India · best-of list
30 Top Things to Do in India
All 30 things to do our route editors picked in India, across 7 destinations, gathered in one list. 23 come with an insider tip, and 6 cost nothing to visit.
Our curated picks
30 things to do in India, grouped by destination. Destinations with the most picks come first; this is not a ranking.
Delhi 5 picks
Gurudwara Bangla Sahib
Delhi · On our Golden Triangle & Rajasthan route
Gold-domed Sikh temple with a sacred tank and a free community kitchen serving thousands daily.
Tip: Cover your head; scarves are provided free.
Photo: Kaku Kaku · Google
Humayun's Tomb
Delhi · On our Golden Triangle & Rajasthan route
16th-century Mughal garden tomb that set the template for the Taj Mahal, set in restored charbagh gardens.
Tip: Go late afternoon when the sandstone glows and crowds thin.
Photo: Muhammad Mahdi Karim · GFDL 1.2
Jama Masjid
Delhi · On our Golden Triangle & Rajasthan route
India's largest mosque, built by Shah Jahan, with a courtyard that holds 25,000 and minaret views over Old Delhi.
Tip: Closed to visitors during prayer times; robes are lent at the gate.
Photo: Bikashrd · CC BY-SA 4.0
Qutub Minar
Delhi · On our Golden Triangle & Rajasthan route
A 73 m brick victory tower from the early 1200s, surrounded by ruined mosques and an iron pillar.
Tip: Combine with nearby Mehrauli Archaeological Park.
Photo: RAGINI KIRAN · Google
Red Fort
Delhi · On our Golden Triangle & Rajasthan route
Shah Jahan's walled palace complex of red sandstone, with audience halls, museums and marble pavilions.
Tip: Closed Mondays.
Photo: PerSona77 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Jaipur 5 picks
Amber Fort
Jaipur · On our Golden Triangle & Rajasthan route
Hilltop palace-fort of courtyards, mirrored halls and ramparts above Maota Lake.
Tip: Arrive at opening to beat tour buses; walk up instead of riding elephants.
Photo: Jakub Hałun · CC BY-SA 4.0
City Palace, Jaipur
Jaipur · On our Golden Triangle & Rajasthan route
Royal residence with museums of textiles and arms, plus the painted Peacock Gate.
Photo: Jakub Hałun · CC BY-SA 4.0
Hawa Mahal
Jaipur · On our Golden Triangle & Rajasthan route
Five-story pink honeycomb facade with 953 windows, built so royal women could watch street life.
Tip: See the facade from a café rooftop across the road.
Photo: Chainwit. · CC BY-SA 4.0
Jantar Mantar
Jaipur · On our Golden Triangle & Rajasthan route
18th-century astronomical observatory with a giant stone sundial, a UNESCO site.
Tip: An audio guide makes the instruments make sense.
Photo: Knowledge Seeker · Public domain
Nahargarh Fort
Jaipur · On our Golden Triangle & Rajasthan route
Ridge-top fort on the Aravalli hills with sweeping views over Jaipur.
Tip: Stay for sunset.
Photo: Sanyam Bahga · CC BY-SA 3.0
Kochi 5 picks
Chinese Fishing Nets
Kochi · On our Kerala Backwaters & Tea Hills route
Cantilevered shore nets on Fort Kochi beach, still worked by teams of fishermen.
Tip: Come at sunset; fishermen may let you help haul for a small tip.
Photo: Pradeepta Prady Das · Google
Kerala Kathakali Centre
Kochi · On our Kerala Backwaters & Tea Hills route
Nightly Kathakali dance-drama performances with a chance to watch the elaborate makeup.
Tip: Arrive early to see the makeup applied.
Photo: Josef Fuchs · Google
Mattancherry Palace
Kochi · On our Kerala Backwaters & Tea Hills route
Portuguese-built palace with some of Kerala's finest Hindu temple murals.
Tip: Closed Fridays.
Photo: Ranjith Siji · CC BY-SA 4.0
Paradesi Synagogue
Kochi · On our Kerala Backwaters & Tea Hills route
Built in 1568, with hand-painted Chinese floor tiles and Belgian chandeliers.
Tip: Closed Fridays, Saturdays and Jewish holidays; cover shoulders and knees.
Photo: jeem from Saint Louis, United States · CC BY 2.5
St. Francis Church
Kochi · On our Kerala Backwaters & Tea Hills route
India's oldest European-built church, where Vasco da Gama was first buried in 1524.
Photo: Sudershan Singh Gusain · Google
Udaipur 5 picks
Bagore Ki Haveli
Udaipur · On our Golden Triangle & Rajasthan route
Lakeside mansion museum with a nightly Dharohar show of Rajasthani folk dance.
Tip: Arrive early for the 7 pm show to get a seat.
