The Ultimate Guide To Travelling India

So, you’re thinking about India as a travel destination? You’ve come to the right place! This post is the ultimate guide for first-timers or regulars planning to embark on a trip travelling India.

Including information about gaining an Indian tourist visa, where to stay in India, I ndia best travel places and how to travel around the country of India.

What route did we take around India?

Delhi- 3 nights  Agra – 2 nights  Jaipur – 3 nights Udaipur – 2 nights  Jodhpur – 2 nights Jaisalmer- 3 nights Ahmadabad- 1 night + 1 overnight bus

How much will it cost me to visit India?

India is cheap, that goes without saying. Every spot that we visited was packed full of local eateries, budget spots to stay and extremely reasonably priced transport to get you between spots.

Of course, like any place, if you want to stay in 5 star hotels and eat at the best restaurants then your trip to Indias budget can quickly increase. However, India is a place that is perfect for the budget backpacker!

Budget – £500 for both of us.

You might also enjoy reading – Our Essential Guide to Visiting Taiwan.

Do I need a visa to visit India?

Yes, all foreign tourists need a visa to visit India. You need to apply for your visa beforehand. You can find out more information on that here. Beware of fake websites offering e-Visa services as there are a lot going around. Only buy from the official website.

What to expect when travelling to India

If there was ever a country which could be described as a sensory overload it would be India.

A country filled with such an abundance of colour, smells and noise that you feel immediately overwhelmed, but in a completely awesome way. It truly captures you and draws you in using all of your senses simultaneously. The incredible smells of spices being ground or a freshly baked chapati wafting into the air. The sounds of cowbells in the distance or the insistent beeping of horns. The wonderful taste of aromatic curries. The sights of beautiful historic buildings. Travelling India truly draws you in.

There is no better way to describe the home of curry, Bollywood and cows roaming the street.

We spent just over two weeks here, just enough time to scratch the surface of the country. We, therefore, chose to spend the majority of our time backpacking Rajasthan, one of India’s best travel places. A county filled with some of the most beautiful temples, lakes and buildings in the country. It is also one of the more well-travelled parts of India, making it super easy to get about and full of cheap accommodation perfect for those looking to go backpacking around Rajasthan. For this, travelling India is a backpacker’s haven! 

How to avoid Delhi Belly in India

The meaning of Delhi Belly is diarrhea or a stomach illness contracted by travellers in India otherwise known as travellers diarrhea.

We’ve all heard of Delhi Belly, so naturally when planning a trip travelling Delhi or India as a whole one of the first things that spring to mind is how to avoid delhi belly.

Due to the hygiene, rich ingredients and how food is prepared in India, sometimes it can be hard to avoid delhi belly. Up to 60% of ALL international travellers will experience some degree of belly upset. No matter how careful you are, you will ingest something that your body decides it simply must expel – quickly.

However, luckily neither of us got sick whilst travelling around India. So, here are our top tips on how to avoid delhi belly whilst travelling India:

• Avoid tap water – this one might seem like an obvious one but when in India avoid drinking tap water. The water in India contains bacteria that our foreign stomachs can’t handle. If you see the locals drinking water from the tap, don’t follow suit! This will help you avoid delhi belly.
• Go vegetarian – as two vegetarians this one is easy for us to follow. But, it is also something that can help you avoid delhi belly due to how the meat is stored.
• Be selective with street food – our top tip is to always opt for the busiest street vendors! Opting for the busy ones means that they have a quick turnaround and the food isn’t left out in the sun for ages on end.
• Stay hydrated – India can be hot and humid and a quick way to become ill is to become dehydrated, so ensure that you are drinking at least 2L of water a day plus, some extra electrolytes if needed.
• Wash your hands regularly – The hygiene in India isn’t great so ensuring that you are washing your hands regularly can at least kill some of the germs. Be especially vigilant before eating or after coming off public transport. We carried a bottle of anti-bac with us at all times.

Hopefully following these tips will help you how to avoid delhi belly.

What to pack when travelling to India

India Packing List

Knowing what to pack for India can be hard, it’s hot, yet a religious country. It also, unfortunately, has a reputation for making women feel uncomfortable especially whilst travelling Delhi. So, ensuring that you are packing the right items can make a huge difference to your trip.

• Long sleeve t-shirts (men & women)
• Loose-fitting full-length trousers (men & women)
• Flip Flops (men & women)
• Hiking boots/ trainers (men & women)
• Bikini/ swimsuit (women)
• Swimming trunks (men)
• Tampons (these are extremely hard to get in India)
• Sarong/ scarf/ shawl (great for covering up in Temples etc.)
• Money belt
• Reusable water bottle (India already has enough plastic)
• Rehydration sachets (these will be your best friend if you do get Delhi Belly)
• Hand sanitiser (use this ALL the time)

Read on for our Rajasthan travel itinerary and India travel itinerary, which can easily be converted to 10 days Rajasthan itinerary.

