What awaits travellers in India?
India is a union of 28 states, each with its own languages, cuisines and architectural styles. Most first-time trips follow the Golden Triangle of Delhi–Agra–Jaipur, about 720 km around the triangle, and can be extended with Mumbai on the west coast or tropical Kerala around Kochi.
Delhi is the seat of government and usually the arrival point, Agra is home to the Taj Mahal, and Jaipur is Rajasthan's "Pink City" with palaces and forts. Travellers with more time extend to Mumbai, the finance and film capital, or south to Kochi with the canals and rice boats of the backwaters.
This page summarises the best time to visit, entry, health and the five stops of Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Mumbai and Kochi, along with advice from the FDFA, the Federal Foreign Office and the BMEIA.
What kind of travel destination is India?
India shifts within short distances between desert, the Ganges plain, tropical coast and megacity. The north around Delhi, Agra and Jaipur is shaped by Mughal and Rajput architecture, the south around Kochi by the spice trade, churches and a warm, humid climate.
Rajasthan was a patchwork of princely states until independence; the forts and havelis of Jaipur date from that era. Delhi carries layers of several empires, from the Sultanate through the Mughals to the British colonial architecture of New Delhi.
Mumbai is an island-peninsula city with a good 20 million residents in its metro area, home to the stock exchange and the Hindi film industry. Kerala, in the far southwest, has its own history as the Spice Coast, where Arab, Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch and British traders kept trading posts.
The distances are large: Delhi–Mumbai is further apart as the crow flies than Zurich–Athens, and Kochi lies significantly further south still. A round trip requires domestic flights or long train journeys.
Sources: Wikipedia
What do travellers see in Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Mumbai and Kochi?
Delhi, Agra and Jaipur form the Golden Triangle with the Red Fort, the Taj Mahal and Amber Fort, all UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Mumbai adds colonial architecture and everyday life on the west coast, and Kochi, with Kerala's backwaters, the tropical south.
Delhi
Delhi combines Old Delhi, with the Great Mosque Jama Masjid and the Chandni Chowk bazaar, with colonial New Delhi around the government district. The Mughals' Red Fort has been a World Heritage Site since 2007, the 12th-century Qutb Minar since 1993, as has Humayun's Tomb, a forerunner of the Taj Mahal whose double-dome design anticipated the later architecture in Agra.
New Delhi itself, with the India Gate, the seat of government Rashtrapati Bhavan and its wide avenues, is a design from the British colonial era of the 1910s and 1920s; Old Delhi next to it remains densely built and thrives on trade in narrow lanes.
Agra
Agra lies about 233 km, or 3 to 4 hours, south of Delhi and was itself a Mughal capital. Alongside the Taj Mahal (World Heritage 1983) stand Agra Fort (1983) and, 40 km outside the city, the abandoned palace city of Fatehpur Sikri (1986), which Akbar gave up after only around 14 years due to water shortages.
Jaipur
The "Pink City" is the capital of Rajasthan and lies about 238 km, or 5 to 6 hours, from Agra. Amber Fort on a hill above Maota Lake, the Wind Palace Hawa Mahal, the City Palace and the Jantar Mantar observatory (World Heritage 2010) define the city; since 2019 Jaipur's entire old town, laid out in the 18th century on a geometric grid, has been a World Heritage Site.
Mumbai
Mumbai lies on the west coast, a good two-hour flight from Delhi. The Gateway of India on the harbour is the starting point for the ferry to the Elephanta Caves (World Heritage 1987); the Victorian Gothic and Art Deco ensembles around Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus station have been World Heritage since 2018. The city sits on a former group of islands that the colonial administration joined into a peninsula through land reclamation in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Kochi and Kerala
Kochi, in the state of Kerala, lies on the Malabar Coast in the far southwest. The Fort Kochi district shows Portuguese, Dutch and British traces, as well as the characteristic Chinese fishing nets along the waterfront; from here the backwaters near Alleppey, a network of lagoons and canals stretching over 900 km, are reachable in about 1.5 to 2 hours.
Kerala differs strongly from the north in language and cuisine: the official language is Malayalam, and the cooking relies on rice, coconut and fish rather than wheat and dairy. Its literacy rate is considered the highest among India's states.
Sources: UNESCO World Heritage Centre · Archaeological Survey of India · Department of Tourism, Government of Rajasthan · Wikipedia · Wikipedia
What is the best time to visit India?
