India travel wiki

What you need to know before you plan

India is a subcontinent, not a single trip: the Taj Mahal and Rajasthan's forts in the north, Kerala's backwaters and tea hills in the south, the high Himalayas, a 7,500km coastline and a festival calendar that runs almost year-round. A first visit works best around a single region rather than a checklist — pair a classic north India route with Kerala for two weeks, or stay in the south for a slower, single-region trip. Most visitors need a visa (the online e-Tourist Visa is the simplest route), the best overall window is October to March, and a trip can run anywhere from roughly ₹1,200 a day backpacking to ₹20,000+ a day for luxury.

A country of regions

India runs on regional identity more than any single national picture: North India (Delhi, Agra, Rajasthan) is monuments and desert forts; South India (Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka) is backwaters, temples and food; the Himalayas and Ladakh are high-altitude and best in summer; the coasts (Goa, Kerala, the Andamans) are beaches and slow time; the Northeast is its own world of hills and tribal culture. Roampedia's deepest coverage today is Kerala, starting with Fort Kochi — the rest of the country is being built out state by state, and our itineraries are honest about which legs are fully mapped and which are editorial for now.

Getting oriented

Trains (booked on IRCTC) are the backbone for medium and long distance, domestic flights make sense for the longest hops, and autos or app cabs cover cities — though Uber and Ola thin out fast once you leave the metros, so hill towns and small towns rely on a hired car with a driver instead. October to March suits most of the country; the Himalayas flip that and are best May to September; and the June–September monsoon, while wetter, is green, quiet, cheap, and Kerala's traditional Ayurveda season.

What it costs

India suits every budget: backpackers get by on roughly ₹1,200–3,500 a day, mid-range travellers should plan for ₹3,000–5,000, and a luxury trip runs ₹12,000–20,000 or more per person per day, all excluding flights. Food, local transport and budget stays are all inexpensive by global standards — it is one of the reasons India works equally well for a shoestring backpacker and a comfortable first-timer.

Ready-made itineraries

Explore by experience — in Kerala, our deepest coverage

Essentials

Do you need a visa?