Delhi
India’s capital packs Mughal tombs, Old Delhi bazaars, leafy Lutyens avenues and the country’s best food scene into one sprawling, energetic city.
Oct-Mar 2-3 days
Namaste and welcome
India, made easy.
Where to go, when to go, how to get around, and how to actually live here. Honest, practical guides for visitors, NRIs, Indian travellers and new arrivals.
Next festival: Diwali All dates
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Map the India you have seen
Tick off the places you have been, from 2,776 cities, forts, temples, lakes and national parks across all 36 states and union territories. You get a score, your own map and a poster you can share. Nothing to sign up for.
Or browse places by type: temples, forts, beaches, the 12 Jyotirlingas and more, or places to visit in each state. New: the food passport, treks and 2027 long weekends.
Plan by month
Where to go in India in November (and where not to)
Diwali lights and perfect weather.
This month
At their best 79 places
Better to avoid
- Leh & Ladakh Bitter cold (well below freezing) and the highways over the passes are closed
- Kodaikanal Northeast monsoon: rain and thick fog
- Puducherry (Pondicherry) Peak northeast monsoon: heavy rain, cyclone risk
- Spiti Valley Extreme cold; the Kunzum Pass is shut and only the Shimla road is open
- Kedarnath and Badrinath Temples closed for winter
Festivals
- Diwali8 November 2026 · Everywhere: Varanasi, Jaipur, Amritsar
- Guru Nanak Jayanti & Dev Deepawali24 November 2026 · Amritsar · Varanasi
- Pushkar Camel FairOctober or November (lunar) · Pushkar
Weather
- North plainsClear, warm days and cool nights; Delhi’s air can be poor.
- HimalayaCold but clear; hill stations quiet.
- West & GoaBeach season starts.
- South & KeralaPleasant; some rain in Tamil Nadu.
- NortheastExcellent.
Six Indias
Explore by region
First time in India?
The classics, done right
Agra
Home of the Taj Mahal, and the red sandstone Agra Fort and the abandoned Mughal capital of Fatehpur Sikri nearby.
Oct-Mar 1-2 days
Jaipur
Rajasthan’s Pink City: hilltop Amber Fort, the honeycomb Hawa Mahal, royal palaces and India’s best bazaars for textiles, block prints and gems.
Oct-Mar 2-3 days
Varanasi
One of the world’s oldest living cities: dawn boat rides on the Ganges, evening aarti, and life and death on the ghats.
Oct-Mar 2-3 days
Amritsar
The Golden Temple shimmering in its sacred pool, plus the world’s largest free kitchen and the Wagah border ceremony.
Oct-Mar 1-2 days
Mumbai
India’s maximum city: Bollywood, art deco seafronts, colonial landmarks and the best street food on the west coast.
Nov-Feb 2-3 days
Kochi
Kerala’s historic port: Chinese fishing nets, colonial Fort Kochi, spice warehouses, art cafés and the Kochi-Muziris Biennale.
Oct-Mar 2 days
Alleppey (Alappuzha) Backwaters
Glide through palm-fringed canals on a traditional kettuvallam houseboat: Kerala’s signature experience.
Oct-Mar 1-2 days
Before you fly
The India essentials
Rules change a lot, so we keep it short and link straight to the official source.
e-VisaApply 4+ days ahead on the official site
e-Arrival CardRequired within 72 hours of landing
OCI cardFees, eligibility, passport updates
Money & UPIUPI One World, ATMs, tipping
SIM & eSIMGet connected on arrival
TrainsForeign Tourist Quota, Tatkal, classes
SafetyScams to know, tips for women
HealthWater, food, heat and air quality
Trip finder · 1 minute
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Tell us your month, what you love and where you’re starting from. We’ll match destinations from all over India.
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Based on readers who’ve been, want to go, or rated a place in the last two months.
Ajanta & Ellora Caves
Two UNESCO cave complexes: Ajanta’s ancient Buddhist paintings and Ellora’s monolithic Kailasa temple, carved from a single rock.
Oct-Mar 2 days
Katra and Vaishno Devi
Katra is the base for the walk to the cave shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi, one of the most visited pilgrimages in India.
Sep-Nov, Mar-May 2-3 days
Mumbai
India’s maximum city: Bollywood, art deco seafronts, colonial landmarks and the best street food on the west coast.
Nov-Feb 2-3 days
Mussoorie
The “Queen of the Hills” above Dehradun: Mall Road, Landour’s quiet lanes and views of the snow peaks.
Sep-Nov, Mar-Jun 2 days
Nainital
A lake town in the Kumaon hills, with boating, ropeways and quieter lakes like Bhimtal and Sattal close by.
Sep-Nov, Mar-Jun 2-3 days
Rishikesh
The yoga capital of the world on the Ganges: ashrams, white-water rafting, suspension bridges and Himalayan foothills.
Sep-Nov, Feb-May 2-4 days
Free to print and share
Printables and infographics
Calendars, cheat sheets and a poster map. Print them, pin them, or save them to your phone.
When to go where: India month-by-month calendar
India festival calendar: November 2026 to October 2027
Do’s and don’ts in India
India trip checklistTrip ideas
Shortlists for every kind of trip
Best places to visit in IndiaThe best places to visit in India, from the Taj Mahal and Rajasthan to Kerala’s backwaters, Ladakh and the An…
Best beaches in IndiaIndia’s best beach destinations (the Andamans, Goa, Gokarna, Varkala and Puducherry) and when to go.
India’s great heritage sitesIndia’s most spectacular heritage destinations: the Taj Mahal, Rajasthan’s forts, Hampi, Khajuraho, Ajanta-El…
Best hill stations in IndiaIndia’s best hill stations from Shimla and Darjeeling to Munnar and Ooty, with the best time to visit each.
Hill stations near BangaloreThe best hill stations near Bangalore: Coorg, Chikmagalur, Ooty, Wayanad, Munnar and Kodaikanal.
Hill stations near DelhiThe best hill stations near Delhi for a weekend or a week: Mussoorie, Shimla, Nainital, Rishikesh, Dharamshal…Making India home
Where to live in India
Thirteen cities compared for expats, remote workers and returning NRIs.
Bengaluru
India’s tech capital and the most popular landing spot for returning NRIs and foreign professionals: mild weather, big expat community, notorious tra…
₹₹₹ High Mild all year (rarely above the l…
Pune
A student and IT city with a gentler pace than Mumbai, good weather and easy weekends in the Western Ghats.
₹₹ Moderate Pleasant most of the year; hot Ap…
Hyderabad
A fast-growing tech city with good infrastructure for the money, a big new airport and some of India’s best food.
₹₹ Moderate Hot summers (April to June); mild…
Mumbai
India’s financial and entertainment capital: the highest salaries and the highest rents, by the sea.
₹₹₹₹ Highest Hot and humid; heavy monsoon June…
Delhi NCR (Delhi, Gurugram, Noida)
India’s capital region: corporate hubs in Gurugram and Noida, embassies and green South Delhi, and the country’s best flight connections.
₹₹₹ High Very hot summers, cold winters, m…
Chennai
A traditional, culture-rich coastal city with a big IT and auto industry, the longest urban beach in India and great value.
₹₹ Moderate Hot and humid most of the year; n…