delhi travel expenses

• Australasia
• Central America
• North America
• South America
• Buenos Aires
• Mexico City
• New York City
• Rio de Janeiro
• Overwater bungalows
• Cruise tips
• Sightseeing Passes
• Attractions
• Theme parks
• When to visit where
• Backpacker Indexes

Sign up for our monthly Priceoftravel newsletter

Delhi Prices & Travel Costs

Delhi is a rather mysterious city, partly because it completely surrounds the small (and more internationally famous) capital district of New Delhi. This is a huge metropolis that most people find shocking upon arrival, with conspicuous displays of poverty and decay through most of the city.

Travel Costs to Delhi

Accommodation costs in delhi.

Compared to the rest of India, except for Mumbai, Delhi is relatively expensive as well. It’s really best to stay for a few days at the most and spend more time in smaller and more interesting cities. Hotels and hostels in Delhi are not particularly cheap, except for perhaps in the backpacker ghetto of Paharganj.

Delhi Hotel Seasons

Hotels in Delhi have two main seasons – high season lasts generally from October through March, and low season runs from April through September. At most of the cheaper hotels and hostels the price doesn’t change dramatically through the year, but in the mid and upper price levels you can get some great bargains if you come off season, which is also when it’s blistering hot and/or monsooning.

Delhi Hotel Prices

Delhi hostels prices, delhi attractions prices, delhi food and drink prices.

Food can be quite cheap if you are happy to try the stuff sold at street stalls all over town, but air-con tourist restaurants will definitely eat into your budget. Alcohol is tough to get in most of the city, though people at your hotel can always arrange to deliver it for a small fee.

Featured articles

Delhi transport prices, getting around delhi.

Good news is that most of the city’s attractions are free or cheap, and that you can (and probably should) hire a private car with a driver for a very affordable sum.

When to visit Delhi

Temperature and rainfall, delhi weather advice.

Delhi’s climate seems surprising to many, as it actually gets quite cold during the winter. Still, the best time to visit is from November through March, with generally warm days making up a bit for the cold nights. From April through June the temperatures skyrocket and the heat can be unbearable, since air conditioning is still quite rare outside of tourist hotels and restaurants. Starting in July the typhoon season begins with frequent heavy rains that cool things off a bit, but they can also cause floods and disrupt life, so this isn’t an ideal time to visit.

Sunrise and sunset

Where to go before and after.

• Meet the Team
• Work with Us
• Czech Republic
• Netherlands
• Switzerland
• Scandinavia
• Philippines
• South Korea
• New Zealand
• South Africa
• Budget Travel
• Work & Travel
• The Broke Backpacker Manifesto
• Travel Resources
• How to Travel on $10/day

Home » Asia » India » Delhi

INSIDER DELHI ITINERARY for 2024

Delhi is an incredible, crazy city bursting with flavors, color, and beautiful chaos! Spend busy days exploring historic mosques and ancient temples. Make your way through vibrant markets – some of the oldest and largest in the world. Your days will be full to the brim!

We’ve put together a Delhi itinerary that takes you to all the best that this city has to offer. Learn about India’s rich history and the many fascinating religions that make up Delhi culture. Taste deliciously unique cuisines, and embrace the local traditions!

With tips on how to stay safe and enjoy the city to the utmost, you simply can’t go wrong. These are the best places to visit in Delhi.

Unlock Our GREATEST Travel Secrets!

Sign up for our newsletter and get the best travel tips delivered right to your inbox.

Best Time To Visit Delhi

Where to stay in delhi, delhi itinerary, day 1 itinerary in delhi, day 2 itinerary in delhi, day 3 and beyond, staying safe in delhi, day trips from delhi, faq on delhi itinerary.

It’s easy to decide when to visit Delhi ! The city is the kind of holiday destination you definitely want to visit in the shoulder seasons, spring and fall. Spring (February – March) is sunny and pleasant without getting too hot. Fall (September – December) is similarly lovely!

Like most places you’ll encounter while backpacking India , Delhi doesn’t even really have a winter. It has a monsoon season (July – mid-September) and in this period, the weather is wet, humid and hot. Unless you’re used to this kind of weather, we recommend you avoid traveling during this time, as it can get very uncomfortable!

The Broke Backpacker is supported by you . Clicking through our links may earn us a small affiliate commission, and that's what allows us to keep producing free content 🙂 Learn more .

Still, most of the year is very hot and full of sunshine. Tourists travel to Delhi anytime between October and March, when all the heavy rains are gone, temperatures are milder, and the land is lush and beautiful.

Weekends in Delhi are little different to the rest of the week, and more attractions are closed on a Monday than over the weekend.

Deciding where to stay in Delhi can be tough as the city is so damned big. If you want to be right in the middle of the action, find accommodation in Lajpat Nagar. This colorful neighborhood is where you’ll find the sprawling, busy, brightly colored Central Market, one of Delhi’s greatest markets and one of the stops on our Delhi itinerary!

Situated in South Delhi, this is a great place to have as your home-base. It’s close to everything, and you’ll never be more than a few steps away from some great restaurants and bars, as well as family-run eateries and unique stores. It’s not for the faint-hearted, as it’s always busy! But if you’re looking to meet people and have loads of fun, you’re sure to do that here.

For something a little more secluded (a tough feat on any day in Delhi), the best place to stay in Delhi, is Lodhi Colony. This neighborhood is a little more upscale, as well as quieter! This was the last residential area built during the British reign and has a unique and special atmosphere. There’s a lot to see and enjoy here but in a more peaceful environment.

Other great neighborhoods are Old Delhi, where you can connect with the city’s history and enjoy quirky shops, beautiful architecture, and Hauz Khas Village. This neighborhood is where you can experience Delhi’s medieval history!

So, as you can see, there are a great many fantastic options for your vacation in Delhi. Just be sure to stay central if you only have 3 days in Delhi!

Best Hostel in Delhi – Hostel Smyle Inn

Located in the heart of Delhi, Hostel Smyle Inn is walking distance from many of our stops! It’s a simple, charming family-run hostel with a history of great value. Free breakfast and high-speed internet add to the comfortable rooms. If you’re looking for a more affordable option and terrific value for money, this is your best bet!

Best Airbnb in Delhi: Comfy condo with outside space

A cosy space with lots of natural light and a timeless view will help you feel situated in no time. Besides your room, you have access to a bathroom (with shower), living room and kitchen. There is also a small garden, shared with the neighbours, that you can use!

Is this amazing Delhi Airbnb booked for your dates? We’ve got your back with our Best Airbnbs in Delhi  guide!

Best Budget Hotel in Delhi – Hotel Sky

Hotel Sky is a great budget hotel with all the amenities and a terrific location. In addition to cozy rooms, you can enjoy the in-house restaurant, free parking, and a terrace! You can also take advantage of the room service and currency exchange. It’s a terrifically convenient accommodation choice, perfect for families and couples.

Best Luxury Hotel in Delhi –  The Imperial

Beautiful decor and luxurious facilities, The Imperial is one of Delhi’s top hotels. Relax in the pool or with the world-class spa facilities! The hotel has seven restaurants, yoga classes, a book shop, and babysitting services. It is the perfect place to relax and rejuvenate while remaining close to all the action.

The best way to get around the city is with the Delhi Metro. It’s quicker than every other mode of transport, and cheaper too. The trains come every 5-10 minutes, and the first coach is always reserved for women. So if you’re a woman traveling Delhi alone, you can chill comfortably here.

Be prepared for crammed coaches during rush hours, which differ according to the day! If you want to avoid the coach at these times, Delhi also has that handy world-wide app, Uber. If you don’t want it to get too pricey, you can even get an Uber Pool.

Of course, one of our favorite ways to get around any city is by walking. Stroll between the stops that are close together, and experience much more of the city than you would any other way! You’ll see so many interesting and exciting things as you explore by foot.

You can grab a city map at your accommodation, and plot out your Delhi itinerary stops before you set off. And if your feet get tired at any point of the day, hail a rickshaw, and experience another of Delhi’s cultural icons as you head for your next stop!

Old Delhi | Spice Market | Tomb of Safdarjung | Qutub Minar | Rashtrapati Bhavan | India Gate

Wondering what to do in Delhi? We’ve got all the best for you. The majority of day 1 in Delhi is spent in the most historic part of the city, Old Delhi! Explore the structures which have formed Delhi, and enjoy the vibrancy of markets and mosques.

Day 1 / Stop 1 – Stroll through Old Delhi

• Why it’s awesome: It’s where you can enjoy the epitome of traditional Indian culture and liveliness!
• Cost: Free!
• Food nearby: One of the many great eateries where you can enjoy some local favorites is Jung Bahadur Kachori Wala

Founded in 1639 as a walled city, Old Delhi is a treasure trove of historic attractions and beautiful little details. It’s always bustling and colorful, the streets winding through gorgeous architecture and urban areas!

One of India’s best-known traditional urban environments, you’ll learn more about India, both contemporary and historic, right here. A number of our stops are in the area, but we suggest you start day 1 in Delhi strolling through and having a look around! It’s chaotic and jam-packed, loads of fun, as long as you’re ready for a crowd.

Once named Shahjahanabad and the capital of the Mughal empire, it was filled with mansions, mosques, and gardens. It remains Delhi’s symbolic heart, and there’s always something going on.

Day 1 / Stop 2 – Do some spice shopping at Khari Baoli

• Why it’s awesome: It’s one of the world’s biggest spice markets
• Food nearby: Grab something from the incredible street food stalls

After exploring the greater Old Delhi, head over to Asia’s best and biggest spice market! If you’re spending more than 2 days in Delhi, and you plan on doing your own cooking, you should definitely try a few spices! Many of these you will find nowhere else. You can also grab some dried fruit and unusual snacks to enjoy on the rest of your two days in Delhi.

It’s an immersive experience and a sensory overload, you’ll want to smell everything! You’ll want to taste everything too, but don’t try that. You can, however, take lots of photos, and barter with the tradespeople. Many of whom have run these stalls for generations.

This vast market has been operating since the 17th century, a historic part of Delhi culture. It may be just a market, but it’s an authentic Indian experience you won’t forget anytime soon!

Insider Tip: The market is closed on Sundays, and runs from 10 am to 8 pm. We’ve made it our second stop so that you’re here before the crowds and the heat of midday!

Day 1 / Stop 3 – Visit the Tomb of Safdarjung

• Why it’s awesome: Peaceful, monumental and lovely, it’s the perfect stop after all that exciting busyness
• Cost: $2 USD
• Food nearby: If you don’t feel like street food, visit the nearby Sugar Blossoms for sweet treats and a boutique feel

Displaying the grandeur of the Mughal era, this iconic tomb was built in 1754 and houses Nawab Safdarjung. It was the last monumental tombs and garden from the Mughals, a sandstone and marble mausoleum!

One of the things we love about this tomb is how relatively small the crowds tend to be! It’s beautiful and historic, but it was only recently renovated, leaving it rather unknown to tourists. So you can stroll slowly through and admire the artistry without the crowds you’ll find at most Delhi attractions! This makes it the perfect stop after the bustling market.

The tomb itself is nestled in a square garden with a lovely garden, a library, and pavilions. Catch your breath here and relax on the grass before setting off to the next stop on your Delhi itinerary!

Day 1 / Stop 4 – Explore Qutub Minar

• Why it’s awesome: It’s one of the most famous Delhi points of interest, and for good reason!
• Cost: $7 USD
• Food nearby: For something a little different, enjoy a late lunch at the Armenian restaurant, Lavaash By Saby!

Built in the 13th century, this curious tower dominates the nearby skyline. 73-meters high, the tower is made up of alternatingly angular and rounded flutings. It’s surrounded by two historic mosques, one of which is the oldest in Northern India!

It was built as a victory tower and is made up of red sandstone recycled from various temples. It’s one of the most popular Delhi points of interest, and an absolute must-see.

A lot has happened with this unique tower. Three floors were added years after its construction, and at one point, lightning struck and broke off the top floor!

There is not even certainty about who it’s dedicated to – a Sufi saint, the father-in-law of the man who commissioned it, or the muezzins who used it for the call to prayer. But whatever it’s dedicated to, it’s a beautiful and impressive monument to India’s rich and colorful history!

Day 1 / Stop 5 – See the presidential palace, Rashtrapati Bhavan

• Why it’s awesome: It’s the presidential palace, with so much to see and famously beautiful gardens
• Cost: $1 USD per circuit
• Food nearby: Grab some Indian comfort food at the nearby MP Club & Canteen South Avenue

For something a little more modern but just as ornate and beautiful, visit the Rashtrapati Bhavan! Built for the Viceroy of India, this massive mansion is an experience of Indian stateliness and wealth – something you may see little of in contemporary Delhi.

The mansion has a full 340 floors! It also has 190 acres of curated garden you could get lost in. you can join tours in 3 circuits of the mansion – one of the main building, one of the museum, and one of the extensive gardens. You can choose what you’re most interested in and enjoy a tour of that, or join them all!

The gardens, in addition to curated spaces, include forest, parks, wilderness, and water bodies! You’ll see peacocks sauntering about, and other small animals and birds.

The museum includes invaluable artifacts of Indian heritage, art and culture! The mansion, of course, includes ornate halls, a massive library, and drawing rooms. There’s just so much to see!

If you’re spending the weekend in Delhi, you can even watch the changing of the guards, a tradition that remains from British rule. Timings for this change, so ask at the desk when you arrive or check for your dates!

Insider Tip: The three circuits are closed on Mondays, and with the exception of the museum circuit, on Wednesday too. Be sure to plan your Delhi itinerary around this!

Day 1 / Stop 6 – Marvel at India Gate

• Why it’s awesome: It’s an impressive monument in a lovely area
• Food nearby: Enjoy some fantastic Indian and Mughal cuisine at Gulati Restaurant

The perfect place to end off your first day in Delhi is India Gate! This war memorial is lit up at night – which is likely when you’ll see it, considering how full your day is! It stands as a memorial for the British Indian Army soldiers who died in WWI and the Second Anglo-Afghan War.

There are over 13,000 names inscribed on the gate. There is also a flame continuously burning as a memorial to the unknown soldier, all the men who died in battle, whose names are not marked down. It’s a beautiful memorial to a difficult time in human history, and one everyone will appreciate and respect.

Reflecting the styles of the Arc de Triomphe and older Greek memorial gates, the India Gate has put a unique twist on the style and is something all its own. Watch the sunset behind it and the lights go on to illuminate the structure!

Wanna know how to pack like a pro? Well for a start you need the right gear….

These are packing cubes for the globetrotters and compression sacks for the  real adventurers – these babies are a traveller’s best kept secret. They organise yo’ packing and minimise volume too so you can pack MORE.

Or, y’know… you can stick to just chucking it all in your backpack…

Chhatarpur Temple | Akshardham Temple | Hauz Khas | Humayun’s Tomb | Lotus Temple | Red Fort | Chandni Chowk

On the second of your 2-day itinerary in Delhi, explore both modern and historic landmarks in the newer part of the city. End the day off with a visit to one of the world’s biggest market roads! Many of the stops can even be explored on a self-guided Delhi walking tour.

Day 2 / Stop 1 – Visit Chhatarpur Temple

• Why it’s awesome: It’s an icon of Delhi, massive, calming and impressive
• Food nearby: Get a casual, cozy breakfast at Dilip Momos

Dedicated to the Hindu goddess Katyayani, this magnificent temple is the perfect way to start day 2 in Delhi! It’s surrounded by trees and greenery, with a terrifically peaceful atmosphere – particularly, first thing in the morning!

There are many beautiful statues of the Hindu gods and goddesses in the temple. Walk through the temple grounds and enjoy the scenic calm.

The structure is very unusual, made almost entirely from marble. It is also one of the largest temples in the world! A full 60 acres with over 20 temples. You can spend hours here, but we recommend limiting yourself to 2-hours.

Be sure to explore the surrounding area a little! It’s an important biodiversity area, with lakes, exotic vegetation, and season waterfalls.

Day 2 / Stop 2 – Walk through Akshardham Temple

• Why it’s awesome: This is the biggest and best temple complex in India
• Food nearby: You can find something yummy at the Akshardham Complex Food Court

Akshardham sits on the banks of the river, an extensive complex with much more than a temple. The name means ‘divine abode of god’, and that high title is certainly reflected in the temple’s perfection and massive expense.

Spend hours here, exploring the themed gardens, a boat ride that takes you through the cultural history of Delhi, and watching a water show.

The main attraction, of course, remains the temple. Incredibly decorated, the pink sandstone and marble are carved with dancers, deities, animals, and plants.

You’ll also find over 100 life-sized elephant statues on the temple grounds! It’s an experience totally unlike any other temple pilgrimage, unique and wondrous.

Visit the hall of values to see life-size robotic displays of the life of Swaminarayan (the temple’s main deity). Stroll along the lake and explore Bharat Upavan, a garden filled with bronze sculptures of deities and others.

Insider Tip: Like many of the stops on our Delhi itinerary, the dress code here requires covered legs till the knee, and arms to the elbow. But if you aren’t dressed appropriately, a free sarong is available, so you don’t have to miss it!

Day 2 / Stop 3 – Enjoy the peace at Hauz Khas Complex

• Why it’s awesome: It’s an enchanting medieval village and mosque, completely different from the more contemporary stops
• Food nearby: Get some tea and cake at the quaint, kitsch Elma’s teashop and cafe

For a greater feel for historic India, visit the Hauz Khas Complex! This 13th-century village is the perfect place to see how people lived here during Medieval times. It’s relatively unknown, so you’re likely to spend your visit exploring with only a few others in a peaceful environment.

The complex includes a medieval seminary, a mosque, and a stone water tank. The lush wild garden compliments the historic structures, and makes you feel like you’re walking somewhere magical.

Insider Tip: The complex is closed to visitors every Monday, so if you’re here on this day, give this stop a skip. It’s better to visit over a weekend in Delhi.

Day 2 / Stop 4 – Stop at Humayun’s Tomb

• Why it’s awesome: It’s gorgeous, the inspiration behind the Taj Mahal!
• Cost: $9 USD
• Food nearby: Get some tasty late-afternoon kebabs at Yaseen kabab Corner

Built in 1570, this tomb has a great deal of cultural significance in India! It was the first garden-tomb in the country, and had a huge influence on architecture and style throughout the centuries.

The tomb is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and has undergone extensive restorations to ensure that we can still visit it and admire the historic splendor for generations!

This is such a great place to take photos, and at the time you’ll be visiting (late afternoon), it is relatively quiet. You can join a guided tour to learn more about the history and influence of Humayun’s Tomb. Or just explore the grounds on your own and admire the beauty!

If you later visit the Taj Mahal, a stop here is even more important. You’ll really be able to see how this mausoleum inspired the later one. It’s the beginning of the Mughal architectural style that culminated in that iconic place!

Day 2 / Stop 5 – Pray at the Lotus Temple

• Why it’s awesome: A really unique design and joyful environment
• Food nearby: Enjoy a good meal and drinks at The Flying Saucer Cafe

This impressive and unique place is a wonder to visit! 27 marble flower petals make up the unusual structure, designed after the sacred lotus. It is a religious worshipping grounds for all faiths, so you can choose to pray there with people from all over the world and all religions!

If you do choose to go inside, you’ll get a quick brief on what to do – primarily, be quiet and respectful. You’ll also leave your shoes behind in a secure room. If you don’t, just take it in from the outside, and get a few shots!

Insider Tip: Like many of the stops, the Lotus Temple is closed on a Monday – when planning a trip to Delhi, we suggest you book your dates around this day. A weekend in Delhi is much better.

Day 2 / Stop 6 – Admire the Red Fort

• Why it’s awesome: It’s one of the top Delhi landmarks, massive and ornate
• Cost: $4 USD
• Food nearby: Enjoy a laid-back meal at Abdul Ghani Qureshi Kabab

Also called Lal Qal’ah, this Mughal fort complex is one of Delhi’s top attractions! It’s been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and should not be missed when touring Delhi!

Stroll through palaces and canals, baths, entertainment halls, ornate gardens and a beautifully decorated mosque – all in the Red Fort Complex! It’s a beautiful fusion of cultures and architectural traditions and is considered the peak of Mughal creativity.

It’s the perfect next stop, just a short walk away from the Tomb! You could spend the whole day here, exploring the different structures and gardens and admiring the little details. But since there’s so much to see in just 2 days in Delhi, we recommend a visit of 2-3 hours!

Day 2 / Stop 7 – Shop and eat at Chandni Chowk

• Why it’s awesome: It’s a massive, exciting market you could spend hours and hours exploring
• Food nearby: Get some traditional Indian ice cream at Kuremal Mohanlal Kulfiwale

End off day 2 in Delhi on the perfect note. It’s one of our favorite stops on the 2-day itinerary in Delhi! Right opposite Red Fort you’ll find this long busy street, one of the oldest and greatest markets in the city.

Chandi Chowk is a full-day market, but we love it in the evening when the atmosphere shifts and the bustling daytime visitors give way to the nighttime crowd.

This massive outdoor market has some of the best and most well-priced fabrics and Indian clothing you’ll find in Delhi! In fact, it has everything. It’s the perfect place to shop, eat, and enjoy the vibrant local culture.

It’s always crowded, so be prepared to nudge through some people when necessary. You’ll find huge bargains here, and some incredible food! Many of the stalls have been run by the same family in the same place for over 100 years. It’s an experience in tradition and changing culture.

Insider Tip: Keep cash on you! You’re not likely to find a card machine here, and you don’t want to miss out. Just make sure your bag is always closed and on the front of your body.

Hostel Smyle Inn

Located in the heart of Delhi, Hostel Smyle Inn is walking distance from many of our stops! It’s a simple, charming family-run hostel with a history of great value.

• Free Breakfast

Lodhi Gardens | Food Tasting Tour | Tuk-Tuk/Rickshaw Tour | National Museum | Sri Bangla Sahib Gurudwara

There’s still a lot to see in Delhi! So if you’re spending more than 2 days here, that’s wonderful. Our 3-day itinerary in Delhi has got you covered, to see everything possible!

Lodhi Gardens

• The gardens stretch for 90 acres!
• Historical monuments and ruins dot the extensive park
• The monuments are from the 14th-17th centuries, and everything is well-maintained

Developed by the British as a landscaped setting for the various monuments within it, Lodi Garden is gorgeous! It was once named Lady Willington Park but was renamed Lodhi Garden, after one of India’s great dynasties, when India gained its independence.

The garden is a lovely place to stroll and enjoy a picnic! Flowers line the walkways, and a great many trees stretch up to compete with the tall monuments.

The monuments in the garden are open to visitors, so you can explore them and admire the historic architecture and detail. You can even join a tour, and learn about the various structures from a local guide.

Be sure to bring your camera, and try to go early or late in the day! At these times, hardly anyone will be here. You can enjoy the monuments in silence, and get some exquisite photos with no one in sight!

The garden feels like an oasis in the middle of the city. It is located squarely in one of New Delhi’s busiest areas, but once you step in that green expanse, it feels immediately as if you are in the countryside. A countryside dotted with precious monuments and tombs!

Old Delhi Street Food Tasting Tour

• Experience the city in a unique way, tasting local street foods and snacks
• Travel by rickshaw and explore Delhi’s winding streets
• Enjoy a trip to the spice market and try new things

The best food tour in Delhi is definitely a street food tour! Indians enjoy many of their meals from street food stalls – they’re a huge part of the culture here. As such, it’s a great way to experience and learn about local life!

You can either tour the street food stalls yourself and give everything that looks exciting a go. Or you can join a guided tour and try what’s considered the best of the Delhi street food scene! Either option is great, and very different.

