India travel guide

India rewards every kind of traveller. In a single trip you can watch sunrise over the Taj Mahal in Agra, drift on a houseboat through the Kerala backwaters, trek beneath Himalayan peaks in Ladakh and Himachal, and eat your way through the street food of Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata. Few countries pack so much variety into one journey. Choosing where to go is part of the pleasure. Rajasthan offers fort cities such as Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur and Jaisalmer, while the south brings Hampi's ruins, the temples of Madurai, and the hills and wildlife of Kerala. Goa and the Andamans cover the coast, and Varanasi, Amritsar and Rishikesh give a sense of India's spiritual life. Most regions are at their best between October and March, though the Himalayas open up in summer and Kerala is lovely just after the monsoon. India suits first-timers and repeat visitors alike. Plan your itinerary city by city with Zippy Trips.

Capital: New Delhi.

Before you go to India

Currency

INR ₹

Emergency number

112 / 100

Plug type

Type C, D, M

Tap water

Drink bottled water

Tipping

Optional

Bargaining

Common

eSIM

Available

Card networks

Visa, Mastercard, RuPay, Amex

ATM fees

Rs 200-250 after free limit

Cities in India

• New Delhi India's vibrant capital — a layered metropolis of Mughal monuments, colonial boulevards, bazaars of Old Delhi, and world-class museums.
• Agra Home to the Taj Mahal — the world's most iconic monument to love — as well as Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri, all UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
• Panaji Goa's charming capital of sun-bleached Portuguese villas, the Latin Quarter of Fontainhas, and the sparkling Mandovi riverfront — a coastal…
• Mumbai India's Maximum City — a pulsating megapolis of Bollywood, Art Deco architecture, colonial heritage, street food, and the iconic Gateway of…
• Varanasi One of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities and Hinduism's holiest, where ancient ghats line the sacred Ganges for ritual…
• Udaipur City of Lakes nestled in the Aravalli Hills, home to palaces perched over shimmering waters and a timeless romantic skyline.
• Manali Adventure capital of the Himalayas — a base for Rohtang Pass, Solang Valley skiing, river rafting, and trekking into Lahaul and Spiti.
• Leh High-altitude desert capital of Ladakh at 3,500m — monasteries, lunar landscapes, the Indus Valley, and some of India's most dramatic…
• Amritsar Spiritual heart of the Sikh faith — home to the breathtaking Golden Temple (Harmandir Sahib), the Jallianwala Bagh memorial, and the Wagah…
• Rishikesh World Yoga Capital on the banks of the Ganges — the gateway to the Char Dham, internationally renowned for yoga, white-water rafting, and…
• Shimla Former summer capital of British India — Victorian architecture, the Toy Train, Mall Road, and mountain panoramas at 2,200m in the…
• Haridwar One of Hinduism's seven sacred cities — pilgrims descend to bathe in the Ganges at Har Ki Pauri and witness the mesmerising Ganga Aarti at…
• Jaisalmer The 'Golden City' rising from the Thar Desert — a living fort city of honeyed sandstone, camel safaris, and star-lit dunes.
• Munnar Emerald hill station of endless tea gardens, misty peaks, and the rare Neelakurinji flower — Kerala's most beloved highland retreat.
• Kochi Port city where Chinese fishing nets, Jewish synagogues, Dutch palaces, and spice warehouses tell 500 years of trade — Kerala's…
• Hyderabad City of the Nizam's opulence — Charminar, Golconda Fort, fragrant biryani, and Hussain Sagar lake at the crossroads of old and new India.
• Khajuraho Medieval temples of extraordinary erotic sculpture — the Chandela dynasty's UNESCO World Heritage masterwork of love, life, and divinity.
• Pondicherry French colonial quarter of cobblestone streets, bougainvillea facades, and Aurobindo Ashram — a peaceful blend of Tamil and French culture…
• Prayagraj Sangam city at the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and mythical Saraswati rivers — host to the world's largest human gathering, the Kumbh…
• Madurai Temple city of extraordinary antiquity, centred on the towering gopurams of the Meenakshi Amman Temple — the living heart of Tamil culture.
• Port Blair Capital of the Andamans — the Cellular Jail of colonial memory, crystal-clear waters, coral reefs, and jumping-off point to Havelock and…
