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Included: all your accommodation, 12 meals, every activity on the itinerary, all in-country transport, your airport pick-up when you land, and a guide with you for the whole 12 days.
Not included: international flights, travel insurance, your India visa, the airport drop-off at the end, and spending money for the meals that are not listed, drinks and shopping.
We have a minimum age requirement of 18 years old to join the tour. Group members aged 16-17 years old are welcome to join the tour but only with a family member that will act as their guardian whilst on tour. Aside from that, no age requirements at all! While our target age is 20-45, what matters most is mindset. If you’re looking for a backpacking-style experience, with hostel-style stays, local transport, and optional evening activities - you’re welcome to join us.
Travel insurance is compulsory for all our trips. You’ll need to show proof of your policy to your group leader upon arrival (on your phone or printed). You can get a quote and purchase your travel insurance here.
We highly recommend that you travel with insurance for complete peace of mind. Please click here.
Spending varies from person to person and you will get a spending guide in your welcome pack, but £15-20 a day is plenty on average. You can withdraw from ATMs at various points throughout the tour. This cost of living website gives accurate prices for the basics, including food and drink.
Tipping is not compulsory but it is very much expected, usually around 5-10% of the bill at hotels and restaurants. We find it easiest if your group leader suggests the amount and everyone pitches into a kitty, which then covers the places the group eats and stays together.
WiFi is available at all accommodations during the trip, but it’s not reliable and we would recommend picking up a local SIM card on arrival if you need to be online.
Millions of visitors travel around India every year without trouble, and our routes through Delhi, Agra and Rajasthan are well travelled. The usual problems are everyday ones: pickpockets and touts in crowded places, overcharging and scams, and chaotic traffic. Keep valuables out of sight, use the transport your guide arranges, and be wary of anyone who is unusually keen to help.
Women can attract unwanted attention; dressing modestly and staying with the group helps. The UK government advises against travel to a few areas, none of them on our trips, so read the FCDO travel advice for India before you go.
We recommend using a Wise travel card. It works in most places and supports Apple Pay and Google Pay. ATMs are widely available, but some places may accept cash only, so it’s good to carry some local currency.
Around 1–2 weeks before your trip you will get a welcome email with your trip information and your group leader's contact details. If you need to reach them before then, get in touch with us and we will pass your message on.
Absolutely. Your payment is secure. Backpacking Tours is a licensed tour operator in Thailand (TAT Licence No.11/12642), and we use trusted international payment providers. Your booking is safe, and our team is here to support you every step of the way.
Your passport must have at least six months’ validity and two blank pages. You should also have proof of onward travel.
The maximum group size on our India trips is 22 people, and very occasionally we will take up to 24 where the logistics allow. Most departures run smaller than that.
Everyone comes from all over the world, and most people book on their own, so if you are travelling solo you are in very good company.
For Delhi, Agra and Rajasthan, October to March is the best time: warm, dry days, with cool nights and misty mornings in December and January. April to June gets very hot, often above 40°C. The monsoon runs from about July to September, bringing heavy showers, green landscapes and fewer tourists.
See our India weather guide for month-by-month detail.
You may do, depending on your health, your vaccination history and your plans. Book an appointment with your GP or a travel clinic 6–8 weeks before you go, so there is time for any course of jabs.
TravelHealthPro has up-to-date advice for India. India requires a yellow fever certificate from anyone aged 9 months or over arriving within 6 days of leaving an area with yellow fever risk. Our article on vaccines for India covers the basics.
India uses the Indian rupee (INR). ATMs are easy to find in cities and towns, and cards are accepted in hotels, larger restaurants and shops. You will need cash for markets, street food, tuk tuks and tips, and small notes are worth hanging on to, as change can be hard to come by.
ATMs occasionally run out of cash or reject a foreign card, so bring two cards and keep a little cash in reserve.
Dressing modestly helps everywhere, not only at temples: loose, light clothes that cover your shoulders and knees are comfortable and respectful, especially for women. At Sikh temples and some mosques you will need to cover your head, so a scarf is handy, and you take your shoes off at all religious sites.
Eat and pass things with your right hand, ask before photographing people, and expect a lot of curiosity and friendly questions. Your guide will brief you as you go.
Hotels for most of the trip, in double or twin share rooms, including a traditional haveli in the heart of Jodhpur's blue old town.
