhi to Patna are up 19% on-year (YoY) at Rs 20,000 from Rs 12,000, and airfare between Mumbai-Varanasi has increased 22% to Rs 18,000 from Rs 14,000. Meanwhile, Delhi-Dharamshala flight tickets are 21 percent more expensive this Diwali at Rs 16,000 compared to Rs 11,000 a year ago.

Metro-to-Metro sectors like Mumbai-Delhi and Bengaluru-Delhi, along with leisure-heavy routes such as Mumbai-Goa and Delhi-Jaipur are among the costliest to fly this Diwali, according to Karan Agarwal, Director, Cox and Kings, an international tour packages company.

On the international front, Dubai, Singapore and London routes are commanding premium fares owing to high occupancy levels. "Diwali week fares are higher than the average festive period last year. This year, the increase seems more pronounced on short-haul international routes as well, driven by strong outbound travel sentiment and limited seat inventory," said Karan Agarwal.

Travel Demand during Diwali

Thrillophilia's co-founder Abhishek Daga summed up trend this Diwali as 'diyas tonight, departures tomorrow'.

"We're seeing the 'puja-then-plane' pattern in full swing. Families light diyas at home and fly out the very next morning to use the 3-4-day break," said Abhishek Daga.

Govind Gaur, Founder and CEO, WanderOn, a D2C travel tech company has seen a 60-65% on year rise in flight bookings between October 17-30, fuelled by a strong mix of spiritual tourism, festive reunions and leisure getaways.

Inquiries for rail-linked itineraries and last-mile train combos are up 16% on year for home-to-hometown + short breaks, Daga added.

Travel platforms are reporting unprecedented booking volumes for the festive period, Vikas Katoch, Founder and CEO Adotrip said.

"The railways sector is also witnessing exceptionally high demand, with many trains already booked to capacity well in advance of the holidays. Indian Railways has announced over 150 special trains and introduced a "Round-trip package" offering a 20% discount on return fares," said Vikas Katoch.

Where are Indians traveling to celebrate Diwali?

Many Indians are returning home to celebrate, according to Adotrip's Katoch, as inbound travel to India has skyrocketed with a 67 percent rise in international travel interest into India during Diwali. "The UAE, the US, and South Korea are top countries driving this trend," Katch said.

Back home, Ayodhya has witnessed more than 100% growth in air travel bookings, with a huge inclination towards spiritual tourism, Katoch said. Patna and Lucknow have also witnessed a steep rise with bookings increasing by 46% and 23% respectively, he said.

As for outbound Indian tourists, they are preferring short-haul, visa-friendly spots such as Dubai, Bali, Bangkok, Singapore and Vietnam, with sales up 30-40% over Diwali 2024, WanderOn's Gaur said. High-value tourists are choosing long-haul escapes in France, Italy, and Switzerland, integrating the festive holiday with European celebrations.

Abhishek Daga said offbeat destinations like Hampi, Gandikota and Pachmarhi have seen over 33%, 41% and 27% increase in bookings respectively.

What are some of Diwali travel trends?

The next-morning after Diwali flights are the hottest inventory, Daga said. "Unwind-Adventure-Wellness combos are trending higher this Diwali holiday with 23% more demand. Travellers are combining Jaipur forts with hot-air ballooning or a visit to Dubai with a desert wellness day," he added.

Then there are solo and small-crew escapes, or 2-4 night reset trips right after celebrations, which have recorded over 17% rise in demand.

Giftable travel packages including spa days, yacht sunsets, hot-air balloons are replacing traditional gifts with such plans recording over 44% increase in bookings.

Other major trend is a visible rise in multi-generational and small-group travel, reflecting a desire to celebrate together in new destinations, Cox and Kings' Agarwal said.

Tier-2 and tier-3 cities such as Surat, Coimbatore and Indore are driving momentum, contributing nearly 7-9 percent to overall festive traffic, said EaseMyTrip's Pittie. "This shows that holiday travel is no longer limited to the metros."

A growing theme this year is smart luxury, where travellers are seeking premium comfort and curated experiences while staying mindful of costs, according to Pittie. "Many are choosing boutique stays with local charm and opting for immersive activities like sunset desert drives, bay cruises, ziplines, and priority-access experiences that bring a sense of exclusivity. Offbeat destinations such as Gandikota, Pachmarhi, and Binsar are also emerging as hush-luxury getaways," he said.

WanderOn's Gaur also said that there's been a clear uptick in premium segment bookings, and 4-star and 5-star hotel bookings having doubled during the festive period versus the pre-festive period.

Diwali rush sends airfares soaring as ticket for key routes touch Rs 19,000 on heavy demand