India Destination Guide

India …a country which will enchant you with its beauty and diversity, delight you with colourful pageantry, enrich you with culture, stun you with modernity, embrace you with warmth, and overwhelm you with hospitality…a land where the ancient and the contemporary exist side by side, where thousands of brilliant images fill the soul with wonder and where quaint and startling contradictions lend an extraordinary vitality, texture and poetry to life.

The place

There is no getting away from it – India is vast and distances between some of the major sites are huge. Tours are an ideal way of ensuring that you get to see the most important and interesting sites with the minimum of hassle. Although travel between the Northern Triangle cities of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur is not too arduous, if you intend to visit some of the other destinations, trains and planes are the best way to go! All our tours use a private vehicle for your comfort.

The shopping

For years India has been known as a shopper’s paradise. Each region has its own specialities. India’s vast cultural diversity has endowed it with a treasure trove of handicrafts in a truly remarkable variety of styles and prices.

The culture

It is hard to generalise about India and its people. There is always an exception or a contradiction, for the diversity is astonishing. People are known for their intellectual energy, savoir-faire, resourcefulness and hospitality which comes from the heart. The birthplace of four major religions, India is rightfully known as the land of spirituality and philosophy. The main religions are Hindu, Islam, Sikhism and Christianity.

The nightlife

Meal times can mean a delectable adventure with cuisines encompassing all of Asia, the Middle East, and the West. Indian dishes, which vary from region to region, are elevated to high art. Nightlife is limited. However, cultural shows of outstanding Indian music, dance dramas and recitals, together with folk theatre are amongst the options.

The facts

Geography: India is the seventh largest country in the world with a total land area of 2.1 million square miles. India is a wide-ranging amalgam of races, religions and cultures. Hot and tropical, weather varies considerably according to season and location.

Language: There are over 18 major languages including Hindi which is spoken by some 400 million people. However, English is widely spoken by "the person in the street" in most cities.

Climate: In a country the size of India, it will come as no surprise, that the weather patterns vary enormously. In general, our summer coincides with the hottest weather in India. From March to May, the North Indian weather is hot and dry and temperatures can reach 40 – 45ºC whilst the south is more sultry and hot with temperatures a more bearable 27 – 29ºC. From June to September, the southwest monsoon sweeps the majority of the country and rain and high humidity dominate the weather. The most popular time to visit is between November and February when the weather is generally warm and sunny with temperatures around 15 – 20ºC in the north and above 20 ºC in the south. Temperatures in the foothills of the Himalaya are, of course, much cooler year round and can drop to almost freezing in the winter.

Visas: You will need a full British passport valid for a minimum of six months beyond your date of return. A visa is required and must be obtained prior to your departure from the UK.We can provide you with details of a specialist agency who can assist you. Additionally, if you are travelling to Pelling, Gangtok and certain other areas of the Himalaya, you will also require a Sikkim Inner-line Permit. This can be obtained locally by our representative, but you will be required to provide your passport details prior to travel and you will need to take 3 passport size photos per person with you.

Vaccinations: Vaccinations are strongly recommended. For further information, please consult your doctor.

Travelling time: Delhi is approx 8 hours by non-stop flight from the UK.

Local time: GMT +5 hours 30 minutes

Currency: Indian Rupee

For more information and facts about India, select an option from the "Find out more" menu.