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India 🇮🇳

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Backpacking India in 2027

A complete guide including when and where to go, costs, transport, itineraries, and practical travel advice.
A first look at the country

Backpacking India
By Johan Kruseman 🇳🇱 | Updated October 18, 2026

India will not bend to your schedule, so plan around it. Long-distance train reservations open 60 days ahead, and on popular routes such as Delhi to Varanasi the sleeper and 3AC berths can be waitlisted within days. Book the long legs the moment your route firms up, and leave one unplanned day in every week for the delay that will come.

The reasons to come are big and very specific: the cremation fires and evening prayers on the ghats of Varanasi, the high passes of Ladakh, the fort cities of Rajasthan and a food culture that changes completely every few hundred kilometers. I remember a clay cup of chai on a station platform at dawn, scalding and sweet with cardamom, the rim tasting faintly of wet earth before I smashed it on the tracks like everyone else. The challenges are just as concrete. At New Delhi Railway Station, men will tell you your ticket is invalid and walk you to a fake tourist office. The real International Tourist Bureau is inside the station on the first floor, so walk straight past them. Street taxis at airports overcharge first-timers, while Uber and Ola work in every major city. Stomach trouble cuts more trips short than anything else, so eat where food is cooked hot in front of you and the turnover is high. Apply for the e-Visa only on the official government site, because lookalike agencies charge well above the real fee. And skip the four-day Golden Triangle sprint, which is mostly car windows and touts.

Compared with Nepal, India is louder and far more varied, and Sri Lanka fits a beach-and-temple loop into distances India covers in one overnight train. India suits travelers with at least three weeks, patience for noise and a real appetite for the unpredictable. If you need quiet and predictable timings, start with Sri Lanka and come back later with more stamina.

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Pick two regions of India for a three-week trip, three at most, because the distances are continental. Delhi to Kochi is roughly 2,700 km by road, and one “quick” hop between regions can eat a full day once you add airport transfers and a delayed train. The classic mistake is a north-south zigzag that shows you more station platforms than temples. Cluster your route, fly the long legs and let trains handle the short ones.

Rajasthan (Jaipur, Udaipur, Jaisalmer)

This is where most first-timers start, and it shows. Jaipur’s old city is loud and commission-driven, with rickshaw drivers steering you toward gem shops; refuse every detour you didn’t request, and never buy stones to “resell at home”. Udaipur is calmer and walkable around Lake Pichola. Jaipur is 4 to 5 hours from Delhi by train, Jaisalmer an overnight ride. Skip the jeep scrum at Sam dunes and sleep at a camp farther out. Best for first-timers who like a clear route.

Agra and Varanasi (Agra, Varanasi, Taj Mahal)

Agra deserves one day, no more. The Gatimaan Express reaches it from Delhi in about 1 hour 40 minutes, and the Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays, which wrecks plenty of itineraries. Go at sunrise, then leave; the city itself offers little. Varanasi, an overnight train or 90-minute flight from Delhi, is the opposite: give it three days. Its ghats are crowded, smoky and intensely public. At Manikarnika, ignore anyone demanding a “donation” for wood. Suits travelers who can handle sensory overload.

Kerala (Kochi, Alleppey, Munnar)

The south runs at a slower, cleaner pace, and Kochi, about 3 hours by air from Delhi, makes an easy landing. Fort Kochi is quiet and leafy, with old Portuguese and Dutch streets. Alleppey is 90 minutes away by road; overnight houseboats there are overpriced and crowded, so take the public ferry toward Kottayam instead, around 2.5 hours on working canals for small change. Munnar’s tea hills are 4 to 5 hours inland. Alcohol is harder to find. Suits slow travelers and couples.

Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh (Manali, Dharamshala, Leh)

Physically demanding and worth every switchback. Overnight buses from Delhi take 12 to 14 hours to Manali and 10 to 12 to Dharamshala, where McLeod Ganj gathers Tibetan monks, trekkers and long-stay volunteers. Leh is a 90-minute flight, and that is the trap: you land at 3,500 meters. Rest two full days before driving to Khardung La or Pangong, or altitude sickness will flatten you. Overland roads open roughly June to October. Suits fit, independent travelers comfortable with basic guesthouses.

Goa and Hampi (Panaji, Palolem, Hampi)

India’s easiest place to decompress, if you pick the right beach. Baga and Calangute in the north are packed with package tourists and traffic; head south to Palolem or Agonda for quieter sand and beach huts. Goa is about 2.5 hours by air from Delhi. Police check scooter renters, so carry an International Driving Permit. Hampi’s boulder fields and ruined Vijayanagara temples are an overnight bus away. From June to September most shacks close. Suits travelers recovering from the north.
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Why go?Reasons people choose to visit

Mountains

India holds the highest, wildest stretch of the Himalaya that backpackers can walk without expedition … read more 👉
India holds the highest, wildest stretch of the Himalaya that backpackers can walk without expedition money. Ladakh’s trekking routes start above 3,000 meters and cross passes over 5,000, Himachal Pradesh has valleys with few teahouses where most treks mean camping, and Uttarakhand’s Valley of Flowers fills with blooms from July to September. Season matters more than fitness: Ladakh treks best from June to September, while winter routes such as Kedarkantha in Uttarakhand run through snow from December to March.

Skip Triund above McLeod Ganj on a weekend. It is a 7 to 9 km climb each way shared with hundreds of day-trippers and a fair amount of litter. Hampta Pass, a four to five day crossing from the green, forested Kullu side into the bare rock of Lahaul, gives far more contrast for modest extra effort.

My pick is the Markha Valley trek in Ladakh in late August, using village homestays so you carry a day pack instead of a tent; I would bring a proper down jacket, because nights near 4,000 meters stay cold even in midsummer.

