Could not get away for Diwali or Christmas? January is the quiet month many Canadian families overlook, and it has a festival of its own waiting for you.
At a glance: is January a good time to fly to India from Canada?
Often, yes. Once the Christmas and New Year rush clears in the first week of January, flights from Canada to India tend to be quieter and fares tend to soften. The weather in most of India is pleasant. Lohri falls on Thursday 14 January 2027 and Makar Sankranti on Friday 15 January, with Republic Day on Tuesday 26 January. Book now, about three months out, for the best choice of dates. Our Vancouver fares to Delhi start from CAD $989 per person, checked 5 October 2026, prices change daily.
Why January is the post-holiday window
Every year, the same thing happens. Families book Diwali in November, or the Christmas school break in December, and both windows fill up early. If you missed them, or simply could not get leave, it can feel like you have missed the season.
You have not. The second half of January is one of the better-kept secrets in Canada–India travel. The students have flown back for their winter term. The Christmas crowd has returned. Airlines still run full winter schedules, but December’s demand has gone.
That often means more seat choice, more chance of sitting together as a family, and fares that tend to be softer than the peak weeks before. Nobody can promise a price. But January is, more often than not, a kinder month to book.
Lohri, Makar Sankranti and Republic Day in January 2027
Lohri, Thursday 14 January 2027. In Punjab, Lohri marks the end of the coldest part of winter. Families gather around a bonfire in the evening to sing, dance and celebrate new babies and new marriages in the family. If your family has had a wedding or a birth this year, Lohri is the moment relatives expect you to be there.
Makar Sankranti, Friday 15 January 2027. The day after Lohri, much of India celebrates the sun’s turn north. In Punjab it is Maghi. In Gujarat it is Uttarayan, and the sky over Ahmedabad fills with kites. In Tamil Nadu, Pongal falls in the same week.
Republic Day, Tuesday 26 January 2027. A national holiday across India, with the parade in Delhi. Many Indians take a long weekend around it, so domestic flights and trains inside India are busier for a few days.
The weather helps too. Most of India in January is mild and dry: cool mornings, warm afternoons, no monsoon. The one caution is Delhi and the north, where early-morning fog is common in January and can delay flights arriving or departing before mid-morning. Build a little slack into any connection through Delhi.
January 2027 week by week
Week | What’s on | Who is travelling | Our booking advice |
1 to 3 January | New Year weekend | Christmas-break families and students heading back to Canada | Flights into Canada are busy. Flights out to India are still priced like the holidays. Wait if you can. |
4 to 10 January | Schools and most universities restart their winter term | Students returning to Canada; demand toward India starts to ease | First good window for Canada to India departures. Midweek flights tend to be quieter than weekends. |
11 to 17 January | Lohri (Thu 14), Makar Sankranti and Maghi (Fri 15), Uttarayan, Pongal | Punjabi and Gujarati families travelling for the festivals | Arrive by Tuesday 12 January to settle in before the bonfire. Amritsar and Ahmedabad fill first. |
18 to 24 January | Quiet week across India | Seniors starting a longer stay; couples without school-age children | Often the softest fares of the month. The most flexible week for choosing dates and seats. |
25 to 31 January | Republic Day (Tue 26) | Domestic travel inside India picks up for the long weekend | International fares usually stay reasonable. Book domestic India legs early for this week. |
Festival dates are fixed. Term dates vary by province and institution, so check your own calendar.
5 tips for booking January 2027 flights to India
Once the visa is approved, this is the part we do every day: parents from Delhi, Amritsar, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai and Kochi to Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal and Winnipeg.
1. Book now, about three months out
Early October is roughly three months before mid-January departures. You still have a wide choice of dates and airlines, and you lock in a fare before the inventory for the Lohri week tightens.
2. Aim for departures from 6 January onward
If your dates are flexible, leave Canada in the second week of January rather than the first. The holiday pricing has usually faded by then, and you will still land in good time for Lohri on the 14th.
3. Give Delhi connections some breathing room
Because of January fog, we suggest a longer buffer if you are connecting through Delhi to Amritsar, Chandigarh or anywhere else by air or train.
4. Students: your winter term fare can be cheaper with MannPass
If you are a student or education staff member flying back to Canada for the winter term, or going the other way, join MannPass first. It is free, and it takes CAD $25 off eligible return flights between Canada and India. Verification is valid for 30 days, students re-verify each term, and it cannot be combined with other promotions.
5. Seniors: January is a sensible start for a longer winter stay
Many parents and grandparents in Canada prefer to leave after the family’s Christmas break and spend six to twelve weeks in India while the weather at home is at its coldest. Ask us about fares that allow a longer return window and about wheelchair assistance at each airport.
Families, students and seniors: who goes which way in January
January is unusual because the traffic runs both ways at once. Students are flying from India back to Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal, Edmonton and Winnipeg for the winter term. Families and seniors are flying the other way, from Canada to Punjab, Gujarat, Kerala and Maharashtra.
Families with school-age children. If your board’s winter break ends in early January, a mid-January trip means taking the children out of school. Some families do this for a week around Lohri; others wait for the February or March break.
Students. Book your return to Canada before you leave India, not after. Seats into Canada in the first week of January fill quickly, and last-minute fares reflect that.
Seniors. Keep everyone’s travel insurance, medication list and emergency contacts in a printed folder as well as on the phone. Ask us to add special meals and assistance to the booking.
Everyone. Check your Indian visa or OCI card is valid for your travel dates. Apply or renew through the official site, indianvisaonline.gov.in, well before you fly.
For reference, our return fares from Vancouver today are from CAD $989 per person to Delhi, from CAD $996 to Mumbai, from CAD $1,030 to Bengaluru and from CAD $1,186 to Ahmedabad (checked 5 October 2026, prices change daily). Fares from other Canadian cities are quoted on request. Flying from Manitoba? See our new guide to flights from Winnipeg to India.
Why book your January trip with Mann Travel?
Mann Travel has 18+ years of trust globally in Canada–India travel. Our Surrey, BC team speaks Hindi, Punjabi and English and is available 24/7, which matters when fog in Delhi changes your plans at 3 a.m. We are group and family specialists, used to keeping three generations on one booking.
Let’s take you home for Lohri.
Search live January fares at manntravel.ca/flights or call our team on (604) 265-9000. You can also send us your dates and we will come back with options.
frequently asked questions
Is January a cheap month to fly from Canada to India?
It is often one of the quieter months. Once the New Year return rush ends, fares tend to soften, especially from the second week onward. Prices are never guaranteed.
When is Lohri in 2027?
Lohri is on Thursday 14 January 2027. Makar Sankranti and Maghi follow on Friday 15 January.
When should I book flights to India for January 2027?
Now, about three months before you fly. Early October to early November is a comfortable window for mid-January departures.
What is the weather like in India in January?
Mild and dry in most of the country, with cool mornings and warm afternoons. Delhi and the north can have early-morning fog that delays flights, so allow extra time for connections.
Do students get a discount on flights to India?
Verified students and education staff in Canada can join MannPass free and get CAD $25 off eligible return flights between Canada and India. It cannot be combined with other promotions.
Fares and availability change daily and depend on the airline, date and fare type. Demand patterns described here are typical, not guaranteed. Always check live prices and current travel advice before booking.
