Travelling to India? Get travel advice and inspiration from Wanderlust. Want to know what to see or do? How to avoid the crowds? We have the tips for you
India has the second largest population of the world, with about 1.15 billion people living on the subcontinent. With almost three million square kilometres ahead of you, the first challenge is deciding where to go.
Many travellers coming to India for the first time choose to visit the ‘golden triangle’ – the capital Delhi, Agra with its world-famous Taj Mahal, and Jaipur, the 'pink city' with Hawa Mahal, the Palace of Winds. After a week on the move you'll start to understand why so many visitors to India end up staying for months - or years.
There are so many alternatives. Rajasthan in the northwest is the India many imagine: women dressed in brightly coloured saris, majestic palaces and forts and camels swaggering through the desert.
The capital of Maharashtra state, Mumbai, is India's fastest-moving city, home to Bollywood and a rising Indian middle class. Calcutta is widely regarded as India's spiritual centre, a seething, hypnotic cauldron of ceaseless toil.
Head south and the pace slows. Portuguese Goa, the most westernised state, with its beaches and resorts. Kerala, with rice-boats cruising idyllic backwaters and the fortified city of Cochin. Sprawling Karnataka, with the ruins of Hampi and Madurai's simmering Meneekshi Temple, packed with devotees offering sacrifice and holy elephants holding court. Tamil Nadu, vast and rural, that also includes Pondicherry, France's tiny toe-hold onto the Indian sub-continent. And if the heat gets too intense, flee to hill stations, built by the British as hot-season refuges and now happy playgrounds for India's growing middle class.
Push at the frontiers and there are more gems. Troubled Kashmir, with its houseboats and guns. Amritsar, with its 'Golden Temple' defended by pensioners armed with swords, at the heart of Sikkhism. The Himalayan foothills, where trekking routes evolved as ancient trade links to remote mountain settlements.
Do the Ultimate. Visit the highlights: the Taj, Jaipur and the two sides of Dehli. It'll give you a flavour before you head off the beaten trail
Go Home. Their home - not yours. Homestays are an increasingly popular way for middle-class Indians to liven up their lives - and for you to enter their complex world
Body and Soul. Ayurvedic treatments are big in India. Book yourself a course of massage therapy at any one of the many clinics scattered throughout the land
Get Cooking. Indian cuisine is there to be savoured. Take a cooking course in India and learn its complex art
Chant to Purity. India's Hindu Ashrams, faith-based guest houses where even the food is included, are great places to share profound philosophical thoughts. Pondicherry - and nearby Auroville - is something of a spiritual centre
Take the Train. The rail system in India is more than just a way to get around: it's an experience in its own right. Book yourself a sleeper - choosing the class according to your budget - and experience travel at the clattering pace of an ancient train
Rent an Enfield. These classic motorcycles date back to 1960's production bikes - and are easy to rent (and repair, frequently). Driving them in India is something of an art: be prepared to react quickly to unexpected cattle and road-hogging trucks
Riceboat Dreams. The converted riceboats that ply the backstreets of Kerala are the ultimate way to experience rural India at its most peacefully replete. Fertile soils and plentiful fish stocks mean you won't see grinding poverty here: instead the idyllic sights of shady palms, reflective paddy fields and quiet little rural churches and temples show India at its rural best
Pack light and stay longer. There are few things you need in India that you can't buy locally, and heavy packs greatly increase stress. Your money is likely to stretch for longer than you expect and you'll also find it takes you longer, in India, to achieve what you want. Leave yourself the flexibility to extend your stay.
Travel in India: vital statistics
Capital of India: New Delhi
Population of India: 1.2 billion
Languages in India: The language of business is English. Hindi is the national language, but there are 14 other official languages: Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada, Oriya, Punjabi, Assamese, Kashmiri, Sindhi and Sanskrit.
Time in India: GMT 5.5 during winter time; GMT 4.5 during summer time (India does not change its clocks).
International dialling code in India: 91
Voltage in India: 220-240 AC 50 Hz; some areas have a DC supply
Visas for India: India visas
Money in India: Indian Rupee (Rs). It is not possible to purchase Indian Rupees in advance, but ATMs or airport banks are available at the major airports. You can pay by credit cards in India’s main centres, but don’t rely on it in smaller cities and towns. Travellers cheques are widely accepted but allow plenty of time to deal with the paperwork in town-centre banks. Tip 10% in upmarket restaurants if service is not already included. In cheap restaurants it is not common to tip more than a few Rupees to round up the bill.
India travel advice: Foreign and Commonwealth Office
India tourist board: India tourist board
The best time to visit most parts of India is from October to the end of March. During the summer months the monsoon brings heavy rainfalls.
Climate varies a lot depending on where you go. Tamil Nadu in the southeast gets most of its rain between October and December, whereas in the northwest Rajasthan and northern Gujarat don’t receive much rain at all.
India has a lot of great festivals and interesting religious celebrations, which are worth considering when you plan your journey. Highlights are: Makar Sankrati on January 14, when people in North India celebrate the start of the northern journey of the sun with a kite festival; Rath Yatra, the chariot festival, in June; and Diwali in October or November, with atmospheric lights and impressive fireworks.
Mumbai (BOM) 29km from the city; Calcutta (CCU) 13km from the city; Delhi (DEL) 20km from the city; Chennai (MAA) 14km from the city; Amritsar-Raja Sansi (ATQ) 11km from the city; Goa (GOI) 35km from the city of Panjim.
