Festivals Abroad | Best Festival Travel Websites and Guides

Festivals Abroad: Travel Guides

Festivals and cultural events are to travel what herbs and spices are to cooking. Without them, the entire experience is much less exciting and satisfying. The web has brought world culture within our reach. Numerous websites list festivals and events abroad. Many also provide in-depth cultural background information to help travelers understand local traditions, beliefs, and values that underlie these celebrations.

Below, we have listed selected descriptive guides and articles from TransitionsAbroad.com providing information about festivals and cultural events worldwide.

Featured Articles on Festivals and Festival Travel Abroad

	Witness a Crucifixion: Semana Santa in Mexico by Ted Campbell A vivid description of the sacred rituals that take place during the Semana Santa (Holy Week of Easter) in Mexico
	The Semana Santa Easter Festival in Antigua, Guatemala by Sandra Kennedy The spiritually powerful, somber, yet colorful Semana Santa Easter festival in Antigua, Guatemala.
	Bhutan’s Paro Tshechu Festival An Expression of Gross National Happiness in the Land of the Thunder Dragon by Lies Ouwerkerk Lies takes you inside a sacred festival in the "world's last Shangri-la," as Bhutan often has been dubbed, and provides an in-depth and illustrated explanation of the colorful dances and rituals.
	Annual Festival of the Wodaabe in Chad by Senior Contributing Editor Lies Ouwerkerk This is a richly illustrated story about rarely-seen courtship rituals and beauty contests.
	China’s Best-Kept Secret: Festivals in Guizhou Province by Lies Ouwerkerk The ethnic minority festivals in the Guizhou Province of China are a spectacular experience in a beautiful land with great hosts. This highly illustrated article bursts with color and life.
	Connecting to Culture through Community Events: Sicilian Sagre by Amy E. Robertson Colorful and sacred festivals in Sicily offer a direct way to connect to the community and share an experience with the local culture.
	Kumbh Mela: The Largest Religious Gathering in India and on Earth by David Joshua Jennings Nothing can quite prepare you the Kumbh Mela, the planet’s biggest religious gathering. It is a time when millions of Hindu pilgrims come together to bathe ceremoniously in India’s holiest rivers.
	Living Festivals: How to Get Into the Local Spirit by Jim Kane How to participate in local festivals as a sensitive observer to get into the local spirit, build friendships, and express respect for the people and the culture being visited.
	A Swiss Christmas Market and Regional Holiday Festival in Montreux by Sonja Holverson An illustrated view of an elaborate Swiss Festival in the Montreux region, finalizing with a climb to Santa Claus' alpine house
	9 Ways to Spend a Traditional Christmas Abroad by Jonathon Engels Every culture and subculture celebrates sacred events differently. Christmas is no different, and the author explores 9 very different ways he has experienced the event. He concludes that there is a great inherent desire for people worldwide to share sacred days and communal events.