Play Holi with Local Family in India: Colors, Food & Community

Throw colored powder and water balloons, then sit down to vegetarian lunch with the people who taught you how.

Play Holi, India's festival of colors, with a local family in their home and neighborhood park. You'll throw colored powder and water balloons, dance to Bollywood music, eat traditional sweets and snacks, and share a vegetarian lunch with the community — all materials, refreshments and a souvenir provided. The experience runs five hours and includes a quiz on why Holi is celebrated.

The Experience

The day starts inside the family's home with a traditional welcome, snacks, refreshments and masala tea. They'll explain the meaning behind Holi and run a quiz to get you thinking about the festival before you step outside. Then you walk together to the park in their apartment complex, where the actual celebration happens. This is where you meet the local community and where the colored powder, water balloons and water guns come out — you'll get colorful headgear, shades and masks to wear while playing, so you can stay protected while the colors fly.

The park fills with music, dancing and celebration. You throw colors alongside neighbors and friends, drink non-alcoholic beverages, eat local snacks and traditional Indian sweets, and dance to Bollywood songs. The energy is frenetic and communal; this is not a staged performance but the real festival as locals experience it. Afterward, you change into the fresh clothes you've brought, and the family hosts you for a community vegetarian lunch with dessert. At the end, you receive a special souvenir to take home.

What’s included

• All colored powder, dyes, water balloons and water guns for playing Holi.
• protective headgear, shades and masks.
• traditional welcome with snacks, refreshments and masala tea.
• a quiz about Holi's significance.
• non-alcoholic drinks and local snacks during the festival.
• traditional Indian sweets.
• vegetarian lunch with dessert.
• a special souvenir.
• bottled water throughout.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Roopak Agarwal

Is this one for you?Five hours is enough time to move from the family's home through the full festival and back to lunch, but not so long that it dominates your whole day — you'll have the rest of the afternoon and evening free. The experience is shared with the local community and the family who hosts you, so you're celebrating as part of their circle rather than as an outside observer.

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Top questions

What is Holi and why do people celebrate it in India?

Holi is a major Indian festival celebrated in March by communities across all religions. The family will explain the reasons and history behind it during the welcome portion of the day, and there's also a quiz to help you understand its significance before you play.

What materials do I need to bring, and what's provided?

Bring a set of fresh clothes to change into after playing. The host provides all the colored powder, dyes, water balloons, water guns, and protective gear — colorful caps, shades and masks — so you don't need to buy or arrange anything yourself.

Is the lunch vegetarian, and what if I prefer non-vegetarian food?

The community lunch is vegetarian with dessert included. Non-vegetarian snacks and meals are available as an option you can choose at checkout.

How long does the whole experience take, and what's the schedule?

The experience runs five hours total. It begins with a welcome and tea at the family's home, moves to the park for the festival celebration with colors and music, and ends with lunch back at the house.

Where exactly does this take place, and how do I get there?

The celebration happens in a neighborhood park within the family's apartment complex in India. Public transportation options are available nearby if you need to arrange your own way there.

What should I wear, and will my clothes get ruined?

Wear clothes you don't mind getting stained with colored powder — the colors are designed to wash out, but they will mark fabric during play. That's why you bring fresh clothes to change into afterward; the family provides a space for you to clean up and change before lunch.