Country
Indiaभारत
Give India one region at a time: a first trip is Delhi plus Agra and Jaipur, or Kerala and Tamil Nadu, not both. Apply for the e-visa on the official portal only, book trains early, carry rupees in small notes — the risks are touts, heat, smog and trying to cover too much.
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Key facts
- Best months
- Oct, Dec–Mar by month →
- Currency
- Indian rupee (INR, ₹)
- Language
- Hindi and English at national level
- Plugs
- C · D · M · 230 V
- Time zone
- UTC+5:30 all year
Rules in force · 2
- South Asia ↗Trekking regions, border districts and several Indian states need separate permits on top of the visa; check the permit before you book transport into them.
- South Asia ↗Remove shoes (and in many Jain and Hindu temples, leather) before entering; cover shoulders and legs; ask before photographing people or rituals.
Entry rules depend on your passport. Full visa guide
Understand in one strip
- Capital
- New Delhi
- Languages
- Hindi and English at national level; 22 scheduled languages, each state with its own (Tamil, Bengali, Marathi, Telugu, Malayalam…)
- Currency
- Indian rupee (INR, ₹); notes ₹10–500
- Plugs
- Types C, D and M; 230 V 50 Hz
- Driving
- Left-hand side; IDP plus home licence — most visitors hire a car with driver
- Tipping
- Expected for drivers, guides and hotel staff; 5–10% in restaurants without a service charge
- Emergency
- 112 (all services)
- Time zone
- UTC+5:30 all year, one zone for the whole country
India is not a country you cross in ten days. The trips that fail try Delhi, Agra, Jaipur and Varanasi in a week by overnight trains, meet a tout on arrival, pay for a fake site's visa, and walk through 42°C or through November smog. Enter with the e-visa from the official portal, ride prepaid taxis, the metro or app cars, keep small rupee notes, and treat each region as its own trip.
About India
The world's most populous country (about 1.45 billion) and its largest democracy: a federal republic of 28 states and 8 union territories, each with its own language, food and politics. The BJP under Narendra Modi has governed since 2014 (third term from 2024). Hindus are about 80%, Muslims about 14%, with Christian, Sikh, Buddhist and Jain minorities. The economy is the fourth or fifth largest in the world by GDP and growing fast, while poverty and inequality remain visible everywhere.
Where's good this month
Great weather but Diwali crowds and Delhi's worst smog; Pushkar fair; Tamil Nadu cyclone risk.
Where's good: Rajasthan, Himalayan hills, Goa and the Konkan coast, Northeast
- RajasthanJaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, JaisalmerGoodGoodbest: dry, mild
Desert nights are cold in Dec–Jan; the monsoon is light but humid; Udaipur's lakes are fullest after it.
- Himalayan hillsShimla, Rishikesh, Darjeeling, SikkimGoodGoodbest: dry, mild
Landslides close roads in July–August; October–November gives the clearest mountain views.
- Goa and the Konkan coastGoa, Mumbai, GokarnaGoodGoodbest: dry, mild
Beach shacks open November–April; Mumbai gets over 2 m of rain in the monsoon.
- NortheastAssam, Meghalaya, ArunachalGoodGoodbest: dry, mild
Meghalaya is among the wettest places on Earth; permits needed for Arunachal and parts of other states.
- Ladakh and SpitiLeh, Nubra, Pangong, SpitiFairFaircool: jacket, grey
High desert above 3,000 m: roads over the passes open roughly June–October; winter is –20 °C (68 °F).High desert above 3,000 m: roads over the passes open roughly June–October; winter is –68 °F (20 °C).
- Kerala and the south-westKochi, Alleppey, Munnar, VarkalaFairFairok: workable
Two monsoons: the big one June–August and a second burst October–November.
- Northern plainsDelhi, Agra, Varanasi, AmritsarPoorPoorhaze: smoke, air quality
Dense fog delays trains and flights in Dec–Jan; smog peaks in November; 45 °C (113 °F) in May–June.Dense fog delays trains and flights in Dec–Jan; smog peaks in November; 113 °F (45 °C) in May–June.
- Tamil Nadu and the east coastChennai, Madurai, Puducherry, MamallapuramAvoidAvoidstorm: typhoon or flood risk
Opposite rhythm: the north-east monsoon and cyclones hit October–December; January–February is the easy window.
Holidays and festivals in November
- Diwali · ~8 Nov 2026; ~29 Oct 2027 (check) — Biggest travel week of the year: trains and flights full, fireworks for days, smog spikes in the north.
- Pushkar camel fair and Dev Deepawali · Nov (Kartik full moon) — Pushkar camps sell out; Varanasi ghats lit with lamps; book months ahead.
Pick a route
Golden Triangle
- Delhi, 3 nightsArrival + day plans
- Agra, 1 nightsBasic guide
- Jaipur, 2 nightsBasic guide
- Delhi (last night near the airport), 1 nightsArrival + day plans
Delhi–Agra by Gatimaan or Vande Bharat express; Agra–Jaipur by car via Fatehpur Sikri (5 h) or train.
Rajasthan loop
- Delhi, 2 nightsArrival + day plans
- Agra, 1 nightsBasic guide
- Jaipur, 3 nightsBasic guide
- Jodhpur, 2 nightsBasic guide
- Ranakpur or Kumbhalgarh, 1 nightsNo guide yet
- Udaipur, 3 nightsBasic guide
- Delhi, 2 nightsArrival + day plans
Best with a car and driver from Jaipur onward; add Jaisalmer (2 nights) for 16 days.
Top destinations in India, ranked
Ranked for a first or second trip; best months follow the regional climate. Nights are the minimum that does the place justice.
Delhi
Arrival + day plansMughal tombs, Old Delhi's lanes and food, the main air hub.
3 nights in Delhi · Best Oct–Mar
Agra
Basic guideTaj Mahal at sunrise, Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri.
1 night in Agra · Best Oct–Mar
Jaipur
Basic guideAmber Fort, City Palace, bazaars and block prints.
2–3 nights in Jaipur · Best Oct–Mar
Varanasi
Basic guideGhats, dawn boats and the evening aarti on the Ganges.
2–3 nights in Varanasi · Best Oct–Mar
Udaipur
Basic guideLakes, palaces and a slower pace in Rajasthan.
2–3 nights in Udaipur · Best Sep–Mar
Kerala (Kochi
No guide yetSpice port, tea hills and a houseboat night.
5–6 nights in Kerala (Kochi · Best Nov–Feb
Mumbai
Basic guideColonial core, sea front, street food and Elephanta.
2 nights in Mumbai · Best Nov–Feb
Goa
No guide yetBeaches and Portuguese villages.
3–4 nights in Goa · Best Nov–Mar
Amritsar
Basic guideThe Golden Temple and its free kitchen.
1–2 nights in Amritsar · Best Oct–Mar
Hampi
Basic guideRuined capital among boulders.
2 nights in Hampi · Best Nov–Feb
Leh and Ladakh
No guide yetMonasteries and high desert when the plains are too hot.
6–7 nights in Leh and Ladakh · Best Jun–Sep
Kolkata
Basic guideBengali food, colonial architecture, Durga Puja.
2–3 nights in Kolkata · Best Nov–Feb
Decide the trip
What the country is like, who it suits and how long to give it
Open Decide the tripClose Decide the trip7 partsUnderstand in one strip · At a glance · Understand · First vs second trip · Good for · Time math · Fit my nights
Understand in one stripCapital · Languages · Currency · Plugs · Driving · Tipping · Emergency · Time zone
- Capital
- New Delhi
- Languages
- Hindi and English at national level; 22 scheduled languages, each state with its own (Tamil, Bengali, Marathi, Telugu, Malayalam…)
- Currency
- Indian rupee (INR, ₹); notes ₹10–500
- Plugs
- Types C, D and M; 230 V 50 Hz
- Driving
- Left-hand side; IDP plus home licence — most visitors hire a car with driver
- Tipping
- Expected for drivers, guides and hotel staff; 5–10% in restaurants without a service charge
- Emergency
- 112 (all services)
- Time zone
- UTC+5:30 all year, one zone for the whole country
India: open now, and what is next
2 regions planned
On this page
- 1 of 3 regions open, with where to sleep and for how long
- 1 trip line with arrival paths and day plans
- 1149 basic city guides
- How to split 4, 8, 14 days
- Money: cash, cards and ATMs
- Safety notes and the rules that apply on every page below
Coming as the guide grows
- Rajasthan — Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur · 5–8 nights
- South India — Kerala and Tamil Nadu · 6–10 nights
At a glance
Each bar is 1 to 5. Green means the score makes the trip easier, amber is middling, red is harder; the words next to each score say what that end of the scale means, so colour is never the only signal.
Very cheap food and transport; foreigner monument fees and palace hotels are the exceptions.
Locals pay by UPI phone QR, which visitors mostly cannot use; foreign cards work in hotels and malls, cash elsewhere.
Widely spoken in cities, hotels and tourism; thin in villages of the Hindi belt.
Cheap fast 4G/5G; SIM activation paperwork and border-state restrictions are the catch.
Huge rail and air network, but trains sell out and roads are slow and dangerous.
Low violent crime against tourists but constant touting, harassment of women in some places, and road risk.
45 °C (113 °F) in the plains before the monsoon, humid coasts, smog in the north in winter.113 °F (45 °C) in the plains before the monsoon, humid coasts, smog in the north in winter.
Understand
The world's most populous country (about 1.45 billion) and its largest democracy: a federal republic of 28 states and 8 union territories, each with its own language, food and politics. The BJP under Narendra Modi has governed since 2014 (third term from 2024). Hindus are about 80%, Muslims about 14%, with Christian, Sikh, Buddhist and Jain minorities. The economy is the fourth or fifth largest in the world by GDP and growing fast, while poverty and inequality remain visible everywhere.
- People
- Indo-Aryan speakers dominate the north and centre, Dravidian speakers the south; tribal (Adivasi) groups live in the central forests and the Northeast. Caste is illegal as discrimination but still shapes marriage and politics.
- Belief
- Hinduism in many local forms; Islam in every state, largest in Uttar Pradesh, Bengal, Kerala and Kashmir; Sikhism centred on Punjab; Buddhism and Jainism were born here.
- Politics
- Parliamentary system; the PM leads. State governments control police, alcohol, tourism and much of daily life, which is why rules change at state borders.
- Economy
- IT and services in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune; manufacturing push since 2020; about 45% of workers still in farming. UPI handles most small payments.
- Borders
- Disputed borders with Pakistan (Kashmir) and China (Ladakh, Arunachal); a short war with Pakistan in May 2025 followed the Pahalgam attack.
History that still shows on the ground · 12 dates
| When | What happened | Where you meet it today |
|---|---|---|
| c. 2600–1900 BC | Indus Valley cities | Harappa and Mohenjo-daro are in Pakistan today; Dholavira and Lothal in Gujarat can be visited. |
| c. 268–232 BC | Emperor Ashoka spreads Buddhism | His lion capital is the national emblem; Sanchi's stupa dates from his reign. |
| 4th–6th c. | Gupta age | Classical Sanskrit, the zero, Ajanta's cave paintings. |
| 1206–1526 | Delhi Sultanate | Qutub Minar and the Islamic architecture of Delhi. |
| 1526–1857 | Mughal Empire | Taj Mahal, Red Fort, Fatehpur Sikri, Mughlai cooking. |
| 1757–1858 | East India Company rule | Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai grow as British ports. |
| 1858–1947 | British Raj | Railways, hill stations, New Delhi's government quarter. |
| 1947 | Independence and Partition | Up to a million killed and 15 million displaced; the Partition Museum in Amritsar tells it. |
| 1950 | Constitution, Republic Day 26 January | Secular, federal, with reserved places for historically excluded castes. |
| 1991 | Economic liberalisation | The start of the IT boom and the private airlines, malls and cars of today. |
| 2014 | Narendra Modi becomes prime minister | Hindu-nationalist politics, big infrastructure and digital payments. |
| 2025 | Pahalgam attack and a four-day conflict with Pakistan | Border closed at Attari–Wagah and visas for Pakistanis suspended. |
Read or watch before you go
- Ramachandra Guha — India After Gandhi: the republic since 1947.
- William Dalrymple — City of Djinns: a year in Delhi, past and present.
- Rohinton Mistry — A Fine Balance: four lives in the Emergency (novel).
First trip vs second trip
| Trip | Go to | Why | Leave for later |
|---|---|---|---|
| First trip (10–14 nights) | Delhi + Agra + Jaipur (+ Udaipur or Varanasi), Oct–Mar | The best-known sights, good trains and cars, one short flight at most. | Adding Goa or Kerala on the same trip; Varanasi as a one-night dash. |
| First trip, softer landing | Kerala (Kochi, Munnar, backwaters, Varkala) + Tamil Nadu temples, Nov–Feb | Easier pace, fewer touts, English everywhere. | The north on the same trip. |
| Second trip | Rajasthan in depth (Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Bundi) or Varanasi + Khajuraho + Orchha, or Mumbai + Aurangabad (Ajanta, Ellora) + Hampi | More time per place; slower trains become part of the trip. | Repeating the Delhi–Agra circuit. |
| Third trip or slow travel | Ladakh (Jun–Sep), Sikkim and Darjeeling, Meghalaya, the Andamans | Mountains and islands with permits and fewer visitors. | Rushing altitude: two rest days in Leh first. |
Good for…
Verdict is how well India works for that traveller, not how interesting it is.
Rewarding but intense; pick one region and a softer landing hotel.
One of the cheapest big destinations anywhere; foreigner monument fees add up.
- 1Sleeper and 3A trains — a bed and a transfer in one.
- 2Thalis — all-you-can-eat lunch for ₹150–300 (≈ US$2–4).
- 3Rishikesh and Hampi — cheap beds and slow days.
Warm welcome for children; heat, food hygiene and car time need planning.
- 1Kerala — beaches, houseboats and wildlife.
- 2Rajasthan palaces — forts, camels and space to run.
- 3Goa — easy beaches Nov–Mar.
- 1Udaipur — lake palaces and rooftop dinners.
- 2Kerala houseboat — a night on the backwaters.
- 3South Goa — quiet beaches and Portuguese villages.
Hostels and group tours make it easy socially; women face more hassle in the north.
- 1Rishikesh — yoga schools and cafés.
- 2Varkala — cliff-top beach hostels.
- 3Hostel chains — Zostel and similar in every hub.
Palace hotels and drivers make it comfortable; heat and stairs are the strain.
- 1Rajasthan with car and driver — door to door.
