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DESTINATION

India

A subcontinent of its own

From the Himalayan monasteries of Ladakh to the backwaters of Kerala: 1.4 billion people, 22 official languages and 42 UNESCO sites. We run India mostly as a multi-country trip alongside Nepal.

1.4 billionPopulation
42UNESCO sites
22 officialLanguages
5,000+ yrsCivilisation age
Explore trips
India
Explore by region

2 distinct landscapes

Tap a region to filter the trips below.

Varanasi
Varanasi
Uttar Pradesh, India
Ladakh
Ladakh
Land of High Passes
About India

How to Take On a Country This Size

India spans 3.3 million km² and 1.4 billion people, which makes it the most populous country on Earth and the seventh largest by area. It has 28 states and 8 union territories, and the variation between them is not decorative: each has its own cuisine, language family, festival calendar and architecture. Trying to see India in one trip is the mistake almost every first-time visitor makes.

Pick one Indian region and commit to it. The Golden Triangle of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur covers Mughal heritage and the Taj Mahal, and is the standard first trip for good reason. Rajasthan extends it with desert forts and the lake palaces of Udaipur. Varanasi on the Ganges is the holiest city in Hinduism and unlike anywhere else. Ladakh in the Himalayan north holds Tibetan Buddhist culture that some argue survives more intact there than in Tibet itself. The Kerala backwaters are the opposite of all of it: slow, tropical, green.

Where does Swotah fit? We are a Kathmandu operator, so we run India mainly as multi-country trips built around Nepal: Nepal with Varanasi and Delhi, Nepal with Bhutan and Sikkim, or Nepal with Ladakh and Kashmir. Those combinations work because the geography is contiguous and the flights are short. India issues an e-visa online before travel, which is straightforward, and unlike Tibet or Bhutan there is no guide requirement or nightly fee. See Varanasi for the leg most of our trips include.

  • 01
    Taj Mahal

    Built 1632 to 1653 as Shah Jahan's mausoleum for Mumtaz Mahal. UNESCO-listed and India's most visited site.

  • 02
    Varanasi

    Over 3,000 years old, 88 ghats, and the holiest city in Hinduism. Cremations have run unbroken at Manikarnika for 2,500 years.

  • 03
    Ladakh

    Khardung La at 5,359 m, Pangong Lake, and Tibetan Buddhist monasteries that some argue are more intact than Tibet's.

  • 04
    Rajasthan

    Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur and Jaisalmer. Rajput citadels 800 years old and the desert around them.

  • 05
    Kerala Backwaters

    Houseboats on tropical canals, the old spice port at Cochin, and the Ayurvedic tradition.

  • 06
    42 UNESCO Sites

    Third most in Asia, spanning Buddhist, Hindu, Mughal, colonial and natural heritage.

Good to know

India questions, answered

Do I need a visa for India?
Yes, and you must apply online before you travel. India issues an e-visa for most nationalities and there is no visa on arrival for tourists, so this is the one piece of paperwork you cannot leave until the airport. It is straightforward compared with Tibet or Bhutan: no guide requirement, no nightly fee, no agency needed.
How much of India can I see in one trip?
Far less than you think, and this is the most useful thing anyone can tell you. It is 3.3 million km² with 28 states, each effectively a different country in food, language and architecture. Pick one region and commit: the Golden Triangle, or Rajasthan, or Kerala, or Ladakh. Two weeks trying to cover north and south means most of it is spent on planes.
Why does Swotah run India as a multi-country trip?
Because we are a Kathmandu operator, and the combinations that work are the geographically contiguous ones: Nepal with Varanasi and Delhi, Nepal with Bhutan and Sikkim, Nepal with Ladakh. Those share a border, a short flight and a natural narrative. If you want a dedicated three-week South India trip, an operator based there will serve you better, and we will say so.
Is Ladakh better than Tibet for Tibetan Buddhist culture?
It is a serious argument, and worth knowing. Ladakh sits in the Indian Himalaya, is culturally Tibetan, and has none of Tibet's access restrictions: no special permit for most areas, no mandatory guide, no fixed itinerary. Some monasteries there hold traditions continuously. What you don't get is Lhasa, the Potala or Kailash. For access and freedom, Ladakh. For the sites themselves, Tibet.
When is the best time to visit India?
It depends entirely on the region, which is the point about the country's size. The north, including the Golden Triangle and Rajasthan, is best from October to March, and brutal from April to June. Ladakh inverts that: it is only reachable roughly June to September, when the passes are open. Kerala suits November to February. There is no single answer.
Is Varanasi worth adding to a Nepal trip?
Yes, and it is the leg most of our India itineraries include, because the geography makes it easy: it is a short hop from Kathmandu, and it links naturally to Lumbini, where the Buddha was born, just over the border. Two to three days is right. It is an intense city and a short, well-placed visit works better than a long one.