The Christmas season is underway and we are all awaiting the visit of the jolly old Santa Claus with his big sack of gifts! As the winter chill envelopes us all into its misty wonderment, it’s time to take out your cozy blankets and sit down with a hot cup of cocoa while you plan for the Big Christmas Event! How? By starting with a ready-made list of places to visit at Christmas in India.

To get you started easily, we have compiled a cracking list of all those awesome places that you can explore during Christmas time. You can visit on Christmas Eve or any time during the late evenings, it is when the celebrations are at their peak.

Let’s jump in!

Goa

Hands down, the No. 1 destination for celebrating Christmas in India is Goa. The place is filled with cathedrals, churches and the native populace of Goa holds a Christmas Carnival every year. Moreover, Indians from all over the country and foreigners from all over the world converge, drink, dance, party, and celebrate Xmas exuberantly. 

Places to visit to celebrate Christmas in Goa:

1. Basilica of Bom Jesus, Old Goa Road, Bainguinim: a 16th-century UNESCO heritage site dedicated to Infant Jesus Christ housing many ancient paintings, gilded altars &  marble flooring embedded with precious stones.
2. Church of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception, Panaji: the oldest church of Goa. It has also been featured in numerous Bollywood movies, the most memorable of them being ‘Mujhse Shaadi Karogi’ starring Priyanka Chopra, Akshay Kumar & Salman Khan.
3. Flea Markets/Night Markets: Most popular markets are at Mackie’s Night Bazaar in Baga, Arpora Saturday Night Market and Anjuna.

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Kerala

Being a majorly Christian populous state, Keralites celebrate Christmas with fervour and enough enthusiasm to match a FIFA world cup match audience. Being one of the top places to visit at Christmas in India, you will find many churches and basilicas scattered all over Kerala where throngs of tourists and the native populace gather to celebrate the festivities. 

Things to witness: Midnight Mass and Christmas carols, bonfires on the beach, local feasts and celebrations in some of the most popular churches in Kerala.

Places to visit: i.e. Edathua Church in Alleppey district, Basilica of our Lady of Dolores Church in Thrissur and St. Francis Church in Kochi.

Note: We highly suggest that if you are presently in Kerala, then only you visit these places. Due to the Omicron variant’s spread, Kerala might not be suitable for all travellers.

Mumbai

Mumbai is the hot pot of vibrant cultures and festivals. Here, Christmas is celebrated with the same vigor as Gudi Padwa. The streets are lined up with sparkling lights and shop-fronts are decorated with traditional Christmas decor. Christmas in Mumbai is all about taking a stroll through the local markets, bistros and cafes; smelling the sweet-spicy smell of cinnamon and freshly-baked plum cakes.

Furthermore, at night, you can visit some of the most prominent churches in the city to experience the festival vibe.

Things to witness: The midnight mass, Mount Mary Basilica, Christmas Party at clubs/pubs & resorts (check out Trilogy & Exo), Christmas shopping spree at the Inorbit Mall, Street shopping at Hill Road, Crawford Market and The Colaba Causeway.

Places to visit: The Wodehouse Church in Colaba, Mount Mary’s Basilica in Bandra and the Gloria Church in Byculla.

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Bangalore

Owing to its sizeable Christian populace, Bangalore remains of the most popular places to visit at Christmas in India. Bangalore shows its vigorous Christmas celebrations to the whole city by decking all the main streets up with decor lights. In addition to this, shops, residential homes, commercial buildings put up fairy lights, Christmas trees and stacks of gifts with abundance as well. You can find many Santa Claus roaming the streets on December 25th! Truly an amazing experience.

Things to witness: Xmas Special Menus in the city’s top pubs, clubs, bistros, bakeries & restaurants!

Places to visit: Lounges like Wyt, Toit, High Ultra Lounge, The Sugar Factory; Christmas shopping spree (Christmas trees, decor, sweets & savouries, etc.) at Commercial Street; Infant Jesus Church in Vivekanagar; 

Shillong

If you want to witness the true grandeur of Christmas in India then Shillong is the best place to go. Apart from being a picturesque hill station with an abundance of green foliage and a view of snow-capped peaks, Shillong offers its natives and tourists populace a grand celebration during Christmas. 

Things to witness: Midnight mass at Shillong’s most popular churches & basilicas, take in the festive vibe, relish the ambiance and go gift shopping on the streets of Shillong, 

Places to visit: Shillong Catholic Cathedral, Laitumkhrah Presbyterian Church, All Saints Church, Police Bazaar & the Cathedral of Mary.

Bonus places to visit for the Christmas celebration in India:

Kolkata – Although not a Christian-dominated region, Bengal loves Christmas. The streets are lit with lights, bakeries smell freshly baked goods. As well as sweet melodies of Christmas hymns can be heard coming out of the Churches.

Shimla: Do you want to build a snowman? Then head over to Shimla for a snowy white Christmas. Christmas celebration in India is incomplete without mentioning Shimla. December is the offseason for Shimla so you will find fewer tourists and more localities peacefully roaming about the silent snowy city.

Gulmarg: For the perfect snow-laden Christmas amongst the mountains and the pristine natural beauty. Truly a Heaven on Earth. 

Bhubaneswar, Orissa: Surprising it may be but Bhubaneswar has made it to the top destinations to celebrate Christmas in India. The city lights up during the December festive season and it is difficult to contain your excitement when the whole city smells like warm cookies and cakes.

So, there you go. I hope this blog on the best places to visit at Christmas in India will help you make a decision on where you want to spend your Christmas this year. Moreover, wherever you go for a Christmas celebration in India, be always aware of your surroundings, always remain in control of your senses, and enjoy responsibly. Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year ahead!

Did I catch all the Christmas special places? If not, then mention your favorite Christmas venue down in the comments!

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