Ultimate Guide for Planning Your First Trip to India

India is a vast country. So, if you are planning to visit it for the first time, you will get confused. There are so many places to visit, so many things to do, and lots of things to explore in India. If you want a complete tour, you need proper planning.

First of all, you need to select the time you want to spend here. You can visit the country in two weeks or take an entire month to visit every corner of it. Based on your timeline, we are here today to guide you in planning a first to India that you will remember forever.

Table of Contents

When is the best time to visit India?

India is not a country that you can visit year around. Therefore, you have to count on the seasons to visit different places in this country. Usually, the best time to visit India is from October to April. Still, based on the regions, you need a thorough guide. If you are planning to visit North India and North-East India, the mentioned timeline is not always good as in the winter, there are many places that become inaccessible due to snow and landslides.

So, this time is the best to visit South India. Monsoon still remains at some places over there and you get outstanding weather to enjoy your trip. Keep the summer for North and North-East India. From May to October, the weather is soothing and you can also avoid the scorching sun and humidity.

Which is the best option Group tour or a Private tour in India?

When you are tripping around India for the first time, you need a clear answer to this question. If you are a pro traveler, even a female, you can enjoy a solo trip to the country. However, if you only have 2 weeks in hand and also have some experience traveling alone, then joining a group or taking a private tour could be a great option for you.

It’s Time for Some Booking!

If this is your first time, you have to make your bookings before stepping outside. Firstly, book your tickets just after applying for a visa. It will take 2 weeks to get the tourist visa. If you are from Nepal and Bhutan, you don’t need a tourist visa, or else you will be needed it always. As India offers visas on arrival, you can find all the details regarding visas on Arrival in our Visa Guide, which can be found here How to Apply for Indian Visa Step by Step Guide

The next thing is booking the accommodations. India will offer you all ranges of accommodations as per your choice. There are lavish five-star hotels to the homestays, houseboats to dormitories; campsites to moderate hotels- everything. So, whether you are a backpacker or having a family trip or honeymoon trip, you just need to book early, especially during the peak seasons.

What is the cost of travel to India?

People always ask how much it costs. Depending on the type of vacation you are taking, it will differ from one to another. There are individuals who travel on vacation for a short amount of time or for an extended amount of time.

You might have to spend $3,000 if you want to take a 5-day vacation in Europe. When traveling around India on a budget, $3000 might be enough to carry a backpacker through two months on a budget. There is a big difference between these two figures.

There is no doubt that vacationers are willing to spend a little extra to have a good experience, to feel safe, and to have convenience in their accommodations. The budget of a long-term traveler, a nomadic traveler, or a traveler who intends to do a round-the-world trip will need to be watched a little more carefully. The average amount per day ranged anywhere between $35 and $50.

Which Places Do You Want Visit?

Now, this is a very difficult question when you visit India. There is the soaring Himalayas on the north while the beaches and backwater of the south will call you. The throbbing city life is a must here and also royalty of certain states you can’t avoid. You will find history, tradition, culture, modernism, and everything here. So, it is always better to have an itinerary ready beforehand.

Start with the Golden Triangle

This is the route you should pick to begin your trip to India. Golden Triangle comprises Delhi, Jaipur, and Agra and it gives the perfect introduction to India to a foreigner. On this trip, you start in the capital city, Delhi where you can visit lots of monuments, markets, and other places of interest.

Once you move to Agra, you can visit the Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in India. Jaipur will welcome you with all its royalty and warmness. The monuments, palaces, lakes, and historical ruins of these places will blow your mind. February to March and October and November are the best time to visit Golden Triangle.

Relax at the Beaches and Backwaters

Want to get that beautiful tanned skin of Indian beauties? Then head towards the beach towns and backwaters of India. To spend your time on the finest beach in Asia, you can visit Radhanagar Beach in Andaman.

To enjoy the vast coastline and the tropical weather, the beaches of Goa are enchanting. If you want a combination of beaches, backwaters, forests, and hills, altogether, there is no better destination than Kerala.