- 2Kerala — gentle pace and ayurveda.
- 3Fly the long legs — skip 12-hour trains.
- 1Rajasthan palace hotels — former royal homes with top service.
- 2Luxury trains — Palace on Wheels and Maharajas' Express.
- 3Tiger reserve lodges — high-end safari camps.
Steps, crowds and broken pavements; new airports, metros and big hotels are the exceptions.
- 1Delhi metro — lifts at most stations.
- 2Taj Mahal — ramps and wheelchairs at the gates.
- 3Specialist accessible operators — adapted vehicles and hotels.
Time math
- 4 days in total
- Delhi 3 + Agra day trip by train
- 8 days in total
- Delhi 4 + Agra 1 + Jaipur 3 (train or car; leave a slack day)
- 14 days in total
- North (Delhi, Agra, Jaipur) 8 + one more region 6 (fly the long leg)
Which regions fit my nights?
Tick the regions you are weighing up. The nights are the ranges this guide gives for each region.
Tick the regions you are considering.
Cities
Regions, cities and the places between them
Open CitiesClose Cities5 partsRegions · Cities · Other destinations · See · Do
Regions
Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur
5–8 nights in this region
Kerala and Tamil Nadu
6–10 nights in this region
Cities
दिल्ली
Capital and main air hub: Mughal monuments, Old Delhi's lanes and food, museums; base for Agra and Jaipur.
आगरा
Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri; one night beats a day trip.
जयपुर
Rajasthan's pink capital: Amber Fort, City Palace, bazaars.
वाराणसी
The holy city on the Ganges: ghats, cremations, dawn boat rides.
मुंबई
Finance and film capital: colonial Fort area, street food, Elephanta caves.
কলকাতা
Former British capital: Victoria Memorial, book markets, Durga Puja, Bengali food.
ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು
Tech city with a mild climate; gateway to Mysuru and Hampi.
उदयपुर
Lake palaces and havelis; the softest stop in Rajasthan.
जोधपुर
Mehrangarh fort above the blue old town.
കൊച്ചി
Kerala's port: Fort Kochi's Portuguese, Dutch and Jewish quarters; gateway to backwaters.
ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤਸਰ
The Golden Temple and its free kitchen; Partition Museum.
சென்னை
Tamil Nadu's capital and the start of the temple circuit.
Also with a guide 1138
1138 of 1138 places shown
- Agartala
- Aizawl
- Aritar
- Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary
- Datia
- Devgad
- Horanadu
- Itanagarcapital
- Jaleswar
- Jawalamukhi
- Karaikal
- Khadikolvan
- Lakhpat
- Lonar
- Mandrem
- Murud
- Nadabet
- New Delhicapital
- Omkareshwar
- Pandavapura
- Periyakulam
- Port Blair
- Ranchi
- Shani Shingnapur
- Shimla
- Tada Falls
- Yanam
- Aamby Valley City
- Abhaneri
- Adilabad
- Adoor
- Agali Hills
- Agonda
- Agumbe
- Ahmedabad
- Ahmednagar
- Ahwa
- Aihole
- Ajmer
- Aklera
- Aksa
- Alampur
- Alang
- Alappuzha
- Alathur
- Alchi
- Alibag
- Aligarh
- Alipurduar
- Almora
- Aluva
- Alwar
- Amaravati
- Amarkanan
- Ambaji
- Ambajogai
- Ambala
- Ambalavayal
- Ambernath
- Ambika Kalna
- Ambikapur
- Amboli
- Amravati
- Amta
- Anakapalle
- Anand
- Anantapur
- Anantnag
- Andro
- Andul
- Anjuna
- Ankapur
- Ankola
- Annavaram
- Annur
- Aragalur
- Aragonda
- Araku Valley
- Arambol
- Arang
- Aranmula
- Arcot
- Ariyalur
- Arsikere
- Aruvankadu
- Asansol
- Attingal
- Auli
- Aurangabad
- Auroville
- Ayodhya
- Azimganj
- Badami
- Badanaguppe
- Badarpur
- Badlapur
- Badrinath
- Baga
- Bageshwar
- Baidyabati
- Baijnath
- Bakkhali
- Bakreshwar
- Balagarh
- Balasore
- Ballari
- Ballavpur
- Ballia
- Bally
- Bamanpukur
- Banaganapalli
- Bandel
- Baneswar
- Banethi
- Bangaon
- Bankapura
- Bankura
- Bansberia
- Barakar
- Baranti
- Barasat
- Baratang Island
- Bardhaman
- Bareilly
- Bargarh
- Baripada
- Barkur
- Barnala
- Barpali
- Barrackpore
- Barsana and Nandgaon
- Baruipur
- Basar
- Basirhat
- Bathinda
- Beed
- Begusarai
- Bekal
- Belgaum
- Belpahari
- Belur
- Benaulim
- Berachampa
- Berhampore
- Bettiah
- Betul
- Beypore Beach
- Bhadarwah
- Bhadrachalam
- Bhadravathi
- Bhagalpur
- Bhalukpong
- Bhandardara
- Bhandarej
- Bharatpur
- Bharmour
- Bharuch
- Bhatpara
- Bhavnagar
- Bhawanipatna
- Bhedaghat
- Bheemunipatnam
- Bhilai
- Bhilwara
- Bhimashankar
- Bhimavaram
- Bhimtal
- Bhiwani
- Bhojpur
- Bhondsi
- Bhongir
- Bhopal
- Bhowali
- Bhubaneswar
- Bhuj
- Bhuna
- Bhuragaon
- Bidar
- Bigul
- Bihar Sharif
- Biharinath
- Bijapur, Karnataka
- Bikaner
- Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh
- Bilaspur
- Bina
- Bir
- Bishalgarh
- Bishnupur
- Bishnupur
- Bodh Gaya
- Bogmalo
- Bokaro Steel City
- Bolpur
- Bomdila
- Bongaigaon
- Bordi
- Bordua
- Borgang
- Borigumma
- Braemore Estate
- Brahmapur
- Brahmavar
- Bramhapuri
- Budge Budge
- Buldhana
- Bundi
- Burhanpur
- Bylakuppe
- Byndoor
- Calangute
- Candolim
- Canning
- Chaibasa
- Chail
- Chakdaha
- Chakrata
- Challakere
- Chamarajnagar
- Chamba
- Chamba, Uttarakhand
- Chamorshi
- Champhai
- Chandannagar
- Chanderi
- Chandigarh
- Chandipur
- Chandrakona Road
- Chandrakona
- Chandrapur
- Channarayapatna
- Chathannoor
- Chavakkad
- Chengalpattu
- Chennithala
- Cherrapunji
- Cherthala
- Cheyyar
- Cheyyur
- Chhapra
- Chhitkul
- Chidambaram
- Chikballapur
- Chikhaldara
- Chikmagalur
- Chindi
- Chinnadagudihundi
- Chinsurah
- Chitradurga
- Chitrakoot
- Chittaranjan
- Chittoor
- Chittorgarh
- Chittur
- Chunar
- Churu
- Churulia
- Coimbatore
- Colva
- Contai
- Cooch Behar
- Coonoor
- Courtallam
- Covelong
- Cuddalore
- Cuttack
- Dabhoi
- Dajipur
- Daksharamam
- Dalhousie
- Daltonganj
- Daman
- Damoh
- Dandeli
- Dantewada
- Dapoli
- Darbhanga
- Daringbadi
- Darjeeling
- Dasghara
- Daulatabad
- Davanagere
- Deeg
- Dehradun
- Deo
- Deoband
- Deoghar
- Deomali
- Deulti
- Devala
- Devanahalli
- Devprayag
- Dewas
- Dhanaulti
- Dhanbad
- Dhanushkodi
- Dhanyakuria
- Dharampur
- Dharamsala
- Dharashiv
- Dharmanagar
- Dharmapuri
- Dharmapuri, Telangana
- Dharmasthala
- Dharwad
- Dhenkanal
- Dholavira
- Dholpur
- Dhubri
- Dhule
- Dhuri
- Diamond Harbour
- Dibrugarh
- Digboi
- Digha
- Diglipur
- Dimapur
- Dindigul
- Dinhata
- Diphu
- Dirang
- Diu
- Doddaballapura
- Dona Paula
- Dr. Ambedkar Nagar
- Dubrajpur
- Dunagiri
- Dungarpur
- Durg
- Durgapur
- Dwarahat
- Dwarakatirumala
- Dwarka
- Edathua
- Edava
- Eluru
- Erode
- Etawah
- Falta
- Faridabad
- Faridkot
- Farook College Township
- Feroke
- Firozpur
- Gadiara
- Gajoldoba
- Gandhidham
- Gandhinagar
- Gandikota
- Gangaikonda Cholapuram
- Gangotri
- Gangtok
- Ganpatipule
- Garchumuk
- Garh Panchkot
- Gaya
- Geyzing
- Ghangaria
- Ghanpur
- Ghatal
- Ghatshila
- Ghaziabad
- Gingee
- Giridih
- Goalpara
- Gobardanga
- Gobichettipalayam
- Gokarna
- Golaghat
- Gondia
- Gonikoppal
- Gopalpur
- Goregaon, Raigad
- Govardhan
- Greater Noida
- Gudalur
- Guhagar
- Gulmarg
- Gundlupet
- Guntur
- Guptipara
- Gurugram
- Guruvayoor
- Guwahati
- Gwalior
- H.D. Kote
- Haflong
- Haldia
- Haldibari
- Haldwani and Kathgodam
- Halebidu
- Halisahar
- Hamirpur
- Hampi
- Hanle
- Hanumangarh
- Hanuwantiya
- Haridwar
- Hariharapura
- Haroa
- Hassan
- Hastinapur
- Hazaribagh
- Hemalkasa
- Himatnagar
- Hiriyur
- Hisar
- Hogenakkal
- Honavar
- Hooghly
- Hoshiarpur
- Hospet
- Hosur
- Hubli
- Hunsur
- Hyderabad
- Ichalkaranji
- Idagunji
- Idar
- Igatpuri
- Ilambazar
- Imphal
- Indore
- Iritty
- Jabalpur
- Jagadhri
- Jagatsinghpur
- Jagdalpur
- Jageshwar
- Jaigaon
- Jainagar
- Jaisalmer
- Jaisinghpur
- Jalandhar
- Jalgaon
- Jalpaiguri
- Jamboni
- Jammu
- Jamnagar
- Jamshedpur
- Jaunpur
- Jhalawar
- Jhalong
- Jhansi
- Jhargram
- Jharsuguda
- Jhunjhunu
- Jiaganj
- Jind
- Jogindernagar
- Jorethang
- Jorhat
- Joshimath
- Junagadh
- Junnar
- Kadapa
- Kadi
- Kainchi Dham
- Kaithal
- Kakching
- Kakinada
- Kalaburagi
- Kalady
- Kaleshwaram
- Kalikiri
- Kalimpong
- Kalka
- Kallooppara
- Kalpa
- Kalpakkam
- Kalpetta
- Kalugumalai
- Kalyan-Dombivli
- Kalyani
- Kamarpukur and Jayrambati
- Kamshet
- Kanchipuram
- Kanchrapara
- Kangra
- Kanhangad
- Kanipakam
- Kanker
- Kannapuram
- Kannauj
- Kannur
- Kanpur
- Kanyakumari
- Kappad
- Kappil
- Kapurthala
- Karauli
- Kargil
- Karimnagar
- Karippur
- Karjat
- Karkala
- Karmatanr
- Karnal
- Karur
- Karwar
- Kasaragod
- Kasauli
- Kashid
- Kathgola
- Katihar
- Katni
- Katra
- Katwa
- Kausani
- Kaushambi
- Kavalande
- Kavali
- Kavalkinaru
- Kayamkulam
- Kaza
- Kedarnath
- Kemmannagundi
- Kendrapara
- Kendubillo
- Keonjhar
- Keshiary
- Kevadia
- Keylong
- KGF
- Khajjiar
- Khajuraho
- Khambhat
- Khammam
- Kharagpur
- Khardaha
- Khargone
- Khedbrahma
- Khir Ganga
- Khopoli
- Khuldabad
- Khuri
- Khurja
- Ki
- Kibber
- Kinnigoli
- Kishangarh
- Kittur
- Kodaikanal
- Kodiakkarai
- Kodikunnu
- Kodungallur
- Kohima
- Kokkare Bellur
- Kolaghat
- Kolenchery
- Kolhapur
- Kollam
- Kollegal
- Konanur
- Konark
- Kondapalli
- Kondotty
- Konnagar
- Konni
- Koraput
- Koravangala
- Korba
- Kota
- Kotagiri
- Kotdwar
- Kothamangalam
- Kotkapura
- Kottakkal
- Kottayam
- Kovalam
- Kovilpatti
- Koyilandy
- Kozhikode
- Krishnagiri
- Krishnanagar
- Krishnarajanagara
- Kuchesar
- Kufri
- Kulithalai
- Kullu
- Kumarakom
- Kumaranalloor
- Kumbakonam
- Kumbhalgarh
- Kumily
- Kumta
- Kundapur
- Kunnamangalam
- Kunnamkulam
- Kurnool
- Kurseong
- Kurukshetra
- Kuruma
- Kurumathur
- Kushalnagar
- Kushinagar
- Kuttikkanam
- Labhpur
- Lachen
- Lachung
- Lakhisarai
- Lakkundi
- Lalitpur
- Lamayuru
- Lambasingi
- Lamphelpat
- Lansdowne
- Latur
- Lava
- Lavasa
- Leh
- Lohgad
- Loleygaon
- Loutulim
- Lucknow
- Ludhiana
- Lunglei
- Machhiwara
- Machilipatnam
- Madhubani
- Madhupur
- Madikeri
- Madurai
- Mahabaleshwar
- Mahabubnagar
- Mahad
- Mahanandi
- Mahe
- Maheshwar
- Mahishadal and Geonkhali
- Mahoba
- Mahudi
- Maibang
- Maihar
- Mainpat
- Maithon
- Majuli
- Malampuzha
- Malappuram
- Malbazar
- Male Mahadeshwara Betta
- Malkangiri
- Malvan
- Mamallapuram
- Manali
- Mananthavady
- Mancherial
- Mandarmani
- Mandi
- Mandu
- Mandvi
- Mandya
- Mangadu
- Mangalore
- Mangan
- Mangpoo
- Manjeri
- Manjeshwar
- Mannadi
- Mannargudi
- Mantralayam
- Mapusa
- Mardana
- Margao
- Marleshwar
- Masagram
- Massanjore
- Matabari
- Matheran
- Mathura
- Mattanur
- Mawlynnong
- Mayapur
- Mayiladuthurai
- Maynaguri
- Medak
- Meerut
- Mehsana
- Mehsi
- Mekedatu
- Mekhliganj
- Melaghar
- Melukote
- Memari
- Meppadi
- Mettupalayam
- Midnapore
- Mira-Bhayandar
- Mirik
- Mirzapur
- Mithur
- Modasa
- Modhera
- Moga
- Mohali
- Moirang
- Mondaikadu
- Moodbidre
- Moradabad
- Morbi
- Morgaon