One night is spent on the overnight train from Jodhpur back to Delhi, in an air-conditioned sleeper cabin.
The Florence Inn Hotel, New Delhi.
Tap water in India is unfit for consumption, but each of our accommodations that we stay in provide bottled water in the rooms and it will be available to purchase. When buying bottled water you should always make sure it is sealed before opening.
It is one of the best parts of the trip, and one of the easiest countries in the world to be vegetarian. Much of Rajasthan's cooking is vegetarian, and the holy town of Pushkar is almost entirely meat-free. Expect dal, curries, fresh breads, street snacks and plenty of chai, and ask for "less spicy" if you need to.
To keep your stomach happy, eat freshly cooked food from busy places, peel fruit, and avoid tap water and ice of unknown origin.
Use the tour's first-night hotel in New Delhi:
Hotel Florence
2719 Bank Street, behind Karol Bagh Block 45
Beadonpura, Karol Bagh
New Delhi, Delhi 110005
Police station: Karol Bagh
If the application asks for anything the address does not cover, get in touch and we will sort it out with you.
New Delhi International Airport (DEL), for both your arrival and your flight home, as this tour starts and finishes in New Delhi.
Please wait for your booking confirmation email, which tells you when we recommend arriving and departing. You can search and book flights on our flights page.
We will send you your airport transfer information one week before the tour or programme begins.
Yes. Almost every nationality needs a visa for India, British, US, Canadian and Australian passport holders included. Most of our travellers use the e-Tourist Visa, applied for online on the official Indian government site; the 30-day version is long enough for the India part of our trips. Use only the official site, as copycat sites charge extra.
Your passport needs six months' validity from the day you arrive and two blank pages. Every foreign visitor must also complete India's e-Arrival Card online in the 72 hours before landing. Keep a copy of your e-Visa and onward ticket to show at check-in.
Rules depend on your passport and do change: see our India visa guide.
International flights are not included in the price of any tour and will need to be booked separately. You’re free to book your own flights or book here.
Once you've booked your flights, log in to My Account on our website and enter your flight arrival details. That is how your group leader knows when you are landing.
Arriving before the tour starts, or staying on at the end? Let us know as early as you can so we can check availability and pricing on extra nights.
Please let us know as soon as possible. If you are already en route and a connecting flight changes, contact your group leader or email us so we can still meet you at the airport.
Your deposit ensures your reservation for the tour or program. It guarantees your spot until 60 days prior to the scheduled commencement date, at which time the outstanding balance must be settled in full. Failure to complete payment by the specified deadline will result in the cancellation of your reservation, and the vacancy may be offered to another prospective participant. The remaining balance can be found in your account, and multiple reminders will be sent in advance of the due date to ensure timely payment.
For group tours, your place is confirmed once enough travellers have booked, and always at least four weeks (28 days) before your tour starts. Most group tours are confirmed around six months before departure.
For volunteer or private bookings, please allow 2-3 working days.
If a tour does not run, you get a full refund.
Yes, the dress code is seen as a show of respect to the culture, temple and monks that often live in the temples. Men should wear long pants and no cut-off sleeves. Women should wear trousers, a long skirt, or dress that extends fully below the knees and covers their shoulders - the knees should be fully covered. Tank tops and low cut shirts should also be avoided by both genders.
We wouldn’t recommend bringing more than 15-20kg as we strictly use public transport and it will be much more comfortable for you to carry less.
India runs on 230 volts, with round-pin sockets (Types C, D and M). UK, US and Australian plugs will not fit, so bring a universal adapter. Most phone and laptop chargers work fine.
Short power cuts still happen, so a power bank is useful.
The tour ends back in New Delhi, at the Florence Inn.
There is one overnight train on this trip, from Jodhpur back to Delhi on day 10, in a comfortable air-conditioned sleeper cabin. There is also a daytime train from Delhi to Agra on day 3.
Everything else is by air-conditioned bus or private transfer, with journeys running from about 1 to 6 hours.
Yes. An airport pick-up is included if you arrive on day 1 of the tour, or if you book a pre-tour night's accommodation with us. Add your flight details to your booking so we know when to meet you.
Arriving earlier than that? Get in touch and we can arrange a pick-up for you separately.
The drop-off at the end is not included, but your guide will help you sort out transport for your flight home.
The trip starts and finishes in Delhi.
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