India trip planner: 119 destinations with best time, cost and things to do

Pick a destination to see when to go, what a trip costs per person, what to eat and the best things to do. Every guide links to a free planner that works out the full cost from your city.

Andaman and Nicobar Islands

• Havelock Island: Andaman island with Radhanagar Beach, coral reefs and scuba diving.
• Port Blair: Andaman capital (now Sri Vijaya Puram) with Cellular Jail and ferry links to the islands.

Andhra Pradesh

• Araku Valley: Hill valley with coffee plantations, tribal culture and a scenic train ride from Vizag.
• Gandikota: Pennar river gorge under a 13th-century fort, best at sunrise, with the Belum Caves an hour away.
• Tirupati: Pilgrimage town at the foot of the Tirumala hills and the Venkateswara Temple.
• Visakhapatnam: Coastal city with beaches, a submarine museum and the gateway to Araku Valley.

Arunachal Pradesh

• Tawang: Remote Himalayan town with a grand monastery and the high Sela Pass.
• Ziro Valley: Apatani plateau of paddy fields and pine forest, home of the Ziro Music Festival every September.

Assam

• Guwahati: Gateway to Northeast India on the Brahmaputra, known for Kamakhya Temple.
• Kaziranga: UNESCO-listed park famous for one-horned rhinos, elephants and grassland safaris.
• Majuli: River island on the Brahmaputra with Vaishnavite satras, mask makers and Mising stilt villages.

Bihar

• Bodh Gaya: Where the Buddha attained enlightenment, with the Mahabodhi Temple and monasteries.

Chandigarh

• Chandigarh: Planned city by Le Corbusier with gardens, and the gateway to the Himachal hills.

Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu

• Diu: Island town with a Portuguese fort, churches and quiet beaches.

Delhi

• Delhi: India's capital: Mughal monuments, bazaars, museums and an enormous food scene.

Goa

• Goa: Beaches, shacks, Portuguese-era churches and nightlife in North Goa.
• Palolem: Crescent-shaped beach in South Goa with beach huts, kayaking and quieter vibes.

Gujarat

• Ahmedabad: UNESCO heritage city with pols, stepwells, Sabarmati Ashram and vegetarian food.
• Kutch: Vast white salt desert, craft villages and the Rann Utsav festival.

Himachal Pradesh

• Bir Billing: Paragliding capital of India with Tibetan colonies and monasteries.
• Dalhousie: Quiet colonial-era hill station with churches, pine forests and Khajjiar meadow.
• Dharamshala: Home of the Tibetan government-in-exile, with McLeodganj cafes and the Triund trek.
• Kasauli: Quiet colonial cantonment on a ridge above Kalka, with old churches, pine walks and sunset points.
• Kasol: Riverside village in the Parvati Valley, base for the Kheerganga trek and cafe culture.
• Manali: Himalayan resort town for snow, adventure sports, Old Manali cafes and road trips.
• Sangla and Chitkul: Baspa valley in Kinnaur with Sangla's orchards and Chitkul, the last village on the road to the Tibet border.
• Shimla: Former British summer capital with colonial architecture, Mall Road and pine forests.
• Spiti Valley: High-altitude cold desert with ancient monasteries, fossil villages and Chandratal lake.
• Tirthan Valley: Quiet river valley near Great Himalayan National Park, with Jibhi's wooden homestays.

Jammu and Kashmir

• Gulmarg: Meadow resort with one of the world's highest gondolas and winter skiing.
• Jammu: City of temples and the gateway to Kashmir and Vaishno Devi.
• Katra: Base town for the Vaishno Devi pilgrimage trek.
• Pahalgam: Lidder river valley town with meadows like Betaab and Aru Valley.
• Srinagar: Kashmir's summer capital with Dal Lake houseboats, Mughal gardens and Wazwan cuisine.

