Khajuraho
Believed to have been built in 1002, the Vishvanath Temple anticipates the plan and style of the Kandariya-Mahadev Temple. Dedicated to Shiva, it's a…
Must-see attractions in India
Konkan Coast
The commanding, brooding fortress of Janjira, built on an island 500m offshore, is the most magnificent of the string of forts that line the Konkan…
Periyar Tiger Reserve
Bison, sambar, wild boar, langur, around 2000 elephants and 35 to 40 tigers wander the lushly green hills of South India’s most popular wildlife reserve,…
Jaisalmer
Jaisalmer’s fort is a living urban centre, with about 3000 people residing within its walls. It is honeycombed with narrow winding lanes, lined with…
Uttarakhand
This pretty lake is Nainital’s centrepiece and is said to be one of the emerald-green eyes of Shiva’s wife, Sati (naina is Sanskrit for eye) that fell to…
Dr Bhau Daji Lad Mumbai City Museum
Mumbai (Bombay)
This gorgeous museum, built in Renaissance revival style in 1872 as the Victoria & Albert Museum, contains 3500-plus objects centring on Mumbai’s history …
Assam
The park’s 2400 one-horned rhinos represent about two-thirds of the world’s total population (in 1904, there were only 200). Kaziranga offers popular 4WD…
Spiti
Like a series of whitewashed limpets, the 1200-year-old Dhankar Gompa clings precariously to an eroded cliff-edge rock pinnacle, high above the beautiful…
Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh
Step through the looking glass into what feels like an enchanted forest at this surreal place that is unlike any museum you will have visited before…
Kochi (Cochin)
Originally built in 1568, Mattancherry's synagogue was partially destroyed by the Portuguese in 1662, and rebuilt two years later when the Dutch took…
Mumbai (Bombay)
Iskcon Juhu plays a key part in the Hare Krishna story, as founder AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada spent extended periods here (you can visit his modest…
Srinagar
Over 15km around, Dal Lake is Srinagar's jewel, a vast sheet of water reflecting the carved wooden balconies of the houseboats and the misty peaks of the…
Agra
This park, originally built by Emperor Babur as the last in a series of 11 parks on the Yamuna’s east bank (long before the Taj was conceived), fell into…
Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh
Stretched majestically along the top of a 3km-long plateau overlooking Gwalior, the fort is a dominant, unmissable sight, full of fascinating palaces,…
Living & Learning Design Centre (LLDC) Crafts Museum
Kachchh (Kutch)
Fifteen kilometres east of Bhuj, this superb NGO-run museum is a must for anyone interested in the crafts practised by Kachchh artisans. The well-designed…
Darjeeling
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, known affectionately as the toy train, made its first journey along its precipice-topping, 2ft-wide tracks in 1881 and…
Kochi (Cochin)
Mattancherry Palace was a generous gift presented to the Raja of Kochi, Veera Kerala Varma (1537–65), as a gesture of goodwill by the Portuguese in 1555…
Jaisalmer
Towering over the fort’s main square, and partly built on top of the Hawa Pol (the fourth fort gate), is the former rulers’ elegant seven-storey palace…
Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram)
The crowning masterpiece of Mamallapuram’s stonework, this giant relief carving is one of India's greatest ancient artworks. Inscribed on two huge,…
Varanasi
The furthest south of the main ghats and one of the biggest, Assi Ghat is particularly important as the River Assi meets the Ganges near here and pilgrims…
Spiti
Forming the watershed between Lahaul and Spiti, this 4551m pass, accessed by multiple switchbacks, is topped by a grassy area where stupas are strewn with…
Kolkata (Calcutta)
Built in 1835 by a raja from the prosperous Mallick family, this resplendent mansion is as grand as it is curious. Its marble-draped halls are overstuffed…
Puri
This mighty temple is home to Jagannath (Lord of the Universe), an incarnation of Vishnu. Built in its present form in 1198, the temple – closed to non…
Tamil Nadu
The temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram ('City of the Chola who Conquered the Ganges'), 35km north of Kumbakonam, is dedicated to Shiva. It was built by…
Gujarat & Diu
This scenic hilltop may have been fortified as early as the 8th century. Today, throngs of pilgrims ascend Pavagadh to worship at the important Kalikamata…
Gujarat & Diu
The stunning mausoleum of Nawab Mahabat Khan II of Junagadh (1851–82) seems to bubble up into the sky. One of Gujarat’s most glorious examples of Euro…
Gujarat & Diu
Built in 1027 by Bhimdev I, this is one of the greatest monuments of the Solanki dynasty, whose rulers were believed to be descended from the sun. Like…
Darjeeling
Singalila National Park covers the Indian side of the scenic Singalila Ridge, the Darjeeling region's finest trekking area, along the India–Nepal border…
Kachchh (Kutch)
The name White Desert probably conjures up images of vast, silent expanses of searing salt desert where you can quietly meditate on life. Well, you can…
Tamil Nadu
With a forest’s worth of intricately carved rosewood ceilings and polished-teak beams, this labyrinthine palace, 35km northwest of Kanyakumari, near the…
Karnataka
The remnants of this magnificent 15th-century fort, the largest in South India – and once the administrative capital of much of the region – constitute…
Agra
Nicknamed the Baby Taj, the exquisite tomb of Mizra Ghiyas Beg should not be missed. This Persian nobleman was Mumtaz Mahal’s grandfather and Emperor…
South Delhi
Built by Sultan Ala-ud-din Khilji in the 13th century, Hauz Khas means ‘noble tank', and its reservoir once covered 28 hectares. It collected enough water…
Ahmedabad (Amdavad)
In peaceful, shady grounds on the Sabarmati River’s west bank, this ashram was Gandhi’s headquarters from 1917 to 1930 during the long struggle for Indian…
Hyderabad
The subject of one of India's most ambitious heritage projects, these magnificent domed granite tombs form part of a huge archaeological park that is…
Karnataka
Set in tranquil gardens, the magnificent Golgumbaz houses the tombs of emperor Mohammed Adil Shah (r 1627–56), his two wives, his mistress (Rambha), one…
Gujarat & Diu
The only real sign of Patan’s former glory is this astoundingly beautiful step-well. Built in 1063 by Rani Udayamati to commemorate her husband, Bhimdev I…
Mumbai (Bombay)
No sense is left unaffected at Mumbai's incredibly atmospheric fishing docks, dating to 1875, the oldest and largest wholesale fish market in Mumbai. A…
Himachal Pradesh
Unspoilt Chehni village is one of the most magical villages imaginable. Surveying a wide sweep of valley and ridgetops from 2110m, its antique core…
Arunachal Pradesh
Thought to be about 400 years old, the charming wooden Samten Yongcha Gompa stands on a breezy hilltop 6km (as the crow flies) west of Mechuka, fronted by…
