Backpacking India: 48 best places to visit
The most rewarding stops for backpackers in India, ranked and mapped. Tap any place to drop it into a free, day-by-day route built around how you actually travel.
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Taj Mahal
Agra, Uttar Pradesh
The marble icon at sunrise.
2
Jaipur
Rajasthan
Pink City forts, palaces, bazaars.
3
Goa
Goa
Beaches, shacks, Portuguese old town.
4
Varanasi
Uttar Pradesh
Ghats and rituals on the Ganges.
5
Alleppey
Kerala
Houseboats through the backwaters.
6
Udaipur
Rajasthan
Lake palaces and rooftop sunsets.
7
Leh
Ladakh
High-desert monasteries and passes.
8
Rishikesh
Uttarakhand
Yoga, rafting, Himalayan foothills.
9
Jaisalmer
Rajasthan
Golden fort and Thar desert camps.
10
Hampi
Karnataka
Boulder-strewn ruined empire.
11
Amritsar
Punjab
The Golden Temple and langar.
12
Jodhpur
Rajasthan
Blue City under Mehrangarh Fort.
13
Munnar
Kerala
Rolling tea-plantation hills.
14
Manali
Himachal Pradesh
Mountain gateway to the passes.
15
Darjeeling
West Bengal
Toy train and Kanchenjunga views.
16
Mumbai
Maharashtra
Gateway of India, street food, sea.
17
Delhi
Delhi
Mughal forts and chaotic old lanes.
18
Pondicherry
Puducherry
French quarter by the sea.
19
Pushkar
Rajasthan
Holy lake and camel fair.
- 20
Spiti Valley
Himachal Pradesh
Cold-desert villages and gompas.
21
Mysore
Karnataka
Grand illuminated palace.
22
Andaman Islands
Andaman and Nicobar
White sand, coral, diving.
23
Khajuraho
Madhya Pradesh
Intricate temple carvings.
24
Kaziranga National Park
Assam
One-horned rhinos in the grass.
- 25
Ranthambore National Park
Rajasthan
Tigers among fort ruins.
26
Gokarna
Karnataka
Quieter temple-town beaches.
27
Coorg
Karnataka
Coffee hills and misty forests.
28
Shillong
Meghalaya
Waterfalls and living root bridges.
29
Srinagar
Jammu and Kashmir
Dal Lake houseboats and shikaras.
- 30
Ajanta and Ellora Caves
Maharashtra
Rock-cut cave temples.
31
Ooty
Tamil Nadu
Nilgiri hill station and tea.
32
Madurai
Tamil Nadu
Towering Meenakshi Temple.
33
Dharamshala
Himachal Pradesh
Tibetan hillside above the valley.
34
Kolkata
West Bengal
Colonial grandeur and culture.
35
Nainital
Uttarakhand
Lake town in the foothills.
36
Rann of Kutch
Gujarat
White salt desert at full moon.
37
Bodh Gaya
Bihar
Where the Buddha was enlightened.
38
Konark Sun Temple
Odisha
Chariot temple by the coast.
39
Gulmarg
Jammu and Kashmir
Meadows and the gondola.
40
Wayanad
Kerala
Green hills, caves, wildlife.
41
Hyderabad
Telangana
Charminar, biryani, tech city.
42
Tawang
Arunachal Pradesh
Remote monastery near the border.
43
Chikmagalur
Karnataka
Coffee estates and peaks.
44
Sundarbans
West Bengal
Mangrove delta of the tiger.
45
Kanyakumari
Tamil Nadu
Where three seas meet.
46
Ziro Valley
Arunachal Pradesh
Rice terraces and Apatani culture.
47
Mount Abu
Rajasthan
Rajasthan's only hill station.
48
Bengaluru
Karnataka
Gardens, cafes, craft beer.
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