Architecture

India stacks more than two thousand years of building into one country, and some of the best of it gets … read more 👉
India stacks more than two thousand years of building into one country, and some of the best of it gets a fraction of the Taj’s crowds. The Kailasa temple at Ellora was carved downward from a single basalt cliff in the 8th century, with an estimated 200,000 tonnes of rock chiseled away; in its courtyard, every wall, pillar and elephant around you was cut from the same mountain. Stepwells are the other revelation. Chand Baori at Abhaneri, about 95 km from Jaipur, drops around 13 stories in a zigzag of some 3,500 steps, and Rani ki Vav in Gujarat is lined with hundreds of carved deities.

Khajuraho’s temples justify the detour for their sculpture, erotic panels included, but one full day covers the town. For the 20th century, Chandigarh is Le Corbusier’s planned city, and its raw concrete Capitol Complex is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Delhi’s Lotus Temple is not worth a special trip; it looks better in photos than in person.

Ellora closes on Tuesdays and Ajanta on Mondays, so plan the pair around those days.

Food

India does not have one cuisine; it has dozens, and they change faster than the landscape. A Punjabi … read more 👉
India does not have one cuisine; it has dozens, and they change faster than the landscape. A Punjabi roadside dhaba loads your table with butter-rich dal makhani and rotis straight from the tandoor, while two days south in Tamil Nadu lunch is rice, sambar, rasam and pickles on a banana leaf, eaten with your right hand and refilled until you fold the leaf to signal you are done. Breakfast alone justifies the flight: crisp dosas and soft idlis in the south, stuffed aloo parathas in the north, turmeric-yellow poha in Indore.

Old Delhi’s lanes around Chandni Chowk deserve a whole hungry morning, with jalebis fried in front of you and kebabs near Jama Masjid. What is not worth your money is the backpacker-strip “multi-cuisine” restaurant serving pasta, pancakes and limp curry from one laminated menu, because a kitchen trying to cook everything rarely cooks anything well.

Order the thali instead. It is the best-value balanced meal in the country and usually comes with free refills. Lunch is the main meal in most households, so the best thalis are served at midday and are often gone by evening.

Uniqueness

India is so big that most visitors never leave a narrow corridor of famous names, which leaves whole … read more 👉
India is so big that most visitors never leave a narrow corridor of famous names, which leaves whole regions where a foreign face still draws a crowd of curious kids. The Northeast is the clearest example. In Nagaland, the Hornbill Festival near Kohima runs from December 1 to 10 and gathers the state’s Naga tribes for dances, wrestling and food stalls serving smoked pork with fiery bamboo shoot. In Arunachal Pradesh, Ziro Valley is home to the Apatani people, whose rice terraces and pine-covered hills look nothing like the India of postcards. Majuli in Assam, one of the largest river islands in the world, is shrinking from erosion on the Brahmaputra and still holds Vaishnavite monasteries where monks perform masked dance dramas.

Do not bother hunting for an untouched beach town in Goa or a secret valley near Manali; those were discovered decades ago. The genuinely unusual India lies east of Kolkata.

Arunachal Pradesh requires foreigners to hold a Protected Area Permit arranged through a registered tour operator, so organize Ziro a few weeks before you arrive in the region.

Low cost

A backpacker in India typically spends around ₹1,300 to 3,000 a day (about US$15 to 35), covering a … read more 👉
A backpacker in India typically spends around ₹1,300 to 3,000 a day (about US$15 to 35), covering a hostel dorm or simple guesthouse room, street food and thali meals, local transport and a couple of entry fees. In the south and in small towns, ₹1,500 (about US$17) a day is realistic if you eat local and sleep simply. Very few countries give you this much travel for the money.

The biggest budget leaks are predictable. Major monuments charge foreigners many times the Indian ticket price, so choose which ones you actually care about instead of ticking every site. Goa between Christmas and New Year sees room rates double or triple, and the beaches are packed, so that week is not worth the money. Packaged tours sold by Delhi travel agents are almost always overpriced and padded with shopping stops.

Some splurges do pay off. A room in a restored haveli in Bundi or Jodhpur, with painted ceilings and a rooftop facing the fort, costs a fraction of a comparable heritage hotel in Europe, and one or two nights of comfort can reset a tired traveler.

Scenery

India packs nearly every landscape type into one border, from Himalayan glaciers to mangrove swamps. … read more 👉
India packs nearly every landscape type into one border, from Himalayan glaciers to mangrove swamps. The Great Rann of Kutch in Gujarat is a white salt flat so vast that under a full moon between November and February the ground glows and the horizon disappears. The Western Ghats turn shockingly green during the monsoon, with waterfalls pouring off every cliff and the tea estates around Munnar in Kerala looking clipped and combed across the hillsides.

Skip the Sam sand dunes near Jaisalmer at sunset. Jeeps, camel touts and loudspeakers from tent camps fill the area, and the dunes are smaller than the photos suggest. The Khuri dunes, about 45 km southwest of Jaisalmer, are quieter, and a camel trek that spends the night out in the open desert away from the camps gives you real silence and a sky full of stars.

The monsoon, usually dismissed as the wrong season, is when the hills of Kerala and the Sahyadri ranges near Mumbai are at their most dramatic. Bring a proper rain jacket, accept wet shoes and go between July and August.

Backpackers

India has one of the deepest backpacker networks in Asia, built over half a century since the hippie … read more 👉
India has one of the deepest backpacker networks in Asia, built over half a century since the hippie trail, and it now runs on homegrown hostel chains such as Zostel, goSTOPS and The Hosteller, with dorms, rooftop common areas and group activities in almost every traveler town. Many of your dorm mates will be young Indians traveling on weekends, which makes the scene far more mixed than in most of Southeast Asia.

Rishikesh is the yoga and river-rafting base, McLeod Ganj mixes Tibetan exile culture with cheap cafés and volunteering, and Pushkar is a small lake town with a famous camel fair and a slow rooftop rhythm. Kasol in the Parvati Valley is the one to approach skeptically. It has turned into a crowded strip of cannabis tourism and Israeli cafés, and since cannabis is illegal under Indian narcotics law, police raids and arrests do happen. Walk on to Tosh or Kalga for the same mountains with less noise.