Karnataka

• Badami: Chalukya capital with red sandstone cave temples, plus Aihole and the UNESCO temples of Pattadakal.
• Bengaluru: Garden city with a mild climate, craft breweries, cafes and South Indian breakfast joints.
• Chikmagalur: Coffee-growing hill district with Karnataka's highest peak, Mullayanagiri.
• Coorg: Misty coffee country with waterfalls, homestays and Kodava cuisine.
• Dandeli: Jungle town on the Kali river known for rafting, kayaking and hornbills.
• Gokarna: Temple town with secluded beaches linked by a coastal trek.
• Hampi: UNESCO-listed ruins of the Vijayanagara Empire set among giant boulders.
• Mangaluru: Coastal city known for Tulu Nadu cuisine, beaches and temples.
• Mysuru: Royal city with the illuminated Mysore Palace, Chamundi Hill and silk shopping.
• Sakleshpur: Malnad hills with coffee and cardamom estates, the star-shaped Manjarabad fort and the Bisle ghat.
• Udupi: Temple town famous for Udupi cuisine, with Malpe Beach and St. Mary's Island nearby.

Kerala

• Alleppey: Backwater hub known for houseboats, canals and Kuttanad paddy fields.
• Bekal: A 17th-century sea fort on a quiet beach, with the Valiyaparamba backwaters and Theyyam season from December.
• Kochi: Historic port city with Fort Kochi's colonial lanes, Chinese fishing nets and art cafes.
• Kozhikode: Coastal Malabar city famous for biryani, halwa and hospitality, and a gateway to Wayanad.
• Munnar: Hill station carpeted with tea estates, misty viewpoints and Eravikulam National Park.
• Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala's capital with temples, museums and Kovalam's beaches nearby.
• Varkala: Cliff-top beach town with cafes, yoga and a sacred beach.
• Wayanad: Forested hill district with caves, waterfalls, wildlife and treehouse stays.

Ladakh

• Leh: High-altitude desert town, base for Pangong Tso, Nubra Valley and Himalayan passes.

Madhya Pradesh

• Bhopal: City of lakes, with Sanchi Stupa and the Bhimbetka rock shelters nearby.
• Indore: Food capital of Madhya Pradesh with famous night markets, and India's cleanest city.
• Kanha National Park: Sal forest and meadows that inspired The Jungle Book, with tigers and the rare hard-ground barasingha.
• Khajuraho: UNESCO-listed temples famed for intricate Chandela-era sculpture.
• Mandu: Plateau of Afghan-era palaces, the Ship Palace and Roopmati's pavilion, green and misty in the monsoon; Maheshwar's ghats are 40 km away.
• Orchha: Riverside town of cenotaphs, palaces and the Ram Raja Temple.
• Pachmarhi: Satpura hill station with waterfalls, caves and forest trails.
• Ujjain: Ancient temple city with the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga and ghats on the Shipra.

Maharashtra

• Alibaug: Coastal town near Mumbai with beaches, a sea fort and ferry access.
• Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Base for the UNESCO-listed Ajanta and Ellora caves and Bibi Ka Maqbara.
• Lonavala: Western Ghats getaway famous for monsoon waterfalls, forts and chikki.
• Mahabaleshwar: Hill station known for strawberries, viewpoints and Venna Lake.
• Mumbai: India's biggest city: sea-facing promenades, colonial architecture, street food and nightlife.
• Nashik: Temple city on the Godavari and India's wine capital.
• Pune: Student city with forts nearby, Peshwa history, cafes and a lively food scene.
• Tadoba: Tiger reserve of teak forest and lakes, among the best odds of seeing a tiger in India.
• Tarkarli: Konkan beach with clear water, scuba diving and the Sindhudurg sea fort.

Meghalaya

• Dawki: The glass-clear Umngot river at Dawki and Shnongpdeng, with Mawlynnong, the cleanest village, 30 km away.
• Shillong: Meghalaya's hill capital known for music, cafes and waterfalls.
• Sohra: Rainy plateau of waterfalls, caves and the double-decker living root bridge.

Nagaland

• Kohima: Nagaland's hill capital with the WWII war cemetery, Khonoma green village and the Dzukou valley trek; the Hornbill Festival runs 1 to 10 December.

Odisha

• Bhubaneswar: Temple city with ancient Kalinga architecture and a gateway to Puri and Konark.
• Chilika Lake: Brackish lagoon with Irrawaddy dolphins at Satapada and winter bird flocks at Mangalajodi and Nalabana.
• Puri: Coastal pilgrimage town with the Jagannath Temple and the nearby Konark Sun Temple.