For Delhi, Agra and Jaipur, October to March is most pleasant, with cool nights and dry days; from April to June, temperatures rise above 40 °C. Mumbai and Kerala are monsoon regions from June to September and only turn dry again from November.
The northwest (Delhi, Agra, Jaipur) has four seasons: a cool, dry winter from November to February, a hot summer until the monsoon arrives in late June, the monsoon until September, and a mild post-monsoon autumn. Fog can limit visibility of the Taj Mahal in the early morning during December and January.
North: Delhi, Jaipur and Agra
| Delhi | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °C | 20 | 25 | 31 | 37 | 40 | 40 | 36 | 35 | 35 | 34 | 29 | 23 |
| Low °C | 8 | 11 | 16 | 21 | 25 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 20 | 13 | 8 |
| Rainfall mm | 16 | 22 | 18 | 15 | 33 | 80 | 217 | 203 | 121 | 13 | 4 | 8 |
| Jaipur | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °C | 23 | 27 | 33 | 38 | 42 | 41 | 36 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 30 | 25 |
| Low °C | 8 | 13 | 18 | 23 | 27 | 28 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 21 | 15 | 10 |
| Rainfall mm | 5 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 18 | 61 | 158 | 172 | 63 | 10 | 4 | 3 |
| Agra | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °C | 19 | 25 | 32 | 38 | 42 | 40 | 35 | 33 | 34 | 34 | 29 | 23 |
| Low °C | 7 | 11 | 15 | 21 | 26 | 29 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 19 | 13 | 8 |
| Rainfall mm | 13 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 18 | 69 | 185 | 181 | 97 | 21 | 5 | 6 |
Average daily highs and lows, and monthly rainfall. Temperaturen: Mittel der täglichen Höchst- und Tiefstwerte 2010–2024 der Station SAFDARJUNG (3 km, 215 m). Niederschlag: NASA POWER, Monatsmittel 2001–2020. Temperaturen: Mittel der täglichen Höchst- und Tiefstwerte 2010–2024 der Station JAIPUR (10 km, 385 m). Niederschlag: NASA POWER, Monatsmittel 2001–2020. Temperaturen: Mittel der täglichen Höchst- und Tiefstwerte 2010–2024 der Station AGRA (5 km, 168 m). Niederschlag: NASA POWER, Monatsmittel 2001–2020.
According to the Indian weather service, the southwest monsoon typically reaches Kerala from late May to early June and then moves north over the summer; Mumbai gets its main rains usually from early to mid-June. Kerala then receives a second, weaker northeast monsoon in October and November.
West coast and south: Mumbai and Kochi
| Mumbai | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °C | 31 | 32 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 33 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 34 | 34 | 32 |
| Low °C | 17 | 19 | 21 | 24 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 22 | 19 |
| Rainfall mm | 0 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 22 | 535 | 834 | 606 | 376 | 104 | 17 | 5 |
| Kochi | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °C | 32 | 33 | 33 | 34 | 33 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 32 |
| Low °C | 24 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 |
| Rainfall mm | 13 | 27 | 54 | 129 | 284 | 494 | 439 | 350 | 293 | 358 | 174 | 38 |
Average daily highs and lows, and monthly rainfall. Temperaturen: Mittel der täglichen Höchst- und Tiefstwerte 2010–2024 der Station CHHATRAPATI SHIVAJI MAHARAJ INTL (2 km, 11 m). Niederschlag: NASA POWER, Monatsmittel 2001–2020. Temperaturen: Mittel der täglichen Höchst- und Tiefstwerte 2010–2024 der Station COCHIN (2 km, 2 m). Niederschlag: NASA POWER, Monatsmittel 2001–2020.
Travellers combining north and south find it easiest to travel between December and February: dry in Rajasthan and on the coast, warm but not extremely hot. Holi (February or March, depending on the lunar calendar) and Diwali (October or November) are the biggest festivals and popular, but also heavily visited, travel dates.
Sources: Federal Foreign Office, Germany · Wikipedia
What do you need to enter India?
Swiss, German and Austrian nationals need an e-Visa (e-Tourist Visa) for tourist stays, applied for online before travelling; visa on arrival without a prior application does not exist for these nationalities. The passport must be valid for at least six months on entry and have two blank pages (as of September 2026).