Solo travelers do best in hostels that run group treks or walking tours, which are the quickest way to find people heading in the same direction.

Beach life

India’s best beaches sit well away from the famous party coast. In the Andaman Islands, Radhanagar Beach … read more 👉
India’s best beaches sit well away from the famous party coast. In the Andaman Islands, Radhanagar Beach on Swaraj Dweep (Havelock) has fine white sand and calm, clear water, and the dive shops on Swaraj Dweep and Shaheed Dweep (Neil) offer reef dives with turtles, rays and large schools of fish at some of the most affordable course prices in South Asia. On the mainland, Varkala in Kerala has red laterite cliffs lined with cafés above a swimming beach, and Gokarna in Karnataka strings small coves such as Om Beach and Half Moon Beach together by a coastal footpath.

Do not plan swimming around Mumbai’s city beaches like Juhu; the water is polluted and best left to evening strollers. Goa’s all-night trance parties are much reduced, since amplified music outdoors must stop at 10 pm, so the scene has shifted to licensed clubs and the Saturday night market at Arpora.

From June to September the monsoon brings strong currents along the Arabian Sea coast, lifeguards put up red flags and most beach shacks close, so beach plans work best between November and March.

Wildlife

India is home to roughly three-quarters of the world’s wild tigers, around 3,600 to 3,700 at the last … read more 👉
India is home to roughly three-quarters of the world’s wild tigers, around 3,600 to 3,700 at the last national estimate, and seeing one in the wild here is a realistic goal on a backpacker trip. Tadoba in Maharashtra and Bandhavgarh in Madhya Pradesh give good sighting odds, while Ranthambore in Rajasthan adds a ruined hilltop fort to the forest but sees heavier jeep traffic. Kaziranga in Assam protects about two-thirds of the world’s greater one-horned rhinos, and you spot them grazing in the tall grass from open jeeps. Gir in Gujarat holds the last wild Asiatic lions on Earth.

One safari is not worth the travel to reach a park. Book three or four drives across different zones, ideally both morning and afternoon, because sightings are never guaranteed. Skip elephant rides anywhere they are offered.

Book safari slots on the official state forest portals as soon as your dates are set, since popular zones sell out months ahead. Most core zones close during the monsoon, roughly from July to September, so plan wildlife for the dry months, when animals gather at waterholes.

⭐ HighlightsUnmissable destinations

  • The Ghats of Varanasi: At dawn the Ganges is a sheet of gray mist, and the stone steps fill with bathers, chanting priests and bells ringing from a dozen temples at once. A rowboat drifting downstream takes you past Manikarnika, the cremation ghat where pyres burn around the clock and the air carries woodsmoke, ghee and crushed marigold. Keep your camera down there; photographing the cremations is forbidden and deeply resented. Come back at sunset for the Ganga aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat, when priests swing heavy brass lamps and the heat of the flames reaches you from the crowd.
  • The Golden Temple, Amritsar: Visit after dark, when the gilded sanctuary glows on its sacred pool and the marble walkway is cool under your bare feet. Hymns play from speakers all around the complex, and the mood is calm in a way few places in India manage. Cover your head, wash your feet at the entrance, then sit cross-legged in rows for the langar, the free communal kitchen that feeds tens of thousands of people
… read more 👉
  • The Ghats of Varanasi: At dawn the Ganges is a sheet of gray mist, and the stone steps fill with bathers, chanting priests and bells ringing from a dozen temples at once. A rowboat drifting downstream takes you past Manikarnika, the cremation ghat where pyres burn around the clock and the air carries woodsmoke, ghee and crushed marigold. Keep your camera down there; photographing the cremations is forbidden and deeply resented. Come back at sunset for the Ganga aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat, when priests swing heavy brass lamps and the heat of the flames reaches you from the crowd.
  • The Golden Temple, Amritsar: Visit after dark, when the gilded sanctuary glows on its sacred pool and the marble walkway is cool under your bare feet. Hymns play from speakers all around the complex, and the mood is calm in a way few places in India manage. Cover your head, wash your feet at the entrance, then sit cross-legged in rows for the langar, the free communal kitchen that feeds tens of thousands of people daily. Volunteers drop warm rotis into your cupped hands and ladle dal onto a steel tray, and you can join the dishwashing lines afterward.
  • Taj Mahal, Agra: Every photo you have seen undersells the scale. Arrive at the gate before sunrise and the marble shifts from pale pink to white as the light climbs, while close up the walls reveal flowers inlaid with semi-precious stone so fine you have to lean in to see the joins. Inside the mausoleum, a guard’s single clap echoes for several seconds. For sunset, cross the Yamuna to Mehtab Bagh, a garden facing the Taj with a fraction of the crowd.
  • Hampi: The ruins of the Vijayanagara capital lie scattered across a landscape of giant granite boulders, banana plantations and rice paddies, and the whole place hums with insects by midday. Virupaksha Temple is still in daily worship, its courtyard smelling of incense and wet stone. Cross the Tungabhadra River in a round coracle, a basket boat that spins as the boatman paddles, and climb Matanga Hill before sunrise to watch the boulder fields turn orange.
  • Jaisalmer Fort: This honey-colored sandstone fort rises out of the Thar Desert, and it is still lived in, with homes, shops and carved Jain temples inside its walls. Cows block the narrow lanes, wind whistles through the latticed windows, and at noon the stone radiates heat into the alleys. Guesthouses inside the fort strain its old drainage and foundations, so sleep in the town below and walk up for the evening light on the ramparts.
For places off the main trail, consider Spiti Valley, the riverside temples of Orchha, or the living root bridges of Nongriat in Meghalaya; I would pick Nongriat first, for the double-decker bridge of tangled tree roots at the bottom of a steep jungle staircase.
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🧭 RoutesLogical itineraries covering the highlights

