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Stay local
Experience local homes, homestays and communities instead of interchangeable hotel rooms.
For travellers coming to India
Discover India with people who know India.
Explore India's destinations, cultures and experiences with practical travel guides, curated journeys and local expertise.
Where to go in India
Start with a region, not a checklist
India is a subcontinent. Choosing one or two regions and travelling them slowly beats stitching together five states and living on airport transfers.
North India
Mughal cities, desert forts and the first Himalaya
Most first trips to India start here. Delhi is the biggest international gateway, the Taj Mahal is three hours away by train, and Rajasthan's fort cit…
Ideal length: 7–14 days for the classic circuit; 14+ if you add the mountains
South India
Temples, backwaters, coast and hill country
Slower, greener and generally gentler on first-time travellers than the north. Distances are shorter, roads are better, the food is exceptional, and y…
Ideal length: 10–14 days for Kerala plus Tamil Nadu; 7 for Kerala alone
Northeast India
Rainforest, river islands and living cultures
Eight states east of Bangladesh with a completely different cultural map to the rest of India. Fewer travellers, more logistics, and some of the most …
Ideal length: 8–12 days for Meghalaya plus Assam
Best time to visit India
India has at least four climates running at once. October to March suits most of the country; the Himalaya peaks in summer and Kerala's monsoon has its own following.
Month-by-month calendarIndia trip cost
Budget, mid-range, premium and luxury travel differ by an order of magnitude here. Every figure we publish is a range, marked approximate, and reviewed against recent trips.
See cost breakdownTravel basics
Visas, currency, eSIMs, trains, tipping and etiquette. For anything legal or medical we link the primary source and show when the page was last reviewed.
Read travel basicsIndia travel guides
Destination guides written for first-time visitors
Each guide covers how long to stay, how to arrive, what things cost, what to wear and the etiquette that actually matters on the ground.
India itineraries
Routes for 7, 10, 14 and 21 days
Paced for real travel days, with train-versus-car advice and indicative costs. Every route can be reshaped around your dates.
7 days · Balanced pace
Golden Triangle in 7 days
Delhi, Agra and Jaipur at a pace that leaves room for bazaars and workshops rather than a monument conveyor belt.
10 days · Balanced pace
India in 10 days: north plus a Himalayan finish
The classic monuments first, then a change of altitude and air in the Himalayan foothills before flying home.
10 days · Relaxed pace
Kerala in 10 days: hills, backwaters and coast
Fort Kochi, the cardamom hills, a night on the backwaters and time by the sea — the gentlest introduction to India there is.
14 days · Full pace
Rajasthan in 14 days
The full desert circuit — Jaipur, Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Udaipur — with enough nights per city to actually see them.
14 days · Balanced pace
South India in 14 days
Temples, ruins, hill country and coast — Chennai and the Tamil temple towns, Hampi's boulder landscape, and a Keralan finish.
21 days · Full pace
India in 21 days: north, south and the Himalaya
Three weeks is enough to do India properly once: the monuments, the desert, a Himalayan stretch and a Keralan decompression.
Travelling from
India for the world
Discover India beyond the postcard
India is more than its famous landmarks. Meet local communities, discover hidden landscapes, eat with local families, stay in unique places and experience the India that most travellers never see.
Meet India
Meet the people behind the journey
Because the best travel memories aren't always places. They're the people you meet along the way.
Local host
Spiti Valley, Himachal Pradesh
Opens up a family home for travellers who want to see how a high-altitude village really lives.
Adventure guide
Himalaya, North India
Reads weather, road and altitude every day so your journey stays safe and unhurried.
Local artisan
Rajasthan
Weaving on a loom that has stayed in the family — visits are arranged directly with the workshop.
Village cook
Himalayan homestay
Cooks whatever the season gives — barley, greens, butter tea and long conversations.
Local community
Himalayan villages
Village walks happen on the community's terms, at the hours that suit them.
Traveller and host
North India
The part of the trip nobody plans for and everybody remembers.
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Human-first travel
Don't just visit India. Experience it.
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Eat local
Discover food through local kitchens, markets and family recipes.
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Meet local
Meet the people, artisans, guides and storytellers who make each destination what it is.
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Travel responsibly
Travel in a way that respects local communities, culture and nature.
Why Travelonama
Planned in India, for travellers coming to India
Local destination expertise
Our planners live and travel in the regions they sell, and revise guidance after each season.
Customised planning
Every itinerary is built around your dates, pace and interests rather than a fixed departure.
Human support
You talk to a person on WhatsApp or email, in your timezone where we can manage it.
Trip coordination
Trains, drivers, permits and stays are booked and monitored by one team, with one point of contact.
India travel FAQs
Do I need a visa to visit India?
Almost every foreign national does. Many nationalities can apply for an e-Visa online before travelling, but eligibility, fees and validity change — always check the official Indian e-Visa portal for your passport before booking flights.
How many days do I need in India?
Ten days is the realistic minimum for one region. Fourteen lets you combine two contrasting regions, such as Rajasthan and Kerala, without living on internal flights.
Is India safe for foreign travellers?
Millions visit each year without incident, but India rewards preparation: prearranged airport transfers, reviewed accommodation, bottled or filtered water and sensible caution after dark. Read your own government's current travel advice alongside our guides.
What does a trip to India cost?
It spans an enormous range. Budget travel can work on a few thousand rupees a day, while private-guide and luxury-hotel travel costs many times that. Our India trip cost guide breaks it down by tier and marks every figure as approximate.
Planning your first trip to India?
Tell us what you want to experience
Share your dates, interests and pace and our travel experts can help design your journey. We reply with a real route, not a brochure.
Prefer to chat first?
Ask about visas, seasons, train bookings or whether your dates work — before you commit to anything.
Chat with a travel expert