The e-Visa is applied for at indianvisaonline.gov.in, the only official portal; additional fees for expedited processing demanded by intermediaries are not authorised according to the government. The e-Tourist visa is available for 30 days (double entry), 1 year or 5 years (both with multiple entry); for the longer variants, the stay per calendar year must not exceed 180 days.
The fee for the 30-day variant is USD 25 for most Western nationalities from July to March and USD 10 from April to June, plus about 3% bank fee; the 1-year visa costs USD 40, the 5-year visa USD 80. Payment must be made at least four days before departure, otherwise the application lapses.
Entry with the e-Visa is possible through 36 international airports, including Delhi and Mumbai, as well as selected seaports; not every border crossing accepts it. Before arrival, an additional electronic health self-declaration must also be completed.
The FDFA, the Federal Foreign Office, the BMEIA and the official visa portal of the Indian government are authoritative for details and current fees; other nationalities are subject to their own rules, and the relevant Indian representations provide information.
Sources: Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India · Federal Foreign Office, Germany · Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs (BMEIA), Austria
What vaccinations and health precautions does India require?
No vaccination is required for entry, unless arriving within six days from a yellow fever area. healthytravel.ch recommends hepatitis A for all travellers, and typhoid and rabies depending on travel style; malaria occurs in practically the whole country, while above 2,000 m India is considered malaria-free according to the CDC.
According to healthytravel.ch, routine vaccinations should be up to date, plus hepatitis A for everyone. Rabies is recommended for travel away from big cities, by bicycle or motorbike, and with animal contact; typhoid for longer stays or basic hygiene conditions.
According to the CDC, malaria also occurs in big cities such as Delhi and Mumbai, with the pathogens P. falciparum and P. vivax; chemoprophylaxis is decided individually in a travel medicine consultation, while consistent mosquito protection applies everywhere. Dengue occurs in several states, including during the day in cities, against which only mosquito protection helps.
Contaminated water and street food are the most common cause of traveller's diarrhoea; a good rule of thumb is to eat only what is cooked, peeled, or prepared in front of you. Private clinics are available in Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Mumbai and Kochi for emergencies; travel insurance with repatriation cover is strongly recommended according to the BMEIA, since there is no social security agreement.
Sources: healthytravel.ch, Swiss Expert Committee for Travel Medicine · Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) · Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs (BMEIA), Austria
How safe is India for travellers?
The Golden Triangle, Mumbai and Kerala are considered low- to medium-risk areas; structurally sensitive are the Jammu and Kashmir region, the immediate border area with Pakistan, and the state of Manipur in the northeast. The current situation should be checked with the FDFA, the Federal Foreign Office and the BMEIA.
In these three areas there are elevated risks from terrorism, unrest and the border conflict with Pakistan; airspace over the border area can be closed at short notice.
In cities such as Delhi, Agra, Jaipur and Mumbai, pickpocketing, scams at tourist sites and inflated prices are the most common problems; according to the Federal Foreign Office, women travelling alone should be especially careful after dark. Larger demonstrations, such as in Delhi's old town, should be avoided.
Natural hazards: the monsoon from July to September brings flooding to large parts of the country, northern India lies in a seismically active zone, and cyclones threaten the east coast from September to December. The Federal Foreign Office and the FDFA advise against overland travel at night because of road conditions.
Sources: Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs (BMEIA), Austria · Federal Foreign Office, Germany · Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA, Switzerland
How do you travel to India and between the stops?
International flights usually land in Delhi or Mumbai; SWISS connects Zurich nonstop with both cities, Lufthansa flies from Frankfurt and Munich, and there are additional connections via the Gulf hubs Doha, Dubai and Abu Dhabi as well as Istanbul. Within the Golden Triangle and onward to Mumbai or Kochi, train, car and domestic flight are the options.
| Route | Mode of transport | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Delhi – Agra | Gatimaan Express (train) | about 1 h 40 min for 188 km |
| Delhi – Agra | Car | about 3 to 4 h for 233 km |
| Agra – Jaipur | Car | about 5 to 6 h for 238 km |
| Jaipur – Delhi | Car | about 5 to 6 h for 280 km |
| Delhi – Mumbai | Flight | about 2 h |
| Mumbai – Kochi | Flight | about 1 h 40 min to 2 h |
| Delhi – Kochi | Flight | about 3 h |
Delhi (Indira Gandhi International, DEL) and Mumbai (Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International, BOM) are the major international hubs; SWISS serves Zurich–Delhi nonstop several times a week, as well as Zurich–Mumbai. There is no nonstop connection from Austria; connecting flights via Frankfurt, Munich, Istanbul or the Gulf states are typical.
