Cura vs MakeMyTrip holidays: custom trip or package?
Written by a Cura travel advisor · Checked
Short answer
Pick a MakeMyTrip holiday package if you want a ready itinerary at a fixed price, EMI options and a holiday expert to talk to, for a popular route like Dubai, Thailand or Bali. Pick Cura if your trip does not fit a template: odd dates, a mix of cities, specific food or pace needs, and you want flights and stays compared side by side with the reasoning. Both can book the whole trip.
Want this trip planned and booked for you? Tell Cura where and when.
MakeMyTrip holiday packages are the default for many Indian families: you pick a destination, choose a package, tweak a few things and pay in instalments. It works, and for a lot of trips it is the sensible choice. If you are still deciding whether to use any agent at all, read is it worth using a travel agent in 2026 first.
The real question is not MakeMyTrip or Cura. It is package or custom. This page compares the two honestly, with sources for every claim about MakeMyTrip, checked Oct 2026. We are Cura, so we have a stake; where MakeMyTrip is better, we say so.
Cura vs MakeMyTrip at a glance
| Row | MakeMyTrip Holidays | Cura |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Holiday packages from India's largest online travel company, sold online, through holiday experts and in franchise stores | AI + human travel agent: an app plus web at joincura.club |
| Plans the itinerary | Yes, from thousands of pre-built itineraries you can adjust | Yes, a door-to-door plan built from your request |
| Books flights and hotels | Yes, as a package or separately | Yes, flights and stays compared side by side |
| A person checks the plan | Holiday experts help with assisted bookings, and in franchise stores | Yes, a human advisor checks plans and steps in when the AI is not enough |
| Help during the trip | Customer support for bookings; how much on-trip help you get varies by package, so ask before you book | Yes, reshuffles the rest of the plan when something moves |
| Remembers your preferences | Myra assistant draws on customer preference data | Yes: seat, food, pace |
| Visa and document help | Visa file help on some packages (a 2026 consumer case shows MakeMyTrip handling a Swiss visa file) | Helps with visa paperwork; tickets, visas and documents kept in the app |
| Group trips | Family and group packages | |
| Platforms | Android, iOS, web, holiday experts, franchise stores | App plus web |
| Price | Package price, with EMI options; GST and TCS added where they apply | Free to start; paid plan; commission on the receipt |
| Best for | Popular routes, families, fixed budgets, EMI buyers | Trips that do not fit a template; frequent travellers |
| Not great for | Unusual routes or heavy changes after booking | Buyers who want a fixed package price on a standard route in one click |
What is MakeMyTrip Holidays?
MakeMyTrip is an online travel company founded in 2000 by Deep Kalra and based in Gurugram. It has been listed on Nasdaq (MMYT) since September 2010 and owns Goibibo and redBus. It reported about US$978 million in revenue in FY2025 (Wikipedia, citing company filings).
Holidays is its package business. By December 2022 it offered more than 5,000 customisable "dynamic itineraries" you could filter by city, date and length and book online, plus around 140 franchise stores and about 1,000 holiday experts for assisted sales (TravelTrends Today). Many of those experts are women freelancers working flexibly, paid on conversions (Outlook Business).
In August 2025 it launched a generative AI trip planner built on its Myra assistant, with voice and text, in English and Hindi in beta (PhocusWire).
What MakeMyTrip Holidays does well
- Scale and choice. Thousands of ready itineraries across honeymoon, family, adventure and pilgrimage trips, so a standard trip takes minutes to price (Google Play listing, TravelTrends Today).
- Pay over time. EMI options on holiday packages make a big trip easier on cash flow (Google Play listing).
- A human when you want one. Holiday experts who work in English and several Indian languages, plus about 140 franchise stores (Outlook Business, TravelTrends Today).
- A trusted, large app. 4.4 stars from about 22 lakh reviews and more than 10 crore downloads on Google Play (Play Store, Oct 2026).
- Bulk buying power. On high-volume routes, a large seller can negotiate hotel and flight rates that a single traveller cannot get on their own.
Where MakeMyTrip Holidays falls short
- Refunds after a visa refusal can turn into a fight. In a case reported in May 2026, a Chandigarh consumer commission ordered MakeMyTrip to refund about ₹13 lakh to three travellers whose Swiss visas were refused; the company had argued the bookings were non-refundable and that it was only a platform (The Tribune, May 2026).
- Price changes mid-payment. A South Goa consumer commission held MakeMyTrip liable after a package price rose from about ₹1.43 lakh to ₹2.15 lakh after the first instalment, and ordered a refund plus compensation (LiveLaw, Oct 2023).
- Final price can move at checkout. Some Google Play reviewers say coupon terms appear only at payment and the final price rises at checkout (Play Store reviews, Oct 2026).
