Ahmedabad, January 2026: As Gujarat prepares for Uttarayan and its kite-flying traditions, the state’s observance of India’s harvest festival, intercity travel across the state is gathering strong momentum. Data from the redBus platform indicates that bus bookings from Gujarat are projected to rise by 23 percent during the festive travel window, marking the highest increase seen across India for this period. The analysis compares bookings made between 09th and 18th January 2026 with the corresponding period last year (10th – 19th January 2025), pointing to a clear acceleration in homebound and leisure-led journeys.
This surge reflects how buses continue to play a central role in festive mobility, especially for travellers returning home, visiting family, or planning short regional breaks around Uttarayan. The trend also highlights shifting travel behaviour, with travellers increasingly planning journeys in advance and opting for comfort-led services across high-demand intercity corridors.
Amid rising festive travel demand during Uttarayan, redBus is running the Discover Bharat Sale from January 8-26. The sale offers travel options across India with fares starting at Rs. 299 per seat, along with discounts of up to 50 percent on buses, trains, and hotels. Travellers can also avail additional savings through select bank and payment partner offers, enabling more affordable and convenient festive travel planning.
Key Travel Projections (as per bookings on the redBus platform)
- Top Routes by Traffic:
- Ahmedabad – Mumbai
- Ahmedabad – Pune
- Ahmedabad – Udaipur
- Ahmedabad – Rajkot
- Rajkot – Ahmedabad
- Surat – Ahmedabad
- Top Boarding Points by traffic
- Paldi (Ahmedabad)
- CTM Char Rasta (Ahmedabad)
- Shahi Baug – (Ahmedabad)
- Pandya Bridge – (Vadodara)
- Parsi Panchayat Parking (Surat)
Travelers’ Preferences:
- 55% of bookings are for AC buses, indicating a stronger preference for comfortable travel options when planned in advance, while the remaining are for Non-AC buses.
- 72% of travellers have opted for sleeper buses, highlighting the continued popularity of convenient overnight journeys during the festive season.
Traveler Demographics:
- Male travellers account for 68%, while female travellers account for 32% of total bus bookings
- 44% of travellers are from large towns (Tier 2), while a significant 56% originate from smaller towns and rural regions (Tier 3), underscoring a strong festive travel surge beyond major cities.
Together, these trends point to a strong and sustained rise in festive travel from Gujarat driven by cultural traditions, improved connectivity, and growing confidence in road travel. As Uttarayan remains a key moment for families to reunite and travel across regions, redBus continues to support seamless intercity connectivity within Gujarat and beyond, enabling millions of travellers to plan their festive journeys with ease.