It’s a fully immersive experience, and you’ll move through the bustling market tasting sugary jalebis and famously good Dahi Vada ! Learn about the neighborhood’s history and traditions, both food-related and otherwise. India has such a unique and unusual cuisine history!

Thankfully, there’s just as much for vegetarians to enjoy as meat-eaters. However, if you do choose to tour the market yourself, consider avoiding meat, as food poisoning can occur. If you  join a tour, rest assured they choose their stops carefully with hygiene in mind.

Jump on a rickshaw and explore the area, traveling through the narrow streets with your enthusiastic local guide and a small group!

Or, if you go it alone, we still recommend you jump on a rickshaw! Just ask the rider to take you around the old walled city while you do a bit of digesting.

Old Delhi: 3-Hour Tuk-Tuk/Rickshaw Tour

• Explore all the main highlights of Old Delhi
• Ride past bazaars and temples in a tuk-tuk or bicycle rickshaw
• You’ll even participate in a community kitchen where you can get back and learn more about contemporary India

This is such a great way to see the city! Explore the historic Old Delhi on a rickshaw/tuk-tuk . The rickshaw has been a part of Indian transport for centuries and is one of the absolute best ways to experience Delhi.

Sit back and relax while your tour guide and rider shows you the sights and tells you a bit about their history and importance! Stop and find something beautiful at the market, and enjoy how your guide navigates the busy crowd to bring you comfortably through.

You’ll want your camera on this tour!

Visit Jama Masjid, Delhi’s largest mosque and a stop not yet on your itinerary for Delhi! This beautiful structure was built in 1650, and has remained one of India’s most massive mosques all these centuries. You’ll have time to tour the mosque a little before setting off to your next stop.

Ride through the largest spice market in Asia (and an earlier stop on your Delhi trip itinerary), Khari Baoli. You’ll even get to volunteer, if you choose to, at the langar, community kitchen service.

It’s a great way to experience India. Not only will you experience more of the local culture and way of life. You’ll also learn about Delhi’s history, and about the tenets of the various religions in this city, like Sikhism and the Jain religion!

National Museum of New Delhi

• Brilliant displays of historic artifacts, artworks, statues and sculptures
• The museum covers Indian history from ancient times until now
• Carefully curated, with great facilities and helpful staff

We’ve saved this incredible stop till now because you’d be best served by spending a full day here! The museum is a wonderful experience, with so many exhibitions, and all well-maintained.

India’s history is so vastly different to the more commonly known western societies. The art, cultures, religions and belief systems that have thrived here are unique, complex and beautiful. Celebrate and learn about them here, where you can find a wealth of knowledge in all fields!

Experience the artifacts at the museum’s Tactile Experience display! Created specially for the blind, the gallery has tactile replicas of some of the museum’s most interesting artifacts. So for once, you can touch what’s on display!

The jewelry display is exquisite, and the arms and armor gallery has so many artifacts, the like of which you’ll find nowhere else! The Central Asian Antiquities has over 12 000 objects from the 3rd to the 12th century AD – gathered from the Silk Roads.

India has such a rich history, with so many empires and dynasties holding power and influencing the culture and way of life. The opportunity to actually see the things used in war, and in everyday life back then, is truly wonderful. Especially after seeing the many incredible structures on your 3-day itinerary in Delhi!

Sri Bangla Sahib Gurudwara

• A beautifully peaceful place in the heart of Delhi
• Delhi’s most impressive and stunning Sikh religion temples
• Open 24/7, you can visit here at any time of day

Famous for its unique spirituality, hospitality, and gorgeous architecture, Sri Langa Sahib Gurudwara is a wonderful place to visit. Particularly for spiritual people. You can join the Sikhs in prayer at any time of day, or simply admire the beauty of it, and the friendliness you’re faced with.

The atmosphere here is incredibly warm and friendly. The people are always happy to help in any way. You can even enjoy some free halwa!

While Sikhism is a relatively unknown religion, it’s the fifth-largest religion in the world, with about 28 million followers! This means that this temple is often very busy, as it is a holy site of pilgrimage.

Sikhs believe in one God, but also in karma and reincarnation! It’s a fascinating religion, and one you can learn a lot about here. This stop isn’t for everyone, but anyone interested in spirituality and religion, as well as human kindness, will love it!

Of course, you can also simply admire the unique architecture, the marble facade, and the golden minarets! It’s a beautiful structure that emanates warmth and can always be relied on to bring a little peace.

Is Delhi Safe? Well, Delhi has a few safety issues to keep in mind so that you can be sure to enjoy your holiday to the fullest! Firstly, the very crowded areas are places where pickpockets thrive, like in every city. Delhi just has more crowded areas than many others.

So keep your bag closed and in front of you. Keep your wallet in your front pocket rather than the back. Don’t wear flashy jewelry or anything too expensive-looking that can easily be grabbed!

Another issue is the congestion on the roads. This is one of the reasons we recommend using the metro, as traffic is a serious problem! More than that though, you need to be very careful when crossing the street.

Unfortunately, Delhi is not an especially safe place for women traveling alone – rape and sexual assault is pretty common. If you do choose to travel alone, avoid empty streets even during the day. At night, take extra care. Make sure your transport home is safe and reputable. Also be sure to watch your drinks.

If you arrive in Delhi and your taxi driver says the hotel you ask to go to is dangerous or closed, get out or ask to be taken to the place you said. Known as touts , these men are almost always trying to take you to a hotel where they earn commission on your stay.

Don’t Forget Your Travel Insurance for Delhi

ALWAYS sort out your backpacker insurance before your trip. There’s plenty to choose from in that department, but a good place to start is Safety Wing .

They offer month-to-month payments, no lock-in contracts, and require absolutely no itineraries: that’s the exact kind of insurance long-term travellers and digital nomads need.

SafetyWing is cheap, easy, and admin-free: just sign up lickety-split so you can get back to it!

Click the button below to learn more about SafetyWing’s setup or read our insider review for the full tasty scoop.

The day trips from Delhi take you to some of the most beautiful places in India! Leave the bustling city behind and explore the more rural side of India. And of course, you have to see the Taj Mahal!

Akshardham: Exhibition, Light and Water Show with Transfers

Visit Akshardham Temple outside of Delhi city and experience the splendor of Delhi’s Hindu decor and decadence! You’ll learn about Hindu gods and goddesses, and the unique spirituality that still dominates Indian culture.

Explore the gorgeous gardens and see 20,000 gods and goddesses carved into the majestic temple. You can then watch the night-time light and water show, with the temple as the backdrop! This show depicts Hindu values like morality, perseverance and family harmony in a unique and beautiful way.

Board a boat and pass through a display of all of India’s greatest contributions to the world! It is a truly unique and immersive day trip from Delhi.

Private Taj Mahal & Agra Tour from Delhi by Car

Of course, no visit to Delhi and India is complete without seeing the Taj Mahal! This ivory-white marble mausoleum was built in 1632 to house the favorite wife of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan , and is now one of the new seven wonders of the world!

Explore this iconic monument in the early morning, before the crowds get too big. Then move onto the Taj Mahal’s sister-monument, the immense Agra Fort!

It’s an incredible way to spend the day, enjoying these historic monuments and relaxing outside of the city. See a bit of rural India, and have lunch in Agra.

Delhi and Agra 2-Day Tour with Taj Mahal Sunrise

This tour is for those who only have a few days to spend in India! You’ll spend day 1 stopping at the best sites in Old and New Delhi before leaving for Agra.

Agra is a smaller city near Delhi, famous for, you guessed it, the Taj Mahal. There are some hostels in Agra if you want to extend a day trip.

The best part of this tour is that you can see the Taj Mahal at sunrise. The white marble blushes pink, and the crowds are as small as they’ll ever be. You may even get a picture without anyone else in sight!

Spend the day much like in the last tour suggestion, exploring the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort and relaxing in expansive gardens.

Jaipur Private Day-Trip by Car or Train

Visit the ‘pink city’ on one of the best day trips from Delhi! Jaipur is enchanting, and distinctly different from Delhi, making it the perfect place to see next. You can catch a train and watch the countryside pass by, or enjoy private transfer.

Once you’re in the city, enjoy a guided tour of the city’s top attractions! These include the Palace of Winds, designed for royal ladies to look out and not be seen. They also include the enchanting Water Palace, the Amer Palace, and the City Palace, which make up the center of Jaipur !

It’s a full day of touring, and you’ll be dropped off at your hotel tired and happy.

Customized Private Day Tour of Delhi

If you’re traveling with anyone who only has one day in Delhi, then this is the perfect tour. You’ll set off on a full-day excursion, and pick all the stops in a personalized itinerary for Delhi.

Choose between museums and mosques, temples, markets and ancient complexes. You may not be able to fit our whole Delhi itinerary into a day, but you can certainly visit all your favorite stops!

Your local guide can either accompany you and tell you about your various stops, or simply transport you between places and allow you to enjoy your romantic day without stress or concern.

Stash your cash safely with this money belt. It will keep your valuables safely concealed, no matter where you go.

It looks exactly like a normal belt  except for a SECRET interior pocket perfectly designed to hide a wad of cash, a passport photocopy or anything else you may wish to hide. Never get caught with your pants down again! (Unless you want to…)

Find out what people want to know when planning their Delhi itinerary.

How many days are enough for Delhi?

3-5 days in Delhi are ideal if you want to see all of the top sights. Any extra days are a bonus – allowing you to take your time or head out on day trips.

What should you include on a 3 day Delhi itinerary?

Make sure to include these top attractions on your Delhi itinerary: – Old Delhi – Khari Baoli – Tomb of Safdarjung – Lotus Temple

Where should you stay in Delhi if you have a full itinerary?

Lajpat Nagar is the best place to base yourself if you’re only spending a short time in Delhi. Located in South Delhi, its central location means you’re only a short away from top attractions.

Is Delhi worth visiting?

Sure is! From vibrant markets to eccentric architecture and ancient temples, Delhi is a treat for all the senses.

Whether you’ve got just a weekend in Delhi, or weeks, you can use this Delhi itinerary to make sure you tick off all the best sights and attractions in the exciting capital city!

There is so much to enjoy about this city. The vibrant culture is phenomenal, and you’ll always hear laughter and singing – not to mention intense bargaining. The historic monuments are so unlike western attractions, unique and outrageously graceful.

You’ll learn much as you go along, and gain a new appreciation for India, its many struggles, and the people who persevere and make it beautiful.

Be sure to pack plenty of sunscreen, a hat, and comfortable walking shoes! As well as a good camera – Delhi is a photographer’s dream. But really, with so much color, life, and free access to all the best monuments (can you believe?) it’s any backpackers dream!

Suzanne Borders

Share or save this post

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Notify me of followup comments via e-mail.

Cost of a Trip to Delhi, IN & the Cheapest Time to Visit Delhi

The average price of a 7-day trip to Delhi is $1,163 for a solo traveler, $2,089 for a couple, and $3,916 for a family of 4 . Delhi hotels range from $23 to $109 per night with an average of $32, while most vacation rentals will cost $20 to $280 per night for the entire home. Average worldwide flight costs to Indira Gandhi International Airport ( DEL ) are between $833 and $1,331 per person for economy flights and $2,614 to $4,177 for first class. Depending on activities, we recommend budgeting $17 to $44 per person per day for transportation and enjoying local restaurants.

See below for average , budget , and luxury trip costs. You can also look up flight costs from your airport for more tailored flight pricing.

The Cheapest Times to Visit Delhi, IN

On average, these will be the cheapest dates to fly to DEL and stay in a Delhi hotel:

• January 8th to April 8th
• April 30th to May 13th
• August 20th to October 14th
• October 29th to November 18th

The absolute cheapest time to take a vacation in Delhi is usually early to mid September .

Average Delhi Trip Costs

Average solo traveler.

The average cost for one person to visit Delhi for a week is $712-$1,700 ($102-$243 per day)

Food, Travel, and Sightseeing : $17 to $44 per day for one person’s daily expenses

Flights : $443 to $1,158 for economy

Lodging : $25 to $35 per night for one 2 or 3-star hotel room

or $32 to $39 per night for a 1-bed vacation rental

Average Couple’s Trip

The average cost for a couple to visit Delhi for a week is $2,054-$3,512 ($293-$502 per day)

Food, Travel, and Sightseeing : $34 to $88 per day for two people’s daily expenses

Flights : $886 to $2,316 for economy

Average Family Vacation

The average cost for 4 people to visit Delhi for a week is $2,518-$6,284 ($360-$898 per day)

Food, Travel, and Sightseeing : $68 to $176 per day for four people’s daily expenses

Flights : $1,772 to $4,632 for economy

Lodging : $50 to $70 per night for two 2 or 3-star hotel rooms

or $45 to $55 per night for a 2-bed vacation rental

Traveling Cheap to Delhi

How cheap can you make a vacation to Delhi? The cheapest trip to Delhi is about $89 per person per day for travelers willing to take standby flights, deal with inconvenience, and otherwise limit travel expenses. About 26% of rentals are available in the $0 to $100 range for an entire place, and vacation rentals can be booked for as low as $20 per night. These inexpensive rentals must be booked as early as possible and may not be in the most desirable areas. 1-star hotels are more likely to be available, with rooms starting at around $20.

Even cheaper trips are possible depending on where you live and whether you can drive. Check the cheapest times to fly for more saving ideas.

Budget Solo Traveler

The lowest cost for one person to visit Delhi for a week is $626-$1,531 ($89-$219 per day)

Food, Travel, and Sightseeing : $9 to $19 per day for one person’s daily expenses

Lodging : $20 to $23 per night for one 1-star hotel room

or $20 to $40 per night for a 1-bed vacation rental

Budget Couple’s Trip

The lowest cost for a couple to visit Delhi for a week is $1,132-$2,822 ($162-$403 per day)

Food, Travel, and Sightseeing : $18 to $38 per day for two people’s daily expenses

Budget Family Vacation

The lowest cost for 4 people to visit Delhi for a week is $2,216-$5,500 ($317-$786 per day)

Food, Travel, and Sightseeing : $36 to $76 per day for four people’s daily expenses

Lodging : $40 to $46 per night for two 1-star hotel rooms

or $32 to $56 per night for a 2-bed vacation rental

Overall it is very easy to travel to Delhi cheaply.

The Cost of a Luxury Delhi Trip

There is no true ceiling on the cost of a luxury trip, so our estimates are based on what most people do in Delhi.

Luxury Solo Traveler

The high-end price for one person to visit Delhi for a week is $1,759-$7,397 ($251-$1,057 per day)

Food, Travel, and Sightseeing : $36 to $97 per day for one person’s daily expenses

Flights : $1,081 to $3,022 for first class

Lodging : $71 to $109 per night for one 4 or 5-star hotel room

or $280 to $616 per night for a preferred vacation rental

Luxury Couple’s Trip

The high-end price for a couple to visit Delhi for a week is $3,092-$11,098 ($442-$1,585 per day)

Food, Travel, and Sightseeing : $72 to $194 per day for two people’s daily expenses

Flights : $2,162 to $6,044 for first class

Luxury Family Vacation

The high-end price for 4 people to visit Delhi for a week is $6,184-$19,976 ($883-$2,854 per day)

Food, Travel, and Sightseeing : $144 to $388 per day for four people’s daily expenses

Flights : $4,324 to $12,088 for first class

Lodging : $142 to $218 per night for two 4 or 5-star hotel rooms

or $420 to $862 per night for a preferred vacation rental

Delhi Hotel Prices

The cost of staying in Delhi is much lower than the average city. On average vacation rentals are less expensive than hotels. Luxury hotels are more expensive in Delhi due to hotel employees. The graphs below show how much cost can vary depending on the type of experience you’re looking for.

Delhi Lodging Cost by Star Status

The average price for the class of hotel is on the (y) axis. The hotel class (out of 5 stars) is on the (x) axis.

Prices are based on Delhi hotel averages and may not reflect current prices. In some cases, we extrapolate prices to estimate costs, and hotels with your desired star rating may not be available.

Vacation Rental Prices

The percent of vacation rentals in the price range is on the left (y) axis. Price range is on the bottom (x) axis.

There are a healthy amount of vacation rentals serving all budgets in Delhi.

Flight Costs to Delhi

Averaging flights around the world, prices go from a high of $1,331 average in late December to a low of $833 in early to mid September. Median flight price is $904. These prices are based on millions of flights. For Delhi our data includes 373 originating airports, and 183 airlines. The area has more variance in price compared with other locations. Flying to Delhi from an airport like Savoonga ( SVA ) in Savoonga, AK (the United States) for an average $9,679 trip fare will obviously cost a lot more than from an airport like Bhatinda Air Force Station ( BUP ) in Bhatinda (India) at an average of just $52.

Average Flight Cost by Season

Average flight cost by day of week.

The cheapest day to fly in is typically Tuesday, and the cheapest day to fly back is usually Tuesday. Click here to see data for the cost of flights from your airport. In Delhi, the difference between the cheapest and the most expensive week is about $498, so you can easily save about 60% simply by using our free flight guides and booking in advance.

Daily Expenses Budget

Daily vacation expenses vary more based on what you’re interested in doing. A fine dining restaurant with drinks around Delhi can easily cost $140 per person or more, while a standard nice meal might be about $9 per person. Private tours can cost $280 per day, but self-guided tours to see the outdoor sights can be free. Costs vary wildly, so recommendations are made based on the cost of living and averages we see for this type of vacation.

Other Delhi Guides

Travel costs nearby.

• Paharganj, India
• Central Delhi, India
• Karol Bagh, India
• New Delhi, India
• Connaught Place, India
• Chanakyapuri, India
• Defence Colony, India
• South Extension, India
• Mayur Vihar, India
• Loni, India

Travel Costs in Popular Places

• Nashville, TN, US
• Bodrum, Turkey
• Kathmandu, Nepal

Book the best hotels in Delhi - in partnership with booking.com

Compare hotel rates in delhi and save up to 80%.

THE VIDYARTHI

Haveli Dharampura - UNESCO awarded Boutique Heritage Hotel

HOTEL SHAKA

Hotel Tara Palace, Chandni Chowk

HOTEL PG HOSPITALITY @ NEW DELHI

Safe and Cozy Stay in Chandni Chowk

Delhi - the estimated travel expenses for food, public transport, attractions entrance and accommodation., how much does a trip to delhi cost.

Currency in Delhi is Indian Rupee

Delhi prices guide., if you are travelling alone to delhi, depending on your expectations, you will pay for an overnight stay from 5.40 usd (452 inr) for a hostel to 44 usd (3,600 inr) for a luxury hotel., the other daily costs you have to pay when travelling to delhi are:.

• Food 4.10 USD (341 INR)
• Meals in restaurants 7.80 USD (654 INR)
• Bottled water 0.35 USD (30 INR)
• Local transportation 2.40 USD (200 INR)
• Entrance tickets 14 USD (1,200 INR)
• Alcoholic beverages 5.00 USD (414 INR)

As you can see - a stay for a few days in Delhi can cost 84 USD (7,000 INR) or 369 USD (30,000 INR) , depending on whether you are a frugal tourist or you are planning to spend a luxurious holiday in Delhi.

How much Indian Rupee should I have for one week in Delhi?

If you want to spend a week in Delhi the cost of your stay will be:

• 196 USD (16,000 INR) - a cheap stay for 7 days in Delhi
• 282 USD (23,000 INR) - a budget travel for 7 days in Delhi
• 367 USD (30,000 INR) for a one week of comfortable stay in Delhi
• 862 USD (72,000 INR) for a week of luxury holidays in Delhi

How much money do I need per day to stay in Delhi?

If you are travelling alone to Delhi, 28 USD a day should be enough. If you choose a hotel for your stay in Delhi, the price will rise to 40 USD. A couple will have to pay around 73 USD for one day in Delhi. A family with two children should have 120 USD for one day stay in Delhi.

How to visit Delhi on a low budget? How to travel Delhi cheaply? How to save money while travelling in Delhi?

In order not to exceed reasonable expenses during a trip to Delhi, which we estimate at 40 USD (3,300 INR) for a one day, you must comply with the following rules:

• Choose to stay in a hostel (5.40 USD (452 INR) ) or in a cheap hotel (10 USD (869 INR) ).
• Use public transport. The price for a one-way ticket is 0.60 USD (50 INR) and for a monthly pass 12 USD (1,000 INR) .
• Make your own breakfast and own dinner. Daily shopping cost in the shop is around 4.10 USD (341 INR) in Delhi.
• Choose restaurants outside the city centre and close to tourist attractions. Meal in a cheap restaurant cost around 4.20 USD (350 INR) in Delhi. McMeal at McDonalds (or equivalent meal in other fastfood restaurant) costs approximately 4.20 USD (350 INR) .

Car-related costs are mainly fuel, road tolls and parking fees. Of course, the price depends on the purpose of the journey and energy efficiency of a vehicle.

In Delhi, you will pay for the fuel accordingly:

• Petrol price in Delhi is around: 1.20 USD (99 INR)
• Diesel fuel price in Delhi is around: 1.10 USD (94 INR)
• 1kg sausage: 8.20 USD (683 INR)
• 0,5 kg bread: 0.54 USD (45 INR)
• 10 eggs: 1.10 USD (91 INR)
• 1kg cheese: 4.90 USD (406 INR)
• 1 liter milk: 0.75 USD (63 INR)
• 1 kg apples: 2.00 USD (167 INR)
• Bottle of local beer (0,5 liter): 2.20 USD (180 INR)

Car rental prices in Delhi

• What is the average price for a car rental in Delhi?
• How much does it typically cost to rent a car in Delhi?
• Is it cheaper to rent a car for a week in Delhi?

What is most famous in Delhi? How much does an average entrance to travel attractions in Delhi cost?

The most important tourist attractions in delhi that we recommend:, the museums worth a visit in delhi:, on warmer days, we recommend walking in parks in delhi. below is a list of the largest and most interesting parks in delhi. parks in delhi:, how much does dinner cost in restaurants of different cuisines in delhi, delhi - prices in restaurants, view map of hotels and accommodation.

Hotel Aiwan-e-Shahi

Manuel Robertson

- wanderer and storyteller (27 years old, zodiac sign: leo).

• Entertainment
• Jobs and Education
• Personal Finance
• Uncategorized
• Zolo Scholar

Cost of Living in Delhi for Bachelors, Couples & Family

• September 12, 2019
• 9 minute read

Table of Contents

Accommodation, transport cost in delhi, groceries cost, utility cost, shopping cost, entertainment cost, kids schooling.

• Cost Of Living In Delhi For Couples

Cost Of Living In Delhi For Family

Cost of living in delhi for students, cost of living in delhi for bachelor, faq’s.

Delhi, the capital city of India, epitomizes diversity and multiculturalism, attracting people from all corners of the country for livelihood and entrepreneurship. It boasts essential amenities like marketplaces , healthcare, accommodation, schools, and job opportunities, ensuring a fulfilling lifestyle. Delhi offers a spectrum of living options, from budget-friendly to opulent, catering to varied preferences. Compared to other metropolises, Delhi maintains a relatively lower cost of living. According to Numbeo , the average monthly expenses for a family of four in Delhi amount to approximately ₹112,089.1, excluding rent, while for a single person, it’s around ₹33,016.6. ZoloStays offers an array of affordable housing choices tailored to students, professionals, and families, accommodating diverse lifestyles. Let’s delve deeper into the cost of living in Delhi per month and explore these housing solutions.

Factors Affecting Cost of Living in Dehli

Securing accommodation in Delhi proves to be more accessible and cost-effective compared to other major cities. Delhi offers a plethora of options ranging from budget-friendly to luxurious residences. With various choices available, you can select a comfortable home tailored to your budgetary preferences.