Agra and Jaipur have their own airports but are not served directly from Europe; they are part of the Golden Triangle and usually reached by train or car from Delhi. The Gatimaan Express, with a top speed of around 160 km/h, is one of India's fastest trains.
Left-hand driving applies within the cities; for short distances, auto-rickshaws and app-based taxis are common, and for longer overland trips, a booked driver. With an international driving licence, self-driving is possible for a limited period, but this is not common given city traffic.
Sources: FlightConnections · FlightConnections · Wikipedia · Federal Foreign Office, Germany
What money do you need in India, and how do you pay?
The national currency is the Indian rupee (₹, INR), rarely traded outside India; cash is most easily obtained with a credit card at ATMs in Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Mumbai and Kochi. Card payment is common in hotels, larger restaurants and shops; markets and rickshaws require cash.
ATMs are plentiful at airports and in all five cities; they dispense rupees and accept the major international networks. Large notes above 500 rupees are hard to break at small shops or with rickshaw drivers, so it's worth carrying smaller notes too.
US dollars and euros are exchanged at airports, authorised exchange offices or banks; street vendors should be avoided. Digital payment apps are ubiquitous in India but usually unusable for tourists without an Indian bank account, so cards and cash remain the norm.
Admission fees for sights are significantly higher for foreign visitors than for Indians: according to the Rajasthan government's booking portal, Amber Fort costs foreigners 550 rupees instead of 100 rupees, and the Taj Mahal 1,100 rupees plus 200 rupees for the mausoleum itself.
Sources: Department of Tourism, Government of Rajasthan · Archaeological Survey of India
Where is it best to stay in India?
In Delhi, Agra and Mumbai, accommodation ranges from simple guesthouses to colonial grand hotels; in Jaipur and Rajasthan, converted havelis and fort hotels are common. In Kerala, part of the trip is spent staying on a houseboat in the backwaters.
In Delhi, most hotels are around Connaught Place or in the southern districts near the airport; in Agra, proximity to the Taj Mahal is worthwhile for the early sunrise visit. Mumbai's hotels are concentrated in Colaba and around the Gateway of India.
Jaipur's old town and the hills around Amber Fort offer historic havelis as accommodation, often with a courtyard and traditional decor. In Fort Kochi, colonial-era trading company houses have been converted into boutique guesthouses; an overnight stay on a houseboat in the backwaters is a fixed part of most Kerala itineraries.
Sources: Wikipedia
What do you eat in India?
North India around Delhi, Agra and Jaipur mainly eats wheat flatbreads, curries and tandoor-grilled meat, with Rajasthan adding hearty lentil and millet dishes. Mumbai is known for street food such as vada pav, Kerala for rice, coconut and fish curry.
In Delhi, Mughal cuisine and street food dominate: kebabs, chaat snacks and, in the old town around Chandni Chowk, dense clusters of food stalls. Rajasthan is known for dal baati churma, a dish of lentils, wheat dumplings and sweet semolina that grew out of the region's sparse desert cuisine.
Mumbai blends cuisines from across India; typical are the vada pav sandwich, bhelpuri from street stalls, and the Parsi cafés with their own tradition. Kerala cooks with coconut, curry leaves and plenty of fish; appam (rice pancakes) and fish curry are staple dishes, alongside locally distilled palm wine (toddy).
A large part of the population eats vegetarian, so the choice of meat-free dishes is extensive everywhere in the country. For stomach and gut health: drink only boiled or bottled water, never tap water or ice cubes of unknown origin.
What culture and festivals define India?
About four-fifths of the population is Hindu, alongside large Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist and Jain communities. The biggest festivals are Holi, the spring and colour festival, held in February or March depending on the lunar calendar, and Diwali, the festival of lights, in October or November.
Diwali lasts five days, from Dhanteras to Bhai Dooj, with oil lamps, fireworks and family visits across the country. Holi is celebrated with coloured powder and water, especially exuberantly in Rajasthan and Delhi.
