A typical first trip here runs about $300 to $400 per person for 7 days at a mid-range style, before flights. Get your own number from the Budget Calculator.
- Vast regional diversity, North Indian (rich curries, naan) vs. South Indian (dosas, idli)
- Biryani in Hyderabad, street chaat in Mumbai, thali meals everywhere
- Vegetarianism is widespread, some of the world's best vegetarian food
- Masala chai, spiced tea with milk; the national drink, served everywhere
- Indian sweets (mithai): gulab jamun, jalebi, ladoo, extraordinarily diverse
- Holi (March), festival of colors; the most joyful celebration in the world
- Diwali, festival of lights with fireworks, sweets, and lamp decorations
- Pushkar Camel Fair (November), extraordinary traditional livestock market
- Classical dance forms (Bharatanatyam, Kathak) and music traditions
- India has over 2,000 ethnic groups and hundreds of regional festivals
Hindi and English are official; 22 scheduled languages and hundreds of dialects exist. English is widely used in business, education, and tourism in most cities.
India is enormously diverse, cultural practices vary dramatically by region.
- Remove shoes before entering temples, mosques, and many homes
- Dress conservatively, especially women in rural areas and religious sites
- Use right hand for eating and passing food
- Bargaining is expected in markets; agree on taxi prices before entering
- Delhi: Mughal monuments including the Red Fort and Humayun's Tomb, chaotic and exhilarating street food in Chandni Chowk, and New Delhi's colonial grandeur
- Rajasthan: Pink City Jaipur's forts and palaces, romantic lake city Udaipur, camel safaris in the Thar Desert, and some of India's most opulent heritage hotels
- Kerala: Serene backwater houseboat journeys, abundant spice plantations, Ayurvedic rejuvenation retreats, and pristine beaches at Varkala and Kovalam
- Goa: Laid-back beach villages with Portuguese colonial architecture and churches, vibrant beach nightlife, and a distinct Indo-Portuguese fusion culture
- Tamil Nadu & South India: Towering Dravidian gopuram temple towers, the birthplace of dosa and idli cuisine, and a cultural tradition distinct from the North
- Himalayan North: Trekking in Himachal Pradesh, the Dalai Lama's home in Dharamsala (McLeod Ganj), and the remote high-altitude desert of Ladakh
Latest for India
Updates for India will appear here as they are published. Every update cites official sources, so you can plan on it.