• Mathura Birthplace of Lord Krishna and one of India's seven sacred cities, filled with over 1,000 temples and alive with Holi and Janmashtami…
• Hampi Ruins of the magnificent Vijayanagara Empire scattered across a surreal boulder-strewn landscape on the Tungabhadra — a UNESCO World…
• Sawai Madhopur Gateway to Ranthambore National Park — India's most accessible tiger reserve, set against a dramatic 10th-century fort backdrop.
• Alleppey The 'Venice of the East' — a labyrinth of backwater canals, rice-paddy shores, and iconic houseboat cruises through Kerala's serene inland…
• Pushkar One of the world's oldest cities, built around a sacred lake and the only Brahma temple in India, hosting the famous Pushkar Camel Fair.
• Darjeeling Queen of Himalayan hill stations — toy train rides, sunrise over Kangchenjunga, first-flush Darjeeling tea estates, and the Buddhist Ghoom…
• Mysuru The 'City of Palaces' — Karnataka's cultural capital, famous for the illuminated Mysore Palace, Dussehra celebrations, sandalwood, and silk.
• Tirupati Home to the Sri Venkateswara Temple atop Tirumala Hills — the world's most visited religious site, receiving over 100,000 pilgrims daily.
• Dharamsala Home-in-exile of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Government — McLeod Ganj blends Himalayan trekking, Tibetan Buddhism, and café culture.
• Kolkata The 'City of Joy' — a literary, artistic, and culinary powerhouse shaped by the Bengal Renaissance, the Raj, and the warmth of its people.
• Aurangabad Gateway to the UNESCO-listed Ajanta and Ellora cave complexes — masterpieces of ancient Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain rock-cut art and…
• Thekkady Periyar Tiger Reserve — one of India's best wildlife sanctuaries, where elephant herds come to the lakeshore in a landscape of…
• Gangtok Sikkim's mountain capital of monasteries, orchid gardens, and misty ridgeline views — a serene gateway to Nathula Pass and Buddhist culture.
• Vrindavan The divine town where Krishna spent his youth — a forest of temples, bhajans, and the mystical Yamuna banks that draw millions of pilgrims.
• Bengaluru India's Silicon Valley — a cosmopolitan Garden City of tech campuses, Vidhana Soudha, Cubbon Park, and a buzzing craft beer and restaurant…
• Jaipur The 'Pink City' — Rajasthan's capital famed for the Hawa Mahal, Amber Fort, and vibrant bazaars of gems, textiles, and handicrafts.
• Jodhpur The 'Blue City' crowned by the mighty Mehrangarh Fort, where indigo-painted havelis spill down ochre hillsides.
• Srinagar Kashmir's summer capital of Dal Lake houseboats, Mughal gardens, and the floating market — the jewel of the Himalayas.
• Chennai Tamil Nadu's capital — a grand Dravidian metropolis of towering gopurams, Marina Beach, colonial Fort St. George, and classical Carnatic…
• Kaziranga UNESCO World Heritage Site and stronghold of the one-horned Indian rhinoceros — over 2,000 rhinos roam the Brahmaputra floodplains and…
• Shirdi Home to the shrine of Sai Baba — one of India's most visited pilgrimage sites, drawing over 60,000 devotees daily from every faith.
• Puri Sacred pilgrimage city on the Bay of Bengal — Jagannath Temple, one of the four Hindu dhams, and the world-famous Rath Yatra chariot…
• Nainital Kumaon's gem of a hill station curled around a crescent lake, ringed by oak forests and Himalayan peaks — a beloved colonial escape.
• Ooty The 'Queen of Hill Stations' in the Nilgiri mountains — pine forests, tea gardens, Botanical Gardens, and the celebrated Nilgiri Mountain…
• Ahmedabad India's first UNESCO World Heritage City — Gandhi's Sabarmati Ashram, stunning stepwells, a vibrant textile heritage, and the exuberant…
• Guwahati Gateway to Northeast India on the Brahmaputra — the ancient Kamakhya Temple, Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, and vibrant Assamese silk and…
• Fatehpur Sikri A perfectly preserved Mughal ghost city built by Akbar in red sandstone and abandoned after just 14 years — a haunting UNESCO World…
• Shillong The 'Scotland of the East' — a cool pine-scented plateau capital of living root bridges, Ward's Lake, and a surprisingly vibrant music and…
• Lonavala A breezy Western Ghats hill station of cascading waterfalls, ancient Karla and Bhaja caves, and misty viewpoints above the Deccan plains.
• Kanchipuram City of Thousand Temples and famed Kanchipuram silk — one of seven sacred Hindu cities, home to towering Dravidian temples spanning 2,000…
• Ajmer Pilgrimage hub of the Dargah Sharif of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, drawing millions of devotees and serving as gateway to Pushkar.
