Here is a  list of some of the favoured holiday routes and important travel information.  

Hill Resorts

Mist-clad mountains create magnificent landscapes across the entire north-eastern States including Assam, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Tripura, Mizoram and Meghalaya, under the sobriquet of 'seven sisters'.  The other hill states of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir provide a breathtaking variety of the Himalayan splendour. The Nilgiris in the South include picturesque hill stations of Anantagiri, Udhagamandalam, Madikeri and Munnar. Mount Abu in Rajasthan,Panchagani in Madhya Pradesh, Mahabaleshwar in Maharashtra are the other  popular hill destinations that offer a quiet sojourn.

Heritage 

Madhya Pradesh, located in the center of the Nation, is abundant with a landscape of forests, soaring hills, glittering rivers, and of course the remnants of a glorious past with fortresses & palaces that marvel the architecture and cultural heritage of the yesteryears. You could perhaps begin your journey at the ancient city of Gwalior, meander around Shivpuri, a national park, or look-see the temples and palaces of the Bundela rules lining the banks of a river at Orchha. But the highpoint of your trip, of course, would be the stupendous temples of Khajuraho. So do not fail to check it out!

 The Golden Triangle

Three magnificent cities that capture the pageantry of India in all its majestic architecture rich tradition of art & culture: The marble symphony of Shahjahan's Taj Mahal, the imperial elegance of Lutyen's New Delhi, the splendour of the pink city of Jaipur. Start your journey at Delhi (well-connected locally, nationally & internationally), then move on to Agra (200 kms) and finally culminate the trip of the golden triangle at  Jaipur (250 km away).

Sun, sand & surf

The pearly beaches fringed by emerald green coconut trees are indeed a feast to the eyes. Kovalam, located on the southern Malabar Coast in Kerala is one of the most frequented beaches in India.  The Konkan coast in the west has the beaches of Goa, the most popular destination for sun-worshippers from across the globe, and Diu. On the Coromandel coast in the east are the rock-cut temples by the sea at Mamallapuram and the seaside retreat at Gopalpur-on-Sea.

 Vacation on Islands

Andaman and Nicobar Islands are a group of islands in the Bay of Bengal. The clear turquoise blue sea teeming with fish & coral reefs in the Andamans, make it ideal for snorkeling and scuba diving. Some of the must-see beaches are at Wandour, Corbyn’s Cove, Jolly Buoy and Ross Islands.

Pilgrim & Religious Centers

Religion means more than an act of worship in India…it has been a way of life for centuries together, creating turning points in the very course of history.

At Prayag, you could take a dip at the holy confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati rivers; while Varanasi is a temple city dedicated to Lord Shiva. From Puri and Konark, a sea of pilgrims makes their way to the Jagannath Temple and the exquisite Sun Temple.

You could choose to follow the temple trail of the Kanchipuram - Madurai - Tiruchirapalli - Kanniyakumari circuit and discover some of the notable examples of temple art and architecture. Or discover the intricate craftsmanship, at temple sites in Belur and Halebid, Aihole, Hampi and Pattadakal

The Holy Bodhi tree at Bodhgaya under which Sakyamuni Gautama Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment over two thousand five hundred years ago, is a place worth visiting. Also Sarnath, where he gave his first sermon and Kushinagar where he attained Parinirvana. And don’t forget to tour around the ruins of Nalanda, the ancient school of learning.

Desert Adventure

These are the favourite desert spectacles.Jodhpur, a fortress-city at the edge of the Thar Desert, the golden fortress at Jaisalmer.The trade route outpost of Bikaner with its medieval flavour.The rustic tour to typical Rajasthani villages enroute to Barmer

Call of the wild

The total protected forest area is approximately 140,000 sq km and constitutes 4 percent of the country's total land area, comprising 75 National Parks and 421 Sanctuaries, of which 19 fall under the purview of Project Tiger. The nation’s climatic and geographic diversity makes it the home of over 350 mammals and 1200 bird species, many of which are unique to the subcontinent. The wildlife parks and sanctuaries spread across the country offer a fascinating diversity of terrain, flora and fauna. Some of the must-visit national parks & wildlife sanctuaries include: Corbett, Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Sariska, Ranthambhor, Bharatpur, Periyar, Bandipur, Sasan Gir, Kaziranga and Manas.

Adventure Sports

India offers a wide range of adventure sports for tourists. Trekking and Skiing in the Himalayas, White Water Rafting on the Ganges and Beas, Camel and Jeep Safaris in the deserts of Rajasthan, Paragliding in Himachal, Watersports in Goa and Scuba Diving in Lakshadweep and Andaman are some of the options available to the adventure seeking tourists.

Travel Information for International Tourists

Arrival Formalities

If the visa, for stay in India, is for more than 180 days, a Registration Certificate and Residential Permit should be obtained from the nearest Foreigners' Registration Office within 15 days of arrival. Four photographs are also required for registration. The foreigners registered at Foreigners' Registration Office are required to report change of their addresses. All persons including Indian nationals are required to fill in a Disembarkation Card, at the time of arrival.