The 14-Day Forts and Palaces Route


Two weeks of Mughal marble and Rajput sandstone across India’s north, with short hops between cities and time to slow down at the end. Expect early starts at the monuments and long evenings on rooftops above the old cities.
  • Sunrise at the Taj Mahal
  • Amer Fort above Jaipur
  • Mehrangarh towering over Jodhpur’s blue lanes
  • Lake Pichola in Udaipur

👉 explore this 14-day route

The 21-Day Coast and Ruins Route


Three weeks heading south from Mumbai’s colonial streets to the palm-lined canals of Kerala, with beaches between each block of temples and ruins. The rhythm is unhurried, mixing headland walks, boulder landscapes and spice-port neighborhoods.
  • Mumbai’s harbor and Gothic railway terminus
  • The boulder-strewn ruins of Hampi
  • Kerala Backwaters by ferry and canoe
  • The red cliffs of Varkala Beach

👉 explore this 21-day route

The 30-Day Himalaya to Ganges Route


A month crossing India’s north, from the Golden Temple and the Tibetan hill towns to the ghats of Varanasi and the tea … read more 👉

The 14-Day Forts and Palaces Route


Two weeks of Mughal marble and Rajput sandstone across India’s north, with short hops between cities and time to slow down at the end. Expect early starts at the monuments and long evenings on rooftops above the old cities.
  • Sunrise at the Taj Mahal
  • Amer Fort above Jaipur
  • Mehrangarh towering over Jodhpur’s blue lanes
  • Lake Pichola in Udaipur

👉 explore this 14-day route

The 21-Day Coast and Ruins Route


Three weeks heading south from Mumbai’s colonial streets to the palm-lined canals of Kerala, with beaches between each block of temples and ruins. The rhythm is unhurried, mixing headland walks, boulder landscapes and spice-port neighborhoods.
  • Mumbai’s harbor and Gothic railway terminus
  • The boulder-strewn ruins of Hampi
  • Kerala Backwaters by ferry and canoe
  • The red cliffs of Varkala Beach

👉 explore this 21-day route

The 30-Day Himalaya to Ganges Route


A month crossing India’s north, from the Golden Temple and the Tibetan hill towns to the ghats of Varanasi and the tea gardens of Darjeeling. It suits travelers who want the great sights plus quieter places most itineraries rush past.
  • Dawn prayers at the Golden Temple
  • Hiking Triund from McLeod Ganj
  • A rowboat along the ghats of Varanasi
  • Kangchenjunga views from Darjeeling

👉 explore this 30-day route

🌤️ When to go?Choosing the right months to travel

February and March are the best months for backpacking India: dry, sunny weather still covers most of the country, the holiday crowds have gone home, and room rates in Goa and Rajasthan slide back from their winter highs. The country runs on several climates at once, so the Himalaya flips the calendar (Ladakh and Spiti open roughly June to September), and Tamil Nadu takes its heaviest rain in October and November while the rest of the south dries out.
  • Cool season (October to January): Clear skies and 25 to 30°C days across Rajasthan, Goa and Kerala, while Delhi and Varanasi drop to 5 to 8°C at night by January. This is peak season. Goa’s beach shacks reopen through October and November, Diwali and the Pushkar Camel Fair land here, and prices climb steadily toward a late-December peak.
  • Late dry season (February to March): Warm and settled almost everywhere, with the north thawed out and the south not yet sticky. Crowds thin after mid-February and many guesthouses cut rates by 10 to 25 percent. Holi falls in this window, and heat starts building in central India by late March.
  • Hot season (April to mid-June): The plains bake at 40 to 45°C, and places like Hampi or Khajuraho become dawn-only sightseeing. Lowland prices bottom out. The Manali to Leh road usually opens around late May or June.
  • Southwest monsoon (June to September): Rain reaches Kerala around the start of June and covers most of the country by July, with Mumbai and the Western Ghats taking the heaviest downpours. Goa’s beach scene largely shuts and landslides cut Himalayan roads, but Ladakh sits in a rain shadow and hits its best stretch.
One quirk flips the usual logic: May and June, the most punishing months on the plains, are among the busiest of the year in Shimla, Manali, Darjeeling and Ooty, because Indian school holidays send millions of families uphill to escape the heat. Hotel rates there rival December, and mountain roads clog with weekend traffic.
For anything between mid-December and early January, I’d book long-distance trains the moment reservations open (about two months ahead), since sleeper and 3AC berths on popular routes sell out within days.

source: climatestotravel.comJANJanuary: good for travelingFEBFebruary: excellent for travelingMARMarch: excellent for travelingAPRApril: fair for travelingMAYMay: fair for travelingJUNJune: fair for travelingJULJuly: good for travelingAUGAugust: good for travelingSEPSeptember: good for travelingOCTOctober: highly recommended for travelingNOVNovember: good for travelingDECDecember: good for traveling
!2015-12-15 07.31.12