- Template first, you second. Customisation starts from a pre-built itinerary (TravelTrends Today). Fine for Bali; harder for "Tokyo, then a ryokan, then Seoul, no early flights".
- Sales incentives. Holiday experts are paid on conversion (Outlook Business). That is normal in sales, but it means the person helping you is paid to close.
In fairness: consumer cases exist for every large travel seller, these are a handful against millions of bookings, and MakeMyTrip contested them. The lesson is general: read the cancellation terms and the visa clause before you pay.
How Cura is different
Cura is an AI + human travel agent. The differences that matter:
- Built from your trip, not a template. Tell Cura the trip by typing, talking or sending a reel. It builds the plan door to door from that.
- Options with reasons. Flights and stays sit side by side, and Cura says what it would pick and why, so you can disagree.
- It remembers you. Seat, food, pace. Your third trip takes a fraction of the first one's explaining.
- The commission is on the receipt. You see what Cura earns on each booking.
Where MakeMyTrip is ahead: EMI on packages, franchise stores you can walk into, and package prices on high-volume routes that are hard to beat.
Same trip, both tools: a test you can run
Use one fixed brief: "7 days in Japan for two in April, ₹3 lakh, vegetarian, no early flights."
Check three things: does the plan honour "no early flights", is vegetarian food planned near each stay, and does the final price match the first quote after taxes.
Pricing compared
| Cost line | MakeMyTrip package | Cura custom trip |
|---|---|---|
| Planning | Included in the package price | Free to start; paid plan for heavier use |
| How the seller earns | Margin built into the package price (not shown separately) | Booking commission printed on the receipt |
| GST | Usually 5% of the package value for tour operators who do not claim input credit | Applies by booking type |
| TCS on overseas packages | 2% from 1 April 2026, adjustable against your income tax | 2% if sold as an overseas package |
| Paying over time | EMI options |
To compare a package quote with a custom quote fairly, line them up on the same five things: hotel names and room type, meal plan, airport transfers, flight timings and baggage, and whether GST and TCS are already in the price. Most "cheaper" quotes differ on one of these, not on the real cost.
Who should use MakeMyTrip, and who should use Cura
Use MakeMyTrip Holidays if:
- Your trip is a popular route and a package itinerary looks right.
- You want EMI or a store you can walk into.
- You want one fixed price and are fine with the package's hotels.
Use Cura if:
- Your dates, cities or pace do not fit a template.
- You want to see flight and stay options side by side, with reasons.
- You travel often and want your preferences remembered.
Other MakeMyTrip Holidays alternatives
- Thomas Cook and SOTC: escorted group tours with Indian meals and tour managers.
- Swiggy Crew: an invite-based travel concierge.
- Booking it yourself: cheapest for a simple trip.
FAQ
Are MakeMyTrip holiday packages worth it?
Often, yes, for popular routes where a package itinerary fits. You get one price, EMI and a holiday expert. Check the hotels, the cancellation terms and what happens if your visa is refused before you pay.
Can I customise a MakeMyTrip holiday package?
Yes. You start from a pre-built itinerary and change dates, hotels or activities, online or with a holiday expert. Big changes in route are easier with a custom planner.
Is a MakeMyTrip package cheaper than booking myself?
Sometimes. On busy routes a large seller can get better hotel and flight rates. On unusual routes or off-peak dates, booking yourself or a custom plan can cost less. Price the same hotels and flights both ways.
What if my visa is refused after I book a MakeMyTrip package?
It depends on the package terms. Consumer commissions have ordered refunds in some cases, but you should read the cancellation and visa clauses before paying and keep every email.
Do I pay TCS on an international MakeMyTrip package?
Yes. From 1 April 2026, TCS on overseas tour packages is 2%. It is collected against your PAN and adjusted against your income tax when you file.
Is Cura cheaper than MakeMyTrip?
Not always. On standard routes a package can win. Cura's case is a better-fitting plan with the commission shown on the receipt. Run the same brief through both and compare the final price.
Sources
- MakeMyTrip, Wikipedia (company facts from filings)
- MakeMyTrip on Google Play
- TravelTrends Today: 5,000+ customisable itineraries (Dec 2022)
- Outlook Business: MakeMyTrip women holiday experts (2022)
- PhocusWire: MakeMyTrip Myra trip planner (Aug 2025)
- The Tribune: Consumer panel orders MakeMyTrip to refund ₹13 lakh (May 2026)
- LiveLaw: South Goa commission on package price hike (Oct 2023)
- Union Budget 2026-27 speech, para 103
- ClearTax: GST on tours and travels
Want this trip planned and booked for you? Tell Cura where and when, and a person will send you a plan with real prices.