If you’re a student or bachelor on a tight budget, you can find PGs around Delh i. The average PG cost in Delhi with meals starts at Rs. 8000 per month, while without meals, it starts at Rs. 5000 per month. If you want your privacy, even a small cosy 1 Bhk type of flat will cost you around Rs. 5000-7000. 2 Bhk in budget areas like Rohini, Uttam Nagar, etc. will come up to Rs. 8000-13000 whereas a 3Bhk in similar areas will cost you Rs. 12000-18000. For luxury options, areas like Greater Kailash, Defence Colony, Gulmohar Park, etc. provide you with a 1 BHK at high prices around Rs. 20000-30000 whereas the prices of a 2 and 3 BHK flat can go up to Rs. 45000-90000. These luxury areas will include all your amenities like a pool, parking, gym, etc. So, depending on your lifestyle and how much you want to spend on rent, you can choose from multiple options around Delhi.

Below are the areas categorized by affordable areas, posh areas   and best PG options in Delhi

Checkout: Best IT companies in Delhi

Delhi has a highly efficient transport system which includes DTC buses, Metro trains, Autos, Cabs, etc. The DTC has a fleet of 5000 CNG buses which ply to every nook and corner of Delhi. DTC buses cater to the maximum number of commuters in Delhi. With cheap prices, DTC buses are the best way to travel around the city although traffic congestion is an issue. There are monthly passes available which turn out to be very economical. Metro trains are a faster and more convenient way to travel around Delhi. Delhi Metro has excellent connectivity with operations extending up to Gurgaon and Noida also. Delhi Metro has become a lifeline for the city as many commuters choose this due to the connectivity and ease of commute. The prices for tickets are cheap and if you get a monthly or yearly pass it turns out to be even more economical.

Metro Cost in Delhi

Delhi offers a plethora of dining options, ranging from roadside eateries to fast food joints, catering to diverse culinary preferences. Many neighbourhoods boast local food/ Tiffin services offers delicious meals at reasonable prices. Opting for home-cooked meals not only promotes healthier eating habits but also reduces expenses. Hiring a cook typically costs between Rs. 700 to Rs. 2000, depending on meal frequency. Regular dining out expenses can range from Rs. 5000 to Rs. 8000 at moderately priced restaurants, with higher costs for fine dining experiences.

If you can control your expenses of eating outside, then your food budget can easily be covered in around Rs. 3000-3500 per month. So the budget will depend on how much you can afford to spend because Delhi can cater to needs for a budget as well as luxury lifestyle options.

Groceries and other stuff are an important part of your budget, especially if you’re a family staying in Delhi. If you’re a bachelor who doesn’t cook, then these expenses on groceries can be controlled but again you spend more while eating and spending outside. Every locality in Delhi has many local shops that cater to all your home needs. Even areas that are on the outskirts of Delhi have multiple options for household needs. Even many startups like Big Basket and Grofers cater to your needs by delivering everything you want to your doorstep. Normal expenditure for groceries and other household stuff for a family in Delhi can be around Rs. 3000-6000 whereas the same for a bachelor can be around Rs. 2000-5000.

Delhi experiences both high and low temperatures in summers and winters making an AC at home an absolute necessity. This added expense shots up your electricity bill which can go as high as Rs. 1000-2000 for a family. Adding to this the expenses of other utilities like the Internet, Gas bill, Phone bill, TV, etc, the average expenditure for a family on utilities will come to around Rs. 3000-8000 per month.

Shopping in Delhi is an extremely pleasing experience due to the options of areas to shop in. Although Delhi boasts numerous big and flashy malls, to enjoy your shopping experience, you can head out to areas like Sarojini Nagar, Khan Market, Connaught Place, Chandni Chowk, and many others. These are some of the favourite shopping destinations for the local Delhi crowd. From the most fashionable clothing trends to all types of electronics, you can find everything in Delhi markets. Remember to bargain at these markets to save some bucks. Other places like Dilli Haat give you a very ethnic and traditional shopping option. The average expenditure for shopping in Delhi should be limited to Rs. 5000 per month but if you believe in luxury shopping then Delhi also has every big brand showroom that you can think of.

What’s a life without some entertainment the capital city of India doesn’t disappoint you at all in this aspect. With weekdays usually busy for everyone, Delhi offers you many options to spend your weekends at. First of all, the malls in Delhi like Metro Walk, Select City Walk, Ansal Plaza, etc. are an experience in themselves. Not only as a shopping destination but these malls provide you with options for restaurants, breweries, bowling, and loads of other fun activities. Other entertainment options are Ice Skating, various adventure and water parks to beat the Delhi heat. Delhi also has a lot of historical monuments worth visiting. The Red Fort, Humayun’s Tomb, Qutb Minar, India Gate, Jantar Mantar, and Agrasen Ki Baoli are a few of the must-visit places. Most of the monuments have a very nominal entry fee which is easy on your pockets. On average, the monthly expenditure on entertainment expenses would be around Rs. 1000-1500.

Checkout: Best Pubs in Delhi

The capital city of India hosts many reputed schools and colleges making it a hot spot for students. The fee structure for schools in Delhi is on the higher side. The average fees going around in the many international schools are around Rs. 1.5-2 Lakhs per year. The fees for good primary schools and kindergarten is around Rs. 3000-5000 per month. There are many government schools whose fees are comparatively lower than the international schools.

Cost Of Living In Delhi For Couple s

The average monthly cost for couples in Delhi ranges from ₹28,500 to ₹45,000. This includes rent, groceries, transportation, utilities, and entertainment expenses.

Families in Delhi can expect to spend between ₹43,000 to ₹70,000 per month on average. This covers expenses such as rent, groceries, transportation, utilities, and entertainment.

Students living in Delhi typically spend between ₹18,000 to ₹25,000 per month on average. This includes rent, groceries, transportation, utilities, and entertainment expenses.

Bachelors residing in Delhi can anticipate spending approximately ₹12,000 to ₹20,000 per month on average. This covers expenses like rent, groceries, transportation, utilities, and entertainment.

The average cost of living for a couple in Delhi NCR depends on various factors such as accommodation, transportation, groceries, utilities, and entertainment. On average, couples in Delhi NCR can expect to spend between ₹28,500 to ₹45,000 per month. This includes rent for modest accommodation, groceries, transportation expenses, utility bills, and entertainment costs. However, the actual expenses may vary based on lifestyle choices, location, and individual preferences.

The cost of living in Delhi NCR for a family entails various expenses including accommodation, transportation, groceries, utilities, and entertainment. Rent for a 2-3 BHK apartment ranges from ₹18,000 to ₹90,000 per month, while transportation costs typically vary between ₹2,000 to ₹4,000 monthly. Grocery expenses amount to around ₹5,000 to ₹10,000, while utility bills may range from ₹5,000 to ₹8,000. Families also allocate approximately ₹2,000 to ₹5,000 monthly for entertainment activities, bringing the total average cost to ₹32,000 to ₹53,000 per month.

The cost of living for students in Delhi, India, typically includes rent, transportation, groceries, utilities, and entertainment. Monthly rent for shared accommodations or paying guest options ranges from ₹3,500 to ₹4,000. Transportation costs vary between ₹1,000 to ₹2,000, while groceries and meals may amount to ₹3,000 to ₹3,500 per month. Utilities like electricity, internet, and water generally total around ₹1,000 to ₹2,000. Entertainment expenses, including dining out and leisure activities, can range from ₹500 to ₹1,000. Overall, the average monthly living expenses for students in Delhi range from ₹9,000 to ₹12,000.

The monthly cost of living for a family of three in Delhi in 2024 can range from Rs 60,000 to Rs 75,000.

Here are some areas where you can enjoy comfortable living at an affordable price: Uttam Nagar Laxmi Nagar Govindpuri Nawada Mayur Vihar Khanpur Madhu Vihar Sector 24, Dwarka New Ashok Nagar Ghitorni Kondli

While you can opt for flats based on your preference, choosing PGs is advisable. The rent for PGs is typically lower than that of flats. Additionally, when you shift to a new location, you may prefer not to immediately spend a substantial amount on accommodation. Opting for a PG allows you to save a significant amount of money in terms of rent.

Related Topics

• Cost of Living in Delhi
• Cost of Living in Delhi for Bachelors
• Couples & Family

Best Areas in Chennai to Live a Comfortable Life

Best Places for South Indian Cuisine in Bangalore

• September 14, 2019

You May Also Like

Top 10 Things to do in Chennai 2024

• May 8, 2024

Top 10 Things to Do in Pune with Your Roommate & Friends

• April 22, 2024

Top 10 Fun Things to do in Bangalore [Updated – 2024]

• April 17, 2024

Why Electronic City is the Ideal place to live in Bangalore?

• April 6, 2024

Posh Area in Mumbai: Luxury Living and Lifestyle

• March 8, 2024

Best Posh Area In Pune: Where Luxury Meets Lifestyle

Discover the Best Book Store in Kolkata: A Bibliophile’s Guide

• March 1, 2024

Best Book Store in Jaipur. A Haven for Bibliophiles

Input your search keywords and press Enter.

How Much It Costs To Travel In India

India is commonly known as one of the least expensive destinations for travelers, especially for budget travelers. Prices here can often seem shockingly low for anyone who has spent much of their time in North America or Europe, and even for those who have traveled to other regions of the world, India usually seems like an incredible bargain.

But just how much of a bargain is it?

For those of you on the tightest of budgets, you could survive here in India with a daily spending limit of $15 USD per day. This would enable you to stay in low-end budget hotels, to eat simple meals at local eateries and to utilize local and government buses, as well as 3rd Class trains to get around.

If you can manage $25 USD per day, you’ll be able to travel in significantly more comfort as you’ll soon see below. And for those who can spend more than $25 per day, your experience could involve the occasional 1st Class train, nicer budget hotels and a wider variety of eating options, and maybe even a yoga retreat in India too.

At the moment, the exchange rate for Indian Rupees (Rps) is:

$1 USD = 69 Rps 1 Euro = 78 Rps 1 GBP = 90 Rps 1 CAD = 52 Rps 1 AUD = 49 Rps 1 NZD = 46 Rps

And now, in order to provide a more thorough breakdown of the costs involved with a visit to India, here’s some additional information:

When it comes to India, just about every traveler will need to secure a visa before they arrive. This can usually be done at any Indian Embassy or Consulate abroad although, certain Embassies/Consulates sometimes will not provide a visa unless you are an actual resident in the country where the Embassy/Consulate is located. But for the most part, at least in my experience, most Indian Embassies and Consulates will issue tourist visas.

Of course, given that this is India we are talking about, getting a visa is often not the most straightforward of processes. There are usually several types of visas available (3-month, 6-month and for US Citizens only, a 5-year and 10-year tourist visa) and they usually cost different amounts depending on your nationality.

Also, if you are a citizen of the USA, Canada, UK or Australia, and you are applying for an Indian visa while in your home country, you must apply for that visa through the official visa outsourcing company that the local Indian Embassy or Consulate has contracted with.

– US citizens must use Travisa Outsourcing – UK citizens must use VFS UK – Australian citizens must also use VFS Australia – Canadian citizens must use VFS Canada – For other nationalities, just check the visa requirements on your local Indian Embassy website

Just to give an example of potential costs, for US Citizens, the 6-month multiple entry tourist visa costs $76 USD (including processing fee) and the 5-year tourist visa (which I obtained this time around) costs $166 USD. But again, prices differ for all nationalities.

So you get your visa…now it’s time to pay attention to the fine print.

First, your visa is valid from the date it is issued, not the date you arrive, so if you obtain a 6-month visa on March 1st and you don’t travel to India until May 1st, you will only have four months to spend inside the country.

Second, for most nationalities these days, once you leave India, you cannot return for two months. Even if you have a 6-month tourist visa, and your visa is still valid, you still cannot come back to India once you leave until two months have passed.

The only exceptions are if you are traveling to Nepal or Sri Lanka. In these cases, you can obtain a Re-Entry Permit at any immigration office in India that will allow you to visit these neighboring countries and then return to India without having to wait the two months. Re-Entry Permits usually cost around $30 each.

*The following countries can now receive a 30-day, single-entry tourist visa upon arrival in India: Finland, Japan, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Singapore, Cambodia, Vietnam, Philippines, Laos, Myanmar, Indonesia

ACCOMMODATION

While there are some hostels that offer dorm rooms for as low as 50 Rps per night, budget hotels are more than plentiful and quite inexpensive as well, making such accommodation my accommodation of choice while here.

For the most part, in just about any town or city, you can get a somewhat grubby private room with a private bathroom in a budget hotel for around 300 – 500 Rps per night. In some locations you can find such a private room for 150 Rps and in others, especially Mumbai, you might have to pay closer to 1000 Rps per night if you want a room with walls that reach the ceiling and mattresses that are thicker than a piece of cardboard.

Here’s some more details about what kind of accommodation exists in India:

Dorm Room: As cheap as it comes at around 50 – 100 Rps per night, poor conditions, questionably clean toilet facilities, usually men-only

Budget Room: For 250 – 500 Rps per night you get a large bed with thin (often hard) mattress, sparse furniture, dirty walls, plug outlets that spark, somewhat clean private bathroom, sometimes with hot water shower (available during set times)

Deluxe Budget Room: 500 Rps – 1000 Rps typically gets you a more spacious room, with 24 hour hot water, more comfy mattress, television, some furniture and more of a ‘hotel feel’

Deluxe Room: For 1000+ Rps per night, you can get a nice room, usually still with some marks on the walls and less than sparkling bathroom, but with proper mattress, more furniture, perhaps a desk, large television, air-conditioning and hotel staff that are significantly more attentive

India is a dream when it comes to food, as you can barely walk two meters without facing another street stall or restaurant serving up some kind of snack or dish that you suddenly want to devour. Whether it be samosas, pakoras, lassis or momos, whether it be North Indian or South Indian cuisine…it is all so very tempting.

And luckily, for the traveler, most of this food is quite economical and so you can try as much as you wish (at your own risk of course…I’m not responsible for cases of Delhi belly!).

Here’s an idea of what it costs to eat in India:

Samosas or Pakoras from a street vendor – 10 – 30 Rps Sweet Lassi from a lassi stall – 20 Rps Plate of 4 Tibetan Momos – 10 Rps ½ kg of Bananas – 25 Rps Thali (meal consisting of a vegetable dish, dhal, rice, roti and more) – 80 – 150 Rps Dish of Matter Paneer (Peas & Cheese Curry) – 40 – 100 Rps Dhal and Rice – 40 Rps Chicken Tandoori (½ chicken) – 120 Rps Butter Naan – 15 – 30 Rps Masala Dosa – 50 – 100 Rps Chai from a chai vendor – 5 Rps Egg Sandwich from a street stall – 15 Rps

You get the idea…it doesn’t cost much to eat in India. And even a filling meal at the rooftop restaurant of a nice hotel in a touristy town will probably only set you back around 200 – 300 Rps per person.

As some may be aware, Indian cuisine varies quite a lot depending on the region and actually, what many of us know as Indian food is generally only found in the north of the country. The food of the south is of an entirely different variety, with items such as dosas, uttapams, idlis and more to be found on the menus.

For vegetarians, India is ideal with the majority of restaurants being ‘Veg-Only’ considering that a significant portion of the population is vegetarian. With that said, there is no shortage of restaurants that serve up chicken dishes and even mutton (lamb) can be found in most places as well.

However, with the incredible diversity of vegetarian dishes available in this country, few meat eaters that I know of actually end up missing meat while here as the vegetarian dishes are usually quite delicious and filling.

TRANSPORTATION

By now, it should come as no surprise that transportation, whether by bus, train, taxi or even flights, are also quite affordable.

Let’s look at the options…

Trains: Train journeys in India are more than transportation, they are complete experiences that are usually a memorable part of any traveler’s adventure here. If you want to truly rough it, you could travel in 3rd Class (no assigned seat, unbelievably crowded, people sleeping on the floor or in the luggage racks) from Delhi to Udaipur, a trip of around 12 hours, for as little as 50 Rps. If you want to move up to the much more popular 2nd Class Sleeper (assigned seats and beds, but no compartments or privacy, full open cars), you could travel the same distance for around 350 Rps. And if you want to experience 1st Class, you could choose the lowest level – 3A – which comes with a more comfortable bed, sheets, pillow and blanket, air-conditioning, plug outlets and a curtain to block off each section) for 1000 Rps. You could pay even more for 2A and 1A, the highest levels of 1st Class. But in general, if you stick with 2nd Class Sleeper, you’ll be able to travel around this great country for just a handful of dollars per trip while having a chance to meet and interact with all of the locals sharing the car with you.

Buses: Buses naturally vary in quality and you can use either government-run buses or private buses. Government-run buses are usually cheaper and they can either be quite decent or truly painful. However, the quality of private buses can vary as well and so that extra premium you paid might not get you much in the end. Unfortunately, it’s a gamble as there is rarely any way to know ahead of time what kind of bus you’re getting for your money. In terms of cost, a normal government bus (bench seats, no A/C, lots of stops, can be super-crowded) from Delhi to Dharamsala, a journey of 11 hours, will cost around 500 Rupees, while a private bus (with reclining seats, A/C, limited stops and no more passengers than the number of seats) costs around 750 Rps for the same journey. In some states, you can actually purchase a ticket for a ‘bed’ on long-distance buses. These beds are located above the seats and are small compartments that usually have a sliding window on the outside and a sliding door or curtain for privacy on the inside. While the single beds are ridiculously tiny, the double beds are a great value, whether for one or two people. There’s enough space up there for two people and two backpacks and you just might get some sleep during the journey.

Long-distance Taxi: Between some destinations, you may find it easier to just take a taxi, especially if you are several people traveling together. Usually, this will get you to your destination more quickly and you can stop wherever you want along the way. In general, it costs about 8000 Rps for an 8-hour journey although taxi prices can almost always be negotiated. With that said, the safest way to organize a taxi is to use the official taxi stands located in most towns/cities where you will be able to see the official rate in order to ensure you are not being ripped off. On the other hand, if you wish to take it slow and stop at several places along the way, you might want to use a car and driver from a reputable local travel agent as they will be able to customize the journey and hopefully give you a good deal.

Flights: The number of budget airlines in India seems to be growing all the time and as a result, the fares are often remarkably low. I was just online yesterday checking out a few flights and I found a flight from Kolkata to Delhi for $75 USD, a flight from Delhi to Kochi for $85 and Delhi to Mumbai for $75. I even found a flight from Kolkata to Guwahati in the Northeast State of Assam for $50, a flight that would save a traveler about 20 hours of travel time. So, flights are worth checking out these days, especially for long distances.

Local Transport: When it comes to getting around towns or cities, you’ll basically have the following options…your feet, auto-rickshaws, cycle-rickshaws, taxis and local buses. And once you choose your method, it’s best to understand that you will almost always pay more than the local fare but with some confident negotiating you can usually keep the foreigner premium to a minimum. You might get lucky and find a taxi or auto-rickshaw driver who has and is willing to use their meter but chances of that happening are slim. The ticket collectors on local buses should quote you the normal fare, which should be very low, around 5 or 10 Rps per trip. And with cycle-rickshaws, you just reach an agreement and go from there…local fares on this method are absurdly low and even if you pay double that amount, it’s an inexpensive way to get around. In cities such as Kolkata and Delhi, you can also use the metro to reach many destinations, making local travel relatively hassle-free.

ENTRANCE FEES

As with everything else in India, entrance fees are all over the map. The Taj Mahal costs 750 Rps for foreigners, the Red Fort in Delhi costs 250 Rps and the wonderful Bundi Palace costs 150 Rps. Some places might cost 5 Rps, others might cost 200 Rps, and many are free…there just doesn’t seem to be much of a pattern. One thing to note is that for many sites, there is a two-tier fee system where foreigners pay significantly more than Indians. Either way, the entrance fees are not too outrageous – almost always under $5 USD – and I can’t think of any place that is so overpriced that it’s not worth visiting.

INTERNET & MOBILE PHONE

The availability of internet for travelers in India has greatly improved recently, with free Wi-Fi now available at some budget hotels and at cafes that cater towards travelers. However, internet is often quite slow here and in many cases during my current trip, too slow to use at all. Another option is to purchase a local USB WiFi device from an Indian mobile network provider, but again, those travelers I met who had been using one were quite disappointed with the connection quality. In fact, their connections were usually much worse than the excellent connection I’ve been enjoying with my mobile WiFi router from Telecomsquare.com. So for those of you who really need reliable internet while traveling, you may want to check out Telecomsquare as well.

When it comes to using your mobile phone, India has now made it quite easy for foreigners to purchase a local SIM card. All you need is a passport photo and a photocopy of your passport and you can get set up at any mobile phone shop. On this trip, I bought a SIM card with the company AirCel. It cost me 100 Rps for the SIM card, 98 Rps for 1 month of unlimited data around the country and then I added 200 Rps worth of call/text credit. Not a bad deal at all.

Here’s a few more tips that I’ve learned during my many visits to India that might help you keep your expenses as low as possible…

– Bargain…for almost everything. Unless the price is listed somewhere, you’re generally free to try and negotiate a better price.

– If you’re at a stalemate while bargaining, politely decline the vendor’s final offer and walk away. You just might find that he’s suddenly calling you back, willing to sell you the item at the lower price that you asked for.

– Stay calm and friendly while bargaining as this is all part of how business gets done here. Anger won’t get you anywhere.

– Keep a small amount of money in one pocket and a larger amount in the other so that you don’t have to pull out all of your cash when paying for small items.

– When purchasing items from a normal shop (bottled water, packaged snacks, soap/shampoo, etc.) there is always a MRP (maximum retail price) printed on the package. This is the price that you should pay as these prices are set by the manufacturer, not by the shop owners, so be sure to check before handing over your money and never pay more than what is listed.

– There is no shortage of ATMs in India but do keep in mind that local banks charge 200 Rps per ATM withdrawal for foreign bank cards.

– Credit cards are sometimes accepted at higher-end shops and hotels but they usually add on a fee of up to 5% so make sure you ask before handing over your card.

– When checking into a hotel, be sure to ask if there are any taxes or service charges added onto the final bill. These extra charges vary greatly among hotels and sometimes, you can negotiate to have all of those taxes/charges removed. (Some restaurants also add on taxes and a service charge and I’ve managed to avoid paying these with a little negotiating.)

– Remember that no matter how much you pay for something, you’re in magical India, and that you shouldn’t let a little overpaying ruin your incredible trip!

I hope the above helps out those thinking about traveling to the subcontinent and as always, I wish you wonderful adventures ahead!

If you’ve been to India, or live there, do you have any additional tips/comments to share?

New blog posts, honest updates from my 21 years of constant travel, personal recommendations and the best of travel from around the world.

213 Comments

I basically belong from India only but recently moved to Canada. Reading your content I saw that every point you considered writing was arguably true. I hope for sure you had a great experience in my home country, I feel on my behalf that only a portion on people in India are cunning and will harm a person. These are better to be just considered with the amount of population in this country. A country 12 times denser than USA. Btw only thing according to me i think you did not experienced that was community langar where every person away from his creed, caste, religion, sex and income have a meal together. Simply, it is like a person with cycle and a person with a Jaguar would be beside each other. WELL YOU DID A GREAT JOB, IT WAS FUN TO READ…

This blog was really helpful to look at just how far money can stretch. I’m guessing roughly $1,500 USD would get me by reasonably for two weeks?

Also, what tips can you offer for a young female solo traveler. I know India gets a bad rep for being a dangerous place for the female race. Is public over night transportation a safe option? What about transportation in general? What months do you recommend are a good time to visit as to avoid extreme weather conditions? Anything outside of just the Taj Mahal that is absolutely a must see? I’ve had friends tell me udaipur and Jaipur are just amazing.

Hey Mercy – If you want to send me an email through the contact form on my “Contact” page, I’d be happy to answer those questions for you. It’s more than I could put here into a comment!