Travelling Delhi

Our trip started in Delhi, the capital and possibly the most hectic place we have been to. Travelling Delhi is chaotic and two nights here is plenty. This gives you enough time to see the sights and take in the experience whilst not overloading you and your senses.

Accommodation in Delhi is very reasonably priced so if you are looking for a place to treat yourself then Delhi is it! Before moving onto the Rajasthan travel itinerary. Food is also extremely cheap and the city is exactly how you would picture India. Fairly dirty, packed with people, cows and beeping horns, a great way to chuck you into the deep end of India and fully immerse yourself into the culture. Travelling Delhi is a sensory overload.

What to See whilst travelling Delhi

Humayun’s Tomb

Within the city, there are a few oases’ to escape the hustle and bustle. The first is Humayun’s Tomb. The entrance fee here is 500 rupees, compared to other things in India, we found the price for visiting ‘attractions’ fairly high. This beautiful building and grounds certainly made up for the higher price. Built-in 1570 nine years after the death of Humayun, by his senior widow Bega Begam. The tomb houses several graves of Mughal rulers within its walls. Pretty sweet place to be laid to rest if you ask us.

Red Fort

The Red Fort is a historical building in the old Delhi area. Built as a palace of Shahjahanabad which was the capital city of the fifth Mughal emperor it is now one of the most popular monuments of Delhi. Entrance costs 500 rupees per person for Foreign Tourists (approximately £5). A really beautiful escape whilst travelling Delhi.

Agra and The Taj Mahal

Next on our trip after travelling Delhi was, of course, Agra housing the beautiful Taj Mahal. A must-see, whilst travelling India. The Taj Mahal is one of the seven wonders of the world and completely mesmerising. We chose to spend 2 nights here, however, you could certainly see the whole town in 1 night.

Entrance to the Taj Mahal costs 1000 rupees (almost £12). The Taj Mahal opens at sunrise. For an experience without a ton of other tourists, it is definitely worth getting up early if you want to experience the palace without everyone else. As we were leaving, The Taj Mahal was full of other local tourists.

Rajasthan travel itinerary

Jaipur

Onto out first stop on our Rajasthan travel itinerary. First on our list whilst backpacking Rajasthan was Jaipur known as the pink city. Jaipur is a photographer’s paradise, packed full of beautiful architecture, market-lined streets and historical buildings. In itself, the pink city within Jaipur is a great place to meander around, marvelling at the buildings within the city.

What to see in Jaipur

City Palace

The City Palace is one of the main things to see in Jaipur whilst travelling to India. It is truly the type of palace every little princess would dream of living in, full of pink walls, chandeliers and beautifully intricate doorways (the perfect Instagram spot).

Jawahar circle

Second on our list was the Jawahar Circle, a set of gates off a main road which leads to the entrance of a set of gardens. The archways from the side perfectly frame a photo and have become one of the main spots to take a photo in Jaipur. These teeming with all of the other beautiful buildings make for a very visually pleasing day out.

A must to include in any Rajasthan travel itinerary.

Amer Fort – best forts in Jaipur

Amber or otherwise known as Amer Fort is a huge standing historic building towering over the outskirts of Jaipur and one of the best forts in Jaipur. We chose not to go into the fort but instead climbed the stairs directly opposite the top in favour of a view of the fort instead of looking around it.

The view is second to none from both sides and you have the area basically to yourself, just make sure to take lots of water and don’t do the climb mid-day as the humidity makes it almost unbearable to climb.

Queue a very sweaty picture at the top! But, it’s well worth seeing as one of the best forts in Jaipur.

Nahargarh fort

The fort is beautiful inside and out and gives you a great view of the city. Naharagarh Fort costs 200 rupees to enter into the main part and is worth every penny. You can get a taxi to the top, or if like us, you are silly enough to not realise this before taking the winding road up to the top, this way the view is incredible but with the boiling weather, makes for a very trying hike. We passed a lot of locals who asked us why we chose to come this way, but, by the time we had realised, we were too invested in the climb to the top. And hey, we saved a few rupees!

Udaipur

Travelling from Jaipur to Udaipur

The next spot on our 10 days Rajasthan itinerary was Udaipur.

We travelled from Jaipur to Udaipur via an overnight bus. We opted for a bus in favour of a train as included with our ticket was a bed. As well as this, the trains in India are hectic, so on this occasion, we opted for a bus over the train. It also costs around the same price. Just be ready to hear a lot of horns beeping!

Where to stay in Udaipur

In Udaipur, we stayed in Rising Shemesh Home Stay. Prices in India are very cheap (although not as cheap as they used to be). But we still only paid £7 for a private room per night. The people who run the home stay are lovely. It felt as if you were staying in their house but with the privacy of a room and en suite.

We fell in love with Udaipur instantly. It felt like a welcome retreat from the rest of India immediately feeling a lot more calm and friendly. The lakes gives Udaipur an almost European feel and it is a delight to walk around. A real contrast from the hectic city of Delhi. Udaipur should certainly be included in any 10 days Rajasthan itinerary or 7 day Rajasthan itinerary.

