Asia
The Taj Mahal, Rajasthan's palace cities, the Ganges at dawn, Kerala's backwaters and the world's most varied food, in a country that rewards patience like no other.
Photo: Rijin S · CC BY-SA 4.0
India is a country of more than 1.4 billion people, 22 officially recognised languages, thousands of years of continuous urban culture and almost every landscape from Himalayan glaciers to tropical coast. It was home to the Indus Valley civilisation, the Maurya and Gupta empires, the Delhi sultanates and the Mughals, and a series of Hindu, Buddhist, Jain and Sikh kingdoms, and it was ruled by the British until independence in 1947. All of it is still visible on the ground.
Most first-time visitors start with the north's great monuments, the Taj Mahal, the forts and palaces of Delhi, Agra and Rajasthan, then add the sacred city of Varanasi on the Ganges. The south is a different country in feel, greener and calmer, with Kerala's backwaters, the ruined Vijayanagara capital at Hampi and long coastlines. Mumbai and Goa give the west coast, and Amritsar, in the Punjab, has the spiritual heart of Sikhism.
India is not an easy country, and it does not try to be. It is crowded, noisy, hot for much of the year and demands patience with delays and hassle. It is also endlessly generous, cheap by Western standards and among the most rewarding places on earth to travel. Give it time, keep the itinerary modest and it repays you many times over.
Where to go
Ordered roughly by how strongly we would recommend each for a first visit. Agra, Delhi and Jaipur form the classic Golden Triangle; Varanasi, Udaipur and Amritsar can be added from the north; Kerala, Goa, Mumbai and Hampi are the south and west.
Uttar Pradesh, northern India
Home to the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and the abandoned city of Fatehpur Sikri: three UNESCO sites that together define Mughal India.
Don't miss The Taj Mahal at sunrise, when the marble turns from grey to pink to white.
Explore Destination — AgraNational Capital Territory of Delhi, northern India
India's capital: a city of layered history with the Red Fort, Humayun's Tomb, the Qutb Minar, Jama Masjid, the boulevards of New Delhi and some of the country's best food.
Don't miss Humayun's Tomb in the late afternoon, and a plate of kebabs in Old Delhi afterwards.
Explore Destination — DelhiRajasthan, northern India
The capital of Rajasthan, a UNESCO-listed walled city with the Hawa Mahal, City Palace, Jantar Mantar and Amber Fort, and India's best craft shopping.
Don't miss Amber Fort in the early morning, before the crowds and the heat.
Explore Destination — JaipurUttar Pradesh, Ganges plain
The holiest city in Hinduism, on the Ganges: bathing ghats, cremation grounds, the Kashi Vishwanath temple, Sarnath's Buddhist monuments and an atmosphere unlike anywhere else.
Don't miss A rowing boat at sunrise, drifting past the ghats as pilgrims bathe and pray.
Explore Destination — VaranasiRajasthan, southern Mewar
The most romantic city in Rajasthan: the City Palace on Lake Pichola, the Lake Palace, Jagdish Temple, the old bazaars and the surrounding Aravalli hills, with day trips to Ranakpur and Kumbhalgarh.
Don't miss A boat on Lake Pichola at sunset, with the City Palace glowing above the water.
Explore Destination — UdaipurKerala, south-western India
Kerala's slow, watery landscapes: houseboats and canoes on the Alleppey backwaters, the historic port of Fort Kochi, the tea hills of Munnar and a rich food and dance heritage.
Don't miss A dawn canoe ride on a quiet backwater canal, with kingfishers on the palms and village life waking up.
Explore Destination — Kerala: Backwaters and KochiMaharashtra, west coast
The financial and film capital of India, with the Gateway of India, the UNESCO-listed Victorian and Art Deco ensembles, Elephanta Caves, street food and a vibrant arts scene.
Don't miss A stroll along Marine Drive at dusk, as the lights come on along the Queen's Necklace.
Explore Destination — MumbaiGoa, west coast
A former Portuguese colony with 100 km of beaches, the UNESCO-listed churches of Old Goa, the Latin Quarter of Panjim, forts, markets and a food culture found nowhere else in India.
Don't miss Fresh fish and a cold drink at a beach shack, watching the sun drop into the Arabian Sea.
Explore Destination — GoaPunjab, north-western India
The Punjabi city of the Harmandir Sahib, or Golden Temple, with its free community kitchen, the Jallianwala Bagh memorial, the Partition Museum and the daily border ceremony at Wagah.
Don't miss The Golden Temple at dawn, when the gold reflects in the still water and the hymns begin.
Explore Destination — AmritsarKarnataka, southern India
A UNESCO-listed archaeological landscape of temples, palaces and markets from the 14th to 16th centuries, with a living temple town, river crossings and a rocky, otherworldly setting.
Don't miss Sunrise from Matanga Hill, with the boulders and temple towers glowing across the valley.
Explore Destination — HampiExperiences
The experiences that recur across the country and make an Indian trip feel like one.
The white marble tomb, built by Shah Jahan for his wife Mumtaz Mahal, is the most famous building in India and lives up to the hype, particularly in the early morning light. See Agra.