Departure from India

All persons, except nationals of Bhutan & Nepal, leaving by air, road or rail have to fill in an Embarkation Card at the time of departure.

Exit Formalities

Every foreigner who is about to depart finally from India must surrender his Certificate of Registration either to the Registration Officer of the place where he is registered or of the place from where he plans to depart or to the Immigration Officer at the Port/Check-post of exit from India.

Foreign Travel Tax

Passengers embarking on trips to any place outside India from a Customs airport/seaport will have to pay a Foreign Travel Tax (FTT) of Rs.500 and Rs.150 on trips to Afganistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Srilanka and Maldives. No tax is payable on trips performed by ship from Rameswaram to Talaimanar and in case of transit passengers, provided they do not leave the customs barrier. Transit passengers travelling by air who have to leave the airport on account of mechanical trouble but continue their journey by the same aircraft and the same flight number by which they arrive are also exempt from FTT. Transit sea passengers leaving the ship for sightseeing, shopping etc. during the ships' call at any of the Indian ports will not be required to pay FTT.

Customs

Visitors are generally required to make an oral baggage declaration in respect of baggage and foreign currency in their possession. They are also required to obtain the Currency Declaration Form from the Customs. They should fill in the Disembarkation Card handed over to them by the airline during the course of the flight.

There are two channels for clearance:

Green Channel: For passengers not in possesion of any dutiable articles or unaccompanied baggage

Red Channel: For passengers with dutiable articles or unaccompanied baggage or high value articles to be entered on the tourist Baggage Re-Export Form.

Dutiable articles or unaccompanied baggage or high-value articles must be entered on a Tourist Baggage Re-Export Form (TBRE). These articles must be re-exported at the time of departure. A failure to re-export anything listed on the TBRE becomes a payable duty levied for each missing item. The following duty-free possessions are permissible: clothes and jewellery, cameras and up to five rolls of film; binoculars, a portable musical instrument, a radio or portable tape recorder, a tent and camping equipment, fishing rod, a pair of skis, two tennis rackets, 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars, .95 litres of liquor, and gifts not exceeding a value of Rs.600 (about $20). Depending on the attitude of the customs' official, one may or may not have to enter a portable computer on a TBRE form.

Currency Allowed In India

There are no restrictions on the amount of foreign currency or travellers' cheques a tourist may bring into India provided he makes a declaration in the Currency Declaration Form given to him on arrival. This will enable him not only to exchange the currency bought in, but also to take the unspent currency out of India on departure. Cash, bank notes and travellers' cheques up to US$ 1,000 or equivalent, need not be declared at the time of entry. Any money in the form of travellers' cheques, drafts, bills, cheques, etc. in convertible currencies, which tourists wish to convert into Indian currency, should be exchanged only through authorised money changers and banks who will issue an encashment certificate that is required at the time of re-conversion of any unspent money into foreign currency. Exchanging of foreign currency other than banks or authorised money changers is an offense under Foreign Exchange Regulations Act 1973.

Leaving India

Rupees are not allowed out of India. Exchanging them before you depart is the best option. Banking facilities, for the conversion of rupees into foreign currency are usually located in the same airport hall as the check-in counters. It is best to access these facilities before immigration as they are not available thereafter. All animal products, souvenirs, and trophies are subject to the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. The export of skins made from protected wildlife species is not allowed. Such items cannot be imported into many countries, including the United States. As a general rule, avoiding such souvenirs that could be made of animal skins (except crocodile-leather goods)is best. Generally, items more than 100 years old cannot be exported without a permit from the Archaeological Survey, which has an office in Delhi. Reputable shops will provide you with the required permit or help you procure it. Items without permits will be detained by Indian Customs if they are believed to be over 100 years old.

Embassy Information

The United States Embassy

(Shanti Path, Chanakyapuri, tel. 011-6889033) is open weekdays 8:30 AM - 1:00 PM and 2:00 PM - 5:30 PM for consular services.

The Canadian High Commission

(7/8 Shanti Path, Chanakyapuri, tel. 011-6876500) is open Monday-Thursday 8:30 AM -12:45 PM and 1:30 PM - 5:30 PM and Friday 8:30 AM - 1:00 PM for consular services.

The British High Commission

(Shanti Path, Chanakyapuri, tel. 011-6872161) is open weekdays 9:00 AM - 12:00 noon and 2:00 PM -4:00 PM for consular services.  

For lost passports or emergencies, a duty officer is available 24 hours a day at each embassy.

Know-how

Time: GMT/UTC plus five hours 30 minutes

Tourism: 2 million visitors per year

Airports

The international airports in the metro cities extend services ensuring that the traveller on business can continue working even during his wait for boarding an international connection, or when transferring between international flights. These facilities include restaurants, business centres, rest rooms and telephone booths. Business centres are furnished with state-of-the-art equipment including word processors and telefax. Airports also offer tourist duty free & handicrafts shopping, snack bars, nursery and baby care rooms, and an art gallery for art lovers. Duty free prices in the airport shops are very competitive on international merchandise.