For long distances flying is the best option. Domestic flights to all major cities are available, frequently at low prices.
Rail travel is cheap and relatively comfortable. Indian Railways operates a comprehensive network of trains of different standards and with different classes. Be prepared for long journeys – and check if overnight sleeper trains are available for your route to save some time and money for accommodation. Reservations are essential to ensure you get a berth.
If you are not in a hurry you can enjoy the views from a slow steam train up to the hill resorts of Shimla, Ooty (Udhagamandalam), Darjeeling or Matheran.
Many of India’s interesting places can only be reached by road. Buses now get to pretty much every part of the country. They are very cheap, but slow and uncomfortable.
A more comfortable way to get around is to hire a car with a driver.
India has a very wide range of accommodation. In all major cities you can stay in high-class hotels for a fraction of what you would pay in Western countries, while locally run hotels are even cheaper - especially if you bargain. The YHA run a few hostels all over India, and tourist offices can provide you with a list of families offering homestays. For a unique experience, stay at a Hindu Ashram.You're not expected to be religious, but a philosophical interest will help you fit in.
India’s cuisine is very diverse and food is an integral part of Indian culture. The techniques involved in cooking Indian food are intimately connected with communities, regions, religious beliefs and festivities in the Indian culture.
What most regional styles have in common is the importance of spices, used for flavour, as appetite stimulators and digestives. Domestic cuisine can be very hot, but expensive restaurants catering for the tourist trade make their meals very mild.
Other essentials are dal (lentils), rice and dairy products like dahi, a sort of yoghurt or curd.
For vegetarians India is probably the best country on earth: you can be sure that all Hindu restaurants won't serve meat - or even an egg - at all. Tuck into vegetable stews, curries with paneer cheese and many other regional specialties.
Street stall favourites are samosas, three-cornered deep-fried pastry parcels with a potato filling; bhajis, battered and deep-fried vegetables; and dosas, a sort of pancake made of rice.
Depending on where you go and how you travel, several vaccinations are recommended, as is malaria prophylaxis – consult your GP or travel health clinic.
Drink only sterilised, boiled or bottled water. Make sure the bottles are sealed and bear in mind that ice is not always made from sterilised water.
| Destinations | The Golden Triangle |
|---|---|
| Depature | Yes Required |
 Travel With Bus |
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Upon arrival; after clearing your immigration & customs; you will be met by our airport facilitation staff carrying placard of your name in visitor’s arrival hall. You will be greeted and transferred to your hotel with necessary assistance. (check in time 1400hrs) Overnight at hotel.
Following breakfast proceed for the city tour of Old & New Delhi. Old Delhi – visit the Raj Ghat, the simple memorial to Mahatma Gandhi. Driving past the magnificent Red Fort, built on the banks of River Yamuna by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. Walk through the “Chandni Chowk” to experience the ambience of an oriental bazaar. Enjoy the main hub for Shopping on cheapest rate. Walk through the narrow lanes of Old Delhi to reach Jama Masjid – The World Heritage Monument - The largest mosque in India completed in 1658 by Shah Jahan who also built the Taj Mahal, New Delhi. Our tour of New Delhi includes drive past visits the India Gate (war memorial dedicated to the lives of the Indian Soliders), the President House, Parliament House and the Secretariate Buildings – an ancient blend of the Victorian and 20th Century architecture & Lotus Temple. Later drive to Agra. Upon arrival check into the hotel. Overnight at hotel.
Following breakfast, visit Agra City: Agra is not only famous for Taj Mahal but the impressive Mughal Red Fort known as the Agra Fort. This impressive red sandstone fort was built by Akbar between 1565-1573 A.D. Replete with gateways, pillared halls, mosques, marble trellises and geometric gardens; the Fort represents Mughal architecture at its peak. Taj Mahal: is the medieval city of the famous 17th century masterpiece Taj Mahal, which of course is the most splendid of all buildings - perhaps, the most perfect architectural monument in the world. It was built in the memory of the beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal of one of the greatest kings Shah Jehan of the Mughal Empire. (TAJ MAHAL CLOSED ON FRIDAYS). Later start drive to Jaipur. En-route visit Abhaneri is a village in the Dausa district of Rajasthan state in India. It is situated at a distance of 95 km from Jaipur, on the Jaipur-Agra road. The place is popular for the Chand Baori step well. Continue Drive to Jaipur, upon arrival check into the hotel. Overnight at hotel.
Following breakfast, proceed for an excursion to Amber Fort: the former capital of the royal Rajputs. Few fail to be moved by the dramatic Rajput grandeur of this hilltop fortress-palace 11-km north of Jaipur. Set on the dry wrinkled Aravali Hills, and surrounded by fortified battlements, the palace straddles two sepia-hued tundra hills overlooking Maota Lake, and its sprawling crenellated walls lattice the surrounding hills. Drive past / Photo Stop of Hawa Mahal or Palace of the Winds, a five-storied structure of pink sandstone with semi-octagonal and delicately honeycombed windows overlooking the main street of the old city. It was built in 1799 so that veiled royal woman could peer down unseen by the world through its 593 stone screens. We proceed for a guided tour of the City Palace - The City Palace in the heart of the old city is a blend of Rajasthani and Mughal architecture. The center of the palace is a seven storied building called Chandra Palace, with fine views over the gardens and the city. Overnight at hotel.
Following breakfast morning free for shopping; Afternoon proceed for the Delhi International Airport in time to connect flight for your onward destination Tour ends….
