country
Indiaभारत
Give India one region at a time: start with Delhi and one day trip, apply for the e-visa on the official portal only, and carry rupees in small notes — the risks are touts, heat, smog and trying to cover too much.
India is not a country you cross in ten days. The trips that fail try Delhi, Agra, Jaipur and Varanasi in a week by overnight trains, meet a tout on arrival, pay for a fake site's visa, and walk through 42°C or through November smog. Enter with the e-visa from the official portal, ride prepaid taxis, the metro or app cars, keep small rupee notes, and treat each region as its own trip.
All regions, cities and parks in India (Atlas) →
Regions
Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur
5–8 nights
Kerala and Tamil Nadu
6–10 nights
Capital and major cities
Give Mumbai two to three nights as a coastal, food-led city; avoid the monsoon and plan around long cross-town traffic.
Give Jaipur two nights as the Rajasthan gateway; visit in the cooler months and start forts early.
Visit Agra for the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort in one night or a long day trip; it is a sights stop, not a base.
Give Varanasi two nights for the Ganges ghats and dawn boat ride; expect crowds, narrow lanes and strong sensory contrast.
Give Kolkata two nights for colonial architecture, food and literary culture, and avoid the peak monsoon.
Use Bengaluru as a gateway to the south with one or two nights; come for parks, cafes and food rather than monuments.
Routes that work
Delhi, 5 nights
Keep the Delhi bed; send a small bag to Agra for the day.
- Land in Delhi, sleep, and decide the trains once you have slept: jet lag and the airport queue are enough for night one.
- Book long-distance trains early: reserved berths and seats sell out; check the official rail booking site or a reputable agent.
- Avoid Delhi in May–June (heat) and in November (smog) unless the trip is fixed; October and February–March are easier.
Arrive
Time math
- 4 days
- Delhi 3 + Agra day trip by train
- 8 days
- Delhi 4 + Agra 1 + Jaipur 3 (train or car; leave a slack day)
- 14 days
- North (Delhi, Agra, Jaipur) 8 + one more region 6 (fly the long leg)
Country rules
- Apply for the e-visa only on the official government portal (indianvisaonline.gov.in); lookalike sites charge extra. Check the current rules, fees and how far ahead to apply.
- Do not follow anyone who says your hotel is closed, the station ticket office is closed or a road is shut; use the prepaid taxi counter, the metro or an app car.
- Carry Indian rupees in small notes (10, 20, 50, 100); change for 500 is often refused.
Etiquette
- Remove shoes at temples, mosques and some homes; carry socks for hot floors.
- Cover shoulders and knees at religious sites; women should carry a scarf.
- Use the right hand to give and receive; do not point feet at people or shrines.
- Ask before photographing people; photography rules and fees differ at monuments.
- Jan 26, Aug 15
- National days: roads and monuments around the capital close for parades and security.
- Holi (March, moves yearly)
- Coloured powder in the streets; many shops shut; stay in your hotel area on the day.
- Diwali (Oct–Nov, moves yearly)
- Travel peak; trains sell out; smog spikes.
- Jun–Sep monsoon
- Flooded streets, delayed trains and flights.
Money & passes
Cash necessity: 4/5
- Indian rupees (INR) in small notes for autos, street food, tips and entry tickets.
- UPI (the phone-payment system used everywhere) generally needs an Indian bank account or number: do not plan to rely on it. Limited tourist access exists at some airports.
- Foreign cards work in hotels, malls and larger restaurants; ATMs limit each withdrawal and charge fees; use machines inside banks or malls.
- Ride-hailing and rail apps take cards or wallets in some cases; cash is the fallback.
Before you fly: eSIM before you fly · E-visa and entry
Safety
- Scams meet you at the airport, stations and tourist sites: 'the hotel is closed', 'the ticket office is closed', 'free' gems and carpet shops. Use prepaid taxi counters, the metro or app cars, and book tickets yourself.
- Heat: April–June brings 40°C+ days: outdoor sights before 10:00, indoors midday, drink safe water, watch for heat stroke.
- Air quality: October–February can be hazardous in Delhi, worst around November; check the air-quality index each morning and carry a proper mask (N95 or better).
- Monsoon (July–September): heavy rain floods streets and cancels trains.
- Food and water: drink bottled or filtered water; eat where the food is cooked in front of you.
- Traffic: cross with locals, never rent a motorbike without a licence and insurance.
- Women travelling alone: use app cars or hotel cars after dark, avoid empty streets and be firm with touts; local advice from your hotel helps.
- Emergency: 112 (single national number); police 100, fire 101, ambulance 102. Tourist helpline 1363 (check).
- Some border and conflict-affected regions carry government advisories and permit rules: check your own government's travel advice before you book.
India connects to Nepal, Sri Lanka and the Gulf by air; the wider South Asia corridor is planned.
Sources
- India e-visa portal (official) (official)
- Incredible India (official tourism) (official)
- Wikivoyage — India (secondary)