💰 Costs (as of 2026)What things cost day to day

Backpacking India costs a budget traveler US$20 to 35 a day, which buys a dorm bed, three filling meals, a long-distance train ticket every few days and one paid sight daily.
That puts India level with Nepal, somewhat above Bangladesh, and well below Sri Lanka, where the same style of travel runs US$35 to 50. Bhutan is in a different league, with its sustainable development fee alone around US$100 a night. You pay in rupees. Cards work in cities, but UPI apps and cash rule everywhere else.
CategoryBudget RangeLocal Reality
Dorm accommodationUS$5 to 12 per nightPaharganj in Delhi has dorms at US$5 to 7, and a Zostel bed in Jaipur runs US$6 to 9. Goa jumps to US$9 to 17 from December to January. Weekday nights, stays of a week or more and walk-in deals in the off-season can cut 20 to 30 percent.
MealsUS$4 to 8 per dayStreet food beats self-catering almost everywhere in India. Vada pav in Mumbai costs about US$0.25, a masala dosa US$0.60 to 1.20, an unlimited thali US$1.50 to 3, and chai US$0.10 to 0.20. Supermarkets like DMart are mostly useful for snacks, fruit and toiletries, because cooking rarely saves you money here.
Local transportUS$2 to 8 per day (averaged)Sleeper-class trains are
… read more 👉
Backpacking India costs a budget traveler US$20 to 35 a day, which buys a dorm bed, three filling meals, a long-distance train ticket every few days and one paid sight daily.
That puts India level with Nepal, somewhat above Bangladesh, and well below Sri Lanka, where the same style of travel runs US$35 to 50. Bhutan is in a different league, with its sustainable development fee alone around US$100 a night. You pay in rupees. Cards work in cities, but UPI apps and cash rule everywhere else.
CategoryBudget RangeLocal Reality
Dorm accommodationUS$5 to 12 per nightPaharganj in Delhi has dorms at US$5 to 7, and a Zostel bed in Jaipur runs US$6 to 9. Goa jumps to US$9 to 17 from December to January. Weekday nights, stays of a week or more and walk-in deals in the off-season can cut 20 to 30 percent.
MealsUS$4 to 8 per dayStreet food beats self-catering almost everywhere in India. Vada pav in Mumbai costs about US$0.25, a masala dosa US$0.60 to 1.20, an unlimited thali US$1.50 to 3, and chai US$0.10 to 0.20. Supermarkets like DMart are mostly useful for snacks, fruit and toiletries, because cooking rarely saves you money here.
Local transportUS$2 to 8 per day (averaged)Sleeper-class trains are the cheapest way to cover distance: Delhi to Varanasi is about US$6 in sleeper and US$15 in 3AC. A state bus from Delhi to Jaipur costs US$5 to 6. Delhi Metro fares run US$0.15 to 0.75, and short auto-rickshaw rides cost US$1 to 2. Long trips cost about half what you pay in Sri Lanka.
ActivitiesUS$3 to 15 per dayThe expensive part is foreigner pricing at monuments. The Taj Mahal costs about US$15 with mausoleum entry, the Red Fort about US$7 and Amber Fort about US$6. An overnight camel safari from Jaisalmer runs US$20 to 35. I’d buy the Taj ticket without hesitation, then save on Jaipur with its composite ticket (about US$12) rather than paying for each fort separately.
MiscellaneousUS$1 to 4 per dayAn Airtel or Jio prepaid SIM costs US$4 to 5 for 28 days of 1.5 to 2 GB a day. A liter of bottled water is about US$0.25, and laundry runs US$0.20 to 0.50 per item. Small tips, temple shoe-minders and ATM fees of US$2 to 4 per foreign withdrawal add up quickly.
Total Daily BudgetUS$20 to 35Staying in hostels, eating thalis and riding sleeper trains in Rajasthan or Uttar Pradesh puts you around US$20 to 25. Goa in high season, Ladakh, or private rooms in Mumbai push you to US$30 to 35. A slow month in Rishikesh or Hampi can come in under US$20 a day.
⚠️ Prices can change and everyone travels differently, so take this as a rough guide. Hope it helps you plan your adventure!

✈️ The backpacker research shortcutIndia Travel Guide

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🛏️ Where to stay?Best areas to base yourself

India has one of Asia’s densest backpacker hostel scenes, with dorm beds typically running ₹400 to 900 (US$5 to 11) and simple private guesthouse rooms from about ₹1,000 to 2,000 (US$12 to 24). In Delhi, Paharganj has the cheapest beds and sits right by New Delhi Railway Station, but it is loud, grimy and full of touts, while Hauz Khas costs a little more and gives you cafés, bars and calmer lanes far from the Old Delhi sights. Elsewhere, Colaba in Mumbai puts you near the Gateway of India at the city’s highest prices, Anjuna and Arambol in Goa bring the parties and a laid-back beach crowd, and … read more 👉
India has one of Asia’s densest backpacker hostel scenes, with dorm beds typically running ₹400 to 900 (US$5 to 11) and simple private guesthouse rooms from about ₹1,000 to 2,000 (US$12 to 24). In Delhi, Paharganj has the cheapest beds and sits right by New Delhi Railway Station, but it is loud, grimy and full of touts, while Hauz Khas costs a little more and gives you cafés, bars and calmer lanes far from the Old Delhi sights. Elsewhere, Colaba in Mumbai puts you near the Gateway of India at the city’s highest prices, Anjuna and Arambol in Goa bring the parties and a laid-back beach crowd, and Tapovan in Rishikesh and Assi Ghat in Varanasi trade nightlife (alcohol is restricted in both towns) for quiet riverside stays within walking distance of the ghats and yoga schools.

If you enjoy meeting fellow travelers, consider choosing hostels with high ratings for atmosphere. On the other hand, if you prefer having your own space, a hotel might be a better option.

