20 Things to Know Before Visiting India
India is intense, beautiful, and unlike anywhere else. These 20 things will help you skip the rookie mistakes and have a smoother first trip.
- Get an e-Visa online BEFORE flying (apply 5+ days ahead), visa-on-arrival is limited
- Hire a private car + driver for inter-city travel (~$50-80/day) — far safer than driving yourself
- Drink only sealed bottled water: never tap, never ice from street vendors, no raw salads outside top hotels
- Carry hand sanitizer and toilet paper. Many bathrooms don’t have either
- Cover shoulders and knees at religious sites; women cover hair at some Sikh + Muslim sites
- Take shoes off before entering temples, mosques, gurudwaras, and many homes
- Use your right hand for eating, giving, and receiving, left hand is unclean
- Tip 10% at restaurants, ₹50-100 for hotel porters, ₹500/day for guides
- Bargain in markets (start at 30%, end at 50-60%) but not in fixed-price stores
- Buy a local SIM (Airtel, Jio) — ₹500 for 28 days unlimited data + calls; need passport copy
- Pollution in Delhi is severe Oct-Feb: bring N95 masks if you have lung issues
- Trains are an experience but book in advance via IRCTC; 2A/3A AC classes are recommended
- Tourist scams: ‘closed today’, ‘free temple visit’, ‘special government emporium’. Politely decline
- Get travel insurance with strong medical coverage, hospital care is fine in cities, problematic in small towns
- Pack imodium, oral rehydration salts (Electral), and Norflox-TZ for stomach issues
- Power outlets are Type C, D, M — universal adapter essential
- Holi (March) is fun but messy; Diwali (Oct/Nov) is beautiful but fireworks are loud and polluted
- North vs South India are culturally and culinarily different: research before booking
- Don’t photograph people without asking. Especially women
- Most importantly: slow down. India runs on ‘IST’ (Indian Stretchable Time). Plans change. Embrace it.