Do I need a visa for India in 2026?

Most nationalities yes - the Indian e-visa is available online at indianvisaonline.gov.uk for USD 25 (30 days) to USD 80 (5 years). Apply at least 4 days before travel; approval usually arrives within 72 hours.

How many days do I need for India?

Two weeks is the practical minimum for a first trip - one week for the Golden Triangle (Delhi, Agra, Jaipur), one week for Kerala backwaters or Rajasthan palaces. Three weeks lets you add Varanasi and Goa or the Himalayas.

Is India safe for first-time travellers?

Yes with cultural sensitivity. Use Uber and Ola rather than negotiating with street drivers, dress modestly outside resorts, drink only bottled water for the first week, and stay at reputable hotels. The Golden Triangle and Kerala routes are well established and travelled by millions of first-timers every year.

What is the best month to visit India?

October to March is the dry, cooler window across most of the country. November and February are the absolute sweet spot - warm days, cool nights, low humidity, and major festivals (Diwali in October or November, Holi in March).

India Travel Guide 2026 - Everything You Need to Know

From Rajasthani palace hotels to Kerala backwaters, Ladakh's high desert and the Ganges at dawn in Varanasi, India in 2026 rewards travellers who slow down and plan well.

India is not a country you can do in a week. It is a subcontinent of 1.4 billion people, 22 official languages, six classical dance forms, four of the world's great cuisines and landscapes ranging from Himalayan glaciers to Keralan backwaters and the white sands of the Andamans. The traveller who arrives expecting a Southeast Asian beach trip will struggle. The traveller who arrives ready to be overwhelmed, fed, moved and occasionally exasperated will leave changed. India in 2026 is also easier to visit than it has ever been - the e-visa is now genuinely fast, domestic flights are cheap and reliable, and the boutique hotel scene from Udaipur to Goa has matured into one of the most distinctive in the world.

Visa and Entry 2026

Citizens of more than 165 countries can now apply for the Indian e-visa online at indianvisaonline.gov.uk. The tourist e-visa is available in three lengths: 30 days double entry (USD 25), 1 year multiple entry (USD 40) and 5 year multiple entry (USD 80). Apply at least 4 days before travel; most approvals arrive within 72 hours. You must upload a passport photo and a scan of your passport bio page. The e-visa is valid for arrival at 31 airports including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, Goa, Cochin and Jaipur, and 5 seaports. Citizens of Bhutan and Nepal travel visa-free. Pre-book your airport pickup and first-night transfer in India - arrival in Delhi or Mumbai is the single most overwhelming part of the trip for first-timers.

When to Visit - It Depends Entirely on the Region

India's weather is wildly regional. As a rule of thumb, October to March is the dry, cooler window across most of the country and the high season for tourism.

North India (Delhi, Rajasthan, Agra, Varanasi): October to March is ideal. December and January can be cold and foggy in Delhi. April to June is brutally hot (45 C in Rajasthan). July to September is the monsoon.
South India (Kerala, Goa, Tamil Nadu): November to March is the sweet spot. The southwest monsoon (June to September) drenches Kerala and Goa; the northeast monsoon hits Tamil Nadu in October and November.
Himalayas (Ladakh, Spiti, Himachal): June to September only. The Manali to Leh road opens in late May and closes by mid-October. Winter Ladakh is for serious adventurers on the frozen Chadar trek.
Northeast (Meghalaya, Assam, Sikkim): October to April for clear skies. The northeast monsoon makes Cherrapunji and Mawsynram (the wettest places on earth) spectacular but soggy from May to September.

The Classic Itineraries

7 days - the Golden Triangle: Delhi (2 nights) > Agra (1) > Jaipur (2) > Delhi (1). The classic first trip. Hire a private driver for the whole loop (around USD 250 to 400 total) rather than train hopping.

10 days - Golden Triangle plus Udaipur: add a flight or 6-hour drive from Jaipur to Udaipur and 3 nights at a lake palace hotel. Easily the most romantic addition to the standard route.

14 days - the comprehensive first trip: Delhi (2) > Agra (1) > Jaipur (2) > Udaipur (3) > flight to Cochin > Kerala backwaters and Munnar tea hills (5) > flight home from Cochin.

21 days - the photographer's circuit: add Varanasi (3 nights) and Hampi (3 nights) to the 14-day route, or swap Kerala for Ladakh in June to September.

Getting Around

Domestic flights (IndiGo, Vistara, Air India) are the easiest way to cover distance. Delhi to Mumbai costs USD 50 to 90 booked 2 to 4 weeks ahead. The Indian Railways remains the great experience - book Tatkal or 1AC tickets via IRCTC, Cleartrip or 12go.asia at least 2 to 4 weeks ahead for popular routes. The Mumbai to Goa Konkan Railway, Delhi to Varanasi overnight and the Nilgiri Mountain Railway to Ooty are bucket-list train journeys. In cities, use Uber, Ola or Rapido - the meter-haggling era of the auto-rickshaw is largely over. Pre-book private drivers for intercity routes in Rajasthan and Kerala - it transforms the trip.

Costs - India Stretches the Budget

India remains one of the world's best-value destinations at every level. Backpacker: USD 25 to 40 per day. Mid-range comfort: USD 80 to 150 per day. Luxury heritage palace hotels: USD 300 to 1,200 per night at Taj, Oberoi and Aman properties. Street food meals from USD 1 to 3. Mid-range restaurant dinner USD 10 to 20. A pint of Kingfisher USD 2 to 4. The Oberoi Udaivilas in Udaipur and Amanbagh near Jaipur are world-class luxury at roughly half the cost of equivalent stays in Europe.

Food, Water and Health

India will feed you better than almost anywhere on earth, but you must eat carefully for the first week. Drink only bottled or filtered water (Bisleri and Aquafina are reliable; check seals). Use bottled water to brush teeth. Avoid raw salads, uncut fruit, ice in drinks and lassi at smaller restaurants for the first 7 days while your gut adjusts. Eat hot, freshly cooked food - the cooking heat kills most pathogens. Street food at busy stalls with high turnover is usually safer than tourist restaurants with empty kitchens. Bring rehydration salts (ORS), Imodium and Ciprofloxacin (prescription) for the inevitable Delhi belly. The malaria and dengue risk is real in monsoon regions; bring strong DEET repellent.

The Cultural Layer

India rewards cultural preparation more than almost any destination. Read at least one of: William Dalrymple's City of Djinns (Delhi), Suketu Mehta's Maximum City (Mumbai), Arundhati Roy's The God of Small Things (Kerala). Watch Satyajit Ray's Pather Panchali or Mira Nair's Salaam Bombay. Learn ten words of Hindi (namaste, dhanyavad, kitna, paani, chai, accha, theek hai) and basic temple etiquette: remove shoes, cover shoulders and knees, never point feet at deities or sacred objects, ask before photographing people.

Safety and the Solo Female Question

India is statistically safer than the headlines suggest, but it demands cultural sensitivity. Solo female travellers should dress modestly (long sleeves, knees covered) outside resort areas, favour reputable hotels over guesthouses for the first nights, use women-only train compartments where available, avoid travelling alone after dark in unfamiliar cities, and download the 112 India emergency app. The northern Golden Triangle and Kerala are the most popular and tested first-trip routes for solo women. Joining a small group day tour or licensed guide in Delhi, Agra and Varanasi is widely recommended even by seasoned solo travellers.