Prayagraj, Varanasi among top destinations for spiritual tourism in 2025: Report

After Maha Kumbh Mela, the rise of spiritual tourism in India is seeing many tourists get ready for the Chardham and Amarnath Yatras in the coming days.

It is no wonder then that digital travel platform Agoda’s latest accommodation search trends highlight a continued rise in spiritual tourism across India. In the first three months of 2025, both domestic and inbound travellers have shown a growing interest in destinations rooted in cultural and spiritual significance.

Among many cities in India, Prayagraj (formerly known as Allahabad) has emerged as a prominent success story among both domestic and inbound travellers. While the city did not feature in the online travel top 50 accommodation search rank in early 2024, it has cropped up now. However, this year, it has climbed to number 11 for domestic searches and number 15 among inbound travellers in January, February, and March. This rise aligns with the return of the Mahakumbh Mela after 12 years. 

During this period, the report shares that the platform also recorded a 233 per cent year-on-year increase in domestic accommodation searches for Allahabad.

Other domestic destinations that experienced a rise in rankings include Ayodhya (number 25, up by 11 spots), Rishikesh (number 19, up by nine spots), Manali (number 21, up by nine spots), and Vrindavan (number 24, up by eight spots). 

Among inbound travellers, Varanasi (number 6, up by nine spots), Amritsar (number 14, up by eight spots), Agra (number 12, up by seven spots), and Coimbatore (number 22, up by seven spots) saw a noticeable uptick.

Talking about this rising trend, Gaurav Malik, country director of India subcontinent at the digital travel platform, said, “This interest in India`s spiritual destinations indicates a growing trend in how people travel, with more travellers looking for cultural connection and personal meaning.”