Puducherry

• Pondicherry: Former French colony with pastel White Town streets, promenades and Auroville.

Punjab

• Amritsar: Home of the Golden Temple, the Wagah border ceremony and legendary Punjabi food.

Rajasthan

• Bundi: Blue-washed old town under Taragarh fort, with painted palace murals and more than 50 stepwells.
• Jaipur: Pink City with Amber Fort, Hawa Mahal, bazaars and Rajasthani cuisine.
• Jaisalmer: Golden desert city with a living fort, havelis and camping at Sam Sand Dunes.
• Jodhpur: Blue City dominated by Mehrangarh Fort, with old-town lanes and ziplining.
• Mount Abu: Rajasthan's only hill station, with the Dilwara Jain temples and Nakki Lake.
• Pushkar: Holy lake town with ghats, the Brahma Temple and a famous camel fair.
• Ranthambore: Tiger reserve with an ancient fort, known for jeep and canter safaris.
• Udaipur: City of lakes with palaces, rooftop cafes and sunset boat rides on Lake Pichola.

Sikkim

• Gangtok: Sikkim's capital with monasteries, MG Marg and trips to Tsomgo Lake.
• Pelling: West Sikkim ridge with close-up Kanchenjunga views, old monasteries and the sacred Khecheopalri lake.

Tamil Nadu

• Chennai: Coastal city known for temples, Marina Beach, classical arts and South Indian food.
• Chettinad: Villages of grand Chettiar mansions with Burma teak and Athangudi tiles, and the home of Chettinad cooking.
• Coimbatore: Industrial city with pleasant weather and a gateway to the Nilgiris.
• Kanyakumari: India's southern tip where three seas meet, famous for sunrise and sunset.
• Kodaikanal: Misty hill town around a star-shaped lake with pine forests and viewpoints.
• Madurai: One of India's oldest cities, centred on the vast Meenakshi Amman Temple.
• Mahabalipuram: UNESCO-listed Pallava shore temples and rock carvings by the sea.
• Ooty: Nilgiri hill station with tea gardens, lakes and the heritage toy train.
• Rameswaram: Island pilgrimage town with the Ramanathaswamy Temple and Dhanushkodi's ghost town.
• Valparai: Tea plateau in the Anamalai hills, reached by 40 hairpin bends, with elephants and rare macaques on the road.

Telangana

• Hyderabad: City of the Nizams: Charminar, Golconda Fort and some of India's most famous biryani.

Uttar Pradesh

• Agra: Home of the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri.
• Ayodhya: Pilgrimage city on the Sarayu river, home to the Ram Mandir.
• Lucknow: Nawabi city famous for Awadhi cuisine, chikankari and Mughal-era monuments.
• Varanasi: One of the world's oldest living cities, with ghats on the Ganga and the evening aarti.
• Vrindavan: Krishna's land of temples, especially vibrant during Holi.

Uttarakhand

• Auli: Ski slopes and meadows above Joshimath with a view of Nanda Devi, snow from January to March.
• Chopta: Meadow base for the Tungnath temple and Chandrashila summit trek.
• Dehradun: Valley city at the foothills of the Himalaya, gateway to Mussoorie and Rishikesh.
• Haridwar: Ancient pilgrimage city on the Ganga, known for the Har Ki Pauri evening aarti.
• Jim Corbett: India's oldest national park, known for tiger safaris and riverside resorts.
• Lansdowne: Garhwal Rifles cantonment town with oak and pine forest, church spires and Himalayan views from Tip n Top.
• Munsiyari: Kumaon hill town facing the Panchachuli peaks, base for Khaliya Top and Milam glacier treks.
• Mussoorie: Hill station with colonial Landour, Kempty Falls and views of the Himalaya.
• Nainital: Lake town in the Kumaon hills with boating, viewpoints and nearby lakes.
• Rishikesh: Yoga capital on the Ganga with river rafting, ashrams and the evening aarti.

West Bengal

• Darjeeling: Himalayan tea town with the toy train, Tiger Hill sunrise and Kanchenjunga views.
• Kolkata: Cultural capital with colonial architecture, adda culture, literature and legendary sweets.
• Sundarbans: Mangrove delta of creeks and islands, explored by boat, home of the Royal Bengal tiger.