Plan your visit · Overview

Come for an evening.
Come for the whole fortnight.

Dehradun is closer to Delhi NCR than it has been in three decades. The Vande Bharat runs six days a week. The new expressway cuts the drive to two and a half hours. The festival rewards both a long weekend and a full fortnight.
23 October - 6 November 2026· No registration· 15 days
Where are you coming from?

Two ways in. Choose the one that fits.

New this year
Weekend visitors from Delhi NCR
A two or three-night trip built around the festival's strongest evenings. For anyone who would choose this over a commercial music festival, and wants it planned properly.
See the weekend itinerary →
 For Doon Valley residents
Locals from Dehradun & around
If you live in Dehradun, Mussoorie, Rishikesh, Haridwar, or anywhere within the surrounding hills, the fortnight is yours. Come for the days that suit you. Return for the ones that pull you back.
See the daily approach →
The essentials, before anything else

The essentials.

When
23 Oct - 6 Nov
2026 · Fifteen continuous days
Where
Garhi Cantt Helipad
Dehradun, Uttarakhand
Getting there
2.5 hrs
Via the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway
Best for
All-day visits
11:00 onwards · Bazaar open from noon
For weekend visitors from Delhi NCR
Plan your visit
For weekend visitors
Plan your visit · Weekend visitors from Delhi NCR

A weekend of authentic India.

Dehradun is four hours and forty-five minutes away by Vande Bharat (six days a week), or two and a half hours via the new Delhi-Dehradun Expressway. The festival is fifteen days long. We've planned a Friday-Saturday-Sunday inside it that you can build on.
A suggested itinerary

For visitors from Delhi NCR who can give two or three nights, this is how we would plan the trip. The dates shift from year to year. The rhythm of the festival does not.

This is a guide, not a timetable. The festival is open and easy to move through. Skip a session, stay longer at the bazaar, follow your own ear. But if you want a shape to begin with, this is what we would tell a friend coming for the first time.

Day one
Friday
Arrive in the evening. Start with the main stage.
17:50 Anand Vihar
Catch the Vande Bharat to Dehradun
Arrives Dehradun 22:35 · runs six days a week, confirm your date · check in & rest
Alternative
Or drive after work
2.5 hours via Delhi-Dehradun Expressway
Evening
Settle in. Dehradun in October is cool.
Plan a light dinner near your hotel
Day two
Saturday
The full festival, morning to late night.
10:00
Virasat Saadhana
Student classical recitals · festival grounds
12:00 onwards
Crafts bazaar & lunch
350+ artisans · regional food court
15:00
Wisdom Talks at UPES
Heritage scholars in conversation
19:00 - late
Main stage
Music & dance · the festival's heart
Day three
Sunday
A quieter morning. One more evening. Then home.
Morning
A walk in Dehradun
Robber's Cave · Mindrolling Monastery · FRI campus
Afternoon
Return to the bazaar
Buy what you saw on Saturday but didn't commit to
19:00
A final evening on the main stage
Or attend the Mushaira if scheduled
07:00 Monday
Vande Bharat back to Delhi
Arrives Anand Vihar 11:45 · or drive Monday morning
Travel & stay
Plan your visit
Travel & stay
How to get here

Dehradun has never been this close to Delhi. Three ways in.

By road · recommended
Delhi-Dehradun Expressway
2 hr 30 min
Delhi NCR → Dehradun
The fastest route in. Roughly half the old drive time, and the same back.
Passes through Asia's Longest Wildlife Corridor - a scenic drive worth experiencing in its own right.
Route: Akshardham (Delhi) → Loni/Mandola → Baghpat → Shamli → Saharanpur → Dehradun. Expressway tolled.
By train
Vande Bharat Express
4 hr 45 min
Anand Vihar → Dehradun
Departs Delhi Anand Vihar 17:50, arrives Dehradun 22:35. Six days a week.
Return departs Dehradun 07:00, arrives Delhi 11:45.
AC Chair Car from ₹1,065 · Executive Chair Car from ₹1,890.
By air
Jolly Grant Airport
~ 1 hr
From Delhi · multiple daily flights
Flights from Delhi and most metros. Airport is roughly 45 minutes from the festival venue by car.
Useful if you're coming from further than Delhi NCR.
Where to stay

Dehradun has the right kind of options for every budget.

