This Valentine’s Week, Indian couples are redefining romance by choosing experiences over conventional hotel stays. Instead of luxury rooms and fixed itineraries, they are opting for journeys that allow
them to slow down, explore together and create lasting memories.
From vineyards and heritage towns to creative workshops and nature-led escapes, experiential travel is emerging as the preferred choice, especially among millennials and Gen Z couples seeking authenticity and personal connection.
According to EaseMyTrip’s insights, here’s how couples are travelling differently and where they’re going:
1. Vineyard Tours & Wine Experiences
What it offers:
Vineyard stays allow couples to experience winemaking up close, with guided tastings, sunset vineyard walks, cellar tours and leisurely meals paired with local wines. These trips are intimate, relaxed and ideal for slow travel.
Where to go:
Nashik (Maharashtra): India’s wine capital, home to multiple vineyards offering tours and boutique stays
Akluj & Nandi Hills (Karnataka): Emerging wine regions near Bengaluru with scenic landscapes
2. Heritage Walks & Cultural Immersion
What it offers:
Rather than conventional sightseeing, couples participate in curated heritage walks, storytelling tours and cultural trails that bring history to life. These experiences focus on architecture, local traditions and shared discovery.
Where to go:
Jaipur & Udaipur (Rajasthan): Fort walks, old-city trails and palace heritage stays
Hampi (Karnataka): Guided explorations of ancient ruins and local village life
Kochi (Kerala): Heritage walks through Fort Kochi and Jewish Town
3. Hands-on Cultural & Creative Workshops
What it offers:
Couples are increasingly choosing destinations where they can learn together — whether it’s cooking local cuisine, pottery, art or crafts. These workshops offer meaningful interaction with local communities.
Where to go:
Pondicherry: Pottery, French-Indian cuisine classes and art workshops
Jaipur: Block printing and blue pottery workshops
Kutch (Gujarat): Textile, embroidery and craft-based experiences
4. Slow, Short-Haul Escapes
What it offers:
Instead of long, hectic vacations, couples are choosing nearby destinations for two- to four-day trips focused on rest, nature and connection. The emphasis is on quality time rather than packed itineraries.
Where to go:
Mussoorie, Lansdowne, Mukteshwar: Quiet Himalayan towns ideal for slow travel
Alibaug & Dapoli: Coastal escapes close to Mumbai
Coorg & Chikmagalur: Coffee plantations, nature trails and laid-back stays
5. Boutique & Offbeat Stays
What it offers:
Small, character-rich accommodations such as restored havelis, eco-lodges, homestays and treehouses offer personalised hospitality and privacy — something large resorts often lack.
Where to go:
Chettinad (Tamil Nadu): Heritage mansions turned boutique stays
Spiti & Tirthan Valley (Himachal Pradesh): Eco-lodges and mountain homestays
Meghalaya: Nature-focused boutique properties amidst waterfalls and forests
6. Nature-Led Romantic Experiences
What it offers:
Couples are reconnecting with nature through experiences such as guided forest walks, wildlife safaris, riverside picnics, stargazing and camping, away from crowds and commercial spaces.
Where to go:
Kabini & Tadoba: Wildlife safaris and forest lodges
Jaisalmer (Desert Camps): Stargazing and cultural evenings
Rishikesh: Riverside retreats, nature walks and wellness-focused stays
7. Storytelling-Led Destination Journeys
What it offers:
Travel itineraries are increasingly built around narratives, culinary trails, coffee journeys, spiritual routes or local folklore allowing couples to connect emotionally with a destination.
Where to go:
Amritsar: Food trails and cultural storytelling
Madurai: Temple heritage and local cuisine journeys
Darjeeling: Tea estate experiences and colonial-era narratives
8. Experience-First Travel Gifting
What it offers:
Valentine’s gifting is moving beyond material items. Couples are choosing travel vouchers, curated trips and activity-based experiences that can be planned flexibly and enjoyed together.
Where it works best:
Flexible domestic destinations like Goa (beyond beaches), the Kerala backwaters and Uttarakhand retreats, where trips can be customised around experiences rather than fixed schedules.
The Takeaway
Experiential travel reflects a deeper shift in how couples view romance, less about luxury and more about intention. Shared learning, discovery and meaningful moments are becoming the true markers of a memorable Valentine’s getaway. As couples continue to prioritise connection over convention, experiences not just places are shaping the future of romantic travel.