• Pune Maharashtra's cultured second city — home to the Aga Khan Palace, Shaniwar Wada, vibrant café culture, and the OSHO International…
• Bhubaneswar Temple city of Odisha — 'City of Temples' with over 700 medieval Kalinga temples, the Udayagiri-Khandagiri caves, and emerging modern art…
• Cherrapunji The wettest place on Earth — a cliff-top village of breathtaking canyon views, thundering waterfalls, and ancient Khasi root bridges in the…
• Visakhapatnam Port city of beaches, submarine museums, Araku Valley tribal highlands, and the scenic Eastern Ghats — Andhra's most scenic coastal…
• Konark The Sun Temple of Konark — a 13th-century chariot-shaped UNESCO World Heritage masterpiece, and the Sun Temple festival of classical dance.
• Mahabalipuram Seaside UNESCO World Heritage Site of stunning Pallava rock sculptures, the Shore Temple, and the giant carved panel of Arjuna's Penance.
• Madikeri Heart of Coorg — India's 'Scotland' — a mist-laden coffee and spice country of rolling plantations, waterfalls, and the ancient Raja's Seat.
• Orchha Timeless Bundela capital of frescoed palaces, chhatris on the Betwa river, and the Ram Raja Temple where God is worshipped as a king.
• Mount Abu Rajasthan's only hill station, perched in the Aravalli range, famed for the exquisitely carved Dilwara Jain temples and Nakki Lake.
• Kalpetta Gateway to Wayanad — Kerala's tribal highland of ancient cave temples, misty peaks, coffee estates, and the Edakkal Cave petroglyphs.
• Thanjavur Ancient Chola capital crowned by the Brihadeeswara Temple — a UNESCO masterpiece of Dravidian architecture and a hub of classical…
• Bodh Gaya Buddhism's holiest site — the Bodhi Tree under which Siddhartha attained enlightenment, the Mahabodhi Temple Complex, and monasteries from…
• Nashik Pilgrimage city on the Godavari, hosting the Kumbh Mela every 12 years, and centre of India's fastest-growing wine region.
• Bhuj Gateway to the Rann of Kutch — famed for exquisite Kutchi embroidery, mirror-work crafts, and the vast white salt desert that transforms at…
• Varkala Dramatic cliff-top beach with natural mineral springs — a laid-back alternative to Kovalam, beloved by yogis and surfers alike.
• Mussoorie The 'Queen of the Hills' above Dehradun — Mall Road, Kempty Falls, Camel's Back Road, and sweeping Himalayan panoramas draw year-round…
• Somnath Site of the first and most sacred of the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines of Shiva, rebuilt seven times and set against the Arabian Sea on the…
• Kovalam Kerala's original international beach resort — three crescent beaches with a lighthouse backdrop, Ayurveda centers, and calm Arabian Sea…
• Tiruvannamalai Sacred Shaivite pilgrimage city at the foot of Arunachala Hill, home to the vast Arunachaleswarar Temple and the ashram of Ramana Maharshi.
• Lucknow The 'City of Nawabs' — celebrated for its Mughal-era monuments, refined Awadhi cuisine, chikankari embroidery, and gracious tehzeeb culture.
• Rameshwaram Southernmost pilgrimage island linked by the Pamban Bridge, site of the Ramanathaswamy Temple with its legendary 1,212-metre corridor.
• Chandigarh Le Corbusier's modernist planned city — Rock Garden, Rose Garden, Sukhna Lake, and the avant-garde Capitol Complex, a UNESCO World Heritage…
• Mahabaleshwar Maharashtra's premier hill station known for its strawberry farms, panoramic Ghats views, and the origin of the Krishna, Venna, and Koyna…
• Kanyakumari Land's end of the Indian subcontinent where three seas meet — famous for its stunning sunrise, the Vivekananda Rock Memorial, and the…
• Ramnagar Gateway town to Jim Corbett National Park — India's oldest tiger reserve, offering exceptional wildlife safaris through dense sal forest…
• Thrissur Cultural capital of Kerala, home to the spectacular Thrissur Pooram elephant festival, the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy, and ancient…
• Ujjain One of the seven sacred Hindu cities, site of the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga and host of the Simhastha Kumbh Mela — sacred on the banks of…
• Kolhapur City of the powerful Mahalakshmi temple, royal Maratha heritage, and Kolhapuri chappals — a proud cultural capital of southern Maharashtra.
• Dwarka Ancient kingdom of Lord Krishna and one of India's four sacred dhams — the Dwarkadhish Temple rises above the confluence of the Gomti and…
• Dehradun Doon Valley city flanked by the Himalayas and Shivalik ranges — a pleasant base for Mussoorie, Haridwar, and Rishikesh excursions, home to…
