Highlights
The Taj Mahal, Agra
The white marble mausoleum built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan for his wife Mumtaz Mahal is at its most beautiful at sunrise. Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri nearby complete the visit. The Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays.
Delhi
The capital combines the bustle of Old Delhi's bazaars and the Jama Masjid with Mughal monuments such as the Red Fort and Humayun's Tomb, the Qutub Minar and the broad avenues of New Delhi.
Rajasthan
A state of palaces and forts: Jaipur's Amber Fort and pink old city, Udaipur's lakes, Jodhpur's blue houses beneath Mehrangarh Fort, and Jaisalmer, a living fort town at the edge of the Thar Desert.
Varanasi
One of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities, on the Ganges, where pilgrims bathe on the ghats at dawn and the evening aarti ceremony fills the riverbank with lamps and chanting.
Kerala's backwaters
A network of lagoons, canals and lakes in the south-west, explored by converted rice barges called kettuvallams, with Kochi's colonial old town, tea plantations around Munnar and Ayurvedic retreats nearby.
Hampi
The ruins of the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire in Karnataka, a UNESCO site of temples, palaces and stone chariots spread across a landscape of giant boulders.
Ladakh
A high-altitude region in the far north, with Buddhist monasteries, the town of Leh and lakes such as Pangong. Roads are open mainly in summer; allow a few days to acclimatise to the altitude.
Goa
India's smallest state has a long coastline of beaches, Portuguese colonial churches in Old Goa and a cuisine that mixes Indian and Portuguese influences.
Interesting facts about India
- India uses a single time zone, Indian Standard Time, which is five and a half hours ahead of UTC.
- Indian Railways operates one of the largest rail networks in the world and is one of the world's largest employers.
- The game of chess is widely believed to have developed from chaturanga, played in India around 1,500 years ago.
- India's constitution recognises 22 scheduled languages, and Hindi and English are used for central government business.
- The Kumbh Mela, a Hindu pilgrimage held in rotation at four river sites, is among the largest gatherings of people in the world.
Best time to visit
For most of India, the best time to travel is from about October to March, when it is dry and cooler; this suits Rajasthan, Delhi, Agra, Varanasi, Goa and Kerala. From April to June, the plains become very hot, and many people head for hill stations such as Shimla and Darjeeling. The south-west monsoon arrives in Kerala around June and spreads north, bringing heavy rain until about September. Ladakh and other high Himalayan areas are best from roughly June to September, when roads are open.
Practical information
| Capital | New Delhi |
|---|---|
| Currency | Indian rupee (INR) |
| Languages | Hindi, English |
| Plugs | Type C, D, M |
| Voltage | 230 V, 50 Hz |
| Emergency | 112 for all emergencies; also 100 police, 101 fire, 108 ambulance |
| Driving | On the left |
| Tipping | Around 10 percent in restaurants if service is not included; check the bill. Small tips for drivers, guides and hotel staff are customary. |
Getting around
Trains are the classic way to travel, with sleeper and air-conditioned classes on long routes; book well ahead, as popular trains sell out. Domestic flights are plentiful and save time over long distances. Many cities have modern metro systems, including Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. For shorter trips, auto-rickshaws and taxis are common, and ride-hailing apps avoid negotiating fares. Many visitors hire a car with a driver for touring Rajasthan or Kerala; self-driving is not recommended for first-time visitors given traffic conditions.
Staying connected in India
Mobile data is generally fast and widely available in cities and towns, and 4G and 5G cover most populated areas and main rail routes. Coverage becomes patchy in the Himalaya, including much of Ladakh, in remote desert and forest areas and on some islands. Wi-Fi is common in hotels and cafés but quality varies. Many everyday services, from ride-hailing to food delivery, depend on a working phone. Install an eSIM before you fly and switch it on when you land.
See India eSIM plans · How to install an eSIM
Useful apps for India
- Uber: Ride-hailing in most major cities, for cars and auto-rickshaws with fares shown upfront.
- Ola: India's own ride-hailing app, widely available in cities and towns.
- IRCTC Rail Connect: The official Indian Railways app for checking trains and booking tickets.
- Zomato: Finding restaurants, reading reviews and ordering food delivery in cities.
- Google Maps: Navigation, metro routes and finding places; download offline maps for the mountains.