- Morigaon
- Morjim
- Morni
- Motihari
- Mount Abu
- Mukteshwar
- Mukutmanipur
- Mulshi
- Mundra
- Munger
- Munnar
- Munsyari
- Murdeshwar
- Murshidabad
- Musiri
- Mussoorie
- Muvattupuzha
- Muzaffarpur
- Muzhakkunnu
- Mysore
- Nabadwip
- Nadiad
- Nagalapuram
- Nagaon
- Nagapattinam
- Nagaur
- Nagda
- Nagercoil
- Nagpur
- Naihati
- Naina Devi
- Nainital
- Nako
- Nalgonda
- Nalhati
- Namakkal
- Namchi
- Nanded
- Nandi Hills
- Nandura
- Nandyal
- Nanjangud
- Nanoor
- Narayanpur
- Narkanda
- Narmadapuram
- Narsipatnam
- Nashik
- Nathdwara
- Naukuchiatal
- Navi Mumbai
- Naya Raipur
- Nelakondapally
- Nellore
- Nenmara
- Neyveli
- Nilambur
- Nileshwaram
- Nippani
- Nirmal
- Nizamabad
- Noida
- North Paravur
- Nuggehalli
- Nurpur
- Oachira
- Old Goa
- Old Malda
- Ooty
- Orai
- Orchha
- Osiyan
- Ottapalam
- Pachmarhi
- Padinjarathara
- Pahalgam
- Paipra
- Paithan
- Pakur
- Palai
- Palakkad
- Palakollu
- Palampet
- Palampur
- Palani
- Palanpur
- Palashi
- Palghar and Kelve
- Pali
- Palitana
- Palolem
- Panagarh
- Panaji
- Panchgani
- Panchkula
- Panchthupi
- Pandalam
- Pandhurna
- Pandua, Hooghly
- Panihati
- Panipat
- Panitanki
- Panshet
- Panskura
- Pantnagar
- Papanasam
- Paradip
- Parassinikkadavu
- Paravur
- Parnasala
- Parumala
- Pasighat
- Patan
- Pathanamthitta
- Pathankot
- Patiala
- Patna
- Patnitop
- Patsho
- Pattadakal
- Pattambi
- Pawapuri
- Payyanur
- Peermade
- Pelling
- Peora
- Perinthalmanna
- Perumbavoor
- Pettavaithalai
- Pilani
- Pileru
- Pilibhit
- Pithoragarh
- Pollachi
- Ponda
- Pondicherry
- Ponmudi
- Ponnani
- Poompuhar
- Poonch
- Poovankurichi
- Poovar
- Porbandar
- Porompat
- Pragpur
- Prakasha
- Prantik
- Pravaranagar
- Prayagraj
- Pudukkottai
- Puliangudi
- Pulicat
- Pulpally
- Pulwama
- Punalur
- Pundri
- Pune
- Puri
- Purulia
- Pushkar
- Puthanathani
- Puttaparthi
- Puttur
- Qadian
- Raghunathpur
- Raichak
- Raichur
- Raiganj
- Raipur
- Rajahmundry
- Rajapalayam
- Rajgir
- Rajkot
- Rajnagar
- Rajnagar
- Rajpura
- Ramanagara
- Ramanathapuram
- Ramanattukara
- Rameswaram
- Rampur, Himachal Pradesh
- Ranaghat
- Ranakpur
- Rangat
- Rangia
- Raniganj
- Ranikhet
- Ranjangaon
- Rarang
- Ratanpura
- Ratlam
- Ratnagiri
- Ravangla
- Raxaul
- Rayagada
- Rejinagar
- Rewa
- Rewalsar
- Rewari
- Rishikesh
- Rishop
- Robertsganj
- Roha
- Rohru
- Rohtak
- Roorkee
- Ross Island
- Rourkela
- Rudraprayag
- Rupnagar
- Sabarimala
- Sabroom
- Sagar Island
- Sagar
- Sagara
- Saharanpur
- Saharsa
- Saho
- Saifai
- Sainthia
- Sakleshpur
- Salem
- Samana
- Sambalpur
- Sanchi
- Sangareddy
- Sangla
- Sangli
- Sankarankoil
- Santiniketan
- Santipur
- Saputara
- Sarahan
- Saraikela
- Sarangkheda
- Sargachi
- Sarnath
- Sarsai Nawar
- Sasaram
- Satara
- Satna
- Sattal
- Sattur
- Sawai Madhopur
- Serampore
- Sevoke
- Shahdol
- Shibnibas
- Shillong
- Shimoga
- Shirdi
- Shiroda
- Shivanasamudram
- Shivpuri
- Shornur
- Shravanabelagola
- Shravasti
- Shrivardhan
- Shyamnagar
- Sibsagar
- Siddhatek
- Siddhpur
- Siddipet
- Sidhbari
- Sikar
- Silchar
- Siliguri
- Silvassa
- Simultala
- Sinquerim
- Sirkazhi
- Sirsi
- Sitamarhi
- Sitapur
- Sittong
- Sivakasi
- Sivasailam
- Sojat
- Solan
- Solapur
- Somnathapura
- Somwarpet
- Sonamarg
- Sonarpur
- Sonipat
- Sonpur
- Soraba
- Sri City
- Sribhumi
- Srikakulam
- Srikalahasti
- Srinagar
- Sringeri
- Sriperumbudur
- Srirangam
- Srirangapatna
- Srisailam
- Srivilliputhur
- Sukna
- Sullia
- Sultan Bathery
- Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh
- Sunabeda
- Sunauli
- Surandai
- Surat
- Surathkal
- Surendranagar
- Suri
- Swamithoppe
- T. Narsipur
- Tada
- Taki
- Talikota
- Taliparamba
- Tambaram
- Tamluk
- Tarakeswar
- Tarapith
- Tarikere
- Tawang
- Tehri
- Tenali
- Tenhippalam
- Tenkasi
- Tezpur
- Tezu
- Thakurnagar
- Thalassery
- Thamarassery
- Thane
- Thanedar
- Thanga
- Thanjavur
- Thekkady
- Theni
- Thenmala
- Thirthahalli
- Thirubuvanai
- Thirukkarugavur
- Thiruvakkarai
- Thiruvambady
- Thiruvananthapuram
- Thiruvarur
- Thiruvayaru
- Thodupuzha
- Thoothukudi
- Thoubal
- Thrissur
- Tikamgarh
- Tindivanam
- Tinsukia
- Tiptur
- Tiruchendur
- Tiruchirappalli
- Tirunelveli
- Tirupati
- Tiruppur
- Tirur
- Tiruttani
- Tiruvallur
- Tiruvannamalai
- Tiruvuru
- Tonk
- Top Station
- Toranagallu
- Toranmal
- Torna
- Totopara
- Tranquebar
- Trimbakeshwar
- Tuensang
- Tufanganj
- Tulapur
- Tumkur
- Udaipur, Tripura
- Udhampur
- Udumalaippettai
- Udupi
- Ujjain
- Ukhrul
- Ulhasnagar
- Ullal
- Uluberia
- Uniyara
- Unnao
- Upleta
- Uri
- Uttarkashi
- Uttarpara
- V. S. K. Valasai
- Vadhu Budruk
- Vadnagar
- Vadodara
- Vagator
- Vaikom
- Valapad
- Valparai
- Valsad
- Varkala
- Vasai-Virar
- Vasco da Gama
- Vatakara
- Velankanni
- Vellore
- Vengurla
- Veraval
- Vidisha
- Vijayawada
- Vikasnagar
- Virajpet
- Virpur
- Virudhaachalam
- Viruveedu
- Visakhapatnam
- Viswema
- Vizianagaram
- Vrindavan
- Vythiri
- Wagamon
- Walayar
- Wandoor
- Warangal
- Wardha
- Wazirpur
- Yadagirigutta
- Yadgir
- Yamunotri
- Yavatmal
- Yelagiri
- Yellapur
- Yercaud
- Yingkiong
- Yuksom
- Zirakpur
- Ziro
- Zunheboto
Other destinations
| Place | What | Getting there | Why go / verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taj Mahal and Agra Fort | UNESCO monuments | Train from Delhi 2 h | Go at sunrise; closed on Fridays. |
| Rajasthan forts | Desert region | Car with driver or trains from Jaipur | Amber, Mehrangarh, Jaisalmer and Kumbhalgarh forts; camel nights in the Thar. |
| Kerala backwaters | Lagoons and canals | Alleppey or Kumarakom, 1.5 h from Kochi | Overnight on a houseboat; pick a smaller boat and avoid the busy loop. |
| Hampi → | UNESCO ruins | Overnight train or bus from Bengaluru or Goa | Vijayanagara capital among boulder hills; best Nov–Feb. |
| Khajuraho → | UNESCO temples | Flight or train from Varanasi or Delhi | Chandela temples with carved facades; pairs with Orchha. |
| Ajanta and Ellora | UNESCO caves | From Aurangabad (Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar) | Buddhist murals and the rock-cut Kailasa temple; Ajanta closed Mondays, Ellora Tuesdays. |
| Leh and Ladakh | High-altitude region | Flight to Leh (IXL), or road via Manali Jun–Sep | Monasteries, Nubra valley, Pangong lake; permits for some valleys. |
| Rishikesh and Haridwar | Holy towns | Train or bus from Delhi, 5–6 h | Ganges ghats, yoga schools, Himalayan foothills. |
| Darjeeling and Sikkim | Hill region | Flight to Bagdogra then jeep | Tea estates, Kanchenjunga views, the toy train; permits for north Sikkim. |
| Goa | Coast | Flight to GOI or GOX | Beaches, Portuguese churches, seafood; peak Dec–Jan. |
| Madurai and the Tamil temples | Temple towns | Flight or train from Chennai | Meenakshi temple, Thanjavur, Kanchipuram, Mamallapuram. |
| Ranthambore | Tiger reserve | Train to Sawai Madhopur | One of the best chances of a wild tiger; safaris book out — park closed Jul–Sep. |
See
Mughal India
- Taj Mahal · Agra
- Red Fort · Delhi
- Humayun's Tomb · Delhi
- Fatehpur Sikri · near Agra
Humayun's Tomb before the Taj shows where the design came from; both are best at opening.
Rajput forts and palaces
- Amber Fort · Jaipur
- Mehrangarh · Jodhpur
- City Palace · Udaipur
- Jaisalmer fort · Jaisalmer
Fort ramps are steep and shadeless; start at opening.
Holy cities
- Ghats of Varanasi · Varanasi
- Golden Temple · Amritsar
- Bodh Gaya · Bihar
- Pushkar lake · Rajasthan
Dawn boat rides in Varanasi and the Golden Temple at night are the quiet hours.
South Indian temples
- Meenakshi Amman temple · Madurai
- Brihadeeswara temple · Thanjavur
- Shore Temple · Mamallapuram
- Virupaksha temple and the Hampi ruins · Hampi
Many inner sanctums admit Hindus only; men may need to remove shirts in Kerala temples.
Colonial and modern cities
- Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and the Fort area · Mumbai
- Victoria Memorial · Kolkata
- Fort Kochi · Kochi
- Chandigarh's Capitol Complex · Chandigarh
Mumbai's Art Deco and Gothic buildings are a UNESCO pair; walk them on a Sunday morning.
Do
| Activity | Where | Best months | Cost (2026 estimate) | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tiger safari | Ranthambore, Bandhavgarh, Kanha, Tadoba | Oct–Jun (parks close in the monsoon) | ₹2,000–8,000 (≈ US$25–95) per seat in a jeep | Book the official park safari slot months ahead; morning drives are best. |
| Yoga course | Rishikesh, Mysuru, Kerala | Oct–Apr | ₹1,500–4,000 (≈ US$18–50) a day with room and food | Pick schools with named teachers and reviews; teacher-training certificates vary. |
| Himalayan trekking | Ladakh, Himachal, Uttarakhand, Sikkim | May–Oct (Ladakh Jun–Sep) | ₹3,000–7,000 (≈ US$35–80) a day with guide | Registered operators and permits; acclimatise before going high. |
| Houseboat night | Alleppey, Kumarakom | Sep–Mar | ₹8,000–20,000 (≈ US$95–250) per boat | Skip the Saturday traffic jam of boats; ask for a route off the main lake. |
| Cooking class | Jaipur, Udaipur, Delhi, Kochi | All year | ₹1,500–3,500 (≈ US$18–40) | Home-based classes teach regional food better than hotel ones. |
| Camel or jeep night in the Thar | Jaisalmer, Bikaner | Nov–Feb | ₹2,500–6,000 (≈ US$30–70) | Choose camps away from the Sam dunes crowds; nights are cold. |
| Ayurveda treatment | Kerala | Jun–Sep (traditional season) or winter | ₹3,000–15,000 (≈ US$35–180) a day | Government-certified centres; real courses take 14–21 days. |
| Cricket match | Any big stadium | Oct–May; IPL Mar–May | ₹800–10,000 (≈ US$10–120) | Buy on the official IPL or BCCI app; stadiums ban bags and power banks. |
Connect the cities
Ready-made routes, the route builder and the legs between cities
Open Connect the citiesClose Connect the cities4 partsItineraries · Route builder · Routes · Between cities
Itineraries by length
Fly any leg over a day's travel; book trains as soon as your dates are fixed. Add one buffer day per week for fog, delays or stomach trouble.
7 days
Golden Triangle
Delhi → Agra → Jaipur → Delhi
Delhi–Agra by Gatimaan or Vande Bharat express; Agra–Jaipur by car via Fatehpur Sikri (5 h) or train.
10 days
Triangle plus Varanasi
Delhi → Agra → Jaipur → fly to Varanasi → fly to Delhi
Or swap Varanasi for Udaipur (fly or train from Jaipur).
14 days
Rajasthan loop
Delhi → Agra → Jaipur → Jodhpur → Udaipur → fly to Delhi
Best with a car and driver from Jaipur onward; add Jaisalmer (2 nights) for 16 days.