Great and timely blog – thank you so much. Setting off in a few days – just wondering how to take money – cash / card / rupees / pounds and so on?

Thanks for this post.

I just received my Visa last night.

I have a question though. I will arrive in India July 28 evening and will travel from Lucknow to Agra to Jaipur and will leave Jaipur August 3 morning (pretty much 5 whole days and a few hours), I have paid for my hotels already and have saved up 300 US$. Will that be ok? That’s for the food and the trains and entrance fees only as I have already booked my hotels.

Also, how is the northern part of the country during monsoon? Taj Mahal especially. I have worries it will be raining for three days straight and I dont get to see Taj.

Thanks again!

Hey Mikko – $300 will be fine but you’ll have to watch what you spend. You’ll need to take the lower classes of trains and use the cheapest transportation when going to visit the sights. For example, to visit Amer Fort in Jaipur, you need to get there as it’s 25 minutes outside the city. You can make that $300 work but it will be close. As for the monsoon, it’s definitely not the best time of year to visit – it will be crazy hot up there in the north and yes, the chances of rain will be high. The thing is, when you buy your ticket for the Taj it’s only good for one day, and it costs around $20 USD. So I would wake up early, and if it’s not raining, go right away. If it is raining, wait until the afternoon, or the next morning…just go straight there when the rain stops!

Thanks a lot for the tips.

Guess I would have to revisit the finances and add more for a more comfy week.

Will 3000 usd be enough for two people to go to india for a week and stay at the best hotels?

Hey Eric – Sure, that will work!

This is so useful! I’m thinking of going for 10 days to 2 weeks when Diwali is on and now I know how much money I should need! Thank you!

I think £750GBP should be enough, shouldn’t it?

Hey Mitchell- That should be plenty!

Thank you so very much for replying almost instantly. I appreciate it. So I was thinking of budgeting maybe $1000CAD for in India and $1500 CAD (obviously having more flexibility is better than running out of money) for travelling to and from so that should definitely be within my budget. I don’t need all the bells and whistles but also I don’t want dirty rooms and shared sleeping spaces (I can barely share my bedroom with my girlfriend haha).

Trust me, with 1000 CAD, you’ll be fine for 2 weeks. You can stay in some cool places (old Indian mansions, for example) for that amount. If you want specific recommendations, depending on your itinerary, just send me an email through the contact me link above and I’ll assist!

Thank you so much for compiling this article. I was wondering what you would classify as having enough but not too much money while travelling in India for 2 weeks and what is the best way to exchange money (either while in India or before at a local bank) on a trip to India? And what are your experiences with bank cards when traveling?

Hey John – It really depends on your style of travel I guess. You could get by for $300 for 2 weeks if you stay at budget hotels, take local trains/buses and eat at local restaurants. Or you could spend anything above that depending on all those factors, also on how much you plan to move around. As for exchanging money, the best option is to use the ATMs or the money exchange offices that are located everywhere in India. The rates are always good, no commission is charged and it’s an easy option. I would recommend not exchanging money before you arrive because India recently got rid of some of their denominations and you risk ending up with old money that will be worthless inside India. You’ll have no problem using an ATM card in India. Hope that helps!

I also was in India in 2017 and found that it was difficult to pay with ‘not so perfect’ notes. if there is a small tear or has been stuck with sticky tape or is just plain old they will not take it. It is because they then cannot use it themselves to purchase or bank it. so when receiving change or changing money check the notes before accepting as you have every right to also ask for a better note.

Thanks Man – I was in Nepal trekking for a month about thirty years ago with my girlfriend. We crossed over into India for a few days before heading back to Thailand…I really enjoyed it and have always wanted to spend a month in Country. A professional editorial and documentary photography, India has so much to offer…..I carry expensive gear though really try to go with a small kit when travelling to such countries….any ideas on how to keep valuables more secure? dos and don’t sort of thing??? Anyway, great article, answered a lot of my question…I am now 53 and finally making it to India for the month of November….hope to sell a couple of illustrated articles upon my return…..cheers man , great info.

Honestly, I wouldn’t worry about the stuff too much. If you use the same common sense you use at home, the chances of anything happening qre quite slim. But you would want to make sure your gear is in bags that is well protected because whether it be on buses, trains, rickshaws or just walking down crowded streets, the chances are higher in India that your stuff could get banged up.

[…] from Wandering Earl (another great blog name!) recommends budgeting between $16-$27 per day while […]

What would you think about the language barrier? I know the consulate can recommend some great ‘tour guides’ that can assist if you’re not familiar with the languages, or dialects per region, but what are your thoughts on this?

Any recommendations – or what were you finding was the typical ‘Indian response’ when speaking English?

Hey Elizabeth – Most Indians speak English given the British history there. Unless you are in the most remote village, there will always be people around who speak English. Language barrier is definitely one thing you don’t have to worry about in India!

Derek – thanks really awesome to know! I know some brief English history on the area, but didn’t even think of this! Thanks so much!

Earl, this is really great as me and my wife are looking forward to our trip in India. I am just wondering how much things might have changed, since your last trip and maybe you have any additional/new info. Cheers!

Hey Klaudio – I go to India 3 times every year and everything is still pretty much the same in terms of costs!

The most help i have found so far with preparing for my 3+ months trip too india in 2018 🙂 first time international trip so alot of good info

Hey Earl, you’ve done such an amazing job on this! I had my time in India, and it was a beautiful place, filled with so much activities. We tried to save as much we could and got by around $25 a day! The thing about how you put in the details here you article is that you gave the travelers great options, ‘budget travel’ in terms on how far its’ stretched it subjective to a lot of travelers. This would totally be helpful for a lot of people looking into visiting India soon!

Very informative post! Thank you for that.

I was browsing through the web looking for the cheapest hotel/hostel prices in India. The cheapest, for example, in Delhi/Varanasi/Kolkata/Jaipur seemed to be something around 10 euros per night or more, on websites like hotels.com/hostels.com or even on tripadvisors hotel search. I searched for this february. Was it just that I was on the wrong websites/ are hotels/hostels in India just more expensive in winter months/ or is it a far more cheaper to book hotels/hostels on the go?

If I’m aiming for 1-5 euro price range per night, what would be the most realistic method to achieve that? I am going to travel to India next summer for three months, from June to September. My travel budget is 1400 euros total for accommodations, train tickets and food. I plan to travel a lot by train, preferably in 3rd Class/2nd Class. When it comes to food, I plan to eat always the cheapest way availabe; from street stands. And finally, quality is no requirement when it comes to accommodations. I prefer hostel dorms if available. Am I able to pull it off?

I hope you have time to answer at some point. (:

Best regards,

Hey Aleksi – It’s possible on 1400 Euros for 3 months but honestly, it won’t be too enjoyable. It would be better to stay for 2 months and spend a little more. Eating from street stands will probably get you sick and traveling on 3rd Class train is okay for one short trip but after that you’ll want to definitely travel in 2nd class, which costs more.

You can find hotel rooms for a few euros per night. They won’t be listed online though for the most part. You simply need to show up and look yourself, asking people and seeing what you find. If you can afford a 10 euro room, you’ll have a much nicer place though and can book ahead and will have much less hassle to deal with. It can be a big hassle to arrive in a new town and try to find accommodation by walking around as it will take a lot of time and who knows what you’ll find.

There are some hostels in India now but they are usually more expensive. A bed in a dorm is around 400 – 500 rupees per night. The reason is that they offer a very nice atmosphere so you’re paying for that.

Thank you so much for your help, Derek! I will take your advice in my heart and plan my trip accordingly. Will consider 2 months and make the calculations on how much more I’m going to be able to spend by doing that. This really was a life-saver for me, I truly mean that. Thanks again.

Amazing post that has really fed me with so much information, thank you for all the effort put into it.

My sister and I (both female) will be going to India for a month or so. We will be in Rishikesh for 2 weeks and would hope to do Agra and then head to Goa after. Would you recommend that we go Agra first before Rishikesh and fly straight to Goa after? Any places you’d recommend to visit and stay in these places? We currently have Taj Mahal on the list for Agra but that’s about it. In Rishikesh, we are staying in a ashram for a 2 week yoga programme and then hoping to find another place to stay thereafter to visit other attractions/sports in Rishikesh. I am quite fearful of roaches so that is a hinderance right now planning our transport and stays in India. I was told that only certain train company’s class systems can be trusted while the some are still very bad (for me, roaches) even in the 3rd/2nd/1st class cabins? Is that really true?

Any advice and contacts would be very much appreciated!

Best regards, Jamie

Hey Jamie – Thanks for the comment. If you want to send me an email through my contact page, I’d be happy to assist with your questions!

Hello Earl, I’m a 62 year old woman and I’ve never been to India but I’m thinking about going to Juhu, Mumbai to visit the Iskcon Temple and while I’m there I’ll like to buy a few Indian outfits. Then I’ll like to go to Delhi for a couple days too and visit the Taj Mahal and the Golden Temple. I’m thinking about staying at the Iskcon Temple when I’m in Juhu, Mumbai but I’ll like to know where will be the best and safest place for me, as a lone traveler and also as a woman to stay when I’m in Delhi. Can you please give me some info. If you can tell me how I can book a trip with you that will be fine too. Thank you so much and God bless.

Hey Sandra – If you want some detailed recommendations for India, please send me an email through the Contact Me link on my blog. I’d be more than happy to answer your questions!

I will be traveling to India for 5 days in the holidays ( Delhi, Agra, Jaipur’s) tours and 4 star hotels are booked with driver. Will need money for food and tips … How much should I plan for a day?

Solo female traveller here. Do you have some recommendations on how to find groups to travel with eg to Vaishno Devi in Jammu, Amritsar or anywhere really? Many thanks!

Hey Maya – I offer small group trips to India 🙂 WanderingEarlTours.com

Apart from that, there really aren’t organized small groups to go to places that are as off the beaten path as Jammu. You pretty much just have to get to India, hope to meet other travelers going there and then go together.

[…] but such journeys are priceless simply because of the experience they offer. Well, if you are a solo backpacker or a couple, instead of booking a cab alone you can just try to accommodate yourself with a group of […]

Can you recommend an inexpensive Ayurvedic resort in kerala

Thanks for the awesome info on this post , I’m travelling to India in 4 weeks for a month and just happened to stumble across your page …. It’s been an awesome read and answered a few questions I had about SIM cards and accomodation, I’ve already booked my hotels and internal flights so I’m pretty organised as I really didn’t want to leave to much to chance in India .. I was really pleased to see you ranked UDAIPUR and Varanasi as some of your favourite places you visited as I’m there for 6 days each and wondering if you had any tips of special places not to be missed and awesome little restaurants or cafes they you really enjoyed …

Thanks a lot mate and love your page

Hey Logan – Very cool that you’re heading to India! For Udaipur, I recommend going to a local restaurant called “Natraj Dining Hall”. It’s in the ‘new city’ and make sure you go to the original one. Super local but packed with people all day. You sit down, there is no menu, they just keep piling food onto your plate. Great place and experience! Also, try to head out to Animal Aid Unlimited, a great organization on the outskirts of Udaipur. Check out their FB page. And there are plenty of cafes in the old city to enjoy as well as rooftop restaurants with awesome views. For Varanasi, my favorite place to eat is a small place called Spicy Bites…weird name I know. The food in Varanasi isn’t so good but this place is excellent, cheap and super nice staff. I eat most of my meals there. Not really any cafes in Varanasi as it’s not quite that kind of city.

My partner and I are planning a trip to India for a few months. We would like to spend the majority of our time in Dharmsala but also visit Darjeeling, Bodh Gaya, Varanasi, Hardiwar and Kolkata for a few weeks. We would like to stay in a decent room with a private bathroom and travel by train and air. Flights are looking at about $900 roundtrip, how much should we expect to spend while there? Also do you recommend getting travel insurance? Thanks

Hey Kate – It really depends on how much you move around, where you eat and what kind of ‘decent’ room you’re looking for as that definitely varies. You could spend as little as $35 USD per day (as a couple) without transportation. Add in trains and flights and you’re probably looking at closer to $1000 per person for a month, which would include good budget hotels ($20 USD per night), a couple of flights and second class trains. As for travel insurance, that’s always recommended!

You can get better class rooms around 1000 rupees (120 -150 $)per day, if you want more superior then it will range about 3000 rupees. Dont travel by general class train those will be very crowdy especially in North India.

sorry it is (12-15 $)

Thanks For the tips Shelby

This is a fantastic bit of luck I stumbled onto your site and posts. reading through what others have said is handy too. I am hoping to plan a trip for next spring, And it’ll be my first trip anywhere. Doing a lot of research, bit overwhelming all the stuff to keep in mind and look through. This is a great resource.

Thanks for all of the helpful information! I’m hoping to go over to India after some trekking in Nepal. As a solo female traveler, do you feel that it’s safe enough for me to go by myself? I’m quite an avid traveler, but I’m also a young female and might make for a better target. As interested as I am in going to India, I don’t want to be in danger!

Thanks so much for your post. Shelby

Hey Shelby – Thanks for writing and to be honest, I think you’ll be okay over there. As long as you use the same common sense you would use at home, you’re going to be just as safe. As a solo female you might have to deal with a few more stares and it might be less comfortable in crowded areas but as for overall safety, India is not a dangerous place. You’ll find many examples of solo female travelers who have been to India and who would recommend it. I also offer tours to India and the females on my trips always tell me that they had no problems and felt much safer than they ever imagined, including when they were out and about on their own.

Hope you are fine..

As you asked, Is it safe to travel to INDIA or specially for women.. so yes, it’s absolutely safe.

I believe that India is the only technicolour country. you could travel to some fascinating place over here.. India is in a class by itself. All life is here.

Come with an open mind and open heart and India will open up to you. India is as rewarding as it is challenging but ultimately your attitude will affect how much you enjoy and get out of the trip. You could even try starting your trip with a homestay or something where you can learn about Indian culture though your host family.

One of the most important things when travelling in India, or anywhere else really, is to be confident. assertive and hold yourself well. Forget about being polite, it may be taken as a sign of weakness, be prepared to stand up for yourself and don’t be afraid to speak out.

You can’t be naive and trust everyone.The best option is to just walk confidently past, ignore them all, don’t believe everything people say and be careful who you trust.

Finally Whenever you will be here in India my advice is to please visit Himachal Pradesh (The Land of God) too. is famous for its Himalayan landscapes, hill stations and temples.

If you have any query or want to know anything about the places in India’ Please feel free to ask me or shoot me an e-mail on [email protected] .

Warm Regards, Madan, India

Thanks for asking this question. Of late, there has been a lot of negative press about the safety of solo female travellers to India. However, generally India is safe. Compared to South and Latin American countries, we are far, far safer. Solo travel is actually picking up within India and now people are getting used to seeing a lot more women (Indian women) traveling around alone and are accustomed to it. Just a few tips for your safety:

– Think twice before trusting someone who randomly approaches you (male as well as female) especially in big cities (Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida, Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata; Bangalore and Hyderabad are much safer).

– It is always best to carry small amounts of money in your pockets while keeping the bigger portion of your money in an inner sling pouch (usually inside your shirt). Not that someone will be jumping on you to steal from you, but there are areas where there may be pickpockets. If you are from a country with random petty crimes, you have nothing new to worry about.

– You are likely to be much much safer in smaller towns than in big cities. For example, you will have a wonderfully safe and pleasant experience in the states of Rajasthan, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, Sikkim, Kerala, Arunachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh etc. But it is likely that you will find people much more rude or unpleasant in Delhi/NCR, Chennai, Mumbai etc type of big cities. Being a bit cautious would be good. Delhi is somewhat like London or Manhattan in terms of what to expect when taking precautions. If you’ve done well, you have no problems to worry about here.

– In the last two years, our new national government has brought about a lot of measures to improve safety for tourists including 24 hour helplines in 12 international languages and special numbers for tourist complaints. You will be catered to well.

– Don’t hitch-hike with random people on the highway. Or if you are in a situation where you have no choice, be a bit cautious.

– Don’t get excessively drunk at night in lonely areas. That is fine and cool in Mumbai and Bangalore it is fine but not advised for safety in other big cities.

– Transport is really not a problem and an overwhelming majority of Indians will be very helpful to you; men, women, kids, elderly almost anyone. If you wish to travel by road between states (they are pretty long journeys usually), you can book buses on http://www.redbus.in or on the respective state’s tourism transport. Here, ‘Volvo Bus/Mercedes Bus’ is usually the top tier bus with comfortable adjustable seats and for long travel.

– If you are sure to travel to India, make sure you make ‘belts’ of places to visit. It will take you about a dozen visits to fully enjoy India as our country is pretty vast in geography and culture. Hint: It is perfectly normal to find over a thousand types of dishes within a city. By belts, I mean based on the basis of what terrain you wish to enjoy.

For example, if you want to enjoy Himalayan beauty, target any one of the 5 Himalayan states of India (Kashmir, Himachal, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh).

Similarly, if you wish to want to enjoy the lush green hills and coastal heavens, you might want to try Kerala, Maharashtra, Goa, and Karnataka.

For a white and golden desert experience, Gujarat and Rajasthan will be delightful to explore.

To explore forests and rugged lands filled with ancient temples and rich spiritual culture Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Chhattisgarh would be great.

For a cloudy/hilly bliss with greenery and peace around, the six northeastern states will do well (non-himalayan): Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura.

Then there are of course the traditional tourist hotspots in Uttar Pradesh (Agra’s Taj Mahal, Varanasi’s Ganga banks etc) and Bodh Gaya (holiest Buddhist pilgrimage shrine in Bihar).

In short, your trip to India will be amazing if you just take a few smart precautions.

I humbly welcome you to my great motherland.

Hello Earl, Absolutely love your blog and have found it extremely helpful, I’m super appreciative! I’m heading to India later in the year with my partner and we would absolutely love to do a homestay or multiple homestay, more than happy to help the host family in any way possible. Do you know how we could find places or have do you have any contacts that could help? Thank you 🙂

Hi guys, there is a place called Mussoorie in India…i would suggest you guys go there….its a beautiful Hill Station….not many people know about it….its the place where i was born and studied….Being at an average altitude of 1,880 metres (6,170 ft), You will love Mussoorie, with its green hills and varied flora and fauna.From delhi you can get a train (6hr) or a flight (40 min) to Dehradun Valley…from there its just 45 Min drive…

As i already mention above on Shelby’s status,’ Come to India with an open mind and open heart and India will open up to you. You could even try starting your trip with a homestay or something where you can learn about Indian culture though your host family.

Homestay is not a big deal. You can do the homestay but it’s all up to you mean to say that it depends upon your perspective Nature, Behaviour, way to talk with peoples.

In India we consider the guest as god.The Host-Guest relationship in India is truly one of the most revered relationships. An integral part of the Indian culture, it says that every guest should be treated like God. No distinction should be made based on the guest’s caste, colour or creed and He/She should be showered with all love, care and affection.

In the North of India, where I’m from, “a Guest is God. When someone comes to our home, we treat them with the highest of respect and love. Even if we have to miss eating, we make sure they are well fed. That’s our culture. It brings us joy.” Perfect.

If you still have any query Please feel free to ask me or shoot me an e-mail on [email protected] .

[…] It’s a beautiful, majestic country. And, if you know how to navigate your way around, you will be able to stretch your dollar to the max.A plate of hot dhal and rice, for example, can cost around 40 Indian rupees — that’s about 60 cents! And you can also get on a train and travel around for a few days at a time for just a couple bucks. Find out roughly how much other things cost here. […]

Hi Earl, I will be traveling to India in three months on a YWAM mission trip. My housing and food is already provided. How much spending money do you think I might need. It would probably be for meals, drinks, and souvenirs outside of our living space.

Hey Cade – It’s hard to say. In India you could live for as little at $5 per day and for much more as well depending on the kind of places you want to eat at. In general though, I would budget around $10 – $15 USD per day for extra stuff.

Thank you so much for all of the helpful information! However, while doing further research on re-entry, India has done away with barring re-entry (except for citizens of some Asian countries). Just thought future people who read this don’t get scared about combining side trips to neighboring countries.

I wish you well on all of your future travels!!

This was extremely interesting and helpful, glad you remarked the bargaining side. I would be travelling with two friends for 4 weeks in July, and would love to have some help with my itinerary by someone who knows his stuff like you! Any suggestions? I have read the comments below, but I am looking for maybe a more purer look of India. We will do everything at the lowest budget, with only a backpack each to live the country at its best. Would you care to give us a hand pointing us out some good locations and maybe some more info on real low budget, non touristy trip? Thanks for the help!

Hey Oliver – India is a huge country so it’s a bit tough to answer those questions quickly. So many places you can visit! If you want to get in touch via my Plansify profile, I’d be more than happy to assist:

http://www.plansify.com/derekbaron

For a real real budget trip, you can stay at Dharamshalas and Gurudwaras. You can find them on internet and contact them via phone to obtain a prior booking. I’m an Indian we sometimes stay at these places maintained by religious groups when we don’t get hotel bookings or when we are on an unplanned trip. India is huge and I have travelled far and wide here but am still not able to visit the whole of it!

Hey, Oliver what type of places do you want to see? I’m from India and I can help you

Don’t to be worry about the places and the budget.

As per your query you are looking for Low budget, so i recommended you to visit North of India(Himachal Pradesh) and South-east of India(Uttarakhand).

Himachal Pradesh is a part of the Indian Himalayas. It has wide valleys imposing snow mountains, limpid lakes, rivers and gushing streams. Himachal Pradesh is the land of eternal snow peaks abounds in exotic valleys, glorious green hill-slopes, mountains, streams and the hills of Himalayas welcome the tourists from all over the world. Himachal Pradesh is full of hill resorts, pilgrimages, adventure sports destinations, and wildlife that attracts a wide range of tourist traffic. Today, Himachal Pradesh is one of the most important tourist destinations in India.

Main tourist complexes are Shimla, Palampur, Dharamsala, Kulu-Manali, Chamba-Dalhousie. Temple at Bhima Kali, Sarahan, Hatkoti, Jwalajee, Chamunda Devi, Chintpurni, Renuka and Rewalsar, Deoth Siddh and Naina Devi are major attractions for pilgrims. Tourist complexes are also being set up at Keylong, Kaza, Sangla, Shoja, Kalpa, Khadrala, Kharapathar, Chindi, Bharmour, Chansal and Naggar castle. Solang Nallah slopes are getting popular for winter sports.

There is an art gallery in Naggar and museums in Chamba, Shimla and Dharamasala. The beautiful tourist resort of Khajjair in Chamba district has been christened as the Switzerland of Himachal Pradesh.

If you have any query or want to know anything about the places Please feel free to ask me or shoot me an e-mail on [email protected] .

Earl thanks for the information, it was really helpfull. I am going to India somwhere between August and November, for two to three weeks, so I wanted to ask which cities do you recommend as a must in India?

Hey Esteban – That’s a tough question because India has such a variety of places to see and every traveler has their own interests. You really just need to do some research to figure out what regions and destinations are best for you. All I can say is that my favorites include Varanasi, Bundi, Udaipur and some smaller locations in the mountains, as well as the state of Kerala. But in the end, there is an endless amount of things to see over there so you just need to figure out what’s best for you (what appeals to your interests) and go for it!

I will suggest, given your very short travel duration, to visit the desert state of Rajasthan (Jaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, etc) for a week and then the Kashmir valley for the rest. Both can be accessed from Delhi as a base. You could visit the Taj Mahal in Agra as a daytrip from Delhi. Pushkar.

Thanks for the suggestions! Maybe I extend some more my stay in India cuz´there is so much to see!!