• Tawang Remote Himalayan monastery town at 3,048m — home to India's largest monastery, glacial lakes, and a pristine high-altitude landscape near…
• Bikaner Desert city of merchant havelis, the ornate Junagarh Fort, and camel breeding farms — a less-crowded gem on the Rajasthan circuit.
• Bhopal Madhya Pradesh's lake city — a blend of Mughal mosques, tribal art museums, and the largest freshwater lake in India, Bhojtal.
• Majuli The world's largest river island on the Brahmaputra — a living museum of Neo-Vaishnavite satras, mask-making, and traditional Mishing…
• Diu Former Portuguese island territory of sea forts, baroque churches, quiet beaches, and a distinctive Indo-Portuguese culture on the…
• Patna Ancient Pataliputra — capital of the Mauryan Empire, now a Ganges-side city preserving Golghar granary, Patna Museum, and Sikh shrine…
• Pelling Remote Sikkim town with front-row views of the Kangchenjunga massif, ancient Pemayangtse Monastery, and the Kanchenjunga Waterfalls.
• Vadodara Cultural capital of Gujarat — the opulent Laxmi Vilas Palace, Baroda Museum, and a thriving arts scene centred on Maharaja Sayajirao…
• Pachmarhi Madhya Pradesh's only hill station — a Satpura Range plateau of waterfalls, Buddhist caves, dense forests, and British-era bungalows.
• Kavaratti Capital of Lakshadweep — a pristine coral atoll of translucent lagoons, vibrant coral reefs, and unhurried island life in the Arabian Sea.
• Jagdalpur Gateway to Bastar — heart of Chhattisgarh's tribal culture, near the magnificent Chitrakote 'Niagara of India' waterfall and Kanger Valley…
• Auli India's premier ski destination at 2,519m — pristine slopes with views of Nanda Devi and the Garhwal Himalayas, accessible by India's…
• Kohima Capital of Nagaland — site of the epic WWII battle at Garrison Hill, and gateway to the Hornbill Festival, celebrating the rich culture of…
• Ranchi Jharkhand's hill capital of cascading waterfalls — Hundru, Dassam, and Jonha Falls — and scenic reservoirs surrounded by sal forests.
• Imphal Valley city of Manipur — the floating Loktak Lake with its phumdis, Kangla Fort, the women-run Ima Keithel market, and the sacred Shree…
• Jamshedpur India's planned steel city built by Tata Steel: Jubilee Park and zoo, lakes, temples, tribal culture and Dalma hills nearby.
• Agartala Tripura's capital of rose-pink Ujjayanta Palace, Neermahal Water Palace on a lake, and the grand 14-deity Tripura Sundari temple at Udaipur.
• Sasan Gir Last wild refuge of the Asiatic lion — Gir National Park is the only place on Earth outside Africa where lions roam free in their natural…
• Kanha Kanha Tiger Reserve — inspiration for Kipling's Jungle Book, with wide meadows (maidans), Barasingha deer, and one of India's highest tiger…
• Kannur North Malabar's old Kolathunadu capital on the Laccadive Sea — the Portuguese St. Angelo Fort of 1505 faces the Arakkal palace across…
• Kozhikode Calicut on the Malabar Coast, the Zamorins' spice capital where Vasco da Gama landed in May 1498 and opened the sea route from Europe —…
• Thiruvananthapuram Kerala's capital, spread over low coastal hills around the Padmanabhaswamy Temple — the beaches of Kovalam, Varkala and Poovar all lie a…
• Thattekad
• Gulmarg Himalayan ski-and-meadow resort town with the world's highest gondola, in Kashmir.
• Pahalgam Pine-clad valley town on the Lidder River, an Amarnath base and trekking hub.
• Jammu The "City of Temples" and winter capital of J&K, gateway to the Kashmir valley.
• Katra Pilgrimage base town for the Vaishno Devi shrine in the Trikuta hills.
• Sonamarg Alpine "meadow of gold" stopover toward Ladakh, framed by glaciers and the Sindh River.

Frequently asked questions about India

What currency is used in India?

The currency in India is the Indian Rupee (₹).

Can I use cards and ATMs in India?

Accepted card networks: Visa, Mastercard, RuPay, Amex. Typical ATM fees: Rs 200-250 after free limit. Decline dynamic currency conversion at ATMs and card machines.

Should I tip in India?

Tipping in India: optional. Typically about 10% in restaurants.

Is tap water safe to drink in India?

Drink bottled water.

What plug type does India use?

India uses Type C, D, M plugs.

What is the emergency number in India?

Emergency: 112. Police: 100. Ambulance: 108. Tourist helpline: 1363.

Can I get a SIM or eSIM in India?

SIM and eSIM available in India.

What is the capital of India?

The capital of India is New Delhi. Time there: Same time as India.

Plan a trip to India