14 days
Kerala and Tamil Nadu
Chennai → Mamallapuram → Puducherry → Madurai → Munnar → Alleppey → Kochi
- Chennai1n
- Mamallapuram2n
- Puducherry2n
- Madurai2n
- Munnar2n
- Alleppey (houseboat or homestay)2n
- Kochi3n
Nov–Feb; driver for Madurai–Munnar (5–6 h). Fly out of Kochi.
Build a route
Based on: Triangle plus Varanasi (10 days, itineraries by length)
- Delhi3 nights
- Agra1 night
- Jaipur3 nightsFlight · Fly All options →
- Varanasi3 nights
Or swap Varanasi for Udaipur (fly or train from Jaipur).
What this route costs
- Delhi3 nights · city prices₹50,000≈ US$550
- Agra1 night₹12,000≈ US$140
- Jaipur3 nights₹35,000≈ US$400
- Varanasi3 nights₹35,000≈ US$400
- Flights inside the countryDomestic flights (one way, bag included): 1 × 2₹12,000≈ US$140
Total, 2 travelers
₹140,000≈ US$1,600
Per person per day: ₹7,000≈ US$80
2026 estimate (check): rooms for two, food, local transport and sights; international flights, visas and insurance excluded. Tweak it in the budget calculator.
Routes that work
Delhi, 5 nights
Keep the Delhi bed; send a small bag to Agra for the day.
- Land in Delhi, sleep, and decide the trains once you have slept: jet lag and the airport queue are enough for night one.
- Book long-distance trains early: reserved berths and seats sell out; check the official rail booking site or a reputable agent.
- Avoid Delhi in May–June (heat) and in November (smog) unless the trip is fixed; October and February–March are easier.
- Fly any leg over about 800 km (497 mi): Delhi to Goa, Kerala, Mumbai or Kolkata is a day by train and two hours by air.Fly any leg over about 497 mi (800 km): Delhi to Goa, Kerala, Mumbai or Kolkata is a day by train and two hours by air.
Getting between cities
| Between | Fastest | Other ways | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delhi to Agra | Train · 1.5–2 h₹800–2,500 (≈ US$10–30) (CC / EC)Vande Bharat / Shatabdi day train |
| All options → |
| Delhi to Mumbai | Flight · about 5 h₹4,500–9,000 (≈ US$55–110)Plane |
| All options → |
| Delhi to Jaipur | Train · 5–6.5 hTrain 4.5–5.5 h |
| All options → |
| Delhi to Varanasi | Flight · 3–4 hFlight about 1.5 h |
| All options → |
| Delhi to Rishikesh | Train · 5–6.5 h |
| All options → |
| Delhi to Amritsar | Flight · 3–4 hFlight 1 h |
| All options → |
| Delhi to Shimla | Train · 7–9 hTrain and toy train |
| All options → |
| Agra to Jaipur | Car / taxi · 4–5 h₹3,500–5,500 (≈ US$40–65) a day incl. driver, fuel, tollsCar with driver | — | All options → |
How each mode works hereAny two places: A-to-BIs a rail pass worth it?
This month
Weather and crowds by month
Open This monthClose This month2 partsYear at a glance · Climate
Year at a glance
Every month in one list: how it rates, how busy and pricey it is, and which holidays land in it.
- Busiest or big holidays
- Jan–Mar, Oct–Dec
- Rated avoid
- May
Jan
GoodCrowds: highPrices: high- Christmas and New Year (high impact)
- Republic Day (medium impact)
Feb
GoodCrowds: highPrices: highMar
GoodCrowds: mediumPrices: medium- Holi (high impact)
- Eid al-Fitr (medium impact)
Apr
CautionCrowds: lowPrices: lowMay
AvoidCrowds: lowPrices: low- Eid al-Adha (Bakrid) (low impact)
Jun
CautionCrowds: lowPrices: lowJul
CautionCrowds: lowPrices: lowAug
CautionCrowds: lowPrices: low- Independence Day (medium impact)
Sep
CautionCrowds: lowPrices: low- Ganesh Chaturthi (medium impact)
Oct
GoodCrowds: mediumPrices: medium- Durga Puja and Dussehra (high impact)
- Diwali (high impact)
Nov
CautionCrowds: highPrices: high- Diwali (high impact)
- Pushkar camel fair and Dev Deepawali (medium impact)
Dec
GoodCrowds: highPrices: high- Christmas and New Year (high impact)
Climate by region and month
| Zone | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern plainsDelhi, Agra, Varanasi, Amritsar | haze | best | best | hot | hot | hot | wet | wet | wet | ok | haze | haze |
| RajasthanJaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Jaisalmer | best | best | ok | hot | hot | hot | ok | ok | ok | ok | best | best |
| Himalayan hillsShimla, Rishikesh, Darjeeling, Sikkim | cool | cool | ok | best | best | ok | wet | wet | ok | best | best | cool |
| Ladakh and SpitiLeh, Nubra, Pangong, Spiti | cool | cool | cool | cool | ok | best | best | best | best | ok | cool | cool |
| Goa and the Konkan coastGoa, Mumbai, Gokarna | best | best | best | hot | hot | wet | wet | wet | wet | ok | best | best |
| Kerala and the south-westKochi, Alleppey, Munnar, Varkala | best | best | hot | hot | hot | wet | wet | wet | ok | wet | ok | best |
| Tamil Nadu and the east coastChennai, Madurai, Puducherry, Mamallapuram | best | best | hot | hot | hot | hot | ok | ok | ok | wet | storm | wet |
| NortheastAssam, Meghalaya, Arunachal | cool | ok | best | best | ok | wet | wet | wet | wet | best | best | cool |
- Northern plains
- Dense fog delays trains and flights in Dec–Jan; smog peaks in November; 45 °C (113 °F) in May–June.Dense fog delays trains and flights in Dec–Jan; smog peaks in November; 113 °F (45 °C) in May–June.
- Rajasthan
- Desert nights are cold in Dec–Jan; the monsoon is light but humid; Udaipur's lakes are fullest after it.
- Himalayan hills
- Landslides close roads in July–August; October–November gives the clearest mountain views.
- Ladakh and Spiti
- High desert above 3,000 m: roads over the passes open roughly June–October; winter is –20 °C (68 °F).High desert above 3,000 m: roads over the passes open roughly June–October; winter is –68 °F (20 °C).
- Goa and the Konkan coast
- Beach shacks open November–April; Mumbai gets over 2 m of rain in the monsoon.
- Kerala and the south-west
- Two monsoons: the big one June–August and a second burst October–November.
- Tamil Nadu and the east coast
- Opposite rhythm: the north-east monsoon and cyclones hit October–December; January–February is the easy window.
- Northeast
- Meghalaya is among the wettest places on Earth; permits needed for Arunachal and parts of other states.
There is always a good region: the north and Rajasthan October–March, the Himalaya and Ladakh June–September, Kerala and Goa November–March.
Cost
What a day costs, and how to pay
Open CostClose Cost4 partsMoney at a glance · Daily budget · Costs · Money & passes
Money at a glance
Currency and cash
Indian rupee (INR, ₹); notes ₹10–500
Cash-heavy: cards in hotels and malls
Cash or card
ATMs
On landing: Withdraw ₹10,000 (≈ US$120) at a bank ATM inside the terminal; decline 'dynamic currency conversion'.
A day, per person
- Backpacker₹1,500–3,500 (≈ US$18–40)
- Mid-range₹4,400–10,200 (≈ US$50–120)
- Comfort₹17,000–44,000 (≈ US$200–500)
Per person per day, bed included
What that covers ↓Tipping
- Street food and dhabas: Nothing.
- Restaurant: 5–10% if no service charge is on the bill.
- Car and driver: ₹300–500 (≈ US$4–6) a day at the end of the trip.
- Guide: ₹300–500 (≈ US$4–6) for a half day.
Also
Money & passesCard, cash or ATM: the cheapest way to payTipping calculator
Budget per day, per person
Per person per day, sharing a room at mid and comfort. Flights, visas and cars with drivers are not included. 2026 estimate; Goa at New Year and palace hotels cost far more.
| Tier | Bed | Food | Transport | Sights | Extras | Total, bed included |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BackpackerDorm or basic room, street and thali food, sleeper trains, local buses | ₹500–1,200 (≈ US$6–14) | ₹400–700 (≈ US$5–8) | ₹200–500 (≈ US$3–6) | ₹300–800 (≈ US$4–10) | ₹100–300 (≈ US$2–4) | ₹1,500–3,500 (≈ US$18–40) |
| Mid-range3★ or heritage hotel, restaurants, AC trains, app cars | ₹1,500–4,000 (≈ US$18–50) | ₹1,000–2,000 (≈ US$12–25) | ₹800–2,000 (≈ US$10–25) | ₹800–1,500 (≈ US$10–18) | ₹300–700 (≈ US$4–8) | ₹4,400–10,200 (≈ US$50–120) |
| Comfort5★ or palace hotel, fine dining, car and driver, guides | ₹8,000–25,000 (≈ US$95–300) | ₹3,000–6,000 (≈ US$35–70) | ₹3,500–7,000 (≈ US$40–80) | ₹1,500–3,000 (≈ US$18–35) | ₹1,000–3,000 (≈ US$12–35) | ₹17,000–44,000 (≈ US$200–500) |
Costs per day
Backpacker
₹2,000–3,500 (≈ US$25–40)
Dorm or basic room, street and thali food, sleeper trains and buses.
Per person per day · Includes a bed
Mid-range
₹5,000–9,000 (≈ US$60–110)
3★ hotel or heritage guesthouse, restaurants, AC trains, app cars, entry fees.
Per person per day · Includes a bed
Comfort
₹18,000 (≈ US$250)+
Heritage palace or 5★ hotel, car and driver, guides, domestic flights.
Per person per day · Includes a bed
| Typical price | Amount |
|---|---|
| Thali at a local restaurant | ₹150–350 (≈ US$2–4) |
| Chai from a stall | ₹15–30 (≈ under US$1) |
| Uber, 10 km (6.2 mi) in DelhiUber, 6.2 mi (10 km) in Delhi | ₹200–400 (≈ US$3–5) |
| Delhi metro ride | ₹10–60 (≈ under US$1) |
| Taj Mahal ticket (foreigner, incl. main tomb) | ₹1,300 (≈ US$15) — check |
| Kingfisher beer in a bar | ₹200–450 (≈ US$3–6) |
2026 estimate, per person. Monuments charge foreigners 10–20 times the Indian price (lower for SAARC and BIMSTEC nationals). Goa at New Year and Rajasthan palaces are the budget breakers.
Budget calculator
- Beds1 room × 10 nights₹35,000(≈ US$400)
- Food and drink2 × 10 days₹30,000(≈ US$350)
- Local transport2 × 10 days₹30,000(≈ US$350)
- Sights and tours2 × 10 days₹20,000(≈ US$250)
- Domestic flights (one way, bag included)2 × 1₹12,000(≈ US$140)
Trip total, 2 travellers
₹130,000(≈ US$1,500)
Per person per day: ₹6,500(≈ US$75)
2026 estimate. Beds priced per room for two; international flights, insurance and visas excluded. A car and driver adds ₹3,500–5,500 a day for the group; 2026 estimate.
Money & passes
Cash necessity: 4/5 (5 means cash for most things)
- Indian rupees (INR, ₹) in small notes for autos, street food, tips and entry tickets.
- UPI (the phone-payment system used everywhere) generally needs an Indian bank account or number: do not plan to rely on it. A prepaid tourist wallet (UPI One World) is sold at some airports — check availability.
- Foreign cards work in hotels, malls and larger restaurants; ATMs limit each withdrawal (often ₹10,000) and charge fees; use machines inside banks or malls.
- Ride-hailing and rail apps take cards or wallets in some cases; cash is the fallback.
Before you fly: eSIM before you fly · E-visa and entry · Money and cards
Getting in
Before you go, entry rules and the first day
Open Getting inClose Getting in5 partsBefore you go · Arrive · Entry · Documents · First 24 hours
Before you go
What to sort, and by when, before a trip to India. Pick your passport and flight date; everything else follows.
Add your flight date to turn “weeks before” into dates.
Passport valid long enough
90 days beforeValid at least 6 months from arrival, with two blank pages.
Vaccines and medicines
6 weeks beforeAsk a travel clinic about: Dengue and malaria, Rabies. Some vaccines need weeks or two doses; carry prescriptions in their boxes.
Travel insurance
30 days beforeCover for private hospitals, evacuation and, for Ladakh, altitude.
Driving permit (only if you drive)(optional)
30 days beforeHome licence plus IDP; most visitors hire a driver instead.
Apply for the e-visa (30 days (multiple entry, not extendable); 1 or 5 years multiple entry, up to 180 days in a calendar year)
2 weeks beforeCost: For most nationalities: 30 days US$25 (US$10 April–June), 1 year US$40, 5 years US$200; plus about 3% bank charge. e-Tourist visa at indianvisaonline.gov.in: photo, passport scan; apply at least 4 days (and up to 120 days) before arrival. Get the e-visa before you fly; airlines check the ETA approval. Only the .gov.in site is official. Processing about 4 days; the date leaves a week's buffer. Apply only on the official site.
eSIM or roaming
2 weeks beforeeSIMs work on unlocked phones; Airtel and Jio also issue local eSIMs in stores.
Cards and cash
2 weeks beforeCash-heavy: cards in hotels and malls (cash need 4/5). Foreign cards work in hotels, malls and larger restaurants; ATMs limit each withdrawal (often ₹10,000) and charge fees; use machines inside banks or malls.
Pack a plug adapter (type C or D or M)
7 days beforeSockets here: type C, D, M. US plugs need an adapter. Mains is 230 V against 120 V at home: phone and laptop chargers cope (check the label says 100–240 V); hair dryers and straighteners usually do not.
Arrival card or e-arrival form
3 days beforeE-Arrival card online (Bureau of Immigration or the Indian Visa Su-Swagatam app), free, within 72 hours before arrival; it is not a visa. Print or save the e-visa ETA approval.
Lead times are Voykit's safe margins, not official deadlines (check the official portal). The full countdown with calendar reminders: Before-you-go countdown · Passport check.
