Quick answer: when should I book a festival bus?
As soon as your dates are fixed. Popular routes usually fill and get more expensive closer to the festival, especially the last few days before it.
Routes that get busy around festivals
Typical non-festival figures. Expect higher fares around the festival itself:
| Route | Distance | Journey time | Typical fare per seat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delhi → Lucknow | 555 km | ~9.5 hrs | ₹600–₹1450 |
| Delhi → Varanasi | 820 km | ~14 hrs | ₹900–₹2150 |
| Delhi → Gorakhpur | 780 km | ~14 hrs | ₹850–₹2050 |
| Delhi → Patna | 1000 km | ~18 hrs | ₹1100–₹2600 |
| Mumbai → Nagpur | 830 km | ~15 hrs | ₹900–₹2150 |
| Bengaluru → Hyderabad | 570 km | ~10 hrs | ₹650–₹1500 |
If your first choice is full
You still have options:
- Travel a day or two earlier than the peak, if you can
- Book to a nearby larger city and continue from there
- Compare different boarding points and operators
- Check a Rodshare carpool on the same route, where drivers already making the trip offer seats