India

Wander narrow streets and explore India’s incredible architecture: forts, temples and palaces

Watch the sun rise over the ‘teardrop on the cheek of time’, the Taj Mahal

Trek among snowcapped peaks, glaciers and wildflowers in the Indian Himalaya

Visit the awe-inspiring carved rock caves of Ajanta and Ellora

Watch the faithful pray and cleanse their sins in the Ganges, in the holy city of Varanasi

Explore the flamboyant architecture and striking beauty and of the coloured cities of Rajasthan

Soak up the lakeside atmosphere of India’s most romantic city, Udaipur

Enjoy Goa’s beaches, fusion cuisine and crumbling colonial architecture

Take a houseboat trip down the palm-fringed backwaters of beautiful Kerala

Head to Hyderabad for Mughal cuisine, historic architecture and bustling bazaars

Experience Indian culture firsthand at one of the country’s colourful festivals

Shop for colourful textiles, leatherwork and handicrafts in India’s bustling markets

Try a cooking class or simply sample dishes from one of the world’s great cuisines

India’s huge landmass, long latitudinal span and range of elevations make for a wide variety of different climatic zones. Major factors moderating India’s climate are its mountain ranges, extensive coastline and the seasonally reversing prevailing winds to which the subcontinent is subjected.

India is the world’s best example of a monsoon climate, in which alternating wet/dry periods are caused by the seasonal reversal of prevailing winds. The wet/dry monsoon pattern creates three major seasons for most of India: a hot wet season from mid-June to late-September; a cool dry season from October to February; and a hot dry season from March to mid-June.

During the pre-monsoon, early monsoon and post-monsoon, India’s coastal regions are often battered with fierce tropical cyclones coming off the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea. The fairly reliable patterns of rainfall brought by the monsoon cycle play a crucial role in Indian agriculture, but poor rainfall years and improper irrigation unfortunately leads to occasional years of drought in which whole crops can fail in some regions.

The rugged spine of the Himalaya in India’s northernmost reaches acts as a giant buffer, protecting India from the extreme cold of the Central Asian plateau and trapping moisture from the monsoon within the subcontinent.

Temperatures are generally highest in May/June and September/October, just before and after the southwest monsoon brings heavy rainfall. The moderating effects of the ocean bring significantly smaller temperature ranges to the coastal regions compared to the much wider temperature ranges of the interior regions and higher elevations.

In Delhi, average daily temperatures range from a minimum of 7.8°C (46°F) to a maximum of 20.8°C (82°F) in January, to a minimum of 28.3°C (83°F) to a maximum of 39.4°C (103°F) in June.

In Leh, Ladakh average daily temperatures range from a minimum of – 4 C (24.8°F) to a maximum of – 16 C (3.2°F) in January, rising to a minimum of 9C (48.2°F) to a maximum of 24 C (75.2°F) in June. Note: as Ladakh is located beyond the Himalaya it has an annual rainfall of just 80mm with most falling in July and August.

India is +5 and a half hours ahead of UTC/GMT

Hindi (41%); Bengali (8.1%); Telugu (7.2%); Marathi (7%); Tamil (5.9%); Urdu (5%); Gujarati (4.5%); Kannada (3.7%); Malayalam (3.2%); Oriya (3.2%); Punjabi (2.8%); Assamese (1.3%); Maithili (1.2%); Other (5.9%), including Kashmiri, Sindhi and Sanskrit

As befitting a nation of such ethnic diversity, India is home to huge linguistic diversity. Most Indians are multilingual and many people speak a great number of different languages

Hindi is India’s most widely spoken and official language, and the primary language of 41% of the population. Along with Hindi are another 22 different official/recognised languages, plus hundreds of other major and minor languages and regional variations/dialects

English is an “associate official language” and India’s most common lingua franca, and is widely spoken in business, law, politics, education and tourism. Hindustani is India’s second most common lingua franca, but is considered technically to be a variation/combination of Hindi/Urdu languages, rather than an official language itself

Indian Rupee

We recommend that you bring a small reserve of US dollars, Australian Dollars, or Euros, all are readily exchangeable in Delhi and Leh.

Credit cards and ATM are available in most large cities and hotels, however it is not recommended to rely on these solely. Always keep a watch when your card is being processed and please note that you will be surcharged for the use of your card.

+91

Electricity in India is 230 Volts, at 50 hertz. The most common pin type is C. (2 round prong).

Electricity in India is 230 Volts, at 50 hertz. The most common pin type is C. (2 round prong).

Your safety is our number one concern. Our safety track record is exemplary thanks to careful management and thorough consultation with local partners. Our industry leading risk management procedures have become a skill that we continue to refine. Our leaders in the field are highly trained and have safety as their number one priority. Expert leaders, risk assessments, quality inclusions and your financial security all come standard when you travel with us.

Please refer to our Travel Advisory page for updates on recent events, travel warnings and advice.

We strongly recommend that all clients take out travel insurance at the time of booking to cover against sickness, accident, loss of baggage, unexpected alterations to travel arrangements and travel disruption, emergency evacuation, cancellations, etc. Insurance information is enclosed with your pre-departure information. Please contact us if you would like to obtain a quote for your trip duration.

We suggest that you consult your doctor, local government inoculation centre or a travel medical specialist in order to get the most current advice regarding vaccination requirements.

Money and valuables should always be stored safely when travelling. Keep your passport with you at all times and do not leave it in your main luggage. You will need it to change money and check into hotels. Where safety deposit boxes are available, we recommend that you use them. Keep jewellery and valuables to a minimum.