Best hostels in India


Best quality hotels in India

🚌 Getting aroundWhat moving around is really like

Indian timetables are a statement of intent: long-distance trains often run 1 to 3 hours late, and in the northern fog season (December to January) delays of 5 hours or more are common, so never book an onward connection within 3 hours of a scheduled arrival. Train reservations open 60 days before departure, and popular overnight routes such as Delhi to Varanasi or Jaipur to Jaisalmer sell out weeks ahead from November to March, so book at least 3 to 4 weeks out.
  • Long-distance trains: Sleeper class
… read more 👉
Indian timetables are a statement of intent: long-distance trains often run 1 to 3 hours late, and in the northern fog season (December to January) delays of 5 hours or more are common, so never book an onward connection within 3 hours of a scheduled arrival. Train reservations open 60 days before departure, and popular overnight routes such as Delhi to Varanasi or Jaipur to Jaisalmer sell out weeks ahead from November to March, so book at least 3 to 4 weeks out.
  • Long-distance trains: Sleeper class (non-AC, open berths) costs about ₹400 to 700 (US$5 to 8) for an overnight run like Delhi to Varanasi (10 to 14 hours). 3AC, with air-conditioning, bedding and six-berth bays, costs about ₹1,100 to 1,800 (US$13 to 21) and is the class I recommend for a first trip. Book on the IRCTC website or app, or through apps like ixigo and ConfirmTkt. An online waitlisted ticket is canceled automatically if it doesn’t confirm, so don’t board on one. Try the Tatkal quota, released at 10:00 the day before departure for AC classes, or the foreign tourist quota at the International Tourist Bureau inside New Delhi station (bring your passport).
  • Overnight sleeper buses: Private AC sleeper buses cover routes trains handle badly, such as Delhi to Manali (12 to 14 hours, ₹1,000 to 2,000 / US$12 to 24) or Goa to Hampi (8 to 10 hours). Book on redBus or AbhiBus and check operator ratings, because the cheapest operators are the ones that break down. Mountain roads at night are rough, so take a berth near the front if you get motion sick. State-run buses cost roughly half and need no advance booking.
  • Domestic flights: IndiGo, Air India Express and Akasa Air connect every major city. Delhi to Mumbai takes about 2 hours and costs ₹4,000 to 8,000 (US$47 to 95) booked 3 or more weeks ahead, and last-minute fares can double. Budget fares include a 7 kg cabin bag, and excess baggage paid at the airport costs far more than adding it online. For any leg over roughly 1,500 km, flying beats a 24 to 36 hour train.
  • Metro, auto-rickshaws and ride-hailing: Delhi Metro fares run ₹11 to 64 (US$0.13 to 0.75), and Mumbai, Bengaluru and Kolkata have metros too. Auto-rickshaw drivers in tourist areas rarely use the meter and quote double or triple the real fare. Uber, Ola and Rapido show the price upfront and usually beat a haggled fare, and Rapido’s bike taxis are the cheapest way across a jammed city.
I would fly the long legs (Delhi to Kerala, Kolkata to Goa) and save trains for overnight hops of 8 to 14 hours, where a 3AC berth also replaces a night of accommodation.
In India, both big gateways have a rail link into town, so you can reach central Delhi for about ₹60 and central Mumbai for under ₹100 without touching a taxi.
Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi (DEL): about 16 km (10 miles) to Connaught Place.
  • Delhi Metro Airport Express (Orange Line) (about 20 minutes to New Delhi station; ₹50 to 60, about US$0.60 to 0.70): The station is a short signed walk from Terminal 3 arrivals, you pay with a token, a Delhi Metro smart card or a QR ticket from the counter or app, and trains run roughly 5 am to 11:30 pm.
  • Delhi Metro Magenta Line plus Yellow Line (45 to 60 minutes to Rajiv Chowk; ₹50 to 60, about US$0.60 to 0.70): From Terminal 1 (domestic) take the Magenta Line to Hauz Khas and change to the Yellow Line north to Rajiv Chowk for Connaught Place, or onward to New Delhi for Paharganj.
  • Prepaid taxi (30 to 60 minutes; ₹450 to 700, about US$5 to 8): Book only at the official prepaid booths inside the arrivals hall, pay there and hand the slip to the driver at the end of the ride.
  • Uber and Ola (30 to 60 minutes; ₹350 to 700, about US$4 to 8): Book in the app once you have local data or airport Wi-Fi and walk to the signed app-cab pickup zone, as fares jump at night and during rush hour.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai (BOM): about 25 km (16 miles) to the Fort and CSMT area in south Mumbai.
  • Mumbai Metro Line 3 (Aqua Line) (about 45 to 55 minutes to CSMT or Hutatma Chowk; ₹60 to 70, about US$0.70 to 0.80): The underground station sits right at Terminal 2, you buy a QR ticket at the counter or in the app, and trains run roughly 6:30 am to 10:30 pm.
  • Suburban train, Western Line (60 to 80 minutes including an auto-rickshaw to Andheri or Vile Parle station; ₹10 to 15 second class or ₹100 to 150 first class, plus ₹50 to 100 for the auto): Take an auto to the station, buy a ticket at the counter or via the UTS app, and ride south to Churchgate, avoiding 8 to 11 am and 6 to 9 pm when carriages are packed to the doors.
  • Prepaid or metered taxi (60 to 90 minutes; ₹700 to 1,100, about US$8 to 13): Use the official prepaid counters in the arrivals hall, since auto-rickshaws are not allowed into south Mumbai.
  • Uber and Ola (60 to 90 minutes; ₹600 to 1,100, about US$7 to 13): Follow the signs to the app-cab pickup area outside arrivals, and expect the upper end of that range in evening traffic on the Western Express Highway or the Sea Link.
⚠️ Prices and routes can change, so take this as a rough guide and ask for local advice when you arrive.
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🔒 Safety (risk Level: medium)Staying safe while traveling

Safety for solo travelers, including women and LGBTQ+ individuals
India is manageable for solo travelers, with petty scams and touts around train stations and major sights being the most common problem rather than violent crime. Women traveling alone often face staring, unwanted photos and occasional groping in crowds, so dress modestly, use the women-only metro coaches and train compartments, avoid arriving in a new city late at night, and use app-based taxis with trip sharing switched on. For LGBTQ+ travelers, India’s Supreme Court decriminalized same-sex relations in 2018, but same-sex marriage is not recognized and attitudes outside big cities remain conservative. Discretion with public affection is wise, while Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru have visible queer communities, Pride marches and welcoming venues.


Full official government travel advisory (live updates)
View details 👉

✈️ VisaDo you need a visa to visit?

