Best places to visit in India

India’s capital packs Mughal tombs, Old Delhi bazaars, leafy Lutyens avenues and the country’s best food scene into one sprawling, energetic city.

Home of the Taj Mahal, and the red sandstone Agra Fort and the abandoned Mughal capital of Fatehpur Sikri nearby.

Rajasthan’s Pink City: hilltop Amber Fort, the honeycomb Hawa Mahal, royal palaces and India’s best bazaars for textiles, block prints and gems.

The City of Lakes: white palaces reflected in Lake Pichola, rooftop dinners and the most romantic sunsets in Rajasthan.

The Blue City, ruled by Mehrangarh (one of India’s most impressive forts) towering over a maze of indigo houses.

A golden sandstone fort rising from the Thar Desert, with carved havelis, camel rides and nights under the stars.

One of the world’s oldest living cities: dawn boat rides on the Ganges, evening aarti, and life and death on the ghats.

The yoga capital of the world on the Ganges: ashrams, white-water rafting, suspension bridges and Himalayan foothills.

The Golden Temple shimmering in its sacred pool, plus the world’s largest free kitchen and the Wagah border ceremony.

A Himalayan resort town for snow, apple orchards, adventure sports and the gateway to Lahaul, Spiti and Ladakh.

The old British summer capital: colonial Mall Road, pine forests and the UNESCO-listed toy train from Kalka.

Home of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government-in-exile: monasteries, momos and the Triund trek under the Dhauladhar range.

High-altitude desert of monasteries, turquoise lakes and the world’s highest motorable passes: India’s great adventure.

The “Queen of the Hills” above Dehradun: Mall Road, Landour’s quiet lanes and views of the snow peaks.

A lake town in the Kumaon hills, with boating, ropeways and quieter lakes like Bhimtal and Sattal close by.

Exquisitely carved 1,000-year-old Hindu and Jain temples: a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Madhya Pradesh.

India’s cultural capital: colonial grandeur, Durga Puja, Bengali sweets and the iconic Howrah Bridge.

Tea estates, the UNESCO toy train and sunrise over Kanchenjunga, the world’s third-highest mountain.

A clean, green Himalayan state of monasteries, high lakes and snow peaks.

India’s maximum city: Bollywood, art deco seafronts, colonial landmarks and the best street food on the west coast.

India’s beach state, with Portuguese churches, spice farms and seafood shacks. Party in the north, slow down in the south.

Two UNESCO cave complexes: Ajanta’s ancient Buddhist paintings and Ellora’s monolithic Kailasa temple, carved from a single rock.

A royal city of silk, sandalwood and the illuminated Mysore Palace: the heart of the Dasara festival.

The ruins of the Vijayanagara Empire scattered across a surreal landscape of giant boulders: a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

A temple town with a string of secluded beaches (Om, Kudle, Half Moon and Paradise) joined by coastal trails.