Photo: ashish v from bangalore, india · CC BY-SA 2.0
City Palace, Udaipur
Udaipur · On our Golden Triangle & Rajasthan route
Rajasthan's largest palace complex, rising over Lake Pichola with courtyards, mosaics and museums.
Photo: Yash Narang · Google
Jagdish Temple
Udaipur · On our Golden Triangle & Rajasthan route
Carved 17th-century Hindu temple to Vishnu in the heart of the old city.
Photo: Ingo Mehling · CC BY-SA 3.0
Lake Pichola boat ride
Udaipur · On our Golden Triangle & Rajasthan route
Boat trip past the Lake Palace and ghats to Jag Mandir island.
Tip: Take the sunset departure from the City Palace jetty.
Photo: Neel K Gangrade · Google
Sajjangarh Monsoon Palace
Udaipur · On our Golden Triangle & Rajasthan route
Hilltop palace above the city with long views over lakes and hills.
Tip: Go for sunset.
Photo: Chirag Patel · Google
Agra 4 picks
Agra Fort
Agra · On our Golden Triangle & Rajasthan route
Red sandstone fortress-palace where Shah Jahan spent his last years looking toward the Taj.
Photo: A.Savin · FAL
Fatehpur Sikri
Agra · On our Golden Triangle & Rajasthan route
Akbar's abandoned 16th-century capital, with palaces and the vast Jama Masjid, 37 km from Agra.
Tip: Hire an official guide at the gate and ignore touts.
Photo: Marcin Białek · CC BY-SA 3.0
Taj Mahal
Agra · On our Golden Triangle & Rajasthan route
Shah Jahan's white marble mausoleum on the Yamuna, inlaid with semi-precious stone.
Tip: Enter at sunrise from the East Gate; closed Fridays.
Photo: Yann; edited by Jim Carter · CC BY-SA 4.0
Tomb of I'timād-ud-Daulah
Agra · On our Golden Triangle & Rajasthan route
The 'Baby Taj', a small marble tomb with fine pietra dura that predates the Taj Mahal.
Tip: Far quieter than the Taj.
Photo: Indian Explorer,Aryan Singh · Google
Alleppey & Kumarakom 3 picks
Houseboat cruise on Vembanad Lake
Alleppey & Kumarakom · On our Kerala Backwaters & Tea Hills route
Overnight trip on a converted rice barge through canals, villages and paddy fields.
Tip: Choose a licensed boat; overnight boats moor at dusk by law.
Photo: Shivali Dave · Google
Kayak backwater tour
Alleppey & Kumarakom · On our Kerala Backwaters & Tea Hills route
Guided kayak trips through narrow canals that houseboats cannot reach.
Photo: Kayaking Boat Club Alleppey · Google
Mullackal Rajarajeswari Temple
Alleppey & Kumarakom · On our Kerala Backwaters & Tea Hills route
Busy Hindu temple in Alleppey's market area, center of the December Chirap festival.
Photo: Manjushree K · Google
Munnar 3 picks
Kolukkumalai Tea Estate
Munnar · On our Kerala Backwaters & Tea Hills route
One of the world's highest tea estates, reached by jeep for sunrise above the clouds.
Tip: Jeeps leave from Suryanelli around 4:30 am.
Photo: Martin Roy · Google
Lakshmi Hills tea trek
Munnar · On our Kerala Backwaters & Tea Hills route
Guided half-day walks through tea estates and cardamom groves with valley views.
Tip: Hire a guide through your hotel or the DTPC office in town.
Photo: Alex Lajtos · Google
Tata Tea Museum
Munnar · On our Kerala Backwaters & Tea Hills route
Museum and working factory showing how Munnar tea is picked, rolled and dried.
Tip: Closed Mondays.
Photo: Siddhant Vekariya · Google
How we picked these
Every entry is a stop on at least one of TripsCircle's hand-curated routes, chosen by our route editors, who wrote the reason to go shown with each place. These are our curated picks, not a scored ranking: we haven't rated or reviewed them against each other. The list is grouped by destination, and within each destination places that appear on more routes come first.
Prices ($ to $$$$) and visit lengths are rough guides from our route notes, not quotes. Check opening hours before you go.
About this list
How did you choose the things to do in India?
Each one is a stop on a TripsCircle route that our editors built by hand, and each comes with a written reason to go. This page shows all 30 of them. They are curated picks, not a ranked score.
Which part of India has the most things to do on this list?
Delhi, Jaipur, Kochi and Udaipur lead with 5 each; the other picks are spread across 3 more destinations.
Are any of these free?
6 picks on this list are marked free in our route notes: Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, Chinese Fishing Nets, Jama Masjid, St. Francis Church, Jagdish Temple, and more. Check ahead, since parking or special exhibits can cost extra.
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