Thank You for your great post ! I found it very useful ! Oh and btw – Merry Xmas 🙂

I’m going to travel with my partner for 3 month (flying in 2 weeks) in India and i would like to ask a few question if its ok. 🙂

We want to travel as much as we can from Kolkata to down to Kerala than travel through the west coast to the desert than visit the big cities then spend the last few weeks in the mountains in Darjeeling and that area then we flying back from Kolkata in mid April. We got the visas and the flights sorted so my question is that How much £££ do you think we need after all /person for this 3 month – just for the basics for travel, food and being basically? We thinking spending around 500rupees for rooms or less if its an ok condition . We are backpackers so doesn’t have luxury standards really. And also wanted to ask that when you stay in hostels or guest-houses do you pay for per room or per person?

And last – we are both musical people and one of the reason we want to go travelling its because we want to get inspired and write songs out there together as well 🙂 Which city or area would you recommend to us – whats a must seen or must experienced between mid Jan and mid April?

Thank You very much for your time ! Looking forward to hear from you !

ps : if you want to have a look the music project what we gonna do – here’s a little crowed funding page about it, enjoy ! : https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1064542965/exploring-ways-of-making-music-throughout-the-worl?ref=video

I’m doing exactly the same in a few months with a friend of mine and was wondering how much to budget for the trip.

How much did you end up spending on this trip can I ask, very confused at the moment as of how much money I should take

Thanks !! Hope you had a great trip xx

[…] India: For about $20 a night, you can get the most deluxe of rooms, or you can stay in a budget hotel room for $5. The cost of food is also quite low; you can have a nice meal on a rooftop restaurant for only $6 according to Wandering Earl. […]

My friends and I will visit India from mid-November till mid-December. The first two weeks are already planned out with a wedding in Delhi, and tours in Goa and Mumbai. Afterwards we will visit Rajasthan and then go back to Delhi/Varanasi (hometown of one of my friends). In between we will have a gap of 6 to 8 days. We are still undecided if we should go to Kerala or fly to the Andaman Islands.What are your thoughts? Or what would you recommend instead?

Hey Simon – I can tell you that with your current itinerary that takes you all over India, you’re going to be quite exhausted. Traveling in India is a bit more difficult than many other places and as a result, I always recommend not trying to cram too much into your trip, or else you simply won’t enjoy it. You really need to go slow and it’s better to visit a few places for longer periods of time than to try and visit a bunch of places quickly.

So, wherever you’ll be when those 6 to 8 days of free time begin, I would just go somewhere close by. There’s always somewhere fascinating to go no matter where you are in India!

Thanks for the article Earl, a month today and I will be landing in Mumbai to embark on a 5 month adventure around India.

Thanks for all the tips, I feel they are going to be very valuable! I’m actually planning to buy a motorbike so that I can explore more freely during my time there, have you got any insights or comments as to whether this is a good idea?

Also if there’s any travelers that will be in Mumbai around the end of November, my email is [email protected] , it would be great to team up with someone and get to grips with the place so don’t hesitate to hit me up!

Hey Josh – Enjoy your trip! I have no doubt it will be quite an experience. Buying a motorbike is a common thing for some travelers in India…I would spend some time there first and see how you adjust and whether you think it will make sense for you though. It’s not your normal driving and it can be quite easy to travel around by bus and train as well. Let us know how it goes!

This is my first time travelling and actually have no clue where to start. It is India after all.

I am planning to go to India and am feeling rather overwhelmed at the thought of travelling to especially India on my own. I would like to travel to both North and South India for roughly a period of 6 months. I actually have no clue where to start and have many questions such as where do I start looking for accommodation? How do I know I am choosing accommodation in a safe area? What if I find I cannot survive, will I be able to book a flight back even though I might have already come with a return ticket to the country? How do I prevent myself from getting ripped off?

Most importantly, what tips can you provide to a solo female first time traveller?

[…] about India they all focus on the hardship, with a side dish of beauty. Bloggers are usually on a budget when traveling India. They might not stay at the cheapest places in India (think $5 a night), but might stay at places […]

Hi Earl – great post! I see you’ve a contact for a great company that can organise Golden Triangle tours at affordable prices. Would you mind sharing? I’m planning to head there end Oct.

Hey Farah – Absolutely! You can contact Ajay Kumar at [email protected]

Let him know you found him on this site and he’ll take care of you for sure!

Hello Earl!

I saw in one of your comments here that you have contacts in Delhi who can arrange travels right? May I be hooked up with those awesome people? I think it might come in handy when I book my transportations when I go around 🙂 Thank you!

Hi Earl, thanks for the tips on the website and the replies to the comments also make for interesting reading.

I’ve got about two weeks and wanted to get a bit of a feel for at least a couple of different aspects of India, so was thinking about spending a week – ten days doing Delhi, Agra, Jaipur and then fly down to Goa for a few days from where i’ll depart back to the UK. Do you think this is 1 – viable, and 2 – sensible?

Hey Josh – If it were me, I would skip Goa, simply because going all the way down there for a few days won’t be much of an experience. It will be rushed, you won’t see/do much, you won’t have time to find the beach that’s the best match for you, etc. But that’s just me. Time wise, it’s doable, again, rushed but doable. I personally would just prefer to spend those extra days in the north and take it more slowly.

Hi I’m from Puerto Rico and I’m very interested in traveling but I have difficulty finding cheap airplane tickets. I was wandering what might you suggest, I tried using traveling agencies that give you packages but for distant places for example India, Asia places like that have really high price.

Hey Daphne – Maybe you can look for cheap flights to Miami or NYC and then look for separate flights from there to wherever you want to fly. That would probably work better!

Thank you for this info. We are trying to travel to India and my main concern is safety as I am traveling with my wife. We will be going for 10 days.

We are going to fly into: Ahmedabad We are going to spend 2 days there. Then we want to explore more places.

Do you have any recommendations on a 10 day trip?

Thanks, Brian

Hey Brian – As long as you use the same common sense you use at home, you won’t run into any issues in India. As for a 10-day trip, my recommendation is to visit only a few places. It can be quite tiring traveling around India and if you try to cram too many places into your itinerary, you won’t enjoy it as much. I would just do something like head up to Rajasthan…Udaipur, Ranakpur and Jodhpur or Jaisalmer, then back to Ahmedabad.

Me and my son (18) are travelling to India on a guided tour Withnall accomm and transport provided and entry into some stuff , my question is , do you think $2000 each Australia dollars is enough for 2 weeks spending money , ?? We are wanting to try most things that are on offer and engage In the local activities

Hey Rosalie – It always depends on your personal travel style but that should be plenty for 2 weeks in India.

I usually like to stay in really nice places but me and my son are wanting to just try the whole back pack experience , this blog has been an amazing help thank you

some other tips for our visitors 1. always drink packaged water or water from a water purifier 2. Avoid “over friendly” people who may be touts 3.If you need help , Ask a cops 4. Emergency no in india is 100 and not 911 5. Try all types of local food. Be sure to carry your tums 6.

Hi earl, Im traveling from Oman to India, i would like to visit delhi, agra and jaipor. and visiting all the important sites there for 7 days. Kinldy let me know if It is better to go and look for a guide there or take the package of the travel agency which will cost me almost 259 dollar for the guide only. total package is 402 dollar in 4 stars hotel. also, Is it safe to travel alone (im a woman)? thanks. Raja

Hey Raja – If you are going for only 7 days, I would book your trip ahead of time. I have a great contact in Delhi that can arrange a wonderful tour for you. They have great drivers and the price is very reasonable.

If you want his contact info just let me know and I’ll send it to you!

Wonderful article! I’m heading off for 3 months, travelling on an unfortunately tight budget. Your article has made me feel a little happier about the amount I have to travel with.

I’m Paul from Philippines! I stumbled on this site and found it to be quite informative! I’ve been planning to go to India for many years and on Feb 2016, I might just make that happen. Thing is, I only have 10 days to spare since I will be reporting back in school soon after. At the moment, what makes sense to me is see Delhi, Agra and more of Rajasthan including Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur and Jaisalmer!

I want to ask your opinion if you think these are feasible within 10 days? Im still a student so it would be amazing if you could give me tips on where to stay in each of the cities as well as a good and sensible budget? I have no qualms in taking the public transportation, for accommodations, for as long as I get aircon and it’s clean, im good. For food, I dont plan on eating fancy! Just to sample really good quality Indian food for a bargain fits me best!

I know seeing the southern region would be hard considering I only have less than 2 weeks to spare. If u have other recommendations other than the ones I was thinking of, it would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance Earl! I wish you more amazing travels

Hey Paul – Thanks for commenting and as for your plan, I honestly think that is WAY too much for 10 days. You’ll spend more than half of your time on the trains. If I were you, I would stick to Delhi, Agra, Jaipur and maybe Bundi or Pushkar. If you try to go to Jodhpur or Udaipur or Jaisalmer, you’ll be really rushed and India is not the kind of place you want to rush through. It can be exhausting traveling around so you need to move as slowly as possible.

hello Earl, My name is warren, form South Africa. My wife and I are heading to India, for about 3 weeks before heading over to South East Asia for another 2 months. We going to be doing the touristy part that is the Golden Triangle, and a toss up between Darjeeling and Dharamsala. We’ve been reading loads of travel blogs and have found yours to be fantastic. I wanted to get your opinion on accommodation. We found a website called agoda.com which suggests cheap accommodation with potential discounts. Can you recommend any other such sites or have any other advise for us? We have a rough budget of around $55 a day for the both of us. Should that be about enough for us to get by and still have a great time? Thanks for your time. I have the utmost respect for anybody who can get away with spending their life travelling. Nice work bro

Hey Warren – India is tricky because you can find plenty of great places to stay for around $15 USD per night that are hard to find on websites such as agoda.com. It really depends what you’re looking for. For Delhi, you could look at something like: Heritage Home Hotel in Paharganj. For Agra, something like the Dawaat Palace Hotel. In Jaipur, definitely try to stay at the Hotel Pearl Palace. And if you go to Dharamsala/McLeod Ganj, I can highly recommend the “Pink House” guesthouse.

All of those places range in price from $15 – $25 USD per night usually.

Hope that helps!

Great info. Seems like it might be a little less expensive now with the better exchange rate. But in general terms I’m considering a month on the Ganges Plain in 2016. Round trip tickets from Colorado to Delhi is $1500 or less. If one can live a month there for $700 USD, it seems that for a total of $4000 or $5000 USD one could fit in travel quite well?

Question: Do you know anything about a bare bones approach – camping, hostels, trekking on foot at times with backpack? Are there parks for camping? Does it get more expensive in Nepal? I’m considering volunteering there to help rebuild after the earthquakes. But in general, how’s roughing it in India?

Thanks! Great info! Jeff

Hey Jeff – Great to hear you’re headed that way! As for accommodation, the thing is, you can easily find budget hotels almost everywhere for around $5 per night (300 rupees), so there really isn’t much reason to try and find a spot to camp. It’s quite rare for there to be camping grounds over there. And there are a small number of hostels but again, a dorm room in a hostel usually costs more money than a private room at an ultra-budget hotel. Nepal is slightly more expensive I’d say but not too much of a difference.

Thank you for your wonderful blog.

I received an invitation from my friend to visit India this coming June for only just a week due to some event. I’ll be staying at their house and roam around the place for sometimes. My problem is that i don’t have any idea of how money should I bring during my one week trip. I’ll be availing a Tourist Visa on Arrival and I don’t know how much is enough to show the officers that I’m capable of staying on their country. Can you help me on this? Thank you Earl.

Hello, thank you so much for this information. I would like to ask or hope you can help me with this. Me and my boyfriend were planning to move in India. my boyfriend is indian and Im from philippines. Im confused what visa should I apply if i want to move there and ill find work there in india. Hope you can help me with the process or what to do first. thank you.

Hello Earl, i would like to ask if i have 2,000 USD. Is it enough to stay in India for 1 month. Because i will aquire a Tourist visa upon arrival. And i will stay in in Pathankot Punjab for 1 month in there house. So i dont need to pay for my accomodation. So 2,000 USD is my pocket money. Do you think they will grant me a tourist visa upon arrival with that amount of money in my account. Plz do reply. Thank you very much.

If you are excluding accomodation,then 2000USD is going to be enough. If you are an avid shopaholic,the case may be different(you may need more). Excluding shopping,2000 bucks is going to be enough for a good lifestyle in Punjab for a month. I am a student studying in Jalandhar ,Punjab.

[…] How much it costs to travel in India […]

Hello Earl, How are you doing? I hope fine!

I am goingo to India next March with my family and I am looking for how much I will spend there. I am talking with a guide from India and the price for a tour on Rajasthan with two meal, accomodation, transport and some some activities (elefant ride, camel ride…etc) it’s like $70,00 per day. I was thinking about is a good idea a guide only for the first days in India and than we can travel by ourselves… Do you think is that to expensive if you consider your experiense there?

After our trip in Rajasthan we are planning go to Varanasi and Rishkesh!

Thanks for your time.

Best Wishes Mayara

Hey Mayara – It depends on what kind of accommodation, what kind of meals, what type of transportation, etc. so it’s hard for me to say if that’s a good price. Just make sure you have as many details as possible before your trip so that you know exactly what to expect and there are no surprises when you get there.

Well its a great idea just be careful do not get ripped off by anyone. I live in delhi and i have been to rishikesh and rajesthan $70 is a decent amount, food and travelling can happen in it but accomodation depends on what type of place do you choose and one more thing rajesthan is a big state and there are many places to visit there so travelling though will not be costly but it will be exausting and then you will certainly need a comfortable place to rest so here you may have to shell out more but it will be worth it because the hospitality at rajesthan is the best so I hope you have an enjoyable journey here ***cheers***

Hi Mayara, Sorry that I am replying you very late But Dear today only I registered in wanderingearl.com and saw your post today. Dear would like to tell you that if any one is asking you for usd 70000.00 for a day for two time meals and transportation and accommodation and camel or elephant ride then he is charging you very very much for a day. So be ware before paying anyone this amount if you need a fair deal then please send me your requirements then I will qoute you amazing deals with all your package tour including air fare and accommodation and local sight seen and food. And Could advise to your friends for fair deals and comfortable stay give us a chance. Thanks and Regards Rahul pandey Mob no 09837482007 E.mail- [email protected]

hey! these were all the details, could u please tell me that if I have a 10 day trip to India how much would it cost for me? I mean if I have a luxurious life not much luxurious but some how near to luxurious, like if I want to go to three or four cities and do site seeing. looking forward for your kind answer. thanks

700 $ is enough. Excluding travel to/from India

Hey i was wondering if their might be any good hotels in New Delhi also which foods to stay away from?

This is sooo helpful Earl! I will be on a 10-day trip to India next April. Suresh, can I reach you through email? Thanks!

Hi jacqui Sorry that I am replying you very late But Dear today only I registered in wanderingearl.com and saw your post today. Dear would like to tell you that if any one is asking you for usd 70000.00 for a day for two time meals and transportation and accommodation and camel or elephant ride then he is charging you very very much for a day. So be ware before paying anyone this amount if you need a fair deal then please send me your requirements then I will qoute you amazing deals with all your package tour including air fare and accommodation and local sight seen and food. And Could advise to your friends for fair deals and comfortable stay give us a chance. Thanks and Regards Rahul pandey Mob no 09837482007 E.mail- [email protected]

thanks a lot for the explanation. I’m going to india next month and I’m organizing the all trip. I have on question though: how can I book the cheap and decent hotels, where I won’t be eaten up by bugs and bit to death by mosquitos? I can’t find any cheap places in the usual booking websites.

Hey Antonio – Don’t worry, that won’t happen. The thing with India is that it is difficult to find budget places listed on those booking websites. It’s much better to look online, at blogs and other articles from people who have been there. Simply search for blog posts about India on Google and contact the writers for their recommendations. If you let me know where you’re going in India, I can list a few good places too.

Excellent post, lots of great info for planning my trip in the coming months. I will be spending two months (May and June) in India, travelling from Delhi to Kerala. I am currently looking at Delhi-shimla/ladakh-Rajasthan-Mumbai-Goa- Kerala before returning home. I will be travelling with my partner and we are looking at mid-range hotels that comes with a private bathroom. Nothing too expensive (approx. 20AUD). Would really appreciate hotel recommendations for these places. Just a note: we will be travelling as an unmarried couple and I’ve heard some hotels can turn you away for this reason. Is this true? We’re certainly keeping this in mind when picking hotels 🙂 Cheers

Hey Anita – That doesn’t really happen in India. I’ve never come across it except in one city, Ahmedabad, which is more conservative than others.

so useful information, coz india such a crowded country that sometimes scared to visit…but its has so much wonderful place to travell… Very very useful Thank you

thank you for the information that you provided in this blog. i want to visit india next summer and i am in tight budget. currently i live in USA, but i am from Nepal and i am pretty knowledgeable in indian culture and language. I am planning to live in india for 2 months and 1 month in Nepal. how much do you think i need for whole trip? (including flight cost)

Hey Bhola – It really depends on your travel style but you could stay in that region for around $700 USD per month quite easily, if you don’t move around too much. And the flight depends on when you will go but you should expect to pay around $1500 for all flights.

Hi Scarlett…I am from Kolkata, India, so if u face any problem or need any info feel free to e mail me… [email protected] .

I am from Bangalore, India. I’ve recently stumbled on your blog and I have to say it’s really fantastic about India!!

There are few details about my country for your travel adventures (you can put it in your blog for future travellers)

Indian journey – where one lifetime of discovery falls short.

The most incredible thing about India is its diversity. We have so many languages, dialects, religions and festivals and yet we continue to co-exist in a reasonably peaceful way. At every turn, stepping from one state to other, one will find a different tradition, cuisine, attire and language. It is just amazing ….

1. Architecture There are at present 22 cultural i.e. historical and five natural ‘world heritage sites’. Some 19 more are awaiting recognition for the last ten to two years respectively. We proudly highlights the UNESCO world heritage sites of India for you. Taj Mahal – Symbol of love, one of the seven wonders of the world. Agra Fort – Mughal emperor Akbar (1542-1605) made Agra his capital and commissioned the massive red sandstone fort. Fatehpur Sikri – 26 km from Agra, served as the short-lived capital of Mughal Emperor Akbar between 1571-1585. Qutub Minar – the 238-ft (72.5m) five storey high sandstone minaret in Mehrauli, area makes a travel guide icon in Delhi. Red Fort – When Mughal emperor Shah Jahan shifted the capital from Agra to Delhi in 1639, he built the lal quila (Red Fort). Humayun’s Tomb – The Mughal practice of building gardened-tombs began with Humayun’s mausoleum. Rock Shelter of Bhimbetka – 45 km south of Bhopal, harbor exquisite stone age rock paintings dating approximately 9,000 years ago. Buddhist Monuments, Sanchi – The great Stupa – or Buddhist relic mound-commissioned by emperor Ashoka became the nucleus of architectural and artistic enterprise that continued through Sunga, Satvanha and Gupta period. Temples of Khajuraho – The much publicised erotic sculptures of Khajuraho constitute a small niche. Elephanta Caves – The island called Gharapuri got its name Elephanta from Portuguese colonizers. Ellora Caves – One of the largest rock-hewn temple complexes in the world, the Ellora Caves mark the apogee of Indian rock cut architecture Ajanta Caves – the Ajanta caves are most renowned for their pseudo-frescos and relief sculptures. Champaner Pavagarh -50 km from Vadodra, is an awe inspiring complex where Hindu and Muslim Architectures jostle. Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus – Formerlycalled Victoria Terminus or Bombay VT this grand British era railway terminus is one the busiest in India. Monuments of Hampi – Hampi ruins are the ‘remains of the day’ when the ‘never to be forgotten Hindu empire’ Vijaynagar succumbed to the Bahmani coalition on January 23, 1 565 at the battle of Talikot. Chola Temples – Cholas, the mighty empire builders, also erected some magnificent temples in Tamil Nadu between 10th and 12th century. Churches and Convents of Goa – The Churches and Convents of Goa, built in 16th and 17th century, include earliest specimen of European architecture in India. Mahabalipuram Temple Complex – Mahabalipuram temple complex is an alfresco museum of religious architecture and sculpting. Monuments complex at Pattadakal – 8th century-wonder of consecrated architecture, Pattakadal temple complex in Karnataka was primarily a work of Chalukya kings. Mahabodhi Temple Complex – Bodh Gaya (2002), Gautam Buddha (566-486 B.C.), famously attained his enlightenment below a Bodhi tree near today’s Gaya (Bihar) in 526 B.C. Sun Temple, Konark – a small coastal town in Orissa, is best known for its 13th century architectural wonder, the sun temple. Mountain railways of India. – When British developed hill stations in India, they were faced with the challenge to connect them meaningfully with the plains. This was achieved through construction of mountain railways that were an engineering miracle. 2. Adventure tours Plan an exhilarating adventure, eco tour, or jungle safari with its extraordinary pastiche of landscapes from pancake flat deserts to jagged mountain peaks- India offers a myriad of outdoor Pursuits: a blood-pumping Himalayan trek, an inspiring wildlife safari, an invigorating white water rafting trip, or a splash in the sun – warmed water of tropical southern beaches. There is no death of fresh air pastimes. Thrill -seekers indulge in everything from paragliding, kayaking, and rock climbing to scuba diving, skiing, and even the new sport to “Zorbing.” A brilliant way to explore India’s great outdoors- blessed with a stunning repertoire of flora and fauna- is by safari. Safaris – on foot , jeep, elephant, boat, or horse- are possible in numerous protected areas, where visitors can view some of the most exotic wildlife on earth, including endangered animals like the Bengal tiger, Asiatic lion, and India rhinoceros. Birdwatchers shouldn’t miss premier sanctuaries such as Keoladeo Ghana National park, near Bharatpur, Rajasthan, which attracts over 350 species. India has more than 80 national parks and hundreds of wildlife sanctuaries. No matter which type of reserve you visit, making arrangements in advance for accommodations and safari bookings as well as checking prime wildlife -spotting time – is advisable. 3.Wildlife Tours If you have yen for wildlife and wish to capture it on your camera, then make your travel plans to some of India’s finest wildlife parks… India’s wealth of plant and wildlife can be best savoured in its national parkls and wildlife swantuaries. Some of the famous national parks of India are Ranthambore national park, Jim Corbett, Bandhavgarh, Kanha, Periyar, Kaziranga, Gir Forest. Judging from statistic, India is concerned about it’s flora and fauna -we have 80 national parks, 441 sanctuaries, 23 tiger reserves, which house the largest number of tigers, Asiatic Lions, one-horned rhino, elephants and birds in the world. 4. Shopping Paradise India is a treasure for shopping lover. India is known for its Handicraft, Jewelry, Textiles, Carpets, stones, spices and many more items. The artisans of India have been in business since the days of Indus valley Civilization (2500 BC). Like in pre-industrial medieval Europe, craftsman were organized into various corporate guilds in ancient India. Every craft was sub-case e.g. weavers, potters, carpenters, goldsmiths that gave them a hereditary genius. From Kashmir to Kanchipuram (Tamil nadu) and Kutch (Gujarat) to India’s north-east almost every state of India has a flourishing craft culture. The art of silk weaving in India is said to be one of the finest in the world. 5. Peoples and culture The people and their genuine warmth is what attracts everyone to India. Treat the guest like ” Atithi Devo Bhavah” hold absolutely true here. This is something you won’t find anywhere in the world. The optimism in us is what keeps us going. It’s only in this land where you will stumble upon people playing marbles and flying kites, juxtaposed with ascetics meditating on the riverbanks and the Himalayas. India is a land of contrasts. Here, the past rubs shoulders with the present and great architecture, a rich culture, history, diversity and magnificent natural splendour make this country the preferred destination of many. 6. Festivals India is a rainbow of festivals. In a land of diversity, each of India’s many diverse groups exult in their own special revelry. Be it the vibrancy of Ganesh Chaturthi, the beautiful classic poses of dancers during the Chennai dance festival, the clarion call of muezzin during Eid, the furious rowing of the boatman during the snake boat races of Onam, the gourmet spreads laid out during Navroz, the chanting of hymns in white-washed churches or the tribal festivities of the Hornbill festival. The biggest fairs and festivals to be enjoyed in India from the months of August to December. Travelers are coming from all over the world for festival tours of India. 7. Indian Cuisine Indian cuisine is famous and relished all over the world and enjoys a reputation at par with other cuisines of the world. The culinary of Indian cuisine is a science, which has developed over thousands of years. The classic range of regional cuisines from North to South and East to West reflects the great size of India and its un parallel cultural heritage. The Indian Cuisine in both vegetarian and Non Vegetarian Indian food, has an unmatched charm because of the extravagant spices used in Indian Cuisine, thus India is better understood as “HOME OF THE SPICES”. The art of preparing authentic Indian Food does not involve an overdose of spices, but the delicacy and mixing of right spices in right quantities. India is a land of diverse religions, customs, festivals, culinary flavors and climatic conditions. Thus each part of India has added and enhanced the flavor of its dishes by blending spices, herbs and condiments to make the dish more exquisite, exotic and heavenly. 8. Wellness and Spa Wellness in India, has different forms, connotations and techniques. From Yoga to Ayurveda (the science of healing) to Indian medical systems, the most famous way of keeping fit is perhaps Yoga. The recent surge of different forms of yoga and its popularity in almost every generation of fitness enthusiasts has proved one thing: India is going back to its roots and leading the world too. In recent years peoples are visiting India for yoga and wellness tour. India has variety of Ayurveda and Spa resorts. South India is famous for its Ayurveda Packages. Destinations like Rishikesh and Ananada in the Himalayas are very famous for their ashrams and yoga learning centers in India. 9. Spiritual India Spirituality, like an ageless rhythm, has travelled through the ages, enveloping sages, kings, reformers and devotees in India. Some kept it hijacked, as a tool to power; some coined it in difficult texts and kept it carefully guarded from ordinary men; some liberated it from the clasp of priest; some transformed it into melodious rhyme and song; some gave it the freedom to curl on lips the way nature intended it to be … Pilgrimage Tours of India gives an opportunity to communicate with the creator, it opens up the bright vistas of positivism as one begins top expect, it renews the will to live. Spiritual India brings comfort to the soul. 10. Landscapes No destination in the world beats the landscapes of India. Where else in the world you can find deserts and mountain ranges together. India is blessed with natural beauty and a land of topographical contrasts. India is, undoubtedly, the ideal and affordable destination for those looking for a relaxed holiday in a cool and pollution-free setting. So some and explore the nature, beautiful landscapes and snow covered peaks.