Arrive
DEL
Indira Gandhi International Airport
About 15–20 km (9.3–12 mi) from the centre; 45–90 min by car, about 25 min by Airport Express metro to New Delhi stationAbout 9.3–12 mi (15–20 km) from the centre; 45–90 min by car, about 25 min by Airport Express metro to New Delhi station
BOM
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International (Mumbai)
Planned; 1–2 h by road to south Mumbai at peak times
BLR
Kempegowda International (Bengaluru)
Planned; 40 km (25 mi) north of the city, 1–2 h by carPlanned; 25 mi (40 km) north of the city, 1–2 h by car
Entry: visas and borders
Most visitors need a visa. The e-Tourist visa covers about 170 nationalities and comes in three lengths (30 days, 1 year and 5 years, all multiple entry). Japan, South Korea and (under conditions) the UAE have visa on arrival; Nepal and Bhutan need no visa; Maldivians get 90 days visa-free. Pakistani nationals and most Bangladeshi applicants face suspensions or restrictions since 2024–25. Arrivals file a free digital e-Arrival card within 72 hours before landing instead of the paper form.
Get the e-visa before you fly; airlines check the ETA approval. Only the .gov.in site is official.
- Cost
- For most nationalities: 30 days US$25 (US$10 April–June), 1 year US$40, 5 years US$200; plus about 3% bank charge
- Form to fill
- e-Tourist visa at indianvisaonline.gov.in: photo, passport scan; apply at least 4 days (and up to 120 days) before arrival.
- Arrival card
- E-Arrival card online (Bureau of Immigration or the Indian Visa Su-Swagatam app), free, within 72 hours before arrival; it is not a visa. Print or save the e-visa ETA approval.
- Passport
- Valid at least 6 months from arrival, with two blank pages.
- Onward ticket
- Return or onward ticket and proof of funds can be asked by airlines and immigration; e-visa holders must enter through a designated airport or seaport.
The 5-year e-Tourist visa costs US$160 for US citizens.
| Who | Rule | Stay | Watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| About 170 nationalities incl. US, UK, EU states, Canada, Australia, Singapore | e-Tourist visa, 30 days | 30 days from first arrival, multiple entry | Cheapest option; the 30 days start on arrival and cannot be extended. US$25 for most nationalities, US$10 in April–June. |
| Same list | e-Tourist visa, 1 year or 5 years | Up to 180 days in a calendar year | Multiple entry; worth it for a second trip or a Nepal side trip. 1 year US$40; 5 years US$200 for most, US$160 for US citizens, US$484 for UK citizens. |
| Japan, South Korea; UAE nationals with a past Indian visa | Visa on arrival | Up to 60 days, double entry | Only at six big airports — check. |
| Nepal, Bhutan | No visa | Unlimited | Passport needed when arriving from some third countries. |
| Business, medical, conference visitors | e-Business, e-Medical, e-Conference visas | By type | Separate categories on the same portal; do not work on a tourist visa. |
| Pakistan, Bangladesh (most applicants), China and others off the e-visa list | Embassy visa or suspended | By visa | Suspensions after 2024–25 events — check with the Indian mission. |
| Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) | Lifelong visa-free entry | Unlimited | Special permits still needed for Protected and Restricted Areas. |
By land and river
| Crossing | To / from | Mode | Visa there | Trap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attari – Wagahclosed | Pakistan (Lahore) | Road from Amritsar, 30 km (19 mi)Road from Amritsar, 19 mi (30 km) | Pakistan visa and Indian exit | Closed to traffic since India shut the check post in April 2025; the evening flag ceremony runs in a changed form for spectators — check before driving out. |
| Sunauli – Belahiya (Bhairahawa) | Nepal (Lumbini, Pokhara) | Bus from Gorakhpur or Varanasi | Nepal visa on arrival | Busiest tourist crossing; use the immigration office on each side even though locals walk past — skipping it causes exit problems. |
| Raxaul – Birgunj | Nepal (Kathmandu, Chitwan) | Train to Raxaul, rickshaw over | Nepal visa on arrival | Slow, dusty town; e-visa holders check the ICP list for exit rules. |
| Panitanki – Kakarbhitta | Nepal (east) | From Siliguri / Darjeeling | Nepal visa on arrival | Indian immigration office is easy to miss; ask the rickshaw to stop. |
| Banbasa – Mahendranagar | Nepal (far west) | From Delhi or Rishikesh | Nepal visa on arrival | Few foreigners; opening hours limited — check. |
| Petrapole – Benapolecheck | Bangladesh (Jessore, Dhaka) | Bus or car from Kolkata, 80 km (50 mi)Bus or car from Kolkata, 50 mi (80 km) | Bangladesh visa naming the land port; Indian re-entry needs a visa valid by land | E-visas are generally not valid for land entry into India — check; Kolkata–Dhaka trains suspended since 2024. |
| Agartala – Akhauracheck | Bangladesh (Dhaka) | From Agartala, 2 km (1.2 mi) from the cityFrom Agartala, 1.2 mi (2 km) from the city | Bangladesh visa naming the land port | The quickest Dhaka–Northeast link; check whether it is open to third-country nationals. |
| Dawki – Tamabilcheck | Bangladesh (Sylhet) | From Shillong, 3 h | Bangladesh visa naming the land port | Road is steep and slow; check hours. |
| Jaigaon – Phuentsholing | Bhutan | From Siliguri / Bagdogra, 4 h | Bhutan visa via a licensed operator; Indians use an ID permit | Bhutan's permit office closes at weekends — check. |
| Moreh – Tamuclosed | Myanmar | Road | Not advised | Manipur violence and Myanmar's civil war; the free movement regime has been scrapped — no tourist crossing. |
- E-visa holders must enter through one of 36 designated airports or a designated seaport; exit is allowed from any immigration post — check the current list.
- Foreigners staying in hotels are registered automatically (Form C); private rentals should do it too.
- Stays over 180 days on some visas need registration with the FRRO online; tourist visas generally do not — check.
Documents checklist
0/8 ready
First 24 hours
Do these before you leave the airport or the hotel desk.
Arrival card: File the e-Arrival card online before landing (check) and keep the e-visa approval printed.
Immigration and airlines ask for them.
Cash: Withdraw ₹10,000 (≈ US$120) at a bank ATM inside the terminal; decline 'dynamic currency conversion'.
Autos, street food and tips are cash.
Avoid: Money changers in the arrival hall with poor rates.
Data: Buy a Jio or Airtel SIM at the arrivals counter or activate an eSIM.
App cars, maps and WhatsApp all need it; activation can take hours.
Ride: Prepaid taxi counter, Airport Express metro in Delhi, or an Uber/Ola from the marked pickup zone.
Fixed fares.
Avoid: Drivers who approach inside the terminal.
Hotel: Message your hotel on WhatsApp with your flight; save its address and phone.
Touts claim hotels are closed.
Air and heat: Check the AQI and temperature; plan the first day indoors if it is bad.
Jet lag plus smog or heat is the day-one crash.
Trains: Check any booked train's PNR and platform on the Indian Railways app.
Waitlisted tickets may not confirm.
Getting around
Modes, times and the clock
Open Getting aroundClose Getting around2 partsGet around · Local time
Get around
| Mode | Delhi → Mumbai | Cost | Use it when | What breaks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plane | 2 h 10 air; ~5 h door to door | ₹4,500–9,000 (≈ US$55–110) | Default for anything over ~800 km (497 mi); IndiGo and Air India dominate.Default for anything over ~497 mi (800 km); IndiGo and Air India dominate. | Low fares exclude checked bags; security queues at DEL and BOM run long — arrive 2 h early for domestic. |
| Rajdhani / sleeper train | 16 h (Delhi–Mumbai) | ₹2,500–4,500 (≈ US$30–55) in 3A–2A | Overnight and saves a hotel night; AC classes (1A, 2A, 3A) have bedding. | Book on IRCTC up to 60 days ahead (foreign tourist quota up to a year — check); waitlisted tickets may not confirm. |
| Vande Bharat / Shatabdi day train | Delhi–Agra 1 h 40–2 h | ₹800–2,500 (≈ US$10–30) (CC / EC) | Fast chair-car trains for Agra, Jaipur, Varanasi and more. | Meals included in the fare on many; seats sell out on weekends. |
| Car with driver | Delhi–Agra 3.5–4 h; Agra–Jaipur 4–5 h | ₹3,500–5,500 (≈ US$40–65) a day incl. driver, fuel, tolls | The Golden Triangle and Rajasthan standard; no parking stress. | Agree the price, driver's night allowance and whether tolls and parking are included; drivers earn commission at shops. |
| AC bus / Volvo sleeper | Overnight regional legs | ₹800–2,000 (≈ US$10–25) | Useful in the hills and south where trains are thin. | Book via RedBus or the state operator; avoid night buses on mountain roads. |
| Uber / Ola / Rapido | City trips | ₹150–400 (≈ US$2–5) for 10 km (6.2 mi)₹150–400 (≈ US$2–5) for 6.2 mi (10 km) | Fixed fares; autos and bikes on the same apps are cheaper. | Drivers may cancel or ask for cash; confirm the plate before getting in. |
| Auto-rickshaw | Short hops | ₹50–200 (≈ US$1–3) | Everywhere; metered in Mumbai and Bengaluru, bargained elsewhere. | Agree the fare first or use the app version. |
| Metro | City trips | ₹10–60 (≈ under US$1) | Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Chennai and more have clean, cheap metros. | Bag scans at every entrance; the first carriage is often women-only. |
Local time
What time it is there now, compared with the clock on your device.
Delhi
…
Checking your clock…Asia/Kolkata
Practical
Money rules, safety, holidays, health, phones and phrases
Open PracticalClose Practical15 partsNext 90 days · Holidays · Safety & health · Safety · Safety by region · Health · Scams · Emergency card · Practical · Connect · Talk · Survival phrases · Cope · Learn & work · Who travels
Holidays in the next 90 days
On now
Pushkar camel fair and Dev DeepawaliSome impact
November · exact day moves, check
Pushkar camps sell out; Varanasi ghats lit with lamps; book months ahead.
Nov 8
in 7 days
DiwaliBig impact
Nov 8 · exact day moves, check
Biggest travel week of the year: trains and flights full, fireworks for days, smog spikes in the north.
Dec 25
in 54 days
Christmas and New YearBig impact
Dec 25–Jan 1
Goa beds triple in price; Rajasthan and Kerala hotels full.
Jan 26
in 86 days
Republic DaySome impact
Jan 26
Parade in New Delhi; Kartavya Path and central sights closed for days of rehearsals; Beating Retreat on 29 Jan.
The full holiday listHolidays on your datesFestivals by month
Holidays and festivals
| When | What | Impact | What it does to a trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Jan | Republic Day | medium | Parade in New Delhi; Kartavya Path and central sights closed for days of rehearsals; Beating Retreat on 29 Jan. |
| 4 Mar 2026; 22 Mar 2027 (check) | Holi | high | Colour thrown in the streets from morning to early afternoon; shops shut; wear old clothes or stay in. Strongest in Mathura, Vrindavan and Varanasi. |
| ~10 Mar 2027 (lunar, check) | Eid al-Fitr | medium | End of Ramadan; Old Delhi, Lucknow and Hyderabad busy with feasts; some Muslim-run shops close. |
| ~17 May 2027 (lunar, check) | Eid al-Adha (Bakrid) | low | Public holiday; animal markets and closures in Muslim areas. |
| 15 Aug | Independence Day | medium | Security closures around the Red Fort in Delhi; kites fly over the old city. |
| ~14 Sep 2026 (check) | Ganesh Chaturthi | medium | Ten days of processions in Mumbai and Pune; immersion day blocks sea-front roads. |
| ~17–21 Oct 2026 (check) | Durga Puja and Dussehra | high | Kolkata's pandals draw millions; trains to the east sell out; effigies burnt across the north on Dussehra. |
| ~8 Nov 2026; ~29 Oct 2027 (check) | Diwali | high | Biggest travel week of the year: trains and flights full, fireworks for days, smog spikes in the north. |
| Nov (Kartik full moon) | Pushkar camel fair and Dev Deepawali | medium | Pushkar camps sell out; Varanasi ghats lit with lamps; book months ahead. |
| 25 Dec – 1 Jan | Christmas and New Year | high | Goa beds triple in price; Rajasthan and Kerala hotels full. |
Safety and health at a glance
Emergency numbers
Where to take care
3/5 for a careful visitor · Low violent crime against tourists but constant touting, harassment of women in some places, and road risk.
- high Jammu and Kashmir · Militant attacks (Pahalgam 2025); many governments advise against travel outside Ladakh — check.
- high Manipur · Ethnic violence since 2023; curfews and internet shutdowns; permits needed.
- high Central forest belt (parts of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand) · Maoist insurgency in specific districts; government advice against travel.
- medium Delhi and NCR · Station and airport touts, pickpockets, harassment of women at night, smog Oct–Feb.
Tap water
Health
Ask a travel clinic about: Dengue and malaria, Rabies.
Main risks: Traveller's diarrhoea, Heat stroke, Air pollution, Altitude sickness.
Top scams
- 1. 'Your hotel is closed / burnt down' · It is not; call the hotel yourself and use the prepaid taxi or the metro.
- 2. 'The ticket office is closed / moved' · Walk to the International Tourist Bureau on the first floor, or book on IRCTC.
- 3. Fake e-visa sites · Only indianvisaonline.gov.in is official; anything else adds a fee or steals data.
Safety
- Scams meet you at the airport, stations and tourist sites: 'the hotel is closed', 'the ticket office is closed', 'free' gems and carpet shops. Use prepaid taxi counters, the metro or app cars, and book tickets yourself.
- Heat: April–June brings 40°C (104°F)+ days: outdoor sights before 10:00, indoors midday, drink safe water, watch for heat stroke.Heat: April–June brings 40°C (104°F)+ days: outdoor sights before 10:00 AM, indoors midday, drink safe water, watch for heat stroke.Heat: April–June brings 104°F (40°C)+ days: outdoor sights before 10:00, indoors midday, drink safe water, watch for heat stroke.Heat: April–June brings 104°F (40°C)+ days: outdoor sights before 10:00 AM, indoors midday, drink safe water, watch for heat stroke.
- Air quality: October–February can be hazardous in Delhi and the northern plains, worst around November; check the air-quality index each morning and carry a proper mask (N95 or better).
- Monsoon (June–September): heavy rain floods streets and cancels trains; the south-east coast gets its rain October–December.
- Food and water: drink bottled or filtered water; eat where the food is cooked in front of you.
- Traffic: cross with locals, never rent a motorbike without a licence and insurance.
- Women travelling alone: use app cars or hotel cars after dark, avoid empty streets and be firm with touts; local advice from your hotel helps.
