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Open your mind to something completely different at some of the best festivals in the world for 2020.
Adventure travel is a fantastic way to uncover unique cultures and explore destinations that you have only ever dreamed of. On each trip, our expert guides steer you firmly off the tourist trails to lesser-known places where they’ll share the absorbing stories behind each sight.
Festival of the Sun, (Peru)
Immerse yourself in the exuberant and colourful processions that fill the streets of Cuzco during the Inti Raymi Festival. Starting at The Sun Temple, the festival makes its way to Plaza de Armas where indigenous people from the Inca regions perform ritualistic dances before moving on to Cuzco’s archaeological site, Sacsayhuaman. Following the animal sacrifice, the sound of panpipes and beating drums resonating through the air will stir inexplicable emotions.
Festival dates: 24th June 2020
Which trip should I book? – Essential Peru Inti Raymi Festival
Bucket List Highlights: Witness Peru’s most famous sites, including the spectacular Incan Citadel of Machu Picchu; Lake Titicaca, the world’s highest navigable lake; and the mystifying Nazca Lines.
Pushkar Camel Fair (Rajasthan, India)
This centuries-old, traditional Indian festival takes place in the desert town of Pushkar around the time of the full moon. Aside from the brightly adorned camels parading among the Hindu pilgrimage town, a vibrant carnival of music, traditional dancing and fairground rides are bound to capture your imagination. Don’t miss the captivating moment when pilgrims bathe in the holy waters of Pushkar Lake to wash away their sins.
Festival dates: 22nd – 30th November 2020, (special departure date for Colours of Rajasthan Pushkar Camel Fair on 14th November 2020 for two weeks)
Which trip should I book? – Colours of Rajasthan
Bucket List Highlights: Visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Taj Mahal, one of the most widely recognised and staggeringly beautiful creations in the world and go in search of the Indian tiger at Ranthambore National Park.
Day of the Dead Festival (Mexico)
Unravel the cultural heritage of Oaxaca in Mexico at this UNESCO recognised festival that commemorates deceased friends and family members. Lively parades of music and dancing with people dressed up as skeletons bring the streets alive in an explosion of colour like no other.
Festival dates: 31st October – 2nd November 2020
Which trip should I book? – Mexico: Mayans, Aztecs & Conquistadors Day of the Dead Festival
Bucket List Highlights: Wander among the ancient city of Teotihuacan and its archaeological region filled with ancient pyramids. Visit the Mayan temple city of Chichen Itza and explore its complex of ruins.
Naadam Festival (Mongolia)
Celebrating nomadic Mongolian culture, the Naadam Festival features “the three games of men”. Excitement builds with the fierce competition during wrestling matches, archery and horse racing. As well as regional sports, there’s also plenty of music and dancing during its elaborate introduction ceremony.
Festival dates: 11th – 15th July 2020
Which trip should I book? – Mongolia: Steppes, Deserts and Nomads
Bucket List Highlights: Head into the Gobi Desert to discover this vast and untamed landscape of Mongolia where you’ll bask in the beauty of its soaring mountains, salt pans and ‘Singing Dunes’. Sleep in a traditional Mongolian tent and meet the wild horses of Khustain Nuruu National Park.
Oberammergau Passion Play with Austria, Germany & Switzerland
The Oberammergau Passion Play is a sight to behold – and one that has been re-enacted in open-air stages since 1634. Boasting a unique blend of rituals, opera and Hollywood pizzazz, this spectacular performance only happens once every decade, as a special thank you for villagers being spared from the plague. Set in the small, quaint town of Oberammergau in the Bavarian Alps, half the village takes part in sewing authentic costumes for the show-stopping production of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.
Festival dates: 16th May – 4th October 2020 (in Germany) with two special departures on 25th June and 20th August 2020.
Which trip should I book? – Oberammergau Passion Play with Austria, Germany & Switzerland
Bucket List Highlights: Apart from attending a once in a decade experience, enjoy a guided tour of the fairy tale Schönbrun and Hofburg Palaces, ride the Glacier Express from St. Moritz to Zermatt and savour an intimate private concert during dinner in the magical city of Salzburg.
