India Travel Tips & Useful Info

As a guide Tetanus, Typhoid, Hepatitis A and Polio are strongly recommended. You are also advised to take anti-Malarial medication. You should seek medical advice before travelling to India from your local health practitioner and ensure that you receive all of the appropriate vaccinations.

No, it isn't safe to drink tap water in India. You must never drink tap water and only drink bottled mineral water which is readily available in hotels, shops and restaurants. You should also avoid salads which may be washed in unhygienic water.

Tipping is not a natural part of many Western cultures and many of us feel uncomfortable, or unsure, about when, or how much, to tip. However, in India, tipping makes up a significant part of many people’s wages so it’s important that we get it right. For this reason we have developed a very simple system to take all the hassle out of tipping. With our Tipping Made Easy policy on our tours, a nominal pre-determined amount is collected from all group tour participants to cover tips en route, payable on the morning of day 2 in INR (Indian Rupees). This then saves you the hassle of when and how much to tip bellhops, luggage handlers, local guides and other support staff through the tour.

Please note on our tours the Tipping Made Easy amount does not include a tip to your group tour leader, where we suggest an amount of approximately USD 4 to 7 per day of your tour. Naturally, though, the amount is up to you. If travelling on a group tour with less than 6 participants or on a tailor-made holiday, in place of Tipping Made Easy we recommend the following amounts per person per day be allocated to cover tips paid directly by you to bellhops, luggage handlers, your driver and local guides - USD $9 if the day includes a local guide & sightseeing and USD $4 if the day does not include a local guide and sightseeing.

In order to avoid offense when visiting religious sites, it's important to take particular care and to dress and behave appropriately. Visitors should always wear long trousers or skirts or shorts that reach below the knee and shirts with sleeves. It's advisable that women travel with a simple shawl to cover their shoulders if needed. Smoking is not allowed in temples and couples should avoid holding hands. When entering temples shoes and hats/caps must be removed and there will usually be a shoe rack where you can leave your footwear while you wander around the temple grounds. Once inside, refrain from touching icons, carvings or statues of deities.

Photography is prohibited in certain sections of sacred sites and this will usually be signposted. Do not attempt to be photographed with Buddhist bhikkus (monks) or other holy figures. If in doubt, please ask your local guide or tour leader for further information. Many temples may have ‘off-limit’ sections that prevent entry to tourists so please be aware of this. Part of the beauty of travel is discovering different cultures and traditions from around the world and respecting the local culture will always stand you in good stead. Note that at some sights an additional fee is charged for the privilege of taking photographs or video footage. Estimate approximately USD $10 for your entire tour.

Yes, it certainly is, but we do recommended that children be aged over 10 to appreciate the experience of travelling to India. India has so much to interest teenagers and young adults, from tigers and temples to the Taj Mahal and holy rituals at the ghats on the Ganges in Varanasi, a family holiday to India will be very educational.

On all of our group tours, we welcome teenagers aged 16 years or older, accompanied by a parent/guardian if under 18. On tailor-made holidays, there is no minimum age for children. If you are travelling as a family we will also try and arrange adjoining rooms for your convenience.

You are permitted to bring up to one litre of alcohol or wine, 200 cigarettes and a reasonable quantity of perfume into the country for personal use.

If you are planning a trip to India, you are likely to be flying into either Delhi or Mumbai, the two main international gateways. Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi has been upgraded and is well equipped to modern international standards. Once you clear immigration and customs, you'll be greeted by a real cacophony of sounds and car-horns sounding, even if it's 3 in the morning! There will be plenty of taxi drivers trying to get your fare, but we strongly recommend a pre-organised private airport arrival transfer. Travelling with us you'll have a soft landing, if you are arriving on day 1 of your tour or if you have booked pre-tour accommodation with us, our local representative will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel in Delhi.

Indian airport officials don't quite seem to have fully grasped the concept of an e-ticket. You will need to provide evidence of your flight by way of a printed itinerary, or you may not be allowed entry to some airports, even for internal flights. So be to sure to have this at hand along with you passport.

Pound Sterling, US Dollars or other major currencies can be exchanged only in India, as the Rupee, India's currency, is presently exchangeable only in destination. The Rupee is non-exportable, so spend it all before you leave or donate the rupees you have left for our Change for Children program in India.

Exchange facilities are available at major airports and bureau de changes, while ATMs/cash machines exist in larger towns. It's advisable to request bank notes in smaller denominations, as it can sometimes be hard to get change from large notes and smaller notes are handy for smaller purchases and gratuities. Traveller's Cheques are not recommended as they're often difficult to exchange and incur high fees. Visit OANDA for the latest exchange rates.

Important notice: In December 2016, the Indian government issued new 500 and 2,000 rupee notes. Please be aware that some older notes remain in circulation and will not be accepted as legal tender. Make sure that any notes you receive in change or other transactions are of the new currency.

By international standards, India represents good value for money in terms of costs of eating, drinking, postage, sundry holiday and souvenir purchases, though India is no longer as cheap as it used to be. One can eat still like a Maharajah at USD$20 a day for a light lunch and full dinner. Bottled mineralised water and mineral water is widely available at very reasonable prices. Infrastructure services for tourism (hotels, qualified guides and internal flights) are relatively expensive however and hotel rates in particular have risen sharply in the last three years.

Good WiFi connection is limited to the larger metro cities in India, such as Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata and Chennai, and WiFI is often offered in global chains, restaurants and coffee shops. WiFI hotspots are also provided at major airports and even train stations. Outside the major cities WiFi is harder to come by.

When it comes to hotels, accommodation options in the major cities generally offer free WiFi in guestrooms. In regional towns and heritage properties that are spread across a wider acreage, WiFi is slower and restricted to the reception/public areas. India's villages and national parks only offer very weak WiFi with usage often chargeable.

India is 5 hours 30 mins ahead of Greenwich Meantime (GMT) and does not observe Daylight Saving.

The Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays and the Red Fort in Delhi is closed on Mondays. We have taken these closures into account on our group tours, and will also advise you should there be any closures on your tailor-made India holiday.