Okay, now when you have already met thousands of people telling you that there’s nothing much to India other than some ravishing forts, snake charmers and lakhs of temples, check our pick for the top 30 things to do in India. Our list consists of a motley mix of things to do in India, picking the very best of adventure, culture, food, landscapes and more. Enjoy!
1. Gulmarg Gondola Ride, J&K – The Second Highest Cable Ride In The World
Photo Courtesy – Skywayman9
2.
Paragliding at Bir and Billing, Himachal Pradesh
Photo Courtesy – Flickr
3. Meditation by River Ganga, Rishikesh
Photo Courtesy – Wiki Commons
4. Stargazing at the Indian Astronomical Observatory, Hanle (Ladakh)
Photo Courtesy – Wiki Commons
5. Exploring the Kerala backwaters in a houseboat
Photo Courtesy – Wiki Commons
6. Participating in Urs at the Dargah of Khwaja Muin-ud-din Chishti, Ajmer
Photo Courtesy – Wiki Commons
7. Trekking on the frozen river, the Chadar Trek, J&K
Photo Courtesy – Indiahikes
8. Rounds of gol gappes at Bengali Market, Delhi
Photo Courtesy – Wiki Commons
9. Trekking to the Valley of Flowers, Uttarakhand
Photo Courtesy – Wiki Commons
10. Riding up the Manali-Leh Highway
Photo Courtesy – theholidayindia
11. Visiting the saffron farms at Pampore, Kashmir
Photo Courtesy – nickfleming.com
12. Fix a rendezvous with rhinoceroses at Kaziranga National Park, Assam
Photo Courtesy – Wiki Commons
13. Volunteer at world’s largest free eatery at the Golden Temple, Amritsar
Photo Courtesy – madurbeats
14. Participate in the Hornbill Festival, Nagaland
Photo Courtesy – Wiki Commons
15. Test your skills at the International Kite Festival, Ahmedabad
Photo Courtesy – Mina Kadri
16. Indulge in shopping at Dilli Haat, Delhi, one of the world’s top 5 street markets!
Photo Courtesy – Manual Menal
17. Visit Bhangarh Fort, Rajasthan, India’s Most Haunted!
Photo Courtesy – Himanshu Yogi
18. Watch the Sun rise at Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu
Photo Courtesy – Gopinath Sivanesan
19. Visit Taj Mahal, Agra, on a full moon night!
Photo Courtesy – tajmahaltripindia
20. Visit world’s largest salt desert at the Rann of Kutch, Gujarat
Photo Courtesy – Wiki Commons
21. Watch out for Snow Leopards at the Hemis National Park, Ladakh, J&K
Photo Courtesy – Bernard Landgraf
22. Go snorkelling with Rajan, an elephant(!), at Andamans*
Photo Courtesy – diveandamans.com
23. Visit the 500 plus years old mummy at Giu, Spiti
Photo Courtesy – Richard Weil
24. Participate in the Kumbh Mela, world’s biggest religious gathering, at Haridwar, Uttarakhand
Photo Courtesy- Luca Galuzzi
25. Watch a Kattaikkuttu performance at Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu
Photo Courtesy – Official Website
26. Watch or enroll for a session of Kalaripayattu at Thiruvananthpuram, Kerala
Photo Courtesy – Kerala Tourism
27. Camping at the Nubra Valley sand dunes, Ladakh
Photo Courtesy – Raghavan V
28. Go on a food trail across India!
29. Watch an exorcism session at Mehendipur Balaji Temple, Rajasthan!
30. Skiing at Auli, Uttarakhand
Photo Courtesy – Wiki Commons
For those who are done with all the 30 above, here’s a bonus one!
31. Skydiving at Mysore
Photo Courtesy – Wiki Commons
While you jot down a wish-list for yourself from these amazing things to do in India, do tell us how many of these are already marked off your list. Would love to hear your experiences and suggestions for more.
Till then, happy travelling.
About the author
Shikha Gautam loves to play with steering wheels, roads, words, flute and guitar among other things. Not necessarily in that order! You can contact her on twitter @ShikhaGautam
*A reader informs us that snorkeling with the elephants at Andamans has stopped, since most of the elephants have now retired. Will suggest the readers to make an enquiry before planning this adventure into their trip.