In temples and mosques, clothing covering shoulders and knees is expected, and shoes are removed before entering. Mumbai is also the centre of the Hindi film industry (Bollywood), whose studios can be visited.
Linguistic diversity is considerable: alongside Hindi and English as the union's official languages, practically every state has its own official language — regional Rajasthani dialects in Rajasthan, for example, or Malayalam in Kerala.
Sources: Wikipedia
What experiences are worthwhile on the Golden Triangle and in Kerala?
The Taj Mahal can also be visited at night on five days a month around the full moon; otherwise it opens half an hour before sunrise. Amber Fort near Jaipur puts on a light and sound show in the evening, and in Kerala an overnight stay on a houseboat in the backwaters is a fixed part of the programme.
Taj Mahal at sunrise and full moon
Regular opening is daily except Friday, from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes before sunset. On five days a month around the full moon, the site additionally opens from 8 pm to 11:59 pm for groups of up to 50 people and a 30-minute visit; drones are banned without exception.
Amber Fort and Jaipur's old town
Amber Fort is open from 8 am to 5:30 pm; in the evening, from 7 to 9 pm, a light and sound show tells the history of the Rajputs. In the old town, the Wind Palace Hawa Mahal is worthwhile early in the morning, along with a walk through the bazaars selling textiles, gemstones and block-printed fabric.
Chandni Chowk and Old Delhi
A street food tour through the narrow lanes of Chandni Chowk combines a mosque, spice market and traditional food stalls; best done on foot or by cycle rickshaw, since cars barely fit through.
Backwaters and Fort Kochi
A kettuvallam, a traditional rice boat converted into a houseboat, drifts slowly through canals and villages near Alleppey, with an overnight stay on board. In Fort Kochi, the Chinese fishing nets show off the catch in the evening, alongside Kathakali dance theatre at several cultural centres.
- Gateway of India and Elephanta Caves: a ferry ride to the rock-cut temples, a World Heritage Site since 1987.
- Ranthambore within reach of Jaipur: tiger safaris in the national park, plannable as a side trip.
- Mumbai on foot: the colonial Fort district with Victorian Gothic and Art Deco buildings, World Heritage since 2018.
Sources: Archaeological Survey of India · Department of Tourism, Government of Rajasthan · Wikipedia · UNESCO World Heritage Centre
How do you travel responsibly in India?
In Kerala's backwaters, the fragile ecosystem is protected by avoiding plastic and booking licensed houseboat operators. At the major sights, official, locally based guides and avoiding single-use plastic help reduce the strain.
- Buy official tickets at the Taj Mahal and Amber Fort, and don't pay extra fees to unofficial intermediaries.
- Avoid plastic in the backwaters and prefer low-speed motorboats to protect the banks and fish stocks.
- Buy crafts directly from workshops in Jaipur (block printing, gemstones) rather than from middlemen.
- Follow photography rules in temples and at religious ceremonies, and ask for permission.
Sources: Wikipedia
Which countries can India be combined with?
Nepal is the nearest option: Kathmandu is reachable nonstop from Delhi in about 1 h 40 min, and the land border is open to most nationalities. Further afield are connections to Sri Lanka, Bhutan and the Maldives, each with its own entry rules.
Nepal connects well with a direct flight from Delhi or Mumbai and suits a route that combines Rajasthan with the Himalayas. Sri Lanka is reachable from South India in a good hour and a half by air, which can be combined with the Kochi leg of the trip.
Bhutan and the Maldives each have their own formalities (Bhutan a daily fee, the Maldives a visa on arrival); both usually require a stopover in India or the Gulf.
Sources: FlightConnections
Who is India a good fit for, and who is it less suited to?
India suits travellers seeking history, architecture and intense sensory impressions who can take noise, traffic and variable hygiene in stride. It is less suited to anyone expecting pure calm, a tightly scheduled itinerary or Western comfort standards everywhere.
Culture enthusiasts, photographers and foodies alike get their money's worth on the Golden Triangle and in Kerala. Families travel well but should build in buffer time, since distances, traffic and heat slow the pace.
Anyone sensitive to heat, dust or unfamiliar food is better off planning for the cooler travel season from October to February. For travellers who want everything scheduled to the minute, India, with its train delays and traffic, is a test of patience.