Most travelers need a visa for India; only citizens of Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives can enter without one. Many nationalities, including US, UK, Canadian, Australian and most EU citizens, can apply online for an e-Tourist Visa (valid for 30 days, 1 year or 5 years) on the official Indian government portal at least 4 days before arrival, uploading a passport scan and photo and paying the fee by card. Travelers not eligible for the e-Visa must apply for a regular visa through an Indian embassy or consulate.

source: indianvisaonline.gov.in
⚠️ Visa requirements can change over time, so always check the latest visa requirements with the official embassy or government website before you travel.

🎒 What to pack?A practical packing list

Packing for India depends heavily on where and when you go: the plains from April to June regularly pass 40°C, the monsoon soaks most of the country from June to September, and Himalayan areas like Ladakh or Spiti drop below freezing at night even in summer. Pack light, breathable clothing that covers shoulders and knees, because modest dress gets you into temples and mosques without hassle and draws far less attention, especially for women. Shoes that slip on and off quickly save time, since you remove them at every temple and many homes and guesthouses. Leave room in your bag, because cotton clothes, scarves and shawls sell cheaply in local markets and are often better suited to the heat than what you bring from home.

Apart from this country specific advice, I have also crafted a general packing list that should help on any trip. authorOver the years, I've learned the importance of packing minimally. It's so much easier to jump on the back of a truck or squeeze yourself into the last spot of a minibus without that supersized backpack. If you're headed to a warm destination, leave your winter jacket at home; for colder regions, opt for thin thermal underlayers. Instead of packing your entire wardrobe, bring just three sets of clothes, as laundry facilities are available everywhere.

View the full list 👉

🙋 FAQQuick answers to practical concerns

Trip Planning

Planning a backpacking route through India can be tricky — you need to balance must-see places, travel times, budget, and how long to stay in each destination. Our free personalized India itinerary planner creates a route based on your travel style, trip duration, and interests, so you can spend less time researching and more time exploring.



Personal tip: I normally search on good rating for atmosphere (for meeting people) and location (for easy exploring). Cleanliness as a bonus.


Travel Essentials

For India, make sure routine vaccinations (MMR, tetanus-diphtheria, polio) are up to date, and get hepatitis A and typhoid, which most travel clinics recommend for every visitor. Hepatitis B and rabies are advised for longer stays or contact with animals, as stray dogs and monkeys are common, and Japanese encephalitis vaccine is worth discussing for extended rural trips in the monsoon season. Malaria risk exists in parts of the country, especially rural east and northeast India, so ask your doctor about antimalarials, and dengue has no vaccine for most travelers, so avoid mosquito bites. A yellow fever certificate is required only if you arrive from a country with yellow fever risk.


vaccination requirements
When I first started traveling, I often spent part of my first day in a new country hunting for a local SIM card. While this can still be slightly cheaper, it also takes time and planning.

These days, it's much simpler to install an eSIM before leaving home. Once you arrive in India, you can activate it immediately and have mobile data from the moment you land — which is especially useful for ordering transport or navigating away from busy airports.

There are many providers nowadays, and price differences are usually small. I personally go with Holafly, as it offers excellent network coverage throughout the country and strong global coverage, so you can manage multiple countries from a single app.


HolaFly eSim

Culture & Customs

In India, remove your shoes before entering temples, mosques, gurdwaras and most homes, and cover your head with a scarf at Sikh gurdwaras and many mosques. Eat and pass things with your right hand, since the left is associated with hygiene, and never point your feet at people, deities or books. Dress modestly with shoulders and knees covered, particularly at religious sites and in rural areas, and ask before photographing people, women and religious ceremonies in particular. Public displays of affection draw disapproval for any couple, so keep it to holding hands at most, and same-sex couples should be especially discreet outside liberal city neighborhoods. Women can use separate ladies’ queues at stations and ticket counters, and keeping conversations with unknown men brief and formal helps avoid unwanted attention. Don’t touch food or water containers with your lips in shared settings, and accept tea or snacks offered in shops or homes, as refusing outright can seem rude.
Trying traditional food is always a great way to experience the culture. Here are some must-try dishes for India.
  1. Thali: A round steel platter with small bowls of dal, vegetable curries, yogurt, pickle, rice and flatbread, often refilled for free. It is the everyday meal across India and the best way to taste a region’s cooking in one sitting, from Gujarati thalis with sweet notes to fiery Andhra versions.
  2. Masala dosa: A thin, crisp fermented rice and lentil crepe wrapped around spiced potato, served with coconut chutney and sambar. A South Indian breakfast staple, it is cheap, filling and naturally vegetarian.
  3. Biryani: Layered basmati rice slow-cooked with spiced meat or vegetables, saffron and fried onions. Hyderabad, Lucknow and Kolkata each defend their own style, and the Kolkata version famously includes a potato.
  4. Butter chicken: Tandoori chicken simmered in a mild tomato, butter and cream sauce, born in Delhi’s Punjabi restaurants after Partition. Eat it with garlic naan for the classic North Indian restaurant meal.
  5. Chole bhature: Spicy chickpea curry with puffy deep-fried bread, a heavy Punjabi breakfast that Delhi street stalls serve from early morning.
  6. Pani puri: Hollow fried shells filled with potato, chickpeas and tangy tamarind and mint water, eaten in one bite at street carts. Known as golgappa in the north and puchka in Kolkata, it is India’s favorite street snack.
  7. Dal makhani: Black lentils and kidney beans cooked for hours with butter and cream, a rich Punjabi comfort dish that shows how much flavor Indian kitchens get out of lentils.
Tap water in India is not safe for travelers to drink, and even many locals filter or boil it at home. Stick to sealed bottled water (check the cap seal), which costs ₹20 to 30 for a liter, or use a filter bottle and refill at the purified water dispensers many hostels and restaurants offer. Brush your teeth with treated water and be cautious with ice and raw salads at street stalls.
The main language in India is Hindi. Backpacking is way more rewarding if you know a bit of the local language, so I'd suggest brushing up on the basics just in case your Hindi skills have become a bit rusty.

Want to understand locals better?
The complete Travel Guide for India includes 52 essential words and phrases — greetings, thank-yous, ordering food, transport, numbers, and common local expressions you'll actually hear.