What to see in Udaipur

Our first day here was spent eating and drinking coffee at a few very cute rooftop restaurants before finally making it to City Palace for a bit of history on the town and its residents. A beautiful, peaceful spot to walk around, and spend a few hours in and one that we would recommend whilst you are travelling India. 

Badi Lake

On the second day, we read online about a beautiful ‘hike’ (more of a walk up a slight hill) to a beautiful view called Badi Lake.

We got a rickshaw to Bahubali Hill in Badi Lake and began our descent. After a short 20-minute walk up we reached the top and a 360 view over the lakes.

At the top there is a man selling water and snacks and of course Chai and a small ‘seating area’ with a bit of shade. We took a few snaps and marvelled at the view before making our way back down. If we’d known how short the walk was going to be as short as it was we would have told our driver to wait, instead, we ended up beginning to walk back into the city before hitching a ride with a group of lovely Indian men. (Not something we normally recommend, but on this occasion, we felt completely safe and needs must).

We left the town of Udaipur late afternoon on our third day, but not before exploring a few other lakes in the city and marvelling at the views one more time. 

Jodphur

Jodhpur was the next city on our list whilst backpacking Rajasthan, so onto another Indian bus, and to the Blue City. The city is called this simply because the houses and buildings are painted a beautiful dusty blue colour and from a height look like a beautiful mosaic.

Jodhpur is dominated by a large fort and the majority of the restaurants have angled themselves for a view of said fort from their rooftop meaning each meal is accompanied by a view and a half. We decided not to visit the fort on this occasion, Indian attractions are surprisingly expensive and whilst backpacking Rajasthan our budget was tight. Instead, we spent our days here marvelling at the streets and devouring Thali. Jodhpur is popular in any 10 days Rajasthan itinerary or 7 day Rajasthan itinerary.

Other things to do in Jodhpur include:

– The Flying Fox – A zip wire over Mehrangarh Fort
– Check out the clock tower and old city markets
– Visit the step well
– Visit Mandore and Mandore Gardens

Jaisalmer

Our final stop whilst travelling India was Jaisalmer and the one we had both been looking forward to the most whilst travelling India. Often nicknamed the ‘Golden City’ to reflect the sand, the main thing to do from Jaisalmer is go on a trip to the nearby desert. This was something that both excited and intrigued us. So, naturally, we couldn’t wait!

Camping in the desert in Jaisalmer

In Jaisalmer, there is a range of tours you can do to the desert from the town. All of the hotels and hostels will try and sell you theirs. As well as this there are also a bunch of tour companies around and you can just as easily book online. Despite the hotels charging a little bit more they charge so little for the accommodation (we paid £2 a night for a private room with a bathroom and AC) that the extra commission they get from the tours is well worth paying.

Next, you have to decide if you want to go on a day tour, a 1-night or a 2-night tour. The next decision is if you want to stay in a ‘glamping’ style tent or sleep out in the open. We opted for 1 night of sleeping out in the open.

We booked this night in our hotel as well so that we could come straight back and shower and didn’t have to worry about where to leave our bags. The one night in the desert cost us £35 for both of us and included our dinner, and breakfast, both of which were cooked on an open fire for us as well as a ride on a camel and a tour to a few other places.

How ethical is riding a camel?

The ethics of riding a camel is something which we both questioned before participating, however, after doing a lot of prior research we decided to go ahead with it. The camels are well looked after and are free to roam where they please throughout the night, the tour guide’s day actually starts about 2 hrs prior to the guests when they go into the desert to bring the camels back!

As we rode them to our camp local children ran beside us for the majority of the journey asking for pens and pencils, unfortunately between the group we only had one, but if you’re visiting take a stash, the locals will love you for it!

Sleeping in the desert

Sleeping on our cots (beds) was a real experience in itself. They were fairly comfortable, that was until the heavens decided to open and the sky was lit up with lightning! Who knew it rained in the desert?!

Tents were gathered and assembled and in we got to our mini saunas. Thankfully, the rain stopped before it was time for us to go to sleep, the sky cleared and we spent our night snuggled up under the most incredible stars that we have ever seen. It truly felt like we were sleeping in a snow globe of stars. We awoke early to watch the beautiful orange sunrise, ate a sort of Bulgar wheat porridge that was cooked for us and got back on our camels to town.

Overall, the experience was beautiful, the locals were lovely and it gave us a great opportunity to meet some like-minded backpackers who were also backpacking Rajasthan and see a bit more of the beautiful nature India has to offer. 

Jaisalmer is a must in any 10 days Rajasthan itinerary or 7 day Rajasthan itinerary.

The following day we flew to Ahmadabad. It rained, so naturally we spent the last of our Indian budget hiding in our hotel room ordering an excessive amount of room service. The next day we flew out and said goodbye to the crazy, hectic, unique place that is India.

Backpacking Rajasthan really should be on every travellers bucket list!