The honest brief
India is the country that overwhelms first-timers and rewards second-timers. The first trip should be smaller than you think — a single region, two cities maximum, a slow pace. The Golden Triangle (Delhi-Agra-Jaipur) in five days is the most-booked itinerary and the one most travelers wish they'd done differently. Better: Delhi + Rajasthan deep (Jodhpur or Udaipur), or Kerala on its own, or Mumbai + a side trip to Goa.
It is also a country where you should pay slightly more than the minimum for the parts that matter — a 4-star hotel buys you a clean room and a sleep that lets you cope with everything outside the hotel, which is most of the experience. Backpacker India is a different trip; first-trip India is a comfort-budget trip.
Weather right now
Country facts
When to visit
November through February is the only universal answer. Delhi and the north are pleasant (10°C nights, 20°C days), the deserts of Rajasthan are perfect, Kerala is dry. March is Holi (mid-March, the festival of color) which is spectacular if you specifically came for it.
April–June is summer — Delhi hits 45°C, Rajasthan is unbearable. Monsoon (June–September) is the wrong time for the desert north and the right time for Kerala, which becomes lush and cheap. October is post-monsoon north India — dust settles, festivals start, slightly humid, fine.
Money
Cash and UPI both. UPI is the local digital-payment standard and is harder for foreigners to use without an Indian bank account (workarounds via Cheq or Razorpay International exist but aren't always available). Carry 2,000–3,000 rupees in 100-rupee notes; nothing irritates a small-shop owner more than a 2,000-note for a 30-rupee chai.
Tipping (baksheesh) is real and works on a sliding scale: 10% in restaurants, 50–100 rupees to the driver, 20 rupees to the bag porter. The classic Delhi scam: 'your hotel is closed, let me take you to my brother's place' — your hotel is open. The pre-paid taxi booth at the airport is the only honest taxi from Delhi airport at 2 AM.
Food + dining etiquette
Eat with your right hand; the left is reserved for unclean tasks. If you can't manage it, a spoon is fine and no one will be cross. Don't share food off your plate at a strict-Hindu or Jain table — the jutha (touched-food) rule is real and not negotiable.
The food is regional in a way English vocabulary undersells. 'Curry' is not a word Indians use; the dish is specific (dal, sabzi, biryani, rogan josh, pulao) and the regional names are how you order. Vegetarian-default is the norm in many states; non-veg is its own menu. Tap water no; bottled water yes, and check the seal.
Speaking the language
English is widely spoken in cities and among educated speakers — India is the world's second-largest English-speaking country, by some counts the largest. Namaste (hands together at the chest, small bow) is the universal greeting and a small one is appreciated. Dhanyavaad (thank you in Hindi) is more formal than needed; English thank-you is the everyday move.
Hindi is not the language everywhere. The south (Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra) speaks Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu — distinct languages, and assuming Hindi is the universal is mildly offensive. English is the actual interlanguage in the south.
Essential phrases
Translate any phrase →
Open the full translation grid — your phrase will appear in 65 languages with audio and a cross-check verdict on each card.
Numbers
What to pack
Modest cover for women everywhere outside Goa and Mumbai's south (long pants or long skirt, sleeves to mid-bicep). Real shoes — you'll take them off at every temple, mosque, gurdwara, and many shops. Socks (the temple floor is hot or cold and not yours). A scarf doubles as headcovering for Sikh gurdwaras + sun protection + aircon-blast. Bring a stomach-comfort kit (Imodium, ORS sachets, Pepto); don't rely on a pharmacy understanding what you mean.
Getting around
Trains — Indian Railways is its own world and is the right answer for most inter-city travel. Book AC 2-tier or AC 1st class on IRCTC (the official booking site) at least a week ahead. The Tejas Express / Vande Bharat are the modern fast intercity options. Domestic flights are cheap (IndiGo, SpiceJet) and saves the day-on-train for long routes.
Uber and Ola work in every city and are the safe-default. Auto-rickshaws are cheaper and need a confirmed price up front. Don't drive yourself — hire a driver if you want a car.
Where to actually go
One week, first trip: Delhi 2 + Agra day trip + Jaipur 3, or Mumbai 3 + Goa 4. Two weeks: Rajasthan deep (Delhi + Jaipur + Jodhpur + Udaipur), or Kerala on its own (Kochi + backwaters + a hill station). Skip first trip: the south + the north as a single trip (they're two countries inside one country), Varanasi as a first stop (intense even by Indian standards), Kashmir (political situation needs research).
Common mistakes
Trying to see Delhi + Agra + Jaipur + Varanasi + Kerala in 10 days. Drinking tap water. Saying 'curry.' Tipping zero (it's a $0.50 difference, and skipping it reads ugly). Wearing shorts to a temple. Booking a Delhi airport pickup with a random taxi at 2 AM. Treating Mumbai as a stand-in for the country (Mumbai is as different from rural Bihar as London is from rural Greece).
Notes for the diaspora
If your family is from Gujarat, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Bengal — these are different regional cuisines with different languages and the rest of India isn't always the home base. A first 'roots trip' that visits the family village is its own kind of trip — bring gifts (Toblerone, Costco vitamins, a US scotch), bring time, bring patience for the relatives who will keep feeding you. Atithi devo bhava — the guest is god — is the operative posture and works both ways.
Cultural notes
- Eat with right hand only — left is considered unclean
- Don't point with feet or touch others with feet
- Namaste (palms together) is the standard greeting
- Remove shoes before entering homes and temples
- Bargaining is expected at markets — start at 30-40% of asking price
Universal courtesies
- Try a greeting in the local language even if it's the only word you know — it's appreciated everywhere.
- Match local dress norms when entering religious sites, government buildings, or rural areas.
- Ask before photographing people, especially children or in religious settings.
- Tipping customs vary — never assume your home country's expectation applies.
- Remove shoes when entering homes if your host does; watch their cue.
- Keep voices lower than at home in temples, mosques, museums, public transport.
- Hands and gestures mean different things across cultures — observe before reaching out.
- Cash + cards: rural areas often need cash; major cities take cards. Carry small notes.
- Don't compare countries to each other in front of locals — every culture stands on its own.
- If you don't know the etiquette, watching for 30 seconds usually teaches it.