Get your local basic phrases 👉

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English is widely spoken across India in tourist hubs, big cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru, and almost universally among hostel staff and younger, college-educated Indians. Rickshaw drivers, street vendors and small-town shopkeepers usually know enough for prices and directions, but in rural villages English drops off quickly. Hindi helps most across the north and center of the country, while in the south people speak Tamil, Kannada, Telugu or Malayalam and may prefer English to Hindi. Download the Hindi offline pack in Google Translate, and learn “kitna hai” (how much) and “bas” (enough, stop), which cover a surprising number of daily situations.

Money & Payments

The local currency of India is INR (₹).
ATMs are easy to find in Indian cities and towns, though they can be scarce in remote mountain areas like Spiti or parts of the northeast, so carry a cash buffer there. Most machines limit foreign card withdrawals to about ₹10,000 per transaction, and many banks add a fee of ₹150 to 500 on top of your home bank’s charges, with State Bank of India and other public bank ATMs often charging less than private ones. Cards work in hotels, malls, upmarket restaurants and for online bookings, but street food, markets, auto-rickshaws and small guesthouses run on cash or UPI mobile payments, which foreigners can access through prepaid wallets such as UPI One World sold at some major airports. US dollars, euros and British pounds are all easy to exchange, so bring a backup stash in clean, undamaged notes. Exchange money at banks, authorized money changers or reputable hotel counters, count your cash before leaving, keep the receipt, and avoid street changers offering better rates.
Tipping in India is not mandatory, but it is widely expected in tourist settings, and 5 to 10 percent is normal in sit-down restaurants unless a service charge already appears on the bill. For a private driver, ₹200 to 400 per day is standard, guides typically get ₹300 to 500 for a half day, and hotel porters ₹50 to 100. Street food stalls, auto-rickshaws and app taxis don’t expect tips, though rounding up is appreciated.

🧩 Nearby countriesSimilar backpacking destinations

📸 PhotosWhat it looks like on the ground

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Photographed by: Johan Kruseman

Experiences from time spent here

Ultimate chaos, burning bodies for €400 a piece

Ultimate chaos, burning bodies for €400 a piece

India | After four weeks on crutches and two weeks in a cast, I was finally free. The doctor said I needed six months of recovery time, but when I asked if I could continue my world trip during that time, he could only mutter a surprised “yes”. A day later, I had my visa and ticket for India, and a week later, I was on the plane. I couldn‘t wait to exchang...
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Fooled twice in a row by Baba

Fooled twice in a row by Baba

India | That evening, I met Baba further down the Ganges. He had visibly never washed his hair, wore a long robe, and claimed to be holy. I dared to doubt that and poked his shoulder twice to debunk it. He laughed and invited me to his house. We followed the Ganges, and a few minutes later, he said, “we’re here.” ‘Funny’ enough, he was homeless, and his ‘h...
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Sharing burgers with somebody traveling by a raft

Sharing burgers with somebody traveling by a raft

India | In the context of extraordinary travelers, the Pole I met that same evening certainly deserves an honorable mention. He always brings clothes, a tent and a paddle as luggage. He then builds a raft, usually from an old door and four large jerry cans, and floats down the river. In India, he wanted to raft the Ganges for a week. With him and a few of...
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Buying a train ticket in just 1.5h and getting to the station in a lawn mower

Buying a train ticket in just 1.5h and getting to the station in a lawn mower

India | Varanasi was an extremely intense start to what would prove to be an extremely intense country. It was time for the next destination: Agra. There is a direct train. No one could tell me where the buses went from and which route they took, so the train quickly became the only option. However, the train also had its challenges. Used to arriving at th...
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A strange man in my bed

A strange man in my bed

India | In Agra, the city of the Taj Mahal, we checked into a hostel less than five hundred meters from the Taj Mahal. At least, that was our goal, but the person who was supposed to check us in was in a coma. The cleaner tapped his shoulder, shouted, screamed, shook him, and eventually kicked him, but the man remained in a coma. A little later, someone el...
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More stories

We 💚 feedbackIs India worth visiting?

The best reason to backpack India is density: no other country I know packs this much living culture into a single day, from a dawn temple ceremony to a family insisting you share their train dinner. Every town eats, prays and argues differently, and a month barely scratches the surface.

The drawback is fatigue. Noise, crowds, constant attention and the odd bout of stomach trouble wear down even experienced travelers, and the days you do not plan rest into are the days India wins.

The country is best for curious, flexible travelers who enjoy being uncomfortable for a while in return for intensity, and who can laugh off a cancelled train. It is not ideal for someone with ten days who wants a relaxing holiday, or for anyone who needs personal space at all times. Come with time, patience and an empty stomach.

✈️ When did I visit India?
As part of my 1.5 year travel around the world trip, I visited India in December 2015. Since then, this guide is regularly updated based on feedback from locals and recent backpackers (last update: 18 October 2026)

✍️ Help improve this page!
The information on this page is based on my own backpacking experience in India, supplemented with up-to-date research and feedback from other travelers. Travel details can change, so if you notice anything outdated or incomplete, feel free to let me know.



🙋‍♂️ Give feedback

👋 Meet the founderWho’s Behind Take Your Backpack?

Johan, backpacker and founder of TakeYourBackpackHi, I’m Johan (Netherlands 🇳🇱), the creator of TakeYourBackpack. Over the past 3 decades, I’ve backpacked through 90+ countries across six continents, gaining extensive experience with independent travel, long-term trips, and overland routes.

This site is built on a combination of firsthand travel experience and carefully curated insights from other backpackers. Many guides are based on places I’ve personally visited, while others bring together tips, observations, and practical advice shared by trusted travelers I’ve met along the way.

The goal is to provide realistic, experience-driven guidance — not generic itineraries — so you can explore destinations with better context, clearer expectations, and more confidence.

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