Best Time to Book Flights Home for Diwali 2026: Dubai to India Fares for the Holiday

Last updated: Aug 31, 2026

Key takeaways

Prices jump around from one day to the next, so the exact date you fly matters more than the month.
The days right before Diwali usually cost more than the festival days themselves.
Booking early will not get you a lower fare here, so pick your date first and book it whenever suits you.

On this page

The Diwali fare calendar
When to buy
Which city to fly into
Questions
Sources

Diwali 2026 fare calendar: Dubai to India

Fares from Wego, cheapest return economy for one adult, leaving each date and home 4 nights later, read 31 August 2026.Flying intoMumbaiDelhiKochiCheapest AED 921 on Tue 3 Nov, priciest AED 1,174 the day before: AED 253, or 22 percent, for a twenty-four hour shift. Festival days run AED 921 to AED 1,123.MTWTFSaSu19 Oct964 20964 21963 22935 23942 24962 25984 26922 27976 28971 29971 30991 311,038 1 Nov983 21,174 3921 4979 51,165 6993 71,123 Diwali966 9921 101,070 11921 12966 13944 14985 15921 16921 17921 18945 19942 20922 21990 22942within 5% of AED 9215 to 15% overmore than 15% overfestival dayCheapest AED 931 on Mon 19 Oct, priciest AED 1,203 on Thu 5 Nov. The biggest one-day saving is AED 139, moving to Thu 12 Nov. Festival days run AED 1,095 to AED 1,176.MTWTFSaSu19 Oct931 20942 21969 22951 23941 24941 251,049 26992 27987 28956 29992 301,081 311,119 1 Nov1,119 21,119 31,111 41,067 51,203 61,095 71,176 Diwali1,095 91,119 101,119 111,188 121,049 13999 141,013 15992 16982 171,061 181,009 191,002 201,012 211,020 221,002within 5% of AED 9315 to 15% overmore than 15% overfestival dayCheapest AED 821 on Mon 19 Oct, priciest AED 1,045 on Fri 13 Nov. The biggest one-day saving is AED 179, moving to Sat 14 Nov. Festival days run AED 858 to AED 1,000.MTWTFSaSu19 Oct821 20873 21873 22866 23827 24838 25855 26875 27884 28888 29866 30974 31855 1 Nov900 2860 3867 4888 5867 61,000 7858 Diwali870 9880 10876 11888 12866 131,045 14866 15870 16872 17884 18888 19866 20996 21875 22893within 5% of AED 8215 to 15% overmore than 15% overfestival dayEvery price is what that date costs today. Tap any date to open it on Wego.

Fares around Diwali do not slope, they zigzag. The biggest single-day move on the board is into Mumbai: AED 1,174 on Mon 2 Nov against AED 921 the next day, a 22 percent drop for a twenty-four hour shift. The best one-day saving is AED 139 into Delhi and AED 179 into Kochi.

The old rule holds on the metros and not on the Kerala route. Into Mumbai and Delhi, departures in the six days before Diwali average 9 percent and 4 percent more than Diwali week itself. Into Kochi the two stretches are within a percent, and every one of its pricier days is a Friday, four of the five in the window. Departures after the festival are cheaper again on two of the three routes.

When to buy for Diwali: book as soon as your dates are set

This is about when to buy, not what your dates cost. It is what Dubai to India travellers actually did for Diwali last year. For today’s prices, use the calendar above.When should you book?As soon as your dates are set. A booking made a month or more ahead of a Diwali 2025 departure averaged AED 642, against AED 683 inside the final fortnight. That is a modest AED 41, or about 6%, saving.Average fare paid1+ month before departureAED 642Inside the final 14 daysAED 683AED 41 saved on average — about 6%. Useful, but not enough reason to hold off once your dates are decided.The date you fly moves the price far more than the date you buy. Pick a cheap date from the calendar above, then book it whenever suits you.What most travellers doLast year, Diwali was Mon 20 Oct 2025Fortnight before Diwali: 6 Oct to 20 OctThis year, Diwali is Sun 8 Nov 2026Fortnight before Diwali: 25 Oct to 8 NovToday is 31 August 2026, 10 weeks out. If your dates are set, book now rather than waiting for a price drop.

Buying earlier reduced the average fare by AED 41, or about 6%. Across 1,659 tracked Dubai to India bookings for Diwali 2025 departures, travellers who booked a month or more ahead paid AED 642 on average, compared with AED 683 inside the final fortnight. That difference is useful, not dramatic: the exact departure date moves fares much more, as the calendar above shows. Pick your travel date first, then book as soon as it suits you.

The gateway city matters, but not the way it usually does

Fares from Wego, cheapest return economy for one adult, Wed 4 to Wed 11 November 2026, a full week over the festival, read 31 August 2026.Kochi COKAED 849 Mumbai BOMAED 1,040 Bengaluru BLRAED 1,048 Chennai MAAAED 1,121 Hyderabad HYDAED 1,152 Delhi DELAED 1,169 Kolkata CCUAED 1,265 Ahmedabad AMDAED 1,325 Jaipur JAIAED 1,604Tap any city to open it on Wego.

The cheapest gateway for the festival week is not the cheapest gateway for the year. Mumbai leads over a year of fares paid, but for a full week over Diwali the cheapest fare on the board is Kochi at AED 849. Seven of the eight routes with a year of history land somewhere the annual table would not put them: Bengaluru moves from 7th to 3rd, Delhi from 2nd to 6th. Pick the gateway from the week you are actually flying.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is Diwali in 2026?

Diwali falls on Sunday 8 November 2026. The five-day festival runs from Dhanteras on Friday 6 November to Bhai Dooj on Tuesday 10. Because the main night is a Sunday, a UAE resident can be home for it without spending a day of leave.

How many days of leave do I need?

None for the main night: out on Friday 6 November, back on Sunday 8. Two days, Monday 9 and Tuesday 10, cover the whole festival. The calendar above prices a departure on every date, so you can price each of those shapes yourself.

Which Indian city is cheapest to fly into for Diwali?

Not the same answer as the rest of the year. Over 12 months of fares paid, Mumbai and Delhi are the cheapest Dubai to India routes; for a full week over the festival the order moves, which is what the third card above shows.

Should I book now or wait?

Book as soon as your travel dates are set. Across 1,659 tracked Dubai to India bookings for Diwali 2025 departures, travellers who booked a month or more ahead paid AED 642 on average, compared with AED 683 inside the final fortnight — an AED 41, or about 6%, saving. The exact travel date has a much larger effect, so choose a date from the calendar above and book rather than waiting for a price drop.

Sources

Wego live flight search, one adult return economy, read 31 August 2026: a Dubai departure on each of the 35 dates from 19 October to 22 November 2026 into Mumbai, Delhi and Kochi with a four-night return, and Dubai to nine Indian gateways for 4 to 11 November.
Wego public holidays feed, India: Diwali on 20 October 2025 and 8 November 2026.
Wego booking data, Dubai to India: average fares paid by arrival city over the 12 months to July 2026.
Wego booking records, Dubai to India: 1,659 tracked bookings for outbound departures between 10 and 24 October 2025, the Diwali 2025 travel window, grouped by how many days ahead of departure each was bought. Fares quoted from it are averages actually paid, which sit below advertised prices, and are compared city by city so the destination mix cannot move the result.

Fares are “from” snapshots read on 31 August 2026 and move constantly. Check your own dates, and verify schedules with the airline before you travel.