Visas & entry
Most foreign visitors need an Indian visa or e-Visa before travel; e-Visas are available to many nationalities and can be used at listed airports including the main hubs below. Rules, eligible passport lists, permitted entry points and validity change, so verify on the official Indian visa portal before booking non-refundable travel.
Getting in
- Delhi — Indira Gandhi International Airport: The default long-haul gateway for the Golden Triangle, Rajasthan, Varanasi and much of north India. It has the strongest international network alongside Mumbai and dense domestic connections.
- Mumbai — Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport: Best for Mumbai, Goa, the Konkan coast and western India; also a logical arrival for travelers continuing between north India and the coast. Hotels and airport transfers are expensive by Indian standards.
- Bengaluru — Kempegowda International Airport: A strong Gulf- and Asia-linked gateway for Karnataka, Hampi and southern itineraries, with extensive domestic flights. It is useful rather than essential if your trip is otherwise Kerala or Tamil Nadu focused.
- Chennai — Chennai International Airport: The most practical international entry for Tamil Nadu’s temple country and the southeast coast. Use it for Chennai, Mahabalipuram, Madurai and Chettinad rather than routing south India through Delhi.
- Kochi — Cochin International Airport: The cleanest arrival for Kerala: Kochi, Munnar, the backwaters and the Malabar coast. It has good Gulf links and domestic flights, though fewer intercontinental options than Delhi or Mumbai.
Getting around
Use rail on compact, city-to-city corridors such as Delhi–Agra–Jaipur, Delhi–Varanasi, Mumbai–Goa and Chennai–Madurai; book popular services early, as trains sell out despite the Foreign Tourist Quota. Hire a car and driver for Rajasthan, Kerala’s hills and backwaters, and Tamil Nadu temple country: self-driving is rarely relaxing, and rural detours are much easier with a driver. Fly when changing regions—Delhi to Kochi, Mumbai to Leh, or Rajasthan to Varanasi—but treat even a short domestic flight as a mostly consumed day once transfers, security and delays are included.
Money
The currency is the Indian rupee (₹/INR). Cards work reliably at better hotels, restaurants and urban shops, but carry cash for small eateries, markets, drivers, rickshaws and smaller towns; app-based payments often require an Indian mobile number. Tipping is expected in practical service settings—drivers, guides, hotel staff and restaurant service—but keep it modest rather than importing US-level percentages.
Daily budget · INR (₹). Roughly US$1 ≈ ₹95–100 for planning purposes.
- Value
- ₹2,500–4,500 (about US$25–47)
- Mid-range
- ₹6,000–12,000 (about US$62–124)
- High-end
- ₹18,000–45,000+ (about US$185–465+)
- Bands exclude international flights but include accommodation, food, local transport, ordinary sights and an averaged share of long-distance travel.
- Value travel means dorms or basic private rooms, local restaurants and thalis, trains/buses, Metro or app cabs, and selective paid sights.
- Comfortable mid-range means a good air-conditioned hotel or heritage guesthouse shared by two, AC rail or occasional domestic flights, some private transfers, guides and restaurant meals.
- High-end means palace or luxury hotels, private car and driver, premium guides, internal flights, destination dining and premium wildlife stays.
- India is cheap only if you travel simply. Mumbai hotels, Rajasthan heritage properties, tiger lodges, domestic flights, private drivers, and Goa or Kerala over Christmas–New Year raise costs sharply.
- For dependable comfort, budget above backpacker estimates: transport between far-apart regions and good accommodation are the usual budget breakers.
Eating well
- Treat each region as its own food country: do not default to generic restaurant menus when there is a local specialty available.
- In Delhi, Old Delhi is at its best in the morning and early evening; take a trusted food guide if street-stall navigation makes you uneasy.
- Balance Delhi’s heavy kebabs, breads and creamy gravies with vegetarian canteens and lighter snack stops.
- Kerala food is not interchangeable with generic 'South Indian': seek both Malabar cooking and the coconut-and-rice dishes of the central and southern coast.
- Tamil Nadu deserves a dedicated eating plan; do not reduce it to idli and dosa.
- For street food, choose busy stalls with rapid turnover and freshly cooked food; avoid making an ambitious street-food crawl your first meal after arrival.
Book before you land
Ranthambore National Park tiger safaris — official permits are limited and should be secured early, especially in peak season. · Taj Mahal full-moon night viewing — limited batches of 50 people; book only if your dates align. · Popular long-distance Indian Railways services, especially in peak season and on the major tourist corridors.
- India is too large for a highlights sprint. Pick one coherent region, or a north-India circuit followed by a slow coastal finish; three-night bases beat daily hotel changes.
- Do not treat monsoon as one national season: June–September is wet across much of the country, but Ladakh is in prime season; Tamil Nadu’s east coast can be wet again from roughly October to December.
- Delhi winter fog can disrupt flights and trains in December and January. Build slack if you have a tight international connection.