- Emergency: 112 (single national number); ambulance 108 in most states; women's helpline 181; tourist helpline 1800-11-1363 (check).
- Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur, the Pakistan border belt and some central forest districts carry government advisories and permit rules: check your own government's travel advice before you book.
India is the hub of South Asia: Nepal, Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Bhutan are short flights, and the Gulf is 3–4 h away.
What four governments say
Comparison not available yet for this country
Strikes and disruptions
Official notices for the next 90 days. Open the full calendar.
No official-source strike or disruption notices for the next 90 days
Safety by region
Most tourist regions are low-risk for violent crime; touts, harassment, traffic, heat and air are the everyday risks.
| Region | Risk | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Delhi and NCR | medium | Station and airport touts, pickpockets, harassment of women at night, smog Oct–Feb. |
| Rajasthan and Agra | low | Commission shops, gem scams, heat Apr–Jun. |
| Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka | low | Rip currents on beaches; monsoon floods. |
| Goa | low | Drugs, drink spiking, scooter crashes, drowning at unguarded beaches. |
| Ladakh and Himachal | low | Altitude, landslides, road accidents; permits near the Chinese border. |
| Jammu and Kashmir | high | Militant attacks (Pahalgam 2025); many governments advise against travel outside Ladakh — check. |
| Manipur | high | Ethnic violence since 2023; curfews and internet shutdowns; permits needed. |
| Pakistan border belt (Punjab, Rajasthan) | medium | Military zones; tension after May 2025; stay 10 km back unless on a known road. |
| Central forest belt (parts of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand) | high | Maoist insurgency in specific districts; government advice against travel. |
Stay healthy
| Risk | Where / when | Do this |
|---|---|---|
| Traveller's diarrhoea | Everywhere | Freshly cooked food, bottled or filtered water, oral rehydration salts in your bag; see a doctor if it lasts 3 days or includes fever. |
| Heat stroke | Plains and Rajasthan Apr–Jun | Outdoor sights before 10:00; salt and water; shade at midday.Outdoor sights before 10:00 AM; salt and water; shade at midday. |
| Air pollution | Delhi and the northern plains Oct–Feb | Check AQI daily; N95 mask; people with asthma plan the south instead. |
| Dengue and malaria | Monsoon and after; malaria in forest and Northeast areas | Repellent, long sleeves at dusk; fever = test, avoid ibuprofen until dengue is ruled out. |
| Rabies | Street dogs and temple monkeys | Any bite or scratch: wash 15 minutes and get shots the same day; private hospitals stock them. |
| Altitude sickness | Ladakh (Leh 3,500 m), Spiti, Sikkim | Rest two days in Leh before any pass; flying straight in is the risk. |
| Road accidents | Highways, especially at night | No night driving; seat belts in the back; pick a driver who slows down. |
Scams and overcharges
| Trap | Where | Defence |
|---|---|---|
| 'Your hotel is closed / burnt down' | Delhi airport, New Delhi station, Paharganj | It is not; call the hotel yourself and use the prepaid taxi or the metro. |
| 'The ticket office is closed / moved' | New Delhi railway station stairs | Walk to the International Tourist Bureau on the first floor, or book on IRCTC. |
| Fake e-visa sites | Search ads | Only indianvisaonline.gov.in is official; anything else adds a fee or steals data. |
| Gem export scheme | Jaipur, Agra, Goa | Never carry gems to 'sell abroad for profit'; the stones are worthless and the deposit vanishes. |
| Commission shops | Driver and guide stops in Agra, Jaipur, Varanasi | Say no to shop stops at booking; buy where you choose. |
| Fake guides and 'official' photographers | Taj Mahal, Amber Fort, Varanasi ghats | Licensed guides carry an ASI or tourism ID card; agree the price first. |
| Cremation-ground 'donations' | Manikarnika Ghat, Varanasi | No one needs your money for 'wood for the poor'; walk on and do not photograph. |
| Tatkal and ticket touts | Outside stations and in travel agencies | Buy from IRCTC, the station's foreign-tourist counter or a known agency; check the PNR on the Indian Railways site. |
Emergency card
India emergency numbers — screenshot this card
Natural and on-the-ground hazards
| Hazard | When / where | Do this |
|---|---|---|
| Heat wave | Apr–Jun on the plains | Stay indoors midday, rehydrate with salt, watch for confusion and no sweating. |
| Floods and landslides | Jul–Sep; Himalaya and Kerala worst | Keep buffer days; follow state disaster alerts. |
| Cyclones | Oct–Dec (east coast), May–Jun (both coasts) | Follow IMD warnings; coastal areas evacuate. |
| Smog | Oct–Feb in the north | N95 mask, air purifier rooms, shift plans south. |
| Earthquakes | Himalaya and Northeast | Know hotel exits; Drop, Cover, Hold On. |
| Crowd crushes | Big festivals and melas | Stay at the edges, keep a meeting point, avoid peak bathing days. |
Alerts and apps
- 112 India app for emergencies.
- IMD Mausam app and SAFAR/AQI apps for weather and air quality.
- Your government's travel registration.
Police, embassies, paperwork
- Lost passport: police report (FIR), embassy for a new passport, then FRRO for an exit permit — this takes days.
- Private hospitals (Apollo, Fortis, Max, Medanta) take cards and insurers; government hospitals are cheap and crowded.
Emergency card · India
- 112Emergency (all services)
- 100 (now routed to 112)Police
- 108 (most states) or 102Ambulance
- 101Fire
- 181 / 1091Women's helpline
- 1800-11-1363Tourist helpline
- My passport
- — · find my embassy
- Insurance
- —
- Staying at
- —
Hospitals with emergency care
- Indraprastha Apollo Hospital · Sarita Vihar, Delhi
- Max Super Speciality Hospital · Saket, Delhi
Practical
230 V · 50 Hz
Round two-pin C plugs fit most sockets; D (three round pins) is the common wall socket; hotels often have universal sockets. UK and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tap water
- Not drinkable from the tap. Buy sealed bottles (check the cap), or use RO-filtered refill stations in hotels and cafés; avoid ice from street stalls.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in hotels, malls and airports; squat toilets with a water jug or hose in stations and villages. Carry tissue and sanitiser; paid public toilets (Sulabh) cost ₹5–10.
- Weekly closing days
- The Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays; many museums close on Mondays; banks close on the second and fourth Saturdays; dry days close liquor shops on national and religious holidays and around elections.
Tipping by situation
| Situation | What locals do |
|---|---|
| Street food and dhabas | Nothing. |
| Restaurant | 5–10% if no service charge is on the bill. |
| Car and driver | ₹300–500 a day at the end of the trip. |
| Guide | ₹300–500 for a half day. |
| Hotel porter / housekeeping | ₹50–100. |
| Auto or Uber | Round up. |
Opening hours
| What | Typical hours | Watch |
|---|---|---|
| Shops and markets | 10:30–20:30/21:0010:30 AM–8:30 PM/9:00 PM | Many markets close one day a week (Delhi's Chandni Chowk on Sunday). |
| Monuments | Sunrise–sunset | Taj Mahal closed Fridays; last entry 30–60 min before close. |
| Banks | Mon–Fri 10:00–16:00, some SaturdaysMon–Fri 10:00 AM–4:00 PM, some Saturdays | Closed second and fourth Saturday. |
| Restaurants | Lunch 12:00–15:30, dinner 19:00–23:00Lunch 12:00 PM–3:30 PM, dinner 7:00 PM–11:00 PM | Dinner starts late; street food all day. |
| Liquor shops | About 10:00–22:00, by stateAbout 10:00 AM–10:00 PM, by state | Closed on dry days. |
Connect
- Jio, Airtel and Vi sell tourist SIMs at airport counters and their shops; passport, visa and a photo needed; activation can take a few hours.
- eSIMs work on unlocked phones; Airtel and Jio also issue local eSIMs in stores.
- 4G is almost everywhere, 5G in cities; SIMs from outside India do not work in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and some border areas — only postpaid local SIMs there (check).
- Post
- India Post in every town; Speed Post for tracking. Parcels need customs forms at the counter.
- Wi-Fi
- Hotels and cafés; public Wi-Fi needs an Indian number for the OTP.
- Messaging
- WhatsApp for everything: hotels, drivers, guides, shops.
- Numbers
- Country code +91; mobiles are 10 digits starting 6–9.
- Payments
- UPI QR codes everywhere; tourist wallets (UPI One World) exist at some airports — check.
- Blocked
- Chinese apps such as TikTok are banned; internet shutdowns happen in unrest areas.
Talk
Hindi is spoken or understood across the north and centre, English is the language of business, signs and educated conversation everywhere, and each state has its own language and script. In the south, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Telugu replace Hindi — English is the better bridge there.
| Where | Lingua franca | English | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh | Hindi (and Rajasthani, Urdu) | Good in hotels and tourist trades | Drivers may not read English addresses — share a map pin. |
| Mumbai and Maharashtra | Marathi, Hindi | Common | Mumbai mixes everything; Bollywood Hindi is the street glue. |
| Kolkata and West Bengal | Bengali | Common | Bengali script on signs; a few words of Bangla go far. |
| Tamil Nadu | Tamil | Good | Hindi is not welcomed by everyone; start in English. |
| Kerala | Malayalam | Very good | High literacy; English works almost everywhere. |
| Karnataka, Andhra, Telangana | Kannada, Telugu | Good in cities | Bengaluru and Hyderabad run on English and Hindi in tech areas. |
- Head wobble: a side-to-side tilt can mean yes, OK, or I heard you — check with words.
- WhatsApp is how hotels, drivers and guides communicate.
Survival phrases
Cope
- Embassies
- In New Delhi (Chanakyapuri); consulates in Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad.
- Laundry
- Hotel laundry by the piece (₹20–80); dhobi services in towns.
- Pharmacies
- Chemists everywhere sell most medicines without prescription; Apollo Pharmacy chain is reliable.
- Clinics
- Private hospitals in all big cities; hotel doctors on call.
- Media
- The Hindu, Indian Express, Times of India, Scroll; NDTV.
- Luggage
- Cloakrooms at big stations (locked bags only); hotels store bags.
Learn and work
- Student visa
- Needed for any degree or long course; yoga and music courses can need an e-Tourist visa only if short and informal — check.
- Short courses
- Yoga (Rishikesh, Mysuru), classical music and dance (Varanasi, Chennai), Hindi (Mussoorie's Landour school) and cooking.
Working legally
| Route | Who | The rule | Watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employment | Skilled professionals with a sponsoring employer | Employment visa; salary above about US$25,000 a year in most cases — check. | Tourist visa holders cannot work, volunteer for pay or run workshops. |
| Volunteering | Anyone | Needs the right visa category; short tourist-visa volunteering is a grey area — check. | Orphanage tourism is harmful; pick NGOs that do not rotate short-term visitors. |
Travellers with specific needs
| Traveller | On the ground | Do this |
|---|---|---|
| Solo women | Many do it, but staring, groping in crowds and persistent attention are common, especially in the north. | Dress conservatively, use women-only metro carriages and train quotas, app cars at night, and pick hotels with good reviews from women. |
| LGBTQ+ | Same-sex relations decriminalised in 2018; no marriage equality; attitudes are conservative outside big-city scenes. | Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Kolkata have Pride events and queer venues; be discreet elsewhere. |
| Families | Children are welcomed warmly; heat, food hygiene and traffic are the work. | Kerala and Rajasthan palace hotels suit families; carry ORS and pick a car with seat belts. |
| Wheelchair users | Hard: broken pavements, steps at most monuments, crowded stations. | Newer metros and airports have lifts; the Taj Mahal has ramps and wheelchairs; use a specialist operator. |
| Older travellers | Good private hospitals in cities; heat, stairs and long car days are the strain. | Travel October–March, fly the long legs, keep car days under 5 hours. |
Culture and food
Rules, manners, what to eat, where to sleep and what to buy
Open Culture and foodClose Culture and food6 partsRules · Respect & laws · Eat · Drink · Sleep · Buy
Country rules
- Apply for the e-visa only on the official government portal (indianvisaonline.gov.in); lookalike sites charge extra. Check the current rules, fees and how far ahead to apply.
- Do not follow anyone who says your hotel is closed, the station ticket office is closed or a road is shut; use the prepaid taxi counter, the metro or an app car.
- Carry Indian rupees in small notes (10, 20, 50, 100); change for 500 is often refused.
- Parts of the Northeast, Sikkim, Ladakh, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and all border belts need a Protected or Restricted Area Permit or an Inner Line Permit for foreigners; check before you book the route.
Etiquette
- Remove shoes at temples, mosques, gurdwaras and some homes; carry socks for hot floors.
- Cover shoulders and knees at religious sites; women should carry a scarf, and everyone covers the head in a gurdwara.
- Use the right hand to give and receive; do not point feet at people or shrines.
- Ask before photographing people; photography rules and fees differ at monuments.
- Jan 26, Aug 15
- National days: roads and monuments around the capital close for parades and security.
- Holi (March, moves yearly)
- Coloured powder in the streets; many shops shut; stay in your hotel area on the day.
- Diwali (Oct–Nov, moves yearly)
- Travel peak; trains sell out; smog spikes.
- Jun–Sep monsoon
- Flooded streets, delayed trains and flights.
