India travel guides
Where to go in India, and what it really costs
Practical guides for budget and independent travelers: when to go, how to get there, daily costs in rupees, and a day-by-day route you can adapt in the planner. Costs reviewed September 2026.
North India
Spiti Valley
Himachal Pradesh
A high-altitude cold desert of monasteries, fossil villages, and some of India's most dramatic roads. Spiti rewards slow travel and punishes rushing.
- Best time
- June to September (full loop)
- Daily budget
- ₹1,800–3,000 backpacking
Ladakh
Ladakh
High passes, turquoise lakes, and monasteries on every ridge. Ladakh is simple to reach by air and demanding once you're there: the altitude sets the pace.
- Best time
- June to September
- Daily budget
- ₹2,500–4,000 backpacking
Rishikesh
Uttarakhand
Where the Ganga leaves the mountains: white-water rafting, yoga schools, evening aarti on the ghats, and easy hikes into the foothills.
- Best time
- September to November and February to April
- Daily budget
- ₹1,200–2,200 backpacking
Northeast India
Meghalaya
Meghalaya
Living root bridges, some of the wettest places on Earth, and rivers so clear that boats seem to float on air. Meghalaya is lush, walkable, and still uncrowded.
- Best time
- October to April for clear rivers and dry trails
- Daily budget
- ₹1,800–3,000 backpacking
Sikkim
Sikkim
Kanchenjunga at sunrise, monasteries above the clouds, and a clean, easygoing capital. Sikkim is small but mountainous, so distances take longer than the map suggests.
- Best time
- March to May and October to November
- Daily budget
- ₹2,000–3,200 backpacking
South India
Kerala
Kerala
Backwaters, tea hills, spice gardens, and cliff beaches, all within a few hours of each other. Kerala is one of India's easiest states to travel independently.
- Best time
- October to March
- Daily budget
- ₹1,800–2,800 backpacking
Hampi
Karnataka
The ruins of a 14th-century imperial capital scattered across a landscape of giant boulders. Hampi is best explored slowly, by bicycle, with sunrises and sunsets from the rocks.
- Best time
- October to February
- Daily budget
- ₹1,300–2,300 backpacking
West India
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