“If I were to look over the whole world to find out the country most richly endowed with all the wealth, power and beauty that nature can bestow, in some parts a very paradise on earth, I should point to India.”Professor Max Mueller (1832-1900)”

Fantastic information!! Thanks so much. We are planning on going in March from the UK. So incredibly excited and your blog has just made me that bit more excited!!! So reassuring that we are able to do it on such a cheap budget aswell. The only thing a couple of 23 year olds are worried about really…!

Hey Scarlett – Is is one of the easiest countries to visit on a cheap budget so I don’t imagine you’ll have much of a problem!

What if we can’t speak Hindi language? What do we have to do if that situation comes up? Are there any Translating Companies? I am always thinking of traveling to India but I get really disappointed while thinking about not being able to speak the language.

Hey Siana – English is widely spoken in India so you’ll be okay in just about every place.

I really needed this info. thank you so much. I will definitely visit India. expecting to be shocked by many things 🙂 .

I’m looking into traveling India next Christmas and am curious about visas. I’d only be there about 3 weeks. As a US citizen, for a short time period, do I need to get a longer visa anyway?

Hey Mackenzie – The minimum visa for US citizens is a 6 month tourist visa so that’s what you need to apply for no matter how long you plan to stay. Also, keep in mind that the visa is valid from the day it is issued, not the day you arrive in India. So if you got it now and went to India in 3 months, you would only have 3 months left.

Hey Earl, Great blog, glad I found it! So my wife and I are heading out to India in three weeks, we think for three months. We’re on a budget, so it seemed like a good place to get bang for our buck!

Would you recommend landing in Mumbai or Bangalore for our first stop and entry point? We were going to spend a month taking it easy in a beach area before making plans, maybe Karnataka?

Hey Gav – Either Bangalore or Mumbai works…they are both big cities so it doesn’t really matter. My advice would be to get out of either as soon as you arrive though as many people get a bit overwhelmed when they stay in one of the major cities for a few days. If that’s your first India experience, it can definitely be intense so it’s better to go somewhere smaller and save the cities for a time when you’re more comfortable. As for the beach, Karnataka works….there’s always a place like Gokarna which is nice, or else just head to Goa. There are dozens of beaches in Goa and you can definitely find one that suits your interests.

I want to visit north india specially himalaya & uttaranchal I am alone, in month of feb’14 so what you suggest, transport, hotel, guide etc

Hey Yasmin – It’s going to be tough to visit much of the himalaya in February. Many of the roads will be blocked because of snow 🙂

Hi Earl, We are leaving October 31 for three weeks to Bangalore, Mysore and Poontthatham for a Ayuveda week. Any must sees? Two philosophies I am hearing, plan every second with tours and the other from my world travelor friend saying relax, take it day by day with very little planning. This is my only time going to India and I want to make the most most of it. Would love your suggestions. Thanks

Hey Linda – I personally wouldn’t plan but that’s how I like to travel. I find India far more rewarding when you just show up, see how the adventure goes and take it one step at a time. You won’t see everything, and in 3 weeks, you’ll barely see a tiny fraction of the country so the best thing is to accept that, try to visit a few destinations and immerse yourself as fully as possible in those few places you do get to experience.

woooow! thanks for the info earl. be going to India in a not so long Future! lol 😀

Hi Earl! This guide was extremely helpful in confirming my budget plans! I’m getting ready for 3.5 months in India and 2 weeks in Vietnam starting November 21. Seven weeks of this trip is dedicated to yoga in Mysore, but the rest is travel time. I’m excited but apprehensive about doing India alone for the first time. What are your thoughts on tours? I’ve been looking at an Intrepid Travel tour for the first three weeks of my trip to get a bit acclimated before I strike out on my own.

Hey Katie – It really depends on the individual as some people are more comfortable on a tour and others get excited about traveling independently, even if it will be challenging. I see nothing wrong with tours if that’s what you prefer and if you think that will make your adjustment easier but at the same time, if you take it slow and do enough research, India doesn’t have to be as overwhelming as many people make it out to be!

Hi Wandering Earl, I’ve recently stumbled on your blog and I have to say it’s really fantastic!! I will be travelling solo for the first time to India in Sept, actually doing some volunteering in Rishikesh for a few months. For the most part I have heard that there is little too worry about me being a solo female traveler in India but I know I should still be vigilant. My question is, in your opinion, where is the best place to exchange your USD for Rupees? And if I plan on being there for a few months how much money should I exchange? While volunteering I will be staying at an Ashram so my accommodations will be covered while volunteering. I don’t want to take to many trips to the ATM or banks for security reasons. Any thoughts? I look forward to following your blog!

@CGV – I personally would just take money out of an ATM as you don’t want to travel around India, or stay in India, with a large amount of money on you. That’s never a good idea in any country as it simply increases the risk of losing a large amount of cash. And there are ATM machines all over India so you can take out what you need whenever you need it (just check with your bank about how much the international fees are to take out money overseas). This is much more secure than carrying cash with you for sure.

But as for how much you need, it really depends. Food is quite cheap but if you want some more Western food, it will cost more. I always say you could travel in India for around $500 per month, especially if your accommodation is covered.

Hi Earl you wrote exactly what happens in India But also need advice (we Indian give free advice everytime) you opted wrong mobile network here Aircel a new born to india You should go for Airtel or BSNL with 3G (you can put it in your blog for future travellers) For food I must remember E coli travellers diarrhea so packaged food only and water only from branded company like bisleri Pepsi or Coca-Cola try Indian cuisine but careful only standard hotels only transport never hire a 3 tyre auto they always unfair with you I have seen many times 5 times price prepaid taxi or Indian tourism department taxi are better for long distances hire cars (runs as per kilometer) or govt buses never get into 3rd class or general class of Train never you got crushed in crowd and your luggage surely stolen(depends on which part of India you travelling) other then this next time

Hey Yatinder – Thank you for the comment. The thing is that I think you are looking at India from a local perspective, where I am looking at it from a foreigner’s perspective. There was nothing wrong with Aircel at all and their rates were extremely cheap…I can highly recommend them. As for food, eating at hotels is not something that travelers want and it is perfectly easy to eat in restaurants all over the country and not get sick. Packaged food is not good for you either as that is typically full of preservatives and additives. And auto-rickshaws are also good for foreigners. Yes, we might get charged more but we can negotiate and in the end, if we get charged a little more, it’s not the end of the world. I’ve taken hundreds of auto-rickshaws during my travels in India and I’ve never paid more than a prepaid taxi! Third class trains are also a cultural experience for foreign travelers.

Derek, I used a different website for getting my India visa and didn’t have any problems at all while I was in Chiang Mai so perhaps it could be added to your post above to offer more options? (you mentioned US Citizens have to use the Travisa Outsourcing site) I’ve included a link to the service and process I followed here – https://destinationgrowth.com/how-to-get-a-visa-for-india-while-in-chiang-mai/ Happy travels, thank you for sharing your wonderful experiences, and of course – be well. And namaste.

Hey AJ – In regards to the visa, I was simply showing how US Citizens must get an Indian visa when applying in the US. There are no other options for applying in the US than using this website I mentioned. There are other options for applying when applying at an Indian Embassy/Consulate overseas.

What about racism in India it seems a great place to put on an itinery but I heard of one black backpacker getting stones thrown at them. I am mixed race myself but it would still be a concern.

Hey Ashley – I’ve never really heard of anything like that happening in India and have met plenty of people from diverse backgrounds – religious, racial, ethnic, etc. – traveling there.

[…] than waste a single second worrying. It’s pretty comforting to know that quite literally everything in India is inexpensive. I mean, $8 for a dorm room? $1.50 for a meal? […]

Thank you for this post! I will be traveling through India for a year on a roughly 20 dollar per day budget beginning in early August. I am open to working here and there to suppliment income. Any specific ideas about quick jobs that you can pick up? Are there any cities/sites/experiences that you think are must sees for anyone with a highly flexible plan?

Hey Brandon – That’s a tricky one as India is not an easy place to find work, especially paid work, since it is a developing country. There just aren’t many opportunities for foreigners when there are so many locals that need work and the wages are on the low side. I would check out helpx.net and look for opportunities there although keep in mind that most of these will offer room/board in exchange for a few hours of work per day. They generally won’t be paid positions.

[…] Wandering Earl – How Much It Costs To Travel In India […]

I earl – I really thought your post on costs was great. However, I am planning to travel around India with my partner and 2 kids (7 & 10) and I wondered how your rough costs multiplied when considering children? Sometimes it is hard to find accommodation that sleeps 4 and this can increase price as well as difficulty. Assuming 25 USD/ day per person should I estimate for 100 USD for a family of 4 or do you think I will be able to secure ‘group discount’. 🙂

Hey Don – You wouldn’t need to increase the price that much at all. Many hotels, especially budget hotels, will let you have a family in the same room for the same rate as two people, or in some cases, they might charge an extra couple of dollars and they will add a couple of mattresses. Otherwise, most budget hotels have larger rooms with three or four beds and these are usually not too much more expensive than a double room. Of course, it depends on your overall travel style but a family of four that shares one room could probably get by on about $60 – $70 USD per day in my opinion. So there will definitely be a group discount involved!

Talk to a local resident! Nothing like asking someone [who looks approachable -perhaps a college kid] what the local rates of a certain commodity or what the fare ideally would be from place to place – this is most effective in bigger cities like Mumbai and Delhi. If you have the time, ask a couple of people. You’ll find they are happy to help and speak fluent english.

Very often I’ve seen foreigners get asked to pay 3 times as much as what I was asked to pay – specially at flea markets and in places like Goa where they have a frequent flow of tourists. Its very rare that a local will step in and tell you what the actual cost is or what you should be paying.

[…] fee (minimum charge of £2). So withdrawing £200 costs you £8.98! That’s a days budget in India or a night in a hotel with a pool in Thailand! You need to find a better option if you don’t want […]

Very useful information! Thank you for offering it. It would be interesting to write a bit about how women travelers are treated in India.

Hey Izy – Well, I should probably find a female traveler to write about that topic 🙂 However, I can say that there are solo females traveling all over this country and the overwhelming majority don’t seem to have any problems beyond the frequent stares, marriage proposals and the occasional wandering hand of a stranger.

India, I agree, is very cheap to travel in. I did find that there was very much a two tier sytem for almost everything I purchased, even packets of chips/crisps. The foreigners would pay one price, and the Indians a much cheaper price. Bargaining was very much a daily activity, so much so that when I got home to the UK I was still bargaining with vendors!

Hey Elle – The key is to always check the packaging as the official price is printed on things such as chips/toiletries/cold drinks/ or pretty much anything else that comes in a package. You should never pay more than that price!

I have not gone to India at all but — I’m going to bookmark this post as a guide when I go there in the next year or so. And $15/day is definitely a budget friendly trip 🙂

I can’t believe my luck on stopping by your blog by chance.

I’m travelling to India this February for the first time and have set up a travel blog (another first), called A Geordie Up The Ganges.

http://www.ageordieuptheganges.com

I’ve just scrolled quickly down your list of posts in India and can’t wait to read the posts properly – I think the information you have posted will be very helpful to me – I’ve got so many questions running round in my head.

Just wanted you to know you’ve got another follower.

Enjoy your time in India.

Hey Elaine – Welcome to the site and hope you enjoy the reading, and more importantly, your trip to India!

Its amazing to read such a detailed post on India from a foreigner. You seem to have cracked the nut here. But one thing I noticed common throughout your Indian blogs is that you rarely mention anything about south India. In case you haven’t explored this part, I strongly suggest you spend some time in cities like Bangalore and Hyderabad. Although there aren’t a lot of ‘places to visit’ like the Taj Mahal or Palaces of Rajasthan, the western ghats in Karnataka and Kerala are amazingly beautiful in terms of natural beauty. I’m sure that with the amount of travel you do every year you wont mind relaxing for a while in the backwaters of Kerala enjoying excellent Ayurvedic Spa sessions.

Considering this is my first comment on your site, I must say you really know how to keep your audience entertained while giving away a lot of information which inspires quite a number of aspiring travellers like me. Cheers!

Hey Shreyas – I have been to the south of India two or three times I believe but it’s been a few years since my last visit there. But if all goes well on this current trip, I do plan to return to Kerala/Karnataka/Goa in January!

You have defined that better than most of us Indians could have. This is hugely informative! 🙂

Lien, those were fantastic looking men, weren’t they? Something out of an adventure novel—they looked like fierce warriors to me!

Thanks Earl for the great information. India is on my list. Who are those great looking men you were sitting with? Best, lien

Hey Lien – Those were some Sikhs that were having a celebration for one of the Sikh holidays and I just happened to be walking by. They are actually the ones who called me over to have a photo taken!

Thank you so much for this fantastic post. We have recently startingto think about India, once we are done with Thailand, Cambodia & Vietnam. Had always wondered about the internet quality, since its essential for us. So thank you for your advise there.

Hey Regina – Internet quality is actually decent here…it’s just not everywhere. But it’s much better than it was several years ago!

I’m heading there in 5 days! Cannot wait.

This practical info would have helped me immensely while planning my trip to India and it’ll be good for a good brush-up if and when I make it back. It’s Interesting that Finland and Luxembourg are the two European lands whose citizens can get 30-day visas on arrival, and New Zealand too, and US citizens aren’t eligible for this yet it’s the only citizenship that qualifies for five and ten year visas.

@Earthdrifter – It is bizarre and who knows how all of these visa rules/regulations come about…I can’t imagine who makes these rules!

Awesome! I posted a blog really similar to this about the costs of travel in Cambodia last week. Laos is coming up next week. Great minds, Earl, great minds 🙂

Hey Ava – Indeed they do 🙂

This is so helpful to me as I am going to India for the first time in March. Thank you!

Glad you find it useful Lucy!

This is perfect timing. I just found out I was accepted into a program that’ll allow me to study/work in India for a year. I’m so exited and just starting to figure out a budget for the year.

The last time I was in India, we went to Nepal and came back a few days later without any issues. Every country has some strange restrictions on something. You just have to learn to roll with it.

Hey Preeti – Congratulations on the acceptance! Where will be in India?

I’ll be in Delhi for 6 months, Mumbai for 3 months and Goa for 3 months. I’ll pretty much be all over the country and I am so exited. Its going to be awesome year.

Hey Preeti – That sounds ideal and will certainly give you a great variety of experiences!!

I’m actually in the middle of getting my visa application ready to apply in Houston (fingers crossed for 10 years!).

Per Travisa’s page regarding re-entry:

“Permit to Re-Enter Restriction Lifted

Travelers on a Tourist visa were previously required to have a gap of at least 2 months between two separate visits to India. The restriction has now been lifted except for nationals of China, Iran, Pakistan, Iraq, Sudan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, foreigners of Pakistan and Bangladesh origin and stateless persons.”

https://indiavisa.travisaoutsourcing.com/homepage

Hopefully that will prove useful to you and your readers!

Hey Stephen – Thanks for sharing that and if that’s the case, traveling here will be much easier and more hassle-free! Good luck with getting your visa 🙂

I thought you did a great summary of travel in India. After my first trip. I went ahead and got a 10 year visa as I knew I would be going back again and again. Planning my 5th trip for 2013 now! One thing that took me by surprise my first time was the number of times there was a camera fee when visiting destinations. Not always a lot of money but I always wanted the photo memories and others might want to add it to their budgets too.

Hey Sarah – The camera fee thing always surprises me too. Usually it’s reasonable though…except at the Jama Masjid (the big mosque in Delhi) where they charge 300 Rps.

Now that’s what I’m talking about, Earl! Great post and very informative. Boots on the ground info is invaluable. Thanks for the heads up on internet and phone. Less than $4 for ATM fee…ha! I am currently paying $8 in Panama.

Hey Deb – And I think I figured out the other day that if you use the official State Bank of India ATMs, there are no fees! I need to confirm this again though.

Great info for travelers, when we went there a few years ago, we were travelling more like holiday makers, and ended up going the slightly “posher” route, paying as you say around 1000 rupees a night for acommodation. On a budget now I wouldn’t dream of spending that much if I didn’t have to.

Hey Tyrhone – Luckily, if you do come back to India, you won’t have to spend that amount as there are plenty of cheaper options around!

Good summary, Earl! One think I’d like to mention for those who hail from the West is that luxury is surprisingly undiscounted in India. If you want to live an Indian lifestyle, that is eat what locals eat most of the time and shop for what you need in street bazaars, it’s indeed possible to survive on a very low budget. I’ve noticed, however, that as soon as one wants to live in a way that’s slightly more Western, prices increase dramatically. For example, in Delhi a cup of chai generally costs Rs. 5, but a cup of coffee is Rs. 70 and up. Malls such as Saket offer anything you’d find back home, but also at the international prices you’d find back home (if not more). Alcohol in states such as Delhi or Mumbai are relatively expensive, unless you avail of happy hours which generally involve getting a free beverage for each you order before a certain time. People who have money in India are absolutely fine with spending it on goods they proudly display to enhance their status. Anyone who expects finding comfort levels that are comparable to those of the West are better expecting to pay just about as much as they would in their country of origin. For those willing to rough it though, India remains an incredible bargain, especially when exchange rates are on your side!

Hey Jonathan – Thanks for all of that information! And I think that India is still a great bargain for those who are okay with a couple of steps up from ‘rouging it’ as well. I’m in a nice cafe right now drinking a medium cappuccino that only cost me 50 Rps 🙂

I will definitely save this!

My mothers cousing and his partner spend 3-6 months out of every year in India….perhaps I am missing out on a great place to see.

Hey Scott – Indeed you are missing out 🙂

Having been to India several times I can say that this is a GREAT breakdown of the expenses associated with traveling through this awesome country! Thanks for putting this info together… I will share it with others who may be interested!

Thank you for reading Jenni!

Actually (in New Zealand anyway) you can only get a six month visa and can stay 90 days then have to leave for two months then stay another 90 days….a recent change apparently to visa rules. Not sure how that works by going to Sri Lanka then returning immediately – I am about to apply for my visa and find out! Also how is using your cell for skyping on a local data plan? I’m a journalist and need to work while I travel interviewing people by phone. The internet provider you mention in your article is very expensive US$12.95 for just 150MB per day so not really practical for long term travellers like me.

Hey Karen – The data plan is okay, but usually not strong enough for clear skyping of more than a minute. It does cut off, especially if you’re outside of major cities, which is most of India 🙂

Perfect timing! Just started a roundup of all the good budgeting resources I can find for travel. I’m putting yours on the site as we speak.

Thanks for that Gigi…I shall check out your post right now!

[…] Budgeting for Asia: Two months in Southeast Asia Another experience in Southeast Asia Budgeting for India […]

The photo of the hotel is from Ooty??

Hey Shashank – The hotel is actually from McLeod Ganj up in HP.

Fabulous work you did on the blog. I hitched through Europe in 1972 following the book “Europe on $10 a day”. It worked great—-super little hotels, the restaurant and travel deals – tres bon!

I STRONGLY feel you should flesh this out a bit and publish your own book on traveling to India. It would be a hit! You are close to halfway there—-India on $25 a day (with side notes on the $15 a day). Oh Yeah, big seller, I see it now! Peace, Patricia

Hey Patricia – Thanks for the recommendation and it’s not a bad idea at all 🙂 All I need now is some free time to make it happen!

I so badly want to go to India. It sucks that I can only get 6-months as I would also love to actually live there for a year or two, still you can’t have everything :).

Thanks for the comprehensive breakdown of costs. I expect i’ll get there in 2014 and I wonder how much prices would have changed by then.

How quickly have prices been rising since you first visited?

Hey Forest – You’ll get there eventually I’m sure 🙂

And prices haven’t increased too much. Ultra budget rooms back in 2001 cost around 200 Rupees per night and that’s about what they cost now. Food is still around the same prices too. Transportation has increased but with the 2nd Class Sleeper trains, it’s still a huge bargain to get around. I’m researching a trip for next week that will take 13 hours by train and the 2nd Classs Sleeper ticket is only 300 Rps (less than $6 USD).

That is fantastic information, thanks. We are going next year, taking the kids for the first time. India is my favourite country too. I’ve spent a fair bit of time there, so I’m semi comfortable with taking the children, but it will be challenging. Last time we went, 11 years ago, our daily budget was $10, that was as a couple, obviously cheaper than 2 individuals, and covered rooms, food, transport and a fair amount of beer. Accommodation was patchy, some places were better than others, only one place, in Goa, was so full of cockroaches that we had to leave. We ended up in a fairly luxurious hotel that was cheaper than the backpacker place as it was the off season and the package tourists weren’t around. Prices have obviously gone up a bit since then, it’s still looking pretty budget friendly though, thanks.

Hey Alyson – It’s definitely still budget-friendly and your mention of staying in a luxury hotel for the price of a budget hotel is something for any traveler to take note of. I did the same on my last visit to India and it’s one of the benefits of traveling during the off-season 🙂

Thanks Earl! Ill be bookmarking this for my future travels!

5 year tourist visa! I don’t think that’s available to UK citizens… ? 🙁 Indian food – it may be cheap but there is no meal that I would rather have.