Respect and laws that surprise
| Topic | The rule | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Religious sites | Shoes off at temples, mosques, gurdwaras and Jain temples; heads covered in gurdwaras and some mosques; leather items banned in Jain temples; some temples (e.g. Jagannath in Puri, parts of Kerala temples) admit Hindus only. | Refused entry, real offence. |
| Beef | Cow slaughter and beef sale are banned or restricted in most states; beef is legal in Kerala, Goa (imported), the Northeast and West Bengal. | Arrest in some states; vigilante violence has occurred. |
| Drugs | Cannabis (charas, ganja) is illegal under the NDPS Act despite 'bhang' shops in some holy cities; the law is strict. | Long pre-trial detention; minimum sentences for commercial quantities. |
| Satellite phones and GPS devices | Satellite phones (Garmin inReach, Iridium) are illegal to bring without a licence. | Arrest at airports; foreigners have been detained for weeks. |
| Drones | Foreigners cannot fly drones in India without DGCA approval via a local entity; most monuments are no-fly. | Confiscation and prosecution. |
| Maps and borders | Maps showing Kashmir or Arunachal differently from India's official borders are illegal to publish or sell. | Seizure; avoid debating it online while there. |
| Photography | No photos of military sites, airports, bridges near borders, or cremations at the ghats; tripods and video cost extra at monuments. | Deleted photos, fines. |
| Public affection and dress | Kissing in public draws stares or police attention outside big-city nightlife; cover shoulders and knees in towns. | Harassment, 'public obscenity' charges in rare cases. |
| Smoking and e-cigarettes | Smoking in public places is banned; e-cigarettes and vapes are banned nationwide since 2019. | Fines; vapes confiscated. |
| Hindu–Muslim tensions | Avoid political or religious debate with strangers and stay away from processions that turn tense. | Communal clashes are rare but serious. |
Everyday manners
| Situation | Do | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Greeting | Namaste (palms together) or a handshake between men; wait for a woman to offer her hand | Hugging or kissing strangers |
| Hands and feet | Give and eat with the right hand; apologise if your foot touches someone | Pointing feet at people or shrines; touching books or food with your feet |
| Temples | Shoes off, walk clockwise around shrines, accept prasad (blessed food) with the right hand | Leather in Jain temples; entering sanctums that say Hindus only |
| Home visit | Bring sweets or fruit; accept tea at least once | Refusing all food; wearing shoes inside |
| Questions | Expect personal questions (married? job? salary?) as friendliness | Taking offence; answer vaguely if you prefer |
| Saying no | A firm, polite 'nahi, dhanyavaad' (no, thank you) and keep walking | Long explanations to touts |
| Dress | Loose clothes covering shoulders and knees; kurta tops are cheap and cool | Swimwear or shorts away from Goa beaches |
Eat
Indian food is regional first: wheat breads, dairy and slow curries in the north, rice, lentils, coconut and tamarind in the south, fish and mustard oil in the east. A thali (a plate of small dishes with rice or bread) is the easiest way to taste a region. Vegetarian food is the default in much of the country.
| Region | Style | Order this |
|---|---|---|
| North | Wheat breads, ghee, cream and tandoor cooking; Mughlai and Punjabi | Butter chicken, dal makhani, chole bhature, kebabs, biryani |
| Rajasthan and Gujarat | Dry-climate vegetarian food, millet, pulses, sweet notes in Gujarat | Dal baati churma, gatte ki sabzi, Gujarati thali, dhokla |
| South | Rice, lentils, coconut, curry leaves, tamarind; meals on a banana leaf | Dosa, idli, sambar, Chettinad chicken, Kerala fish curry, appam |
| East | Mustard oil, river fish, rice and sweets from fresh cheese | Macher jhol, kosha mangsho, rasgulla, momos in the hills |
| West coast | Seafood, coconut and kokum; Portuguese influence in Goa | Goan fish curry, vindaloo, pav bhaji, vada pav |
Dish finder
Region
Diet
16 of 16 dishes
- Butter chickenNorth
मुर्ग़ मक्खनी (murgh makhani)
Tandoori chicken in a mild tomato, butter and cream sauce.
Dinner · Usually has chicken
- Dal makhaniNorth
दाल मखनी
Black lentils slow-cooked with butter and cream.
Lunch, dinner · No meat or fish in the usual version · vegetarian version common
- Chole bhatureNorth
छोले भटूरे
Spiced chickpeas with puffed fried bread.
Breakfast, lunch · No meat or fish in the usual version · vegetarian version common
- BiryaniHyderabad, Lucknow, Kolkata
बिरयानी
Layered rice and spiced meat cooked sealed; each city has its style.
Lunch · Usually has chicken, lamb · vegetarian version exists — ask
- Masala dosaSouth
மசாலா தோசை
Fermented rice-lentil crêpe with spiced potato, sambar and chutneys.
Breakfast · No meat or fish in the usual version · vegetarian version common
- Idli and sambarSouth
இட்லி சாம்பார்
Steamed rice cakes with lentil-vegetable stew.
Breakfast · No meat or fish in the usual version · vegetarian version common
- Kerala fish curryKerala
മീൻ കറി (meen curry)
Fish in a sour, red coconut or kodampuli sauce.
Lunch · Usually has fish/seafood
- Rogan joshKashmir
रोगन जोश
Lamb in a red chilli and fennel gravy.
Dinner · Usually has lamb
- Pav bhajiMumbai
पाव भाजी
Mashed spiced vegetables with buttered buns.
Evening · No meat or fish in the usual version · vegetarian version common
- Dal baati churmaRajasthan
दाल बाटी चूरमा
Baked wheat balls with lentils and sweet crumbled wheat.
Lunch · No meat or fish in the usual version · vegetarian version common
- Macher jholBengal
মাছের ঝোল
Light fish curry with potato and mustard oil.
Lunch with rice · Usually has fish/seafood
- Goan fish curryGoa
Xitt kodi
Coconut and kokum curry with rice.
Lunch · Usually has fish/seafood
- ChaatNorth
चाट
Street snacks of crisp puris, potato, yoghurt, tamarind and chutneys (pani puri, papdi chaat).
Afternoon · No meat or fish in the usual version · vegetarian version common
- MomosHimalaya, Delhi
मोमो
Tibetan-style steamed dumplings with chilli sauce.
Snack · Usually has chicken, pork · vegetarian version exists — ask
- ThaliNationwide
थाली
A plate of dal, vegetables, rice or bread, yoghurt and pickle; often refilled.
Lunch · No meat or fish in the usual version · vegetarian version exists — ask
- Gulab jamun and rasgullaNationwide
गुलाब जामुन / রসগোল্লা
Milk-based sweets in syrup.
Dessert · No meat or fish in the usual version · vegetarian version common
Tags describe the usual recipe, not every kitchen. Stocks and sauces hide animal products: ask, or show the allergy card below.
Table manners
- Eat with your right hand; the left is for handling bread only if you must. Cutlery is always available in restaurants.
- Wash hands before and after; restaurants have a basin.
- In a thali place, staff refill until you cover the plate with your hand.
- Do not offer food from your plate or touch shared food with a used hand — it is considered 'jootha' (polluted).
- Gurdwara langar (free kitchen) meals: sit on the floor in rows, head covered, accept what is given with both hands.
Allergy / diet card — show it, do not say it
मुझे ___ से एलर्जी है। क्या इस खाने में ___ है? (Mujhe ___ se allergy hai. Kya is khaane mein ___ hai?)
“I am allergic to ___. Does this food contain ___?”
- Peanuts
- मूंगफली (moongphali)
- Cashews / nuts
- काजू / मेवा (kaju / meva)
- Milk and dairy
- दूध (doodh)
- Ghee
- घी (ghee)
- Wheat
- गेहूं (gehoon)
- Egg
- अंडा (anda)
- Fish
- मछली (machhli)
- Prawns
- झींगा (jhinga)
- Sesame
- तिल (til)
- Mustard
- सरसों (sarson)
- Meat
- मांस (maans)
Diets: the reality
| Diet | On the ground | Do this |
|---|---|---|
| Vegetarian | The easiest country on Earth: 'veg' and 'non-veg' are marked on menus with a green or red symbol. | Pure-veg restaurants serve no meat or eggs at all. |
| Vegan | Ghee, butter, paneer, cream and yoghurt are everywhere, especially in the north. | South Indian dosa, idli and sambar are usually dairy-free; say 'no ghee, no butter, no dairy'. |
| Halal | Muslim-run restaurants and most meat in Muslim areas are halal; Old Delhi, Lucknow and Hyderabad are easy. | Ask 'halal hai?'. |
| Jain / no onion-garlic | Many restaurants offer a Jain version (no root vegetables, onion or garlic). | Ask for 'Jain food'. |
| Gluten-free | North Indian breads are wheat; the south runs on rice and lentils. | Choose dosa, idli, rice plates; asafoetida (hing) powder often contains wheat. |
| Peanut / nut allergy | Cashews thicken many northern gravies; peanuts appear in Gujarati and Maharashtrian food. | Show the card and carry antihistamines. |
Drink
- Legal age
- Set by each state: 18 in Goa and some others, 21 in most, 25 in Delhi, Maharashtra (for spirits) and Punjab — check the state.
- Dry states
- Alcohol is banned in Gujarat (visitors can buy a temporary permit through hotels or permit shops with a passport), Bihar (total ban, no permit), Nagaland and Mizoram, and on Lakshadweep outside one resort island — check.
- Dry days
- No sales on Republic Day, Independence Day, Gandhi Jayanti (2 Oct), some religious festivals and on election days; hotels may still serve in-house guests.
- Holy towns
- Alcohol and often meat are banned in Rishikesh, Haridwar, Pushkar, Varanasi's temple areas and many pilgrimage towns.
- Where to buy
- Government or licensed wine shops ('English wine and beer shop'); bars in hotels and licensed restaurants. Drinking in public is illegal.
- Drink-driving
- 0.03% blood alcohol limit; roadside checks at night in cities.
| Drink | What it is | Typical price |
|---|---|---|
| Masala chaiमसाला चाय | Milky tea boiled with ginger, cardamom and sugar in a clay cup or glass. | ₹15–40 (≈ under US$1) |
| Filter coffeeஃபில்டர் காபி | South Indian milky coffee poured between two cups. | ₹20–60 (≈ under US$1) |
| Lassiलस्सी | Yoghurt drink, sweet or salted; Amritsar and Varanasi are famous for it. | ₹40–120 (≈ US$1–2) |
| Nimbu paniनींबू पानी | Lime soda, sweet or salty. | ₹20–60 (≈ under US$1) (bottled water only) |
| Coconut waterनारियल पानी | Straight from the green coconut. | ₹50–80 (≈ under US$1) |
| BeerKingfisher, Bira, Simba | Strong lagers and new craft brands. | ₹150–450 (≈ US$2–6) |
| Feniफेणी | Goan cashew or coconut spirit. | ₹300–800 (≈ US$4–10) a bottle |
| Indian whisky and rumOld Monk, Amrut | Molasses rum and single malts now winning awards. | ₹600–5,000 (≈ US$7–60) a bottle |
- Bhang lassi in Varanasi and Jaisalmer is cannabis; strength is unpredictable and legality murky — skip it.
- Ask for 'no ice' at street stalls.
Sleep
| Type | Price (2026 estimate) | Use it for | Watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hostel dorm | ₹500–1,200 (≈ US$6–14) a bed | Delhi, Jaipur, Goa, Rishikesh, Kerala | Zostel and similar chains are reliable; check women-only dorms. |
| Guesthouse / homestay | ₹1,200–3,000 (≈ US$14–35) | Small towns, Kerala, the hills | Hot water and power backup vary — ask. |
| 3★ hotel | ₹2,500–5,000 (≈ US$30–60) | Mid-range city base | Photos flatter; read recent reviews for noise and damp. |
| Heritage haveli | ₹4,000–12,000 (≈ US$50–140) | Rajasthan, Old Delhi, Kochi | Stairs, small rooms and no lifts; atmosphere over comfort. |
| Palace or 5★ hotel | ₹15,000–80,000 (≈ US$180–950)+ | Udaipur, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Delhi | 18% GST on rooms over ₹7,500 — check the price includes tax. |
| Houseboat / tented camp | ₹8,000–25,000 (≈ US$95–300) | Kerala backwaters, Thar desert, tiger reserves | Meals included; check AC and toilets. |
Registration and the law
- Hotels must record your passport and visa (Form C); some cheap hotels are not licensed to host foreigners and will refuse you.
- Unmarried couples are legally allowed to share a room, but some budget hotels refuse local-ID couples; foreigners rarely face this.
Booking reality
- Book Rajasthan, Goa and Kerala ahead for mid-December to mid-January and Diwali.
- Many hotels quote without tax; ask for the 'all-in' price.
Buy
Bargain in bazaars, pay fixed prices in government emporia and malls. Textiles, block prints, spices, tea and silver are the best buys; avoid anything sold after a driver's 'tour'.
Tax-free and refunds
- GST is built into prices; a tourist refund scheme exists in law but is rarely usable — check.
Prices and bargaining
- Start at 40–50% of the first price in tourist bazaars; walk away and see if they call you back.
- State government emporia (Delhi's State Emporia complex, Cottage Industries) have fixed prices and are a good benchmark.
What to bring home
| Item | Where | Watch |
|---|---|---|
| Pashmina and textiles | Delhi, Jaipur, Varanasi silk | Real pashmina is expensive; 'pashmina' at ₹500 (≈ US$6) is acrylic. Shahtoosh is illegal. |
| Block-print cotton | Jaipur (Bagru, Sanganer), Anokhi and Fabindia shops | Fixed-price chains are a safe start. |
| Tea | Darjeeling, Assam, Munnar estates | Buy first-flush Darjeeling in sealed packs. |
| Spices | Old Delhi's Khari Baoli, Kochi's Jew Town | Vacuum-packed for customs. |
| Silver and gems | Jaipur, Pushkar | Never buy for resale abroad. |
Customs allowances on arrival
| What | Limit or rule |
|---|---|
| Cash | Declare over US$5,000 in cash or US$10,000 total in foreign currency; Indian rupees may not be taken out beyond ₹25,000 (≈ US$300) — check |
| Alcohol | 2 L duty-free |
| Duty-free allowance | ₹50,000 (≈ US$600) in goods — check |
| Satellite phones, drones, e-cigarettes | Banned without licence |
| Antiques over 100 years old | Export needs an ASI certificate |
Deep dive
Questions, where next, photos, reading and every source
Open Deep diveClose Deep dive3 partsGo next · Deep dive · Sources
Go next
Delhi and NCR
Delhi base
The capital plus Agra and Jaipur trips.
Nepal
Flight DEL–KTM ~1.5 h; land via Sunauli or Raxaul
Kathmandu and Pokhara pair with Varanasi and the north.
Sri Lanka
Flight from Chennai, Bengaluru or Delhi to Colombo, 1–3.5 h
Natural add-on to a South India trip.
Maldives
Flight from Kochi, Bengaluru, Chennai or Delhi
Beach finish after Kerala.
Bhutan
Flight Delhi or Kolkata to Paro; land via Jaigaon
Needs an operator and the daily fee.
Bangladesh
Flight Kolkata–Dhaka; land crossings open but check the status
Visas and crossings affected by 2024–25 politics.
South Asia
Subregion
Which countries to combine, borders and climate by zone.
Sources compared: Wikivoyage — India · Wikitravel — India. Section coverage was checked against these community guides (CC BY-SA) as secondary sources; the text on this page is Voykit's own, with facts cross-checked against the official sources above.