- Use Metro systems and reputable app cabs in major cities; agree fares or insist on a meter for rickshaws where applicable. Avoid improvised drivers and guides around major monuments.
- For food, eat busy, freshly cooked local dishes rather than chasing a generic idea of “Indian food.” Regional cuisines differ sharply—Delhi’s Mughal/Punjabi food, Rajasthan’s dry-country cooking, Kerala’s coconut-and-seafood dishes, Tamil Nadu’s temple and Chettinad traditions, and Bengal’s fish and sweets are not interchangeable.
- In Ladakh, altitude dictates the itinerary: sleep in Leh first, keep the first day easy, and leave a weather buffer before flying out. Remote border areas can require permits; confirm current rules before committing to overnight plans.
Entry rules change — verify visa requirements for your passport before booking this country.
Season by season
January–March
This is the most reliable all-round period for Delhi, Agra, Rajasthan, Varanasi, Goa and Kerala, though north India can have cold mornings and Delhi fog can disrupt flights and trains in January.
classic north IndiaRajasthan forts and citiesGoa and Kerala beachesVaranasi
Christmas–New Year drives up Goa, Kerala and heritage-hotel prices; Holi, usually in February or March, brings crowds, powder, altered hours and transport pressure.
April–June
The plains become fiercely hot—especially Delhi, Agra, Rajasthan and central India—while Himalayan foothills, Sikkim, Darjeeling, Himachal and Ladakh become the sensible targets as roads, trails and services reopen.
LadakhHimalayan trekkinghill stationsmountain scenery
A Golden Triangle or Rajasthan itinerary requires dawn starts, indoor afternoons and a high tolerance for heat; May and early June are punishing rather than merely warm.
July–September
The southwest monsoon brings heavy rain, humidity and variable transport across much of India, while Kerala and the Western Ghats turn intensely green and Ladakh stays dry enough for its core travel season.
LadakhKerala landscapesWestern Ghatslower-season travel
Poor weather and rough sea conditions undermine Goa beach plans, while rain makes Rajasthan, monument circuits and tightly scheduled overland travel less dependable.
October–December
Rajasthan, Delhi, Agra and Varanasi improve rapidly after the monsoon, and Kerala generally dries out; Tamil Nadu's east coast—including Chennai, Mahabalipuram and Pondicherry—receives its main northeast-monsoon rain in this period.
north IndiaRajasthanKeralafestival travel
Bay of Bengal storms can disrupt Tamil Nadu's coast; Diwali tightens nationwide transport and hotels, while late December brings peak beach-resort demand in Goa and Kerala.
Events worth planning around
Holi · Usually February or March · Especially Jaipur, Mathura, Vrindavan and Rajasthan
Join only if you actively want a boisterous, messy festival: colored powder, crowds, changed business hours and difficult transport are part of the deal.
Diwali · Usually October or November · Nationwide
A major domestic travel period: reserve transport and hotels early, and expect some family-run businesses to keep irregular hours.
Durga Puja · Usually September or October; the final five days are the peak · Kolkata
An exceptional reason to visit Kolkata, but not for a quiet break: pandals, processions, severe traffic and huge evening crowds reshape the city.
Pushkar Camel Fair · Typically October or November · Pushkar, Rajasthan
It turns a small town into a hotel-constrained spectacle; book accommodation well ahead and go for the festival rather than tranquility.
Christmas and New Year · Late December to early January · Goa and Kerala beach areas
Beach resorts, heritage stays and flights sell at a major premium; reserve months ahead or choose another region.
What to eat
Do not order “Indian food”; order the food of the state and, often, the city you are in. North India is bread, grills and rich gravies; the south pivots to rice, coconut, seafood and sharply regional breakfast foods; Bengal and the east are fish-and-sweets territory. Eat local at busy specialist places, and use street-food judgment rather than treating every stall as a dare.
Delhi chaat, kebabs, nihari, chole bhature, parathas, butter chicken and dal makhaniRajasthani thalis and regional vegetarian cookingKerala Malabar parotta, seafood, puttu with kadala curry, and appam with stewTamil Nadu banana-leaf meals, pongal, temple foods, filter coffee, and Chettinad cookingBengali fish dishes, sweets and Mughlai-influenced snacksRice-and-fish, steamed and fermented foods of eastern India
Delhi and Punjab: Chaat · Kebabs · Nihari · Chole bhature · Parathas and butter chicken
Kerala: Malabar parotta · Seafood · Puttu with kadala curry · Appam with stew
Tamil Nadu: Chettinad spice-led dishes around Karaikudi · Kongunadu cooking around Coimbatore · Banana-leaf meals · Pongal and filter coffee
Kolkata and Bengal: Fish · Bengali sweets · Mughlai-influenced snacks · Old-school dining and coffee-house culture
Eastern India: Rice-and-fish cooking · Steamed dishes · Fermented foods · Sweets