Hey David – The 5-year and 10-year visas are only available to US citizens for some reason as there is some kind of deal that was worked out 🙂

Leave A Comment Cancel reply

A life of travel newsletter, join 22,000+ people who love to travel the world..

Travel advice, inspiration and updates from my life of non-stop travel... sent every other Tuesday.

This will close in 0 seconds

• Privacy Overview
• Strictly Necessary Cookies
• 3rd Party Cookies

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookies should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.

This website uses Google Analytics to collect anonymous information such as the number of visitors to the site, and the most popular pages.

Keeping this cookie enabled helps us to improve our website.

Please enable Strictly Necessary Cookies first so that we can save your preferences!

Cost of Living in Delhi

• A family of four estimated monthly costs are 124,421.9руб (113,684.5₹) without rent (using our estimator) .
• A single person estimated monthly costs are 36,373.8руб (33,234.8₹) without rent.
• Delhi is 35.0% less expensive than Moscow (without rent, see our cost of living index ).
• Rent in Delhi is, on average, 65.1% lower than in Moscow .

Prices in Delhi

• Hyper Market UAE

• Quality of Life in Delhi
• Crime in Delhi
• Health Care in Delhi
• Pollution in Delhi
• Property Prices in Delhi
• Traffic in Delhi

Copyright © 2009-2024 Numbeo. Your use of this service is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy

7th Pay Commission TA DA – Travelling and Daily Allowance – Recommendation and decision by Govt

7th Pay Commission TA DA – List of Allowances Covered while on Travel and cadre-wise eligibility – Committee’s recommendation and Government approval.

7th Pay Commission TA DA – Allowances allowed relating to Travel.

7th Pay Commission TA DA – Travelling and Daily Allowance are payable to Government Employees who are on official tour subject to certain conditions.

The analysis and recommendations of 7th Pay Commission as far as this reimbursement is concerned is as follows.

Daily Allowance

8.15.12 Daily allowance is meant to cover living expenses when employees travel out of their headquarters for work. Presently it is in the form of reimbursement of staying accommodation expenses, travelling charges (for travel within the city) and food bills, payable at the following rates:

For journeys on foot, undertaken in organizations like FSI, Survey of India, GSI, etc. for data collection purposes, an additional allowance of ₹7.5 per km travelled on foot shall be payable.

8.15.13 The existing dispensation is different for Railway employees who are paid a flat sum because they are currently not entitled to stay in any accommodation other than Railway rest houses. The lump-sum rates for Railway personnel are as follows:

8.15.14 Representations received regarding this allowance primarily deal with the reimbursement procedure, as it is claimed that getting hotel bills (in small towns) and food bills is not always practical.

Analysis and Recommendations

8.15.15 The Commission considered the present model of this allowance, followed both in Railways and in other ministries. It is proposed to adopt the best from both of them so that the administration of the allowance can be simplified. Accordingly the following is recommended :

a)  Reimbursement of staying accommodation charges ( ₹ per day)

For levels 8 and below, the amount of claim (up to the ceiling) may be paid without production of vouchers against self-certified claim only. The self-certified claim should clearly indicate the period of stay, name of dwelling, etc. The ceiling for reimbursement will further rise by 25 percent whenever DA increases by 50 percent. Additionally, it is also provided that for stay in Class ‘X’ cities, the ceiling for all employees up to Level 8 would be ₹1,000 per day, but it will only be in the form of reimbursement upon production of relevant vouchers.

b)  Reimbursement of travelling charges

Similar to Reimbursement of staying accommodation charges, for levels 8 and below, the claim (up to the ceiling) should be paid without production of vouchers against self- certified claim only. The self-certified claim should clearly indicate the period of travel, vehicle number, etc. The ceiling for levels 11 and below will further rise by 25 percent whenever DA increases by 50 percent. The rate of allowance for foot journeys shall be enhanced from the current rate of ₹7.5 per km to ₹12 per km travelled on foot. This rate also shall further rise by 25 percent whenever DA increases by 50 percent. c)  There will be no separate reimbursement of food bills. Instead, the lump sum amount payable will be as per Table 1 below and, depending on the length of absence from headquarters, would be regulated as per Table 2 below. Since the concept of reimbursement has been done away with, no vouchers will be required. This methodology is in line with that followed by Indian Railways at present (with suitable enhancement of rates). i.            Lump sum amount payable

( ₹ per day)

The Lump sum amount will increase by 25 percent whenever DA increases by 50 percent.

ii.            Timing restrictions

Absence from Head Quarter will be reckoned from midnight to midnight and will be calculated on a per day basis.

8.15.16 All the above provisions will apply to Railway personnel also .

Daily Allowance on Foreign Travel

8.15.17 This allowance is granted to employees when they undertake foreign travel. The rate of the allowance varies from $60 to $100 per day, depending upon the country involved. No demands have been received regarding this allowance.

8.15.18 Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Finance decide the rate of this allowance from time to time. Hence, the rates may be kept unchanged .

M ileage Allowance for Journeys by Road

8.15.35 It is more in the nature of entitlement for road journeys performed by different levels of employees. No demands have been received for any change.

8.15.36 The Commission is of the view that present provisions are adequate. Hence, status quo may be maintained except at places where no specific rates have been prescribed. There the rates should be enhanced by 50 percent. Accordingly, the following is recommended :

8.15.37 At places where no specific rates have been prescribed, the rate per km will go up by 25 percent each time DA rises by 50 percent.

Travelling Allowance

8.15.55 This allowance is in the nature of travel entitlements for different ranks of government employees. No demands have been received regarding this allowance.

8.15.56 The Commission opines that the present provisions are adequate. Hence, status quo is recommended with the present system of differentiation based on Grade Pay duly substituted by the Levels of the Pay Matrix:

8.15.57 It is suggested that Indian Railways reconsider its position regarding air travel to its employees, in light of the possible savings in terms of cost and man-hours, particularly after the pay revision as recommended by the Commission. The fact that additional seats will be released in trains for the public will be an added advantage. 7th Pay Commission TA DA – Travelling and Daily Allowance – Recommendation and decision by Govt

Here are the decisions of Govt with respect to Travelling Allowance and Daily Allowance which are effective from 1st July 2017

Daily Allowance:

• Level 6 to 8 of Pay Matrix to be entitled for Air Travel

2. Travelling Charges for Level -12 – 13 revised from ‘Non-AC Taxi charges up to 50 km to ‘AC taxi charges upto 50 Kms.’ and for level 14 and above to be revised from ‘AC Taxi charges up to 50 km’ to ‘AC taxi charges as per actual expenditure commensurate with official engagements’.Existing system of Daily allowance in the Ministry of Railways to continue.

Accepted as such.

Travelling Allowance:

Modifications accepted by the Government:

Level 6 to 8 of Pay Matrix to be entitled for Air travel. Level 5 A of Defence Forces to be clubbed with Level 6 for travelling entitlements. Existing system to continue in Ministry of Railways.

Mileage Allowance for journeys by road:

Click here to check the decision of Govt on all 197 Allowances applicable to Central Government Employees, Railway Employees and Defence Personnel

• Upcoming Cars
• Popular Cars
• Latest Cars
• Electric Cars
• Latest News
• Press Release
• Compare Cars
• Variant Explained
• Review Videos
• Compare Videos
• Variants Explained Videos
• More Videos
• Auto Expo Videos
• V3Cars YouTube Channel
• Expert Review
• Comparison Review
• Features Explained
• User Review
• Car Loan EMI Calculator
• Fuel Cost Calculator
• Buy / Renew Car Insurance
• Fuel Price in India
• Apply for Car Loan
• Mileage Calculator
• Car On-Road Price
• Sell Used Car

Login to V3Cars

Sign Up to V3Cars

This is necessary to personalise results for you

OTP has been sent to

Select City

Fuel Cost Calculator India

In this fuel cost calculator, you can check and compare the average daily, monthly, and yearly fuel costs of a petrol car, a diesel car or truck or a CNG vehicle and compare it with another vehicle of a different fuel type. You can also edit the fuel price to better align it with your local gas station or fuel station and enter the fuel efficiency or gas mileage figure to get a daily, monthly and yearly estimate of the fuel (petrol, diesel, CNG) cost in India.

The India fuel price mentioned on this page is for representation only. You can change it to reflect a more accurate value in your region

Fuel Cost Graph

Quick links.

• Check Your Car EMI With Our  Car EMI Calculator
• Check Your Car Mileage With Our  Car Mileage Calculator
• Check Fuel Price In India With V3Cars
• Check Your Dream Car On Road Price
• Instantly Sell Used Car With V3Cars Platform

Fuel Cost Calculator FAQs

In our fuel average calculator tool for India, you just need to enter the approximate mileage or fuel economy you expect from your car and the distance you intend to travel for the trip. If you select the Daily tab, then the daily fuel cost in the table below will show the cost of fuel for your trip.

There are a few benefits of using a fuel (petrol, diesel, CNG) cost calculator India, such as:

• Helps you plan your trip budget : Knowing the estimated average cost of fuel for your trip can help you plan your budget and expenses accordingly.
• Helps you save some cash : If our fuel cost calculator encourages you to choose a fuel-efficient vehicle, then you also save money on fuel costs.
• Helps save the planet : Choosing a fuel-efficient vehicle also means you will burn less fuel during the trip. So, you also end up saving the planet.

Here are the steps to calculate the petrol/diesel/CNG cost for a single trip:

• Find out the average cost of petrol or diesel fuel per litre in your city or locality. For CNG, which sells by weight, you'll need the cost per kilogram.
• Second, you need the fuel economy mileage or the distance you are expecting the car to cover in one litre of fuel. For petrol or diesel cars, this value is in kmpl and for CNG cars, it’s in kmpkg.
• Once you have the gas mileage and fuel cost, divide the fuel cost by mileage to get the cost of fuel per kilometre.
• Finally, multiply the cost per kilometre with the distance you intend to cover during the trip. This will give you the final fuel cost you might incur for your road trip with your gasoline, diesel or CNG car.

To calculate the per-kilometre fuel cost, you need to divide the fuel cost in your area by the gas mileage or fuel efficiency you're getting or expecting from your vehicle.

Formula to calculate fuel cost per kilometre : Fuel cost per Kilometre = fuel cost (petrol/diesel/CNG) per litre/mileage or fuel economy.

The final fuel price you pay at the fuel station depends on several factors such as:

• Crude oil price per barrel in the international market
• Currency exchange rates against the US dollar (Only applicable for countries other than the USA)
• Local taxes depending on country- and region-specific policies
• Shipping costs to your fuel or gas station
• Fuel additives such as detergents, ethanol, stabilisers, and antifreeze specific to the climatic and driving conditions in India

Change Your City

Sask. NDP hands out tongue-in-cheek 'awards' to criticize government travel spending

Opposition criticizes government's $423k in out-of-province travel expenses.

Social Sharing

Saskatchewan's Opposition NDP handed out a trio of fictional "awards" at the legislature Thursday as a sarcastic jab at the provincial government for its travel spending over the past year.

From April 2023 to April 2024, the Saskatchewan government spent about $423,400 on out-of-province travel, nearly $200,000 of it on international trips, according to publicly released travel expense documents for MLAs. Those totals include travel expenses — like plane tickets, ground travel, accommodation and meals — and expenses associated with hosting business events.

The "Spendies," as NDP trade and export development critic Aleana Young dubbed the tongue-in-cheek awards, recognized Saskatchewan government MLAs for "wasteful" spending, with some of Young's announcements accompanied by drum rolls on the lecterns of their colleagues.

"[The Saskatchewan government is] focused on racking up some of the most outrageous travel expenses," Young said in the legislature on Thursday.

RAW | NDP give out 'Spendies Awards' in Saskatchewan Legislature for 'wasteful' travel

In March 2024, Energy and Resources Minister Jim Reiter had a four-day trip to Toronto with four other delegates costing $27,631.

Young awarded him the "Lobsterfest" award for a $12,460 expenditure from that trip for business hosting, which could include expenses for lunch or dinner meetings hosted by the government, including food, catering staff, service charges and entertainment.

"What was reported was not just for myself, it was for a number of staff from the ministry who have meetings there," Reiter said in response.

"My costs for Toronto were, actually, for economy flights and hotel rooms, are actually under $2,000," he said.

Young also pointed a finger at Premier Scott Moe for his trip to Dubai for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference in December 2023.

The nine-day trip to Dubai for five people cost $32,417 in total travel expenses, but Young tacked on the already hotly-debated  government advertising and pavilion space , which cost about $1 million combined.

A look at Saskatchewan's $765K pavilion at COP28 in Dubai

Moe also filed expenses for flights to New Delhi, India, in February 2024 costing $31,390.

The NDP also criticized Crown Investments Corporation Minister Dustin Duncan for his transportation tab around Paris , including the equivalent of $3,500 spent on a shuttle van.

Gov't defends spending

Over the year, the most expensive trips were international, with the exception of Reiter's trip to Toronto.

In an email, government spokesperson Sam Sasse said that more than 65 per cent of what Saskatchewan produces is exported around the globe. Last calendar year that was $49 billion in exports, Sasse said.

"It's important that this government advocates for our industry, around the world," Reiter said.

Trade and Export Development Minister Jeremy Harrison defended the government, saying he's proud of the international engagement travel has fostered and the export growth that's followed.

Government officials have pointed to Saskatchewan's trade relationship with India as a reason for Moe's travel there.

Saskatchewan's agriculture and food exports to India in 2023 were valued at $700 million.

Moe also defended his travel to the COP28 conference in Dubai, saying it was an "opportunity for us from not only Saskatchewan, but from Canada, to engage with, you know, about 200 countries around the world on what we're doing in industries that create wealth in our province and in our nation."

• In Depth Sask. minister defends $765K bill for pavilion space in Dubai
• $765K for event space at COP28 could be Sask. Party government's biggest trip expense ever

In an email, a spokesperson for the provincial Ministry of Trade and Export Development said Saskatchewan is the only Canadian province with a trade and investment office in Dubai. They said that office helped export more than $1 billion of goods to the Middle East and North Africa.

They also said the trip to Dubai and the office there led to trade deals with more than $200 million in potential sales and signed letters of intent.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dayne Patterson is a reporter for CBC News in Saskatchewan and is based in Saskatoon. He has a master's degree in journalism with an interest in data reporting and Indigenous affairs. Reach him at [email protected].

With files from Alexander Quon

• Travel Planning Guide

India Travel Budget - Visit India on a Budget or Travel in Style

• India Costs

• Is India Expensive?
• How much does a trip to India cost?
• India On-Your-Own Itineraries
• Pondicherry
• Kolkata (Calcutta)
• Himachal Pradesh
• Jammu and Kashmir
• Madhya Pradesh
• Maharashtra
• Odisha (Orissa)
• Uttar Pradesh
• India Hotel Prices
• India Cities: Hotel Prices by City
• Best Pet-Friendly Hotels in India
• Best Romantic Hotels for Couples in India
• Best Party Hotels in India
• Best Hotels for One Week in India
• Best Hotels for a Weekend Getaway in India
• Best Beach Hotels in India
• Best Cheap Hotels in India
• Best Family-Friendly Hotels in India
• Best Hotels for Scuba Diving in India
• Best Hotels for One Night in India
• Best Hotels for First Time Visitors in India
• Best Luxury Hotels in India
• Best Hotels for Skiing in India
• Best Business Hotels in India
• Best Adults Only Hotels in India
• Hostel Prices & Reviews
• India Tour Prices
• The Best Family-Friendly Tours to India
• The Best Wildlife Tours to India
• The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in India
• The Best Historical Tours in India
• The Best 10-Day Tours in India
• The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in India
• The Best 3-Day Tours in India
• The Best 2-Week Tours in India
• The Best 3-Week Tours in India
• The Best 4-Week (1-Month) Tours in India
• The Best Extended Trip Tours in India, One Month or Longer
• The Best Bicycle Tours in India
• Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in India
• The Best Christmas & New Years Tours in India
• The Best Adventure Tours to India
• The Best Eco Tours in India
• The Best Train & Rail Tours in India
• The Best Art History, Museums, and Cultural Tours Tours in India
• The Best Sightseeing Tours in India
• The Best Cultural Tours in India
• The Best Food and Culinary Tours in India
• The Best Music Tours in India
• The Tours for Animal Lovers in India
• The Best Volunteering Tours in India
• The Best Photography Tours in India
• The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in India
• The Best Safaris in India
• The Best Budget Safaris in India
• The Best Religious Tours in India
• The Best Yoga Tours and Retreats in India
• The Best Holi Festival Tours in India
• The Best Honeymoon Tours in India
• The Best Tours Under $1000 in India
• The Best Luxury Tours to India
• The Best Budget Tours to India
• The Best Tours for Seniors to India
• The Best G Adventures Tours to India
• How much does it cost to travel to India? (Average Daily Cost)
• India trip costs: one week, two weeks, one month

How much do package tours cost in India?

Is india expensive to visit.

• How much do I need for a trip to India?
• Accommodation, Food, Entertainment, and Transportation Costs
• Travel Guide

How much does it cost to travel to India?

You should plan to spend around $39 (₨3,274) per day on your vacation in India. This is the average daily price based on the expenses of other visitors.

Past travelers have spent, on average for one day:

• $10 (₨868) on meals
• $6.59 (₨549) on local transportation
• $34 (₨2,830) on hotels

A one week trip to India for two people costs, on average, $550 (₨45,840) . This includes accommodation, food, local transportation, and sightseeing.

All of these average travel prices have been collected from other travelers to help you plan your own travel budget.

• Travel Style: All Budget (Cheap) Mid-Range Luxury (High-End)
• Average Daily Cost Per person, per day $ 39 ₨ 3,274
• One Week Per person $ 275 ₨ 22,920
• 2 Weeks Per person $ 550 ₨ 45,840
• One Month Per person $ 1,178 ₨ 98,229
• One Week For a couple $ 550 ₨ 45,840
• 2 Weeks For a couple $ 1,100 ₨ 91,680
• One Month For a couple $ 2,356 ₨ 196,458

Are You an Experienced Traveler?

Help other travelers! Answer a quick question about your past travels. Click here: let's do it!

How much does a one week, two week, or one month trip to India cost?

A one week trip to India usually costs around $275 (₨22,920) for one person and $550 (₨45,840) for two people. This includes accommodation, food, local transportation, and sightseeing.

A two week trip to India on average costs around $550 (₨45,840) for one person and $1,100 (₨91,680) for two people. This cost includes accommodation, food, local transportation, and sightseeing.

Please note, prices can vary based on your travel style, speed, and other variables. If you're traveling as a family of three or four people, the price per person often goes down because kid's tickets are cheaper and hotel rooms can be shared. If you travel slower over a longer period of time then your daily budget will also go down. Two people traveling together for one month in India will often have a lower daily budget per person than one person traveling alone for one week.

A one month trip to India on average costs around $1,178 (₨98,229) for one person and $2,356 (₨196,458) for two people. The more places you visit, the higher the daily price will become due to increased transportation costs.

Organized tours are usually more expensive than independent travel, but offer convenience and peace of mind that your trip has been planned by a travel expert.

The average price for an organized tour package in India is $148 per day. While every tour varies by total price, length, number of destinations, and quality, this is the daily average price based on our analysis of available guided tours.

• South and North India Tour 30 Days - 26 Destinations $ 2,755
• Escorted India Tour 15 Days - 13 Destinations $ 3,710

Independent Travel

Traveling Independently has many benefits including affordabilty, freedom, flexibility, and the opportunity to control your own experiences.

All of the travel costs below are based on the experiences of other independent travelers.

India is a very affordable destination to visit. It is in the top 10% of countries in the world for its affordability . Many budget travelers enjoy spending long periods of time exploring this country in depth.

Within Asia, India is reasonably affordable compared to the other countries. It is in the top 25% of countries in Asia for its affordability . You can find more affordable countries such as Uzbekistan, but there are also more expensive countries, such as Maldives.

For more details, see Is India Expensive?

How much money do I need for a trip to India?

The average India trip cost is broken down by category here for independent travelers. All of these India travel prices are calculated from the budgets of real travelers.

Accommodation Budget in India

Average daily costs.

Calculated from travelers like you

The average price paid for one person for accommodation in India is $17 (₨1,415). For two people sharing a typical double-occupancy hotel room, the average price paid for a hotel room in India is $34 (₨2,830). This cost is from the reported spending of actual travelers.

• Accommodation 1 Hotel or hostel for one person $ 17 ₨ 1,415
• Accommodation 1 Typical double-occupancy room $ 34 ₨ 2,830

Hotel Prices in India

Looking for a hotel in India? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options.

Find the best hotel for your travel style.

Actual Hotel Prices The average hotel room price in India based on data provided by Kayak for actual hotel rooms is $41. (Prices in U.S. Dollars, before taxes & fees.)

Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world.

Recommended Properties

• Kairali - The Ayurvedic Healing Village Budget Hotel - Kayak $ 195
• DoubleTree By Hilton-Pune Chinchwad Luxury Hotel - Kayak $ 98

Local Transportation Budget in India

The cost of a taxi ride in India is significantly more than public transportation. On average, past travelers have spent $6.59 (₨549) per person, per day, on local transportation in India.

• Local Transportation 1 Taxis, local buses, subway, etc. $ 6.59 ₨ 549

Recommended Services

• Private Taj Mahal Guided Day Trip from Delhi with Transfers Viator $ 14
• Private Transfer From Jaipur to Agra including Fatehpur Sikri Viator $ 15

What did other people spend on Local Transportation?

Typical prices for Local Transportation in India are listed below. These actual costs are from real travelers and can give you an idea of the Local Transportation prices in India, but your costs will vary based on your travel style and the place where the purchase was made.

• Uber Cab ₨ 80
• Auto-rickshaw ₨ 100
• Delhi Metro Smart Card ₨ 150
• Tuk Tuk Ride ₨ 10
• Tuk Tuk Ride ₨ 20
• Tuk Tuk Ride ₨ 30
• Subway ₨ 32
• Tuk Tuk Ride ₨ 40

Food Budget in India

While meal prices in India can vary, the average cost of food in India is $10 (₨868) per day. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out an average meal in India should cost around $4.17 (₨347) per person. Breakfast prices are usually a little cheaper than lunch or dinner. The price of food in sit-down restaurants in India is often higher than fast food prices or street food prices.

• Food 2 Meals for one day $ 10 ₨ 868

Recommended

• Cooking class with family in Jaipur Viator $ 27
• Alleyway Food Tour Viator $ 42

What did other people spend on Food?

Typical prices for Food in India are listed below. These actual costs are from real travelers and can give you an idea of the Food prices in India, but your costs will vary based on your travel style and the place where the purchase was made.

• McDonalds ₨ 293
• Soda ₨ 10
• Juice ₨ 25
• Breakfast for Two ₨ 180
• Lunch ₨ 200
• Dinner In Town ₨ 345
• Dinner ₨ 400
• Dinner ₨ 550

Entertainment Budget in India

Entertainment and activities in India typically cost an average of $10 (₨862) per person, per day based on the spending of previous travelers. This includes fees paid for admission tickets to museums and attractions, day tours, and other sightseeing expenses.

• Entertainment 1 Entrance tickets, shows, etc. $ 10 ₨ 862

Recommended Activities

• Private Golden Triangle Tour Delhi Agra Jaipur Viator $ 134
• Magic Hour Tour Viator $ 43

What did other people spend on Entertainment?

Typical prices for Entertainment in India are listed below. These actual costs are from real travelers and can give you an idea of the Entertainment prices in India, but your costs will vary based on your travel style and the place where the purchase was made.