Deep dive
This deep dive is for the traveller who wants to know why India looks, eats and argues the way it does. The thread through all six chapters is accumulation: India rarely replaces one layer with the next. Vedic ritual, Buddhist monasteries, Mughal gardens, British railways and a digital-payments economy all still work side by side, often on the same street, and most of the friction a visitor feels comes from those layers rubbing against each other.
1History in depth2 min
The first cities of the subcontinent grew along the Indus between about 2600 and 1900 BC: planned grids of fired brick, drains, granaries and a script nobody has yet read. Most of the big sites lie in Pakistan today, but Dholavira in Gujarat and Lothal, with what may be the oldest known dock, can be visited in India. After the cities faded, Indo-Aryan speakers in the north composed the Vedas, the hymns that still anchor Hindu ritual, and society settled into the ranked occupational groups that later hardened into caste.
From the sixth century BC the Ganges plain produced kingdoms, cities and new teachers, among them the Buddha and Mahavira, founder of Jainism. The Maurya emperor Ashoka, who ruled most of the subcontinent in the third century BC, turned to Buddhism after a bloody war in Kalinga and had his edicts carved on rocks and pillars; his lion capital from Sarnath is now the national emblem. The Gupta period, from the fourth to sixth centuries AD, is remembered for Sanskrit poetry, astronomy, mathematics that included the zero, and the painted caves of Ajanta.
Turkic and Afghan rulers founded the Delhi Sultanate in 1206, leaving the Qutub Minar and a string of walled cities around today's capital. In 1526 Babur, a Central Asian prince, won at Panipat and founded the Mughal dynasty. His successors Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan built Fatehpur Sikri, the Red Fort and the Taj Mahal, and ran a state that mixed Persian administration with Rajput alliances. In the south, the Vijayanagara empire ruled from Hampi until 1565, and Maratha armies rose in the west in the seventeenth century.
The English East India Company began as traders in Surat, Madras, Bombay and Calcutta and, after the battle of Plassey in 1757, became a territorial power. The revolt of 1857 ended Company rule and the British Crown governed directly until 1947. The independence movement, led by the Congress party with Mahatma Gandhi's mass non-violent campaigns, won freedom on 15 August 1947, but the country was partitioned into India and Pakistan amid killings and one of the largest migrations in history. The republic's constitution took effect on 26 January 1950, still celebrated as Republic Day.
Independent India followed Nehru's planned economy and non-alignment, fought wars with Pakistan in 1947, 1965, 1971 and 1999 and with China in 1962, and lived through Indira Gandhi's Emergency of 1975–77. The 1991 reforms opened the economy; since 2014 Narendra Modi's BJP has dominated national politics with a Hindu-nationalist programme, large infrastructure spending and a push for digital payments. A four-day conflict with Pakistan in May 2025, after the attack on tourists at Pahalgam, closed the main land border again.
- Indus cities
- c. 2600–1900 BC
- Ashoka's reign
- c. 268–232 BC
- Mughal dynasty
- 1526–1857
- Independence and Partition
- 15 August 1947
- Republic
- 26 January 1950
- Economic liberalisation
- 1991
2People and languages2 min
India's roughly 1.45 billion people make it the most populous country on Earth, and the variety is closer to that of a continent than a nation. The 1956 reorganisation drew state borders along language lines, so crossing from Karnataka into Tamil Nadu changes the script on the signs, the food and often the politics. The constitution lists 22 scheduled languages; Hindi, in the Devanagari script, is the most widely spoken, while English remains the working language of the courts, business and higher education.
Northern languages such as Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Gujarati and Punjabi belong to the Indo-Aryan family, related to Persian and the languages of Europe. The four major southern languages, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam, form the separate Dravidian family, and Tamil has a literary record going back two thousand years. Attempts to impose Hindi on the south have caused protests since the 1960s, which is why English is the better opening line in Chennai or Bengaluru.
Caste, the inherited system of ranked communities (jati) loosely grouped into four varnas, is illegal as a basis of discrimination but still shapes marriage, surnames, village layout and voting. Dalits, formerly called untouchables, and Adivasi tribal communities have reserved seats in parliament, universities and government jobs. Visitors rarely see caste directly, but it explains matrimonial adverts sorted by community and why some temples, kitchens or wells were historically closed to certain groups.
Family is the centre of social life. Many adults live in joint households, arranged marriages remain common though increasingly with the couple's say, and weddings can run for days with hundreds of guests. India is young, with a median age under thirty, and urbanising quickly. Hundreds of millions of people have moved to cities such as Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru, which is why the driver, the cook and the guard you meet are often from another state and another language.
- Population
- About 1.45 billion (most populous since 2023)
- Scheduled languages
- 22; Hindi and English for the Union
- Language families
- Indo-Aryan (north), Dravidian (south), plus Tibeto-Burman and Austroasiatic
- States and territories
- 28 states, 8 union territories
- Median age
- Under 30
3Religion and belief2 min
About four in five Indians are Hindu, but Hinduism is less a single church than a family of practices: worship of Shiva, Vishnu and his avatars Rama and Krishna, the goddess in her many forms, and thousands of village and household deities. There is no one book or priesthood that everyone follows. Daily worship (puja) happens at home shrines and temples, where devotees receive darshan, the sight of the deity, and take prasad, blessed food, with the right hand.
Islam arrived with Arab traders on the Kerala coast in the seventh century and later with Turkic and Mughal rulers. Around 200 million Indians are Muslim, one of the largest Muslim populations in any country. The Sufi shrines of Nizamuddin in Delhi and Ajmer Sharif in Rajasthan draw pilgrims of every faith, especially on Thursday evenings when qawwali singers perform. Relations between Hindus and Muslims are the most sensitive fault line in national politics.
India is also the birthplace of Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. Buddhism faded in its homeland after the twelfth century but its pilgrimage sites, Bodh Gaya, Sarnath and Kushinagar, are busy with Asian pilgrims, and Tibetan exiles have rebuilt monasteries in Dharamsala and Ladakh. Jains, known for strict non-violence, run some of the finest temples, such as Ranakpur. Sikhism, founded by Guru Nanak in Punjab in the fifteenth century, centres on the Golden Temple in Amritsar, whose free kitchen feeds tens of thousands every day.
Religion is public and seasonal. Festivals such as Diwali, Holi, Durga Puja, Eid and Christmas are shared across communities, and the Kumbh Mela brings tens of millions of pilgrims to bathe at river confluences. For visitors the rules are simple: shoes off, heads covered where asked, no leather in Jain temples, and respect for notices that some sanctums admit only Hindus. Holy towns such as Rishikesh and Pushkar ban meat and alcohol.
- Hindus
- About 80%
- Muslims
- About 14%
- Christians / Sikhs
- About 2% each
- Buddhists and Jains
- Under 1% each
- Largest gathering
- Kumbh Mela, every 12 years at each of four sites
4Food and eating1 min
There is no single Indian cuisine. The restaurant menu known abroad is mostly Punjabi and Mughlai: tandoori meats, creamy gravies and wheat breads, a style that spread after Partition refugees opened eateries in Delhi. Travel south and meals shift to rice, lentils, coconut and tamarind, eaten from a banana leaf; east, to river fish in mustard oil; west, to Gujarat's sweet-sour vegetarian plates and Goa's vinegar-sharp pork vindaloo, a descendant of a Portuguese dish.
Religion and caste shaped the table. Many Hindus avoid beef and many are fully vegetarian, as are Jains, who also avoid onion, garlic and root vegetables; Muslims avoid pork. This is why India has perhaps the richest vegetarian cooking in the world and why menus are divided into 'veg' and 'non-veg', marked with a green or red symbol. Dairy is central in the north: ghee, paneer, yoghurt and sweets built on reduced milk.
Spice blends (masala) are ground fresh and tempered in hot oil, and chillies, which arrived from the Americas in the sixteenth century, are now inseparable from the food. Street food is a national sport: chaat in Delhi, vada pav in Mumbai, kathi rolls in Kolkata, idli carts in Chennai. The thali, a round plate of small dishes refilled until you stop, is the everyday lunch and the best way to learn a region.
Tea arrived with the British, who planted Assam and Darjeeling in the nineteenth century, and became a national habit only in the twentieth, boiled with milk, sugar and spices as masala chai. The south drinks filter coffee. Meals are eaten with the right hand, and sharing a plate or touching someone else's food with a used hand is avoided. Hospitality is serious: a guest is fed, and refusing everything can offend.
- Vegetarians
- Roughly a quarter to a third of the population
- Chilli arrival
- 16th century, via the Portuguese
- Tea plantations
- Assam from the 1830s, Darjeeling from the 1850s
- Biggest free kitchen
- Golden Temple langar, Amritsar
5Arts and architecture1 min
Indian architecture reads like a timeline of rulers and faiths. Buddhist stupas and rock-cut halls, such as Sanchi and Ajanta, came first. Hindu temple building matured into two styles: the northern nagara with curved towers, seen at Khajuraho, and the southern Dravidian style with stepped gateway towers (gopurams) and vast enclosures, at Madurai and Thanjavur. The Kailasa temple at Ellora was carved downward out of a single hill.
Islamic rulers brought domes, arches, calligraphy and walled gardens. Delhi preserves seven centuries of it, from the Qutub complex to Humayun's Tomb, the model for the Taj Mahal. Rajput kings in Rajasthan built hilltop forts and palaces that mix Mughal and Hindu forms, and merchant families filled Shekhawati and Jaisalmer with painted havelis. The British added Gothic railway stations, hill-station bungalows and the domed government quarter of New Delhi.
Classical music has two branches: Hindustani in the north, shaped at Mughal courts, and Carnatic in the south, rooted in temple devotion. Both rest on raga, a melodic framework, and tala, a rhythmic cycle, and concerts can last all night; Chennai's December music season is the largest. Classical dance forms, including Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Kathakali and Odissi, tell stories from the epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, which every Indian child knows.
Popular culture is dominated by cinema. Mumbai's Hindi film industry, Bollywood, is only one of several; Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam films now outsell it at home and travel abroad. Film songs are the soundtrack of buses, weddings and shops. Crafts are equally regional: block printing in Rajasthan, Banarasi silk in Varanasi, Madhubani painting in Bihar and bronze casting in Tamil Nadu, many still made by hereditary artisan families.
- UNESCO World Heritage sites
- More than 40
- Classical music traditions
- Hindustani (north) and Carnatic (south)
- Film output
- Among the largest in the world, across a dozen languages
- Epics
- Ramayana and Mahabharata
6Modern India1 min
India is now the world's fourth or fifth largest economy and among the fastest-growing big ones. Software and business services made Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune into global offices; since 2020 the government has pushed manufacturing, and phones assembled in India are exported worldwide. Yet close to half of workers still depend on farming, and the gap between a Gurugram tower and a village in Bihar is visible to anyone who takes a train.
Daily life has gone digital at great speed. The Aadhaar biometric ID covers almost every resident, and UPI, the instant bank-transfer system, processes billions of payments a month, from street vendors' QR codes to rent. This is why cash-carrying visitors sometimes feel behind: a chai seller may prefer a phone scan to your ₹500 note. Tourist wallets exist, but the system was built for residents.
Politics is loud and participatory. General elections, held in stages over six weeks, involve close to a billion registered voters. States often vote differently from the centre, and the southern and eastern states have strong regional parties. Debates over religion, language, caste reservations and federal money dominate television, while social media and WhatsApp forwards spread both news and rumours.
Cricket is the shared passion; the Indian Premier League, played March to May, is one of the richest sports leagues on Earth. Infrastructure is being rebuilt at pace: new expressways, airports in mid-sized cities, metro lines in a dozen cities and semi-high-speed Vande Bharat trains, with a bullet train under construction between Mumbai and Ahmedabad. Air pollution, heat waves and water shortages are the costs a visitor notices most.
- Prime minister
- Narendra Modi (since 2014; third term from 2024)
- Digital ID
- Aadhaar, covering almost all residents
- Instant payments
- UPI, billions of transactions a month
- National passion
- Cricket; IPL March–May
Read, watch, wordsReading · Watching · Glossary · Sources
Reading
- India After Gandhi — Ramachandra GuhaThe standard history of the republic since 1947.
- The Discovery of India — Jawaharlal NehruThe first prime minister's view of Indian history, written in prison.
- City of Djinns — William DalrympleA year in Delhi, peeling back the city's layers.
- A Fine Balance — Rohinton MistryFour lives in Bombay during the Emergency.
- The God of Small Things — Arundhati RoyA Kerala family, caste and love; Booker Prize 1997.
- Midnight's Children — Salman RushdieChildren born at the hour of independence; the novel of 1947.
Watching
- Pather Panchali — Satyajit Ray, 1955Village childhood in Bengal; the start of Indian art cinema.
- Lagaan — Ashutosh Gowariker, 2001Villagers play cricket against the Raj: Bollywood at its most accessible.
- RRR — S. S. Rajamouli, 2022Telugu blockbuster that shows the scale of southern cinema.
Glossary
| Term | Local | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Namaste | नमस्ते | Greeting with palms pressed together. |
| Puja | पूजा | Worship, at home or in a temple. |
| Darshan | दर्शन | Seeing and being seen by a deity or holy person. |
| Prasad | प्रसाद | Blessed food offered back to worshippers. |
| Ghat | घाट | Steps leading down to a river or lake. |
| Aarti | आरती | Evening ritual of lamps and song. |
| Jati / varna | जाति / वर्ण | Caste community / the four classical orders. |
| Thali | थाली | A plate of several small dishes. |
| Dhaba | ढाबा | Roadside eatery, originally for truck drivers. |
| Haveli | हवेली | Courtyard mansion of a merchant or noble family. |
| Langar | ਲੰਗਰ | Free community kitchen at a gurdwara. |
| Mela | मेला | Fair or religious gathering. |
| Jugaad | जुगाड़ | Improvised fix; making do with what is at hand. |
| Crore / lakh | करोड़ / लाख | Ten million / one hundred thousand; used for all big numbers. |
Read for this deep dive
- Wikivoyage — India ↗
- Wikipedia — History of India ↗
- Wikipedia — Religion in India ↗
- Wikipedia — Languages of India ↗
- Wikipedia — Indian cuisine ↗
- Incredible India (official tourism) ↗
Background reading only: the text above is written by Voykit, not copied from these pages.
Sources
- officialIndia e-visa portal (official)
- officialBureau of Immigration, India
- officialIncredible India (official tourism)
- officialIRCTC (Indian Railways booking)
- officialIndian Railways
- officialArchaeological Survey of India (monument tickets)
- officialMinistry of Home Affairs — Protected and Restricted Area rules
- secondaryWikivoyage — India
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