How much does a trip to India cost?

"So what does it actually cost?" is usually the second question, right after "is India safe". And rightly so, because pricing for trips to India is genuinely messy: one agency quotes with flights, another without, a third adds an asterisk and a list of supplements in small print. In this guide we break the cost down into its parts and show the real figures from our own programmes — including what is not in them.

The short answer

A budget for India has two main parts that are worth counting separately: the price of the programme on the ground, and the international flight. With us, the programme costs between 700 and 2,250 EUR per person, depending on the length of the route and the standard of the hotels. On top of that come the flight and several smaller items: visa, insurance, entrance tickets and personal spending.

For a sense of scale: a two-week, comprehensive trip with an English-speaking tour leader, private transport and 4-star and 5-star hotels comes to 1,550 EUR for the programme — roughly what a single week in a hotel on a mainstream beach destination costs at many agencies.

Five items that make up the cost

To budget properly, split it into five separate lines. Only their sum is the real cost of the trip:

• The programme on the ground — hotels, transport, guides, tour leader, selected attractions and internal flights. This is the figure we quote for each trip.
• International flights to India and back — bought separately; we help you choose the connection.
• Visa — the e-Visa fee, paid when you submit the application.
• Travel insurance for the duration of the trip.
• Entrance tickets and personal spending — admission to monuments, meals outside the programme, drinks, tips, souvenirs.

What our trips actually cost

Below are the prices for the programme on the ground, per person, current for the 2027 season. These are starting prices for groups from ten people; full conditions are on each trip page and in the downloadable PDF.

We quote in euros because we settle with the tour operator in euros — those are the binding figures. Conversion into any other currency depends on the rate on the day you pay.

What the programme price includes

This is where offers differ the most, and where it pays to read carefully. Our programmes include, as standard:

• Private air-conditioned transport with a driver for the whole route — not a coach shared with another group, and not local buses.
• Hotels with breakfast, twin rooms. The standard depends on the trip: Colourful India uses 4-star and 5-star hotels, while Pearls of North India offers a choice between a 3-star and a 4-star variant.
• Internal flights and transfers listed in the programme — for example two domestic flights, Khajuraho to Varanasi to Delhi, on the 12-day route, or the overnight Agra to Varanasi train and the Varanasi to Delhi flight on Colourful India.
• The attractions named in the description — such as two safaris in Ranthambore National Park, a boat trip on the Ganges, the Ganga Aarti ceremony or a street food tour in Delhi.
• An English-speaking tour leader for the whole trip, plus licensed local guides.

That last point matters more than it looks on paper. A tour leader is not someone who waits at the airport waving a flag — it is a person who is with the group from departure to return, who interprets, who keeps the programme on track and who solves problems when something goes sideways.

What the price does not include

Honestly: no programme price is an all-inclusive price — not ours and not anyone else's. Here is what usually comes on top:

• International flights to India and back.
• The Indian visa — the fee depends on the variant chosen and is updated by the Indian authorities from time to time. You will see the current amount on the official portal as you apply; more in our guide to the Indian visa.
• Travel insurance.
• Entrance tickets to the sites visited, paid locally.
• Lunches and dinners outside the programme, drinks, tips and personal spending.
• The single room supplement, if you want a room to yourself.
• A seasonal supplement of 200 € for departures starting between 20 December and 5 January.

Entrance tickets — what it really comes to

This is the item people forget, and it makes a difference. Many Indian monuments have separate price lists for foreign visitors, and on a route full of UNESCO sites those tickets add up. For a 16-day trip through Rajasthan the operator estimates the total at around 120 € per person. On shorter programmes the figure is proportionally lower — a useful reference point for your own calculations.

The single room supplement

Trip prices are quoted per person sharing a twin room. If you are travelling alone and want a room to yourself, a supplement applies, and it varies by programme:

• Pearls of North India, 12 days — 200 € in the 3-star variant, 400 € in the 4-star variant
• Nepal and India — 200 € for the India module, 250 € for the Nepal module, 650 € for the full 20-day route
• Colourful India, 15 days — 600 €

If a room of your own is not important to you, we try to match you with a roommate from the group — in which case no supplement applies. It is a common arrangement and it usually works very well.

International flights — what drives the price

The airfare is usually the second largest item in the budget and easily the most volatile. We do not quote a figure here, because any figure would be out of date tomorrow. Instead, here is what actually determines it:

• How early you book — usually the single biggest factor. Tickets booked several months ahead are often markedly cheaper than last-minute ones.
• The dates — the northern India season runs from October to March, and flights are more expensive then. Christmas and New Year is the peak.
• The number of connections — direct flights and single short connections cost more than itineraries with a long layover.
• Baggage — check whether checked baggage is included. On a two-week trip that is not optional.

How much to bring for daily spending

The good news: India is inexpensive day to day. A meal in a decent restaurant, a rickshaw ride or a bottle of water cost a fraction of what they do in Europe. Once the programme covers hotels, breakfasts and transport, what remains is mainly:

• entrance tickets (see above — the largest single item),
• lunches and dinners outside the programme,
• drinks and snacks,
• tips, which are customary in India and worth carrying small notes for,
• souvenirs, which are entirely down to self-control at the bazaar.

Cards are accepted in hotels and larger restaurants, but cash remains useful at markets and for tips. Split it between a few places rather than carrying it all in one wallet.

Frequently asked questions