For an indulgent weekend
Luxury
Heritage hotels, premium resorts in the Doon Valley or Mussoorie, 30-45 minutes from the venue.
  • JW Marriott Mussoorie Walnut GroveMussoorie · 45 min from venue
  • Lemon Tree PremierDehradun · 10 min
  • Pacific HotelRajpur Road · 15 min
For a comfortable visit
Mid-range
Well-rated business and boutique hotels, walking or short-drive distance from the venue.
  • Lemon Tree HotelDehradun · 10 min
  • Hotel MadhubanRajpur Road · 12 min
  • Hyatt Centric Dehradun15 min
For value & flexibility
Budget & boutique
Homestays, guesthouses, and well-priced hotels. Best for visitors who'll spend most of their time at the festival itself.
  • Doon Valley homestaysAcross the valley
  • Treebo / FabHotelCity centre options
  • Budget chains5–15 min from venue
For locals · Doon Valley & around
For Doon Valley locals
The fortnight is yours.

If you live in Dehradun, Mussoorie, Rishikesh, Haridwar, Roorkee, or anywhere within a couple of hours of the grounds, Virasat is your festival. Come for the evenings that call to you. Bring the family for the bazaar on a weekend. Send children with their school. Return for the talks you want to hear.

What follows is a quick reference for navigating fifteen days at your own pace.

  • No booking needed. Just show up.
  • The bazaar opens at noon and runs until late evening. Weekends are busiest - go on weekdays if you want to talk to artisans without queues.
  • Main stage starts at 19:00. Doors typically open from 17:00. The big-name evenings will be packed by 18:30 - come early.
  • Saadhana is in the morning - open to anyone but particularly meant for parents bringing children, and for anyone who wants the contemplative version of the festival.
  • Wisdom Talks are at the UPES campus, not the main venue. Plan accordingly if you want to attend.
  • The schedule is published in mid-September. Subscribe below to receive it the day it lands.
Schools & groups
For schools
Bringing a school group.
Virasat works with over 40 schools each year through the Heritage Quest Quiz, the Crafts' Treasure Hunt, the Saadhana student showcase, and structured tours of the bazaar. Schools wanting to participate or visit are welcome to coordinate with us in advance.
Coordinate a school visit →
For groups & institutions
Cultural societies, institution groups, alumni networks.
If you would like to bring a group of twenty or more for a day at the festival, with light context-setting from the team, we can arrange a structured visit. Useful for cultural programmes, institutional days, and groups who want more than just walking in.
Request a group visit →
Accessibility
Accessibility
Built into how the festival runs.

Virasat works with the Latika Roy Foundation, the National Institute for the Visually Handicapped, the Bajaj Institute of Learning, and Aasra Trust to host differently-abled visitors every year. This is not something added on. It is how the festival has always worked with these organisations.

  • Venue accessibility: we're confirming wheelchair access, viewing areas, and restroom arrangements at the new venue and will update this as soon as it's finalised.
  • Crafts workshops are designed for sensory and mobility-accessible engagement; partner organisations are briefed and supported in advance.
  • If you're planning a visit with specific accessibility needs - for yourself or someone you're bringing - please write to us so we can coordinate the right experience.
Common questions
Before you make plans

Common questions, plain answers.

Q.Do I need to book or register?
No advance booking is required for general entry. The only exception is school and large group visits, which we coordinate in advance for logistical reasons.
Q.Will the full programme be available before I plan my trip?
The full schedule is published in mid-September each year, about five weeks before the festival opens. Key headline artists and the international troupes are usually announced earlier - typically in August.
Q.Is Virasat suitable for children?
Yes, particularly through the daytime. The bazaar, the crafts workshops, the Saadhana student recitals, and the Heritage Quest are all designed with younger visitors in mind. The evening main-stage programmes suit older children who have the patience for sustained classical music or dance.
Q.Is there food at the venue?
Yes. The festival's regional cuisine court runs 40 or more stalls across the fortnight, rotating by regional theme. Vegetarian and non-vegetarian both. The food court is part of the festival, not a concession beside it.
Q.Can I bring a camera or shoot video?
Personal photography is welcome. Professional photography or video equipment for commercial use requires advance accreditation - write to us through Press & Partners.
Q.How do I know when the schedule lands?
Subscribe through the form below or follow our social channels. We send a single email when the schedule is published - no other newsletter spam.
One email when the programme lands.
The full schedule, as soon as it is published. Nothing else after that.