Enjoy the Soaring Himalaya

If you are in India and don’t experience the magnificence of the Great Himalayan Range will be a mistake. The hill stations in the north and north-east India will present varieties of natural beauty that will blow your mind. The natural presence of Nainital is completely different from that of Arunachal Pradesh. You won’t understand until you visit places of your own.

Are you an adventurist by heart? From trekking to hiking, paragliding to bungee jumping, kayaking to zip-lining, you can experience all these in the mountainous zone. Rishikesh is considered to be the best destination for adventure seekers while you can enjoy the lush green tea plantation at Darjeeling. If you are seeking solitude and peace, visit the smaller hill stations like Lansdowne, Dalhousie, etc.

Get the Touch of Spirituality

India is a country of ancient civilization and religion. The customs and rituals are respected and celebrated with enough esteem. Therefore, if you want to feel the spirituality here, you can visit places. First of all, you can visit Varanasi, one of the oldest cities in India.

The city has more than 2000 temples and numerous ghats where you can get astonished at the sight of puja and ‘Aarti’. Besides, you can also visit Mathura, Vrindavan, Gujarat, etc. to get a glimpse of spirituality and religion.

Get Excited at the Wondrous Wildlife

Are you an animal lover? Or do you love to explore forest life? India won’t disappoint you either. The wildlife sanctuaries in India are one of the favorite destinations for wildlife enthusiasts and naturalists of the world. To visit the Royal Bengal Tiger, head towards the biggest mangrove forest on earth, Sundarban in West Bengal.

For the single-horned rhinos, Kaziranga National Park is the only place to visit in Assam. For the elephants, Wayanad National Park should visit. Besides, there are myriads destinations where you can visit the migratory birds at the right season.

Actually, if we go on with places to visit in India, the words will be limited for that. Every place in this country is special for some reason. Whether it is the history, the natural phenomena, the myths, or the astounding work of mankind, India won’t stop to astonish you. So, plan your itinerary as per your taste and interest in places to visit in this country.

What Should You Pack?

India is a country where you have to be a bit careful about what you wear, especially for female travelers. There are places where you need to wear full-covered clothes and also cover your head. Always follow the dressing norms of places to avoid any issues. So, it is better you pack long skirts, trousers, shirts, etc. Also, you should carry mosquito repellants, the right footwear, enough sunscreen, a good moisturizer, hats, etc.

Enjoy a Budget Trip to India

You will get surprised at the cost of your trip to India. It is quite cheap! A trip to India can be covered with a budget of $25 to $30 per day! But remember, this is the rate for backpackers. If you want a lavish vacation in this country, you should have a good amount in your hand.

Some Exotic Tips to Travel in India

We guess we have mentioned the important things that you need to know about the India tour. Besides these, to make your trip even funnier and full of excitement, here are some of the enticing things you can add-

1. Don’t Skip the Street Food

Your trip to India will remain incomplete if you visit Parathewali Gully in Delhi, Juhu Chaupathi in Mumbai, Tyangra in Kolkata, and so on. Without tasting the scrumptious street food, your trip will remain boring!

2. Shop, Shop, Shop

Are you a shopaholic by heart? Then India will offer you destinations where you shop at your heart’s content. From shoes to dresses, bags to accessories, whatever you want, you can have those at a cheaper deal.

3. Travel by Train

If you want to explore real India, travel to the country by train. You can get a mini version of the diversity of this country and also feel the unity underlying. The rushing and changing scenes outside the windows are really fascinating.

4. Enjoy the Warm Welcome

To Indians, guests are like gods to them. So, if you are here for the first time, you will be overwhelmed by the welcome you get here. And if you get invited to someone’s house, you can get a closer view of the culture and traditions of this country. Respect that!

Hopefully, you get enough on the India trip. Excited enough? Pack your bags and set on for a journey to India, the land of myths, stories, history, and modernism.

Here are some further facts about India: