Come December and the spirit of Christmas runs wild in the country spreading joy and love. While the festival is celebrated with a lot of zeal all through India, there are some places that are just magical when it comes to experiencing Christmas here. We’ve made a list of six such places for you to spend your next Christmas at.
Goa is unarguably the best place you can celebrate Christmas in India. There’s plenty happening and plenty do while you’re here for Christmas. The streets and beaches are filled with lights, festivities and lots and lots of people. If you want a quieter Christmas in Goa, you’d better go down to the Southern beaches where there far lesser people.
Top things to see and do : Attend the midnight mass at one of the numerous beautiful churches here; There are some beautiful places with great Christmas dinner spreads which you should try; Attend one of the many beach parties; Watch the fireworks at some of the popular beaches here.
How to get there : Goa is connected to many of the popular cities by air, bus and train. You can also take the road if you live in a nearby city.
Where to stay : Hyatt Place, Backpacker's Panda, for more places to stay in Goa, click here.
With the heavy influence of the Portuguese, Daman and Diu, two small and dainty towns are among the most beautiful places you could be at for Christmas in India. The towns are lit up beautifully with a whole lot of festivities, cultural dances and events taking place on the streets here.
Top things to see and do : There are plenty of churches in both Daman and Diu where you can attend the midnight mass or go visiting later in the day; attend the Public fair – a popular fair in Diu, gorge on all the delicacies in one of the exuberant Christmas feasts held in many restaurants here; just savor the beautiful blue waters of the Arabian sea.
How to get there : Mumbai and Porbandar are the nearest airports, you can reach here by rail and road as well.
Where to stay : Daman - Keys Select Ras Resorts, Le Pension, Diu - Krishna beach resorts, Nilkanth Nivas for more places to stay in Daman, click here and for more places to stay in Diu, click here.
With a lot of the locals being Christians, Christmas is definitely a big thing in Kerala. This beautiful state has lots of people celebrating the festival, meaning that nearly every house in the towns and cities here is decorated bright and beautiful. This is a vision in itself if not for all the festivities that take place uniquely in every town and city of Kerala.
Top things to see and do : Attend the year-end carnival that takes place in Kochi through the last 10 days of the year; there is yet another 10-day festival that takes place in the back waters which you should not miss out on either; lots of feasts and eateries through the state offer Christmas delicacies which you must try out; visit the ancient churches which are spread through the state.
How to get there : Many important cities in the country are connected by air, train and road to Kochi
Where to stay : Taj Malabar resort and spa, Heavenly homestay. For more places to stay in Kochi, click here.
With a considerable number of the people here being French expats, Christmas here is ceremonial. The city is vibrant with lights, decorations and festivities all around the place. The really old churches of the town are worth a visit during this time of the year as they are all beautifully lit up.
Top things to see and do : Attend the masses in one of Pondicherry’s famous old churches like the Immaculate Conception Cathedral; Go beach hopping where you’ll find them decorated and full of activity; Try and attend one of the lavish Christmas feasts of the place.
How to get there : Through air from a few cities, through road and train. The next closest airport is in Chennai.
Where to stay : Le Chateau, Nest guest house. For more places to stay in Pondicherry look up here.
The Christian population of Mumbai may not be that huge in proportion but the whole of Mumbai celebrates Christmas with great enthusiasm which makes this city a great place to be at for the festival. The lit up streets and malls, all the great places to eat and the many parties held everywhere are some of the many things that make this festival great here.
Top things to see and do : Attend the midnight mass at one of the popular churches here such as the St.Mary’s basilica and Gloria church; shop at the many street fairs held during this period of time; attend one of the many Christmas parties in local pubs; dine at one of the exuberant Christmas feats some of the restaurants have to offer.
How to get there : Mumbai is well connected to all the major cities through road, rail and air.
Where to stay : The Leela, Teepees Dormitory. For more places to stay in Mumbai, look up here.
It turns out that it isn’t just its vibrant Dussehra festivities that Kolkata is popular for. The Christmas celebrations here can be quite a feast to the eyes and with all the old, amazing cake places, a feast to the stomach as well. There’s this lane called the ‘Park Street’ which is especially popular for the Christmas festivities of Kolkata with its streets lit up bright and a lot of music festivals that take place here too.
Top things to do : Attend midnight mass at one of the popular churches of this place such as the St.Paul’s cathedral; Stay up all night long at one of the live music performances that place through the night in Park street; Go get yourself some cakes and other baked goods from the popular ‘Flurys’
How to get there : Kolkata is well-connected to most of the cities through air, road and rail.
Where to stay : The Novotel, 5/4 - Calcutta's Freshest BNB. For more places to stay in Calcutta, check here.
If your idea of a perfect Christmas involves snow, Manali is the ideal place for you to spend Christmas. At this time of the year, it snows here and amidst the snow, the locals have a great celebration going on each year for Christmas. Since a lot of tourists would like to flock here during this time, you should make sure that all of your trip is pre-booked.
Top things to see and do : Winter activities like skiing and snowboarding, just playing with the snow are all popular around Christmas here; Experience the winter carnival
How to get there: By air - the nearest airport is in Bhuntar (50kms from here) and through road as well, either by buses that connect to here or by driving up here.
Where to stay : Apple Country Resorts, Bonfire hostels. For more places to stay in Manali, visit here.
Do you have any magical experiences of your Christmas from these places or your city to share with us? Let us know here. Also, check out Tripoto's youtube channel for some awesome travel videos.