• Red Fort ₨ 870
• Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary ₨ 450
• Haveli Entrance (for 2) ₨ 20
• Boat Ride ₨ 70
• Palace Entrance Fee ₨ 100
• Palace Entry for Two ₨ 100
• Lake Boat Tour ₨ 200
• Sam Sand Dunes for Two ₨ 300

Tips and Handouts Budget in India

The average cost for Tips and Handouts in India is $0.98 (₨82) per day. The usual amount for a tip in India is 5% - 15% .

• Tips and Handouts 1 For guides or service providers $ 0.98 ₨ 82

Scams, Robberies, and Mishaps Budget in India

Unfortunately, bad things can happen on a trip. Well, you've just got to deal with it! The average price for a scam, robbery, or mishap in India is $1.39 (₨116), as reported by travelers.

• Scams, Robberies, and Mishaps 1 $ 1.39 ₨ 116

Alcohol Budget in India

The average person spends about $7.12 (₨594) on alcoholic beverages in India per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.

• Alcohol 2 Drinks for one day $ 7.12 ₨ 594
• Discover the religious city: Nashik with wine tasting tour Viator $ 66
• Private Whiskey distillery tour at John Distilleries Viator $ 53

Water Budget in India

On average, people spend $0.48 (₨40) on bottled water in India per day. The public water in India is not usually considered safe to drink.

• Water 2 Bottled water for one day $ 0.48 ₨ 40

Related Articles

India on a budget.

At A Glance

• India is a large country with both rural and urban areas. If you're spending an extended amount of time in the country you'll probably be surprised to find that prices are actually cheaper in many cities than they are in rural areas. This is in large part because of the limited competition that exists in the more remote areas. There are few hotels and restaurants when you're well out of town, so you can expect to pay a little more. Prices are still incredibly low though, so wherever you go in India, you're likely to get a good deal.
• The Indian population is incredibly welcoming. Prior to visiting India you'll probably hear many stories about the scams and ripoffs that can happen. While these do exist, do not let them intimidate you. The vast majority of the population will go out of their way to make you feel welcome. Strangers will help you negotiate a rickshaw and families will invite you into their home.
• Restaurants in large cities are often well overstaffed. Particularly at the higher end restaurants, don't be surprised to find a herd of people waiting on you. They'll stand attentively by while you read over the menu or enjoy your meal. It can be a little intrusive at first, but don't let it get to you. They are just hoping to make your experience as enjoyable as possible, and happy to be employed.
• It's easy to find budget accommodation in India for little more than a few bucks. If you want comfort and style, you don't have to spend much more to stay at a very nice and modern place. This is true in most cities around the country. If the place seems empty you can probably talk the price down even further as well, so do not hesitate to negotiate. If you just show up at a hotel or guesthouse, make sure you check out the room, bed, and bathroom before committing to a price.
• Transportation around India can often be difficult, especially for long distances. Several popular options are available, including flights, buses, trains, and hiring a car. If you want to hire a driver and a car, it's possible to do so at a reasonable rate for multiple days. Buses are a good option for shorter distances between cities. Trains are one of the most economical ways to get around, especially for long distances. Overnight trains can be a good way to get somewhere in relative comfort on a budget. Otherwise, airline tickets can sometimes be cheap, but sometimes be expensive depending on the route, airline, and dates.
• You're likely to encounter touts in most major tourist destinations around India. They will want to show you to a hotel or help you with a taxi. You will likely pay a large commission for these services so it is best to go it alone. It is not hard to find hotels and negotiate your own price. If possible, avoid the touts.

Top Tourist Attractions

Popular foods, more related articles.

We've been gathering travel costs from tens of thousands of actual travelers since 2010, and we use the data to calculate average daily travel costs for destinations around the world. We also systematically analyze the prices of hotels, hostels, and tours from travel providers such as Kayak, HostelWorld, TourRadar, Viator, and others. This combination of expenses from actual travelers, combined with pricing data from major travel companies, gives us a uniqe insight into the overall cost of travel for thousands of cities in countries around the world. You can see more here: How it Works .

Subscribe to our Newsletter

By signing up for our email newsletter, you will receive occasional updates from us with sales and discounts from major travel companies , plus tips and advice from experienced budget travelers!

Search for Travel Costs

Some of the links on this website are sponsored or affiliate links which help to financially support this site. By clicking the link and making a purchase, we may receive a small commission, but this does not affect the price of your purchase.

Travel Cost Data

You are welcome to reference or display our travel costs on your website as long as you provide a link back to this page .

A Simple Link

For a basic link, you can copy and paste the HTML link code or this page's address.

Travel Cost Widget

To display all of the data, copy and paste the code below to display our travel cost widget . Make sure that you keep the link back to our website intact.

• Privacy / Terms of Use
• Activities, Day Trips, Things To Do, and Excursions

Spring 2023 COVID-19 Information

• Meals and Lodging

• Faculty & Staff Services
• Finance & Administration
• Travel Policy and Guidelines
• Travel Forms & Links
• Before Travel
• After Travel
• Travel Policies & Guidelines

Employees may choose one of two different methods to be reimbursed for lodging and meal expenses that are paid directly out-of-pocket, whichever is to their advantage. Travelers may not, however, combine the two methods on the same overnight trip. An overnight trip is defined as dinner, lodging, and breakfast the following morning. Only breakfast and dinner are reimbursed; lunch is not. Travelers may also attempt to seek tax exemption from meal purchases by presenting a NYS Tax Exemption Certificate AC946 to the vendor before any transaction takes place.

Meals and/or Lodging Provided

If meals and/or lodging are provided by the employee’s agency, another agency, or a third party without charge to the traveler, that fact, including the name of the agency or organization, must be included on the Travel Voucher AC132-S, along with an outline of the provided meals/lodging. Lodging and/or meals when provided at no cost to the employee by an agency or third party as part of an assignment are not reimbursable.

• If only lodging was provided, meal allowances based on the location of lodging may still be claimed by the traveler.
• Breakfasts or dinners offered by the meeting or conference sponsor will be counted as a provided meal and the traveler will not be entitled to the per diem.

Un-receipted Lodging (Method 1)

This method provides for a flat rate allowance for meals, lodging, and incidental expenses regardless of where lodging is obtained, including lodging with relatives or friends. Rates are established based on the city or county where lodging is obtained, or the location to which the employee was traveling (whichever rate is less), and such location must be indicated on the Travel Voucher AC132-S. No receipts are required when using this method. Method 1 current rates are as follows:

Travelers using this un-receipted method are also eligible for an additional $5.00 for breakfast on the day of departure if they leave before 7 a.m., and an additional $12.00 for dinner on the day of return if they return after 7 p.m. However, stopping for breakfast/dinner cannot be what causes your departure/return times to fall outside of the 7 a.m./7 p.m. timeframe.

Method 1 Examples

Example 1: A traveler leaves Delhi on Monday at 6 a.m. to go to Buffalo and returns home Friday at 5:30 p.m.  Because the traveler is in overnight travel status for 4 nights, they are allowed 4 per diems ($40/night) and an additional breakfast (departed before 7 a.m.). For this example, the traveler will be reimbursed the following: (Note: This example uses October 2017 – September 2018 GSA rates.)

Per Diem (4 @ $40):                         $160.00

Plus breakfast on Monday:             $5.00

Total reimbursement:                      $165.00

Example 2: A traveler leaves Buffalo on Monday at 8 p.m. to go to Chicago, IL and returns to Buffalo by 8 p.m. on Wednesday. Because the traveler is in overnight travel status for 2 nights, they are allowed 2 per diems ($50/night) and an additional dinner (returned after 7 p.m.). For this example, the traveler receives the following reimbursement: (Note: This example uses October 2017 – September 2018 GSA rates.)

Per Diem (2 @ $50):                   $100.00

Plus dinner on Wednesday:      $12.00

Total reimbursement:                $112.00

Receipted Lodging (Method 2)

This method provides reimbursement of actual lodging costs and an allowance for meals and incidentals based on federal reimbursement rates for the county of lodging. Lodging should be purchased with the travel card. The method 2 per diem rates for locations within the continental United States are revised annually on October 1. Since rates are based on location of lodging, the city, state, and zip code must be indicated on the Travel Voucher AC132-S. Original receipts are required for lodging, but not for meals when using Method 2.

For each day the traveler is in overnight travel status, the traveler is eligible for reimbursement for lodging up to a maximum lodging rate and a per diem allowance for meals. The meal per diem is calculated as dinner the night you sleep and breakfast the next morning. Travelers should not use the 'First & Last Day of Travel' rates when calculating meal per diems, and should instead use the number under 'M&IE Total' found on the GSA website. Travelers are also entitled to an extra breakfast if their departure time is prior to 7 a.m. and an extra dinner if their return time is after 7 p.m. In these cases, breakfast and/or dinner will be reimbursed up to the maximum amount of the meal per diem allowance specified for the particular area of lodging.

No taxes should be paid within New York State for lodging. For travel within New York State, a NYS Hotel Tax Exempt Certificate ST-129 should be used. For travel outside of New York State, state and local taxes are not included in the maximum lodging amount and will be reimbursed in addition to the per diem amount.

When booking lodging, travelers should call and request the State rate; if the State rate is unavailable, the traveler should request the government rate. In the event that there are no more rooms available at the State rate, hotels are required to provide lodging at the government rate. To aid in the search for hotels at the State rate, it is recommended to contact Advantage Travel (518-426-0052). Staff at Advantage Travel can locate lodging at the State rate at no charge to SUNY. Often, they are able to secure State rates for lodging at certain hotel chains when the hotel staff say otherwise.

If you sleep in a hotel room, a copy of the hotel bill must be submitted with your Travel Voucher AC132-S showing the traveler’s name regardless of who paid for the room.

Exceeding the Maximum Federal Lodging Rate

On occasion, travelers may be unable to find a hotel at a rate that does not exceed the maximum federal lodging per diem rate for the location of travel. If that occurs, travelers must obtain prior approval from the college Controller by completing a Request to Exceed Maximum Lodging Rates Form and submitting it with the Travel Request; requests will not be processed retroactively. Travelers who do not obtain prior approval and exceed the maximum lodging rate will have their reimbursement reduced or will have to pay back any overcharges on their NET/Travel Card.

Travelers should consider the following when submitting requests:

• Is there available lodging within the rate at a location nearby?
• Are there any transportation costs saved by staying at the conference/event site?
• Are there late evening or early morning events that are essential for the attendee to participate in?
• Is the attendee an officer of the sponsoring organization?
• Is the attendee a speaker or performing other functions essential to the conference/event?

Regarding Hotel Fees

The Office of General Services (OGS) would like travelers to be aware that some New York City hotels now include Destination or Resort Fees in their rates which may affect the hotel per diem rate. A Destination or Resort Fee is a separate mandatory fee that a guest is charged by the hotel in addition to the base room rate. These fees may not be widely advertised and they may not appear until later in the booking process.

When travelers make hotel reservations, please pay close attention to both the rates and the terms; this is good practice regardless of where the hotel is located. If you have questions, contact the hotel directly or the OGS contracted Travel Agency, Direct Travel/Child Travel, at 518-292-9000 or 1-800-774-0655 before reserving the hotel.

Method 2 Examples

Example 1: A traveler goes to a conference in Boston in July. The conference is being held in a hotel with a rate of $280 per night. The maximum lodging per diem for Boston is $267. The over-the-maximum can be justified, because the traveler, staying at a different hotel, would have incurred additional transportation expenses to and from the conference. (Note: This example uses October 2017 – September 2018 GSA rates.)

Example 2: A traveler leaves Delhi on Sunday at 4 p.m. and travels to New York City in July. The traveler returns to Delhi at 9 p.m. on Wednesday. (Note: This example uses October 2017 – September 2018 GSA rates.)

Lodging: The traveler stayed in Manhattan where the maximum lodging amount is $230 per night.

Meal Allowances: The traveler is entitled to 3 full meal per diems and a dinner on Wednesday night (returned home after 7 p.m.).  Manhattan is a $74 per diem location.

For this example, the traveler will be reimbursed the following:

Three nights lodging @ $230:     $690.00

Three full per diems @ $74:        $222.00

Plus dinner on Wednesday:         $59.00

Total reimbursement:                    $971.00

Day Trip Meal Reimbursement

Travelers on business trips lasting one day or less, but more than 35 miles from their official station and place of residence, may be reimbursed for breakfast and/or dinner based on departure (before 7 a.m.) and return (after 7 p.m.) times. Day trip meal reimbursements are reportable as taxable income to the IRS.

Travelers without meal receipts are reimbursed $5.00 for breakfast and/or $12.00 for dinner, regardless of location.

Travelers with meal receipts are reimbursed up to the maximum amount of the meal per diem allowance specified for the particular area of travel.

Table of Contents

• Official Station
• Transportation
• Conference Registration Fees
• Miscellaneous Expenses
• Receipt Requirements
• Non-Employee Travel/Travel Cards

NYS Travel Information

NYS OSC Travel Manual (pdf)

Vehicle Request Form

P: 607-746-4500

F: 607-746-4515

E: [email protected]

Language selection

• Français fr

Travel expenses

You may be looking for:

• Automobile or motor vehicle benefits – Allowances or reimbursements provided to an employee for the use of their own vehicle
• Transportation and airline passes

Content has been updated for clarity, completeness and plain language. No changes were made to the current CRA  administrative policy.

You may provide an allowance or a reimbursement  to your employee to compensate for travel expenses (other than automobile or motor vehicle expenses) they incur in connection with or in the course of their office or employment duties.

On this page

Determine if the employee is required to travel in the course of their employment duties.

You need to determine if the employee was required to travel in the course of their employment duties.

 If you did not require your employee to travel in the course of their employment duties, the allowance or reimbursement provided to your employee is taxable .

 Continue to: Step 5 - Calculate the value to be included on the T4 slip .

If you required your employee to travel in the course of their employment duties, the allowance or reimbursement provided to your employee may not be taxable.

 Continue to: Step 2 - Determine if any exceptions apply to the travel allowance or reimbursement you provide .

Determine if any exceptions apply to the travel allowance or reimbursement you provide

The allowance or reimbursement you provide to your employee for travel expenses may not be taxable if one of the following exceptions apply:

• Your employee works in a remote location
• Your employee works at a special work site, including a work site located in a prescribed zone

 If one of the above exceptions applies, do not continue to next step.

Learn more on the above exceptions using the links depending on your situation.

If one of the above exceptions  does not apply, the travel allowance or reimbursement your employee receives may be taxable.

 Continue to: Step 3 - Determine if the travel allowance or reimbursement is reasonable .

Determine if the travel allowance or reimbursement is reasonable

Generally, the CRA considers an allowance or a reimbursement reasonable if all conditions are met:

If you provide an allowance to your employee for travel expenses, you must consider all of the facts relevant to your employee's situation to determine if the amount of an allowance is reasonable, or in some cases, not greater than a reasonable amount.

To determine if the amount of the allowance is reasonable , you should compare the reasonable costs for travel expense that you would expect your employee to incur against the allowance you pay to the employee for the trip.

The amount for the allowance covers the expenses that you reasonably expect your employee to have to pay and you can justify your position.

If you provide a reimbursement to your employee for travel expenses, you must determine if the amount of the reimbursement is reasonable . The amount for the reimbursement or the accountable advance is considered reasonable if it meets all of the following conditions:

• The amount covers the actual employment-related expenses your employee incurred on your business.
• Your employee kept records and you received a copy to support these amounts.

 If the amount of the travel allowance or reimbursement you provide is not reasonable, the allowance or reimbursement is taxable.

If the amount of the travel allowance or reimbursement you provide is reasonable , the allowance or reimbursement may not be taxable.

 Continue to: Step 4 - Determine if the travel allowance or reimbursement is taxable .

Determine if the travel allowance or reimbursement is taxable

Generally, if you provide an allowance or a reimbursement for travel expenses to an employee who is not required to travel in the course of performing employment duties or for their personal travel , the allowance or reimbursement is taxable. Depending on your situation, the allowance or reimbursement may not be taxable under the Income Tax Act or the CRA's administrative policy .

Non-taxable situation

Under the Income Tax Act (ITA), if you provide an allowance not greater than a reasonable amount (step 3) or a reimbursement to your part-time employee for travel expenses, the allowance or reimbursement is not taxable if all of the following apply:

• Your employee incurs the expenses for travel to and from the part-time job.
• The travel expenses are for expenses other than those incurred in the performance of the duties of the employee’s part-time employment.
• You and your employee are at arm's length .
• Works in a designated educational institution in Canada .
• Provides service to you as a teacher or professor.
• The location of their employment is 80 kilometres or more from their home.
• Employee has other employment or carries on a business outside of their employment with you.
• The location of their employment is 80 kilometres or more from both their home and the place of the other employment or business.
• The amount of the allowance or reimbursement is reasonable (step 3).

A thorough review of the facts in each specific situation must be done to determine if the allowance or reimbursement is taxable. This includes determining that the travel allowance you provided is not greater than a reasonable amount .

Learn more: Income Tax Folio S1-F5-C1, Related persons and dealing at arm's length .

Taxable situation

If the allowance or reimbursement you provide to your employee for travel expenses does not meet all of the conditions above, the allowance or reimbursement is taxable.

Under the Income Tax Act (ITA), if you provide a reasonable allowance or a reimbursement to your employee who is an agent selling property or negotiating contracts or a member of the clergy for travel expenses, the allowance or reimbursement is not taxable if all of the following apply:

• The expenses are related to the performance of their employment duties (step 2).

If the allowance or reimbursement you provide to your employee for travel expenses does not meet all of the conditions above, the allowance or reimbursement is generally taxable.

Under the Income Tax Act (ITA), if you provided an allowance to your employee who is a member of the Canadian Forces for travel expenses, the allowance may not be taxable.

Learn more from the Department of National Defence: Chapter 209 - Transportation and Travelling Expenses .

Under the Income Tax Act (ITA), if you provide a reasonable travel allowance (other than an allowance for the use of a motor vehicle) to your employee for travelling away from the municipality and metropolitan area (if there is one) , the allowance is not taxable if all of the following apply:

• The travel allowance is provided for travel away from the municipality and metropolitan area (if there is one) where your establishment is located and where your employee ordinarily reports.
• The amount of the allowance is reasonable (step 3).

If the allowance you provide to your employee for travel expenses does not meet all of the conditions above, the allowance is generally taxable.

Under the CRA's administrative policy, if you provide a reasonable travel allowance (other than an allowance for the use of a motor vehicle) to your employee for travelling within the municipality and metropolitan area (if there is one) , the allowance is not taxable if all of the following apply:

• The municipality and metropolitan area (if there is one) is where your establishment is located and where your employee ordinarily reports.
• The travel allowance is provided to your employee to perform their duties in a more efficient manner during a work shift.
• Your employee travels away from the office.
• The amount of the allowance is reasonable (step 3), for meal expenses this is generally up to $23 including taxes (higher amounts may be reasonable if the meal cost in a location is higher).
• You can justify your position regarding the amount being reasonable (step 3).
• You are the primary beneficiary of the allowance.
• The travel allowance is not a form of additional remuneration and is not a form of tax avoidance.

This means that you do not have to include this type of travel allowance in your employee’s income if its main reason is so that your employee's duties are performed in a more efficient way during a work shift.

If the allowance you provide to your employee for travel expenses does not meet all of the conditions above, the full amount is taxable.

Under the CRA's administrative policy, if you provide an allowance or reimbursement for travel expenses for a business trip taken by your employee and the expenses are for business-related travel expenses, the allowance or reimbursement is not taxable if all of the following apply:

• The amount of the travel expenses is reasonable (step 3).
• You require the employee’s presence on the business trip to accomplish the business objectives of the trip and this is the main purpose of the trip.
• Your employee spends more than 50% of the time on business-related activities.

If your employee is required to perform employment duties as part of the trip, the amount included in the your employee’s income can be reduced for any employment-related activity.

For example, where a business trip is extended by your employee, only the amount related to the extension of the trip is taxable.

Under the CRA's administrative policy, if you reimburse your employee's spouse or common-law partner for travel expenses, the reimbursement is not taxable if all of the following apply:

• The amount of the travel expenses paid for the spouse is reasonable .
• You requested the spouse or common-law partner to be present on the business trip.
• The spouse or common-law partner was mostly engaged in business-related activities.

If the reimbursement you provide to your employee for travel expenses for your employee’s spouse or common-law partner does not meet all of the conditions above, the reimbursement is generally taxable to the employee.

 If the allowance or reimbursement is not taxable, you do not need to do any calculations.

Do not continue to next step.

• If the allowance or reimbursement is taxable , continue to: Step 5 - Calculate the value to be included on the T4 slip .

Calculate the value to be included on the T4 slip

If the allowance or reimbursement is taxable , the value is equal to:

• Total value of the allowance or reimbursement received or enjoyed
• minus Any amounts your employee reimbursed you  
• equals Value to be included on the T4 slip in box 14 and code 40

The amounts must be included in the pay period they were received or enjoyed.

An employer paid an allowance of $4,000 to his employee for travel expenses. The employee is sent to Toronto in Ontario for 9 days to meet with key partners. Presence is required on all days with free time to tour Toronto at their own expense. The airfare for the employee is $1,300. The hotel cost is $300 per night for 9 nights for a total of $2,700.

The allowance paid by the employer is not taxable because the allowance is for travel expenses in the course of their office or employment duties.

 You do not need to do any calculations.

An employer paid an allowance of $5,200 to his employee for travel expenses. The employee is sent to Niagara Falls in Ontario for 9 days to meet with key partners. The employee requested to stay an additional four nights after the end of the meetings and was allowed to do so by the employer. The extra days resulted in no increased cost for the flights, but four additional nights’ accommodations. Presence is required on all days with free time to tour Niagara Falls at their own expense. The airfare for the employee is $1,300. The hotel cost is $300 per night for 13 nights for a total of $3,900.

• $5,200 is the total value of the travel allowances
• minus $4,000 ($2,700 for 9 nights + $1,300 airfare) is the amount of the travel allowance that is not taxable  
• equals $1,200 (4 nights) is the value of the allowance
• minus $0 because the employee does not reimburse the employer  
• equals $1,200 is the value of the allowance to be included on employee's T4 slip

An employer paid an allowance of $200 monthly ($2,400 yearly) to his part-time employee for travel expenses. The employee is a teacher at a designated educational institution. The school is 60 kilometres from their home.

• $2,400 is the total value of the travel allowances
• equals $2,400 is the value of the allowance to be included on employee's T4 slip

Determine if you need to fill out Form T2200

If the allowance has been included in your employee’s income, your employee may be eligible to deduct employment expenses if certain conditions are met and you may need to fill out Form T2200, Declaration of Conditions of Employment .

It is your employee’s responsibility to claim the expenses on their income tax and benefit return and to keep records to support the claim.

Withhold payroll deductions and remit GST / HST

The withholding and remitting requirement depends on the type of remuneration: cash , non-cash , or near-cash .

You must withhold the following deductions:

Non-cash and near-cash : Option 1

• EI (do not withhold)
• GST/HST in certain situations

Cash : Option 2

Do not remit:

• GST/HST (do not remit)

 Learn how to calculate deductions and the GST/HST to remit : How to calculate - Calculate payroll deductions and contributions .

Report the benefit on a slip

If the benefit is taxable, you must report the following amounts on the T4 slip:

• Box 14 - Employment Income
• Box 26 - CPP/QPP pensionable earnings
• Code 40 - Other Information
• Box 24 - EI insurable earnings

 Learn how to report on a slip: Fill out the slips and summaries - File information returns (slips and summaries) .

Legislation

What is considered reasonable, what is considered reasonable allowance, what is considered reasonable reimbursement, what is a benefit, what is an allowance, what is a reimbursement, what is the cra's administrative policy for the purpose of taxable benefits, page details.