Tip Buy tickets online and arrive at opening time. The Taj is closed on Fridays.
India has one of the largest railway networks in the world, and an overnight journey in an air-conditioned sleeper berth is a cheap and memorable way to cover distance.
Tip Book through IRCTC well ahead for popular routes, and choose 2AC or 3AC for comfort.
At Varanasi, boats drift along the ghats at sunrise as pilgrims bathe and pray on the steps, one of the most powerful spectacles in the country. See Varanasi.
Tip Go by rowing boat, and agree the price and duration in advance.
A slow boat through palm-fringed canals and lagoons, past village life and rice fields, is a favourite way to relax in the south. See Kerala.
Tip Choose a small, licensed houseboat, or a canoe trip, for a quieter experience.
India holds most of the world's wild tigers, and national parks such as Ranthambore in Rajasthan, Bandhavgarh and Kanha in Madhya Pradesh, and Corbett in the Himalayan foothills offer good chances of a sighting.
Tip Book safaris weeks in advance, and plan for several game drives, since sightings are never guaranteed.
Holi in March, Diwali in October or November, Ganesh Chaturthi in Mumbai and the Pushkar camel fair are among the most vivid celebrations, but every week has one somewhere.
Tip Check the dates, which follow lunar calendars, and book accommodation early for the big festivals.
Food and drink
Indian food is not one cuisine but dozens, varying by region, religion and caste. North Indian cooking uses wheat breads, ghee and tandoor-cooked meat, the south rice, coconut and fermented batters, the coasts fish and spice, and vegetarian cooking is one of the great cuisines of the world.
A large crisp pancake made from fermented rice and lentil batter, filled with spiced potato and served with sambar and coconut chutney. A South Indian breakfast staple eaten all day.
Where to try it Udupi restaurants and tiffin rooms in the south, and Kerala.
Sweet, milky tea boiled with ginger and spices, sold everywhere in small glasses or clay cups. The national drink and a good reason to stop for a rest.
Where to try it Roadside stalls and railway stations, especially in Varanasi.
Before you go
The essentials, current for 2026. India rewards preparation, particularly on visas, train booking and health precautions.
Excludes international flights. Figures are typical rather than absolute — cities and peak season run higher.
When to go
India is huge, and climate varies by region. In most of the country the cooler, dry months from October to March are best, with the hot season from April to June and the monsoon from June to September.
Dry and pleasant across most of the country, and the main tourist season. Northern nights are cold, with heavy smog and fog around Delhi and the plains.
Warm to hot, with Holi in March. Rajasthan gets uncomfortable from April, and the Himalayas open.
Extremely hot on the plains, often above 40°C. Best for the Himalayas and hill stations.
Heavy rain, flooding in places and humid, though landscapes are green and the crowds are thin. Kerala is popular for Ayurveda, and Ladakh is accessible.
Worth planning around: May and June in the plains and Rajasthan, and the monsoon on the coasts and in Goa, where many beach shacks close. Delhi's winter smog can be severe from about October to January.
Trip length
India is vast, and journeys are slow. Two weeks cover the Golden Triangle plus one or two extensions, and three weeks allow the north and one region of the south.
Getting around
India's distances are large, and transport is a mix of trains, flights and road journeys. Each has its strengths, and most trips combine them.
Sample route
The Golden Triangle, Rajasthan's lakes, the Ganges and Kerala's backwaters, with three flights. Covers six of the ten destinations in this guide.
Culture
India is a deeply religious and diverse society, with Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Jains and Buddhists living side by side. Hospitality is a value, and curiosity about visitors is friendly, though sometimes intense.
Cover shoulders and knees, particularly at religious sites and outside beach resorts. Women may prefer loose trousers or long skirts.
Take shoes off before entering temples, mosques, gurdwaras and many homes. Cover your head at gurdwaras, and follow local signs about photography.
Eat and pass things with the right hand. The left is traditionally considered unclean.
Press your palms together and bow slightly. Handshakes are common in business, but physical contact between men and women in public is uncommon.
Ask permission before photographing people, and do not photograph inside some temples or at cremation ghats.
Cows are sacred to Hindus, and many places are vegetarian. Do not touch or point your feet at religious images.
Travel tips
The things that most often catch visitors out in India, several of which are specific to how the country works.
FAQ
Most visitors travel without serious problems. Expect scams, hassle and stomach upsets, take particular care as a solo woman, and check your government's advice for regions that are subject to warnings.
Two weeks for a first trip, and three if you can. A week covers the Golden Triangle, but India is too large to see quickly.
October to March for most of the country. Avoid May and June on the plains, and the monsoon on the coasts.
Most travellers do. Many can apply for an e-visa online. Use only the official government site and check the rules well before you travel.
No. Drink bottled or filtered water, avoid ice in cheap places, and choose freshly cooked food.
Excellent. Vegetarian food is widespread, delicious and varied, and many restaurants are entirely vegetarian.
Both work. Independent travel is cheap, but hard work. A private driver or a small-group tour makes the Golden Triangle easy, and many travellers combine the two.
The full travel guide covers routes, budgets, regional differences and how to string these ten destinations into a trip that actually works.
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