On tours put on by India-based Planet Abled, people with various disabilities and those without disabilities travel side by side.

When Neha Arora launched the inclusive tour operator Planet Abled almost five years ago, she was possibly the world’s least-traveled owner of a travel company. Besides a few weekend getaways in her native India, she had never ventured far from home.

As a child, Arora, now 37, watched as her classmates in Agra went on family vacations and came home with stories of their escapades. Her outings were limited to school picnics or trips to see her grandparents in New Delhi. Family getaways never seemed like a real option. Arora’s father is blind and her mother uses a wheelchair: the logistical challenges of travel always felt insurmountable.

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From frustration to inspiration

When Arora’s first passport expired, it was still blank. After finishing her engineering degree, Arora moved to New Delhi and began working at a telecommunications company. Eventually she saved enough money for her family to take a 10-day trip through South India in 2009. Money, she hoped, might overcome the travel barriers her parents faced. She was wrong. "You travel 2000 miles only to realize that the place is not accessible or does not give you the kind of experience you would look forward to,” Arora said.

After a particularly difficult incident on that South India trip, when an argument over accessibility escalated into a dangerous situation, her parents gave up on travel and Arora started searching for solutions. There were travel companies that catered to people with disabilities, but most of them focused on a single disability. Arora couldn’t find anything that would allow her to travel comfortably and safely with both of her parents.

“I started talking to more and more people, and either they were not traveling at all or they were facing similar challenges,” she said. “I had to start a travel company to travel.”

Accessibility as inclusivity

Over one billion people – about 15% of the world’s population – live with some form of disability, according to the World Health Organization, from mobility and cognitive issues to being visually or hearing impaired. In addition, more than 2 billion people, including spouses, children and caregivers, are directly affected by disability.

Despite this, accessible tourism, wherein everyone can take full advantage of travel facilities and services regardless of their physical limitations, disabilities, or age, isn’t the norm. Travel remains difficult for many people with disabilities, be it from a lack of information on accessible services, discrimination, or trouble finding accommodation that meets their needs. One recent study found that even in countries with the highest level of adaptation –generally countries with the highest per capita income –wheelchair accessibility is provided in only 30% of the hotels analyzed and accommodations such as Braille, tactile posters or audio guides are offered in 5% or less of cases.

Although Arora saw this gap early on, it wasn’t until 2016 that she felt ready to leave her job to start Planet Abled, with the goal of making travel more accessible for people of all disabilities. Initially, Planet Abled provided day trips in New Delhi, but it has since expanded to offer accessible group tours and customized trips in over 40 destinations across Europe and Asia. What makes Planet Abled unique is that their experiences are inclusive. “We mix people with various disabilities and nondisabled people to travel together,” Arora said. “So disability is just a human feature – it's not something that decides how you travel or where you travel.”

It can be tricky to consider adaptations for different disabilities, but Arora says Planet Abled’s approach leads to some unexpected surprises. On one trip, a blind man created software to communicate with a deaf woman instead of relying on a third person. On another tour, a nondisabled tourist told Arora that though they’d been to that place four times before, they now saw it in a whole new light. This isn’t uncommon, Arora says. Taking a longer route because of wheelchair access or focusing on the tactile experience because of a blind traveler in the group, for instance, can help travelers zero in on details they might otherwise miss.

Making accessibility mainstream

People in Planet Abled’s groups have also stayed friends after the trips. “You realize, ‘Oh, this person is just like me and they just happen to have a disability,’” Arora said, adding that sometimes nondisabled travelers will approach the company after their trips with questions about how to make their workplaces more accessible or how to hire a person with a disability.

Anica Zeyen, a senior lecturer at Royal Holloway, University of London, discovered Planet Abled in 2019 when planning a fieldwork trip to India. Since it was her first time in the country, she reached out to the group about joining a day trip.

“I did not want to use just any travel company. I am blind and therefore the usual way of sightseeing doesn’t really work,” said Zeyen, who travels frequently for work and leisure. “I need people to describe things to me, be allowed to touch things and helped to navigate unfamiliar places.”

On a 12-hour tour through Delhi with Planet Abled, Zeyen says her guide was well-trained in describing what Zeyen couldn’t see without being patronizing, something she says is unfortunately rare. He let her choose if she wanted to be sight guided (led by the arm) or walk next to him with her cane. She could also touch some of the monuments and Planet Abled printed 3-D models for some of the objects she couldn’t touch to give a sense of their proportion and shape.

“At one point near the spice market in Old Delhi, we climbed up this narrow staircase to stand on one of the roofs to absorb the atmosphere,” Zeyen said. “I like that Planet Abled sees me as just another traveler who wants to explore the world, but who might just have to do things slightly differently.”

Arora now has multiple stamps in her passport, the first from 2018 when she visited Vienna, Austria, to accept an award from the United Nations for Planet Abled’s work. She has also expanded Planet Abled’s scope, consulting with governments, tourism boards, hotels, NGOs, and others, to provide advice on how to make travel more inclusive and accessible.

Just the beginning

Arora says the industry has changed for the better since Planet Abled began. Back then, she says, when she approached hotels about accessibility issues they often blew her off, claiming that people with disabilities don’t travel. Now when she talks to hotel chains, they listen. “At least now there is reception to the message that this is the right thing to do.”

A 2020 study found that the disability travel market is growing. In 2018-19, more than 27 million travelers with disabilities took 81 million trips, spending $58.7 billion on travel (up from $34.6 billion in 2015). The economic impact is likely even bigger, since people with disabilities often travel with others.

Planet Abled is building a platform to make its information about accessibility more widely available so people can plan their own trips and don’t need to rely on travel operators, which can be expensive. In the end, Arora says the aim is to have every travel company and destination be accessible, paradoxically making Planet Abled’s work irrelevant.

“Ultimately – this might sound ironic – you don't need a separate travel company for disabled people,” Arora said. “You want the whole industry to become inclusive and that’s what the goal of Planet Abled is: to make the planet able and inclusive for everyone to travel.”

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Tourists have begun traveling to India today as it opened its borders to foreign visitors on commercial flights for the first time since March 2020.

After 18 months of border closures and punishing COVID-19 surges, India is welcoming tourists once again. Although tourists have been able to travel to India since October 15 on chartered flights, today marks the first time since March 2020 that commercial flights are landing in India as foreign visitors from 99 countries, including the US, UK and most European countries, are given the green-light to enjoy quarantine-free travel there.

India's Ministry of Home Affairs said it will issue 500,000 tourists or e-visas through March 2022, as case numbers begin to fall across the country. Arrivals must show proof of full vaccination and test negative for COVID-19 within 72 hours of boarding their flight to India.

The US Embassy in India said that "travelers coming from or transiting through locations listed as Countries At-Risk and which do not have a vaccination agreement with India will have to either self-monitor for 14 days post arrival (if fully vaccinated) or submit to a post-arrival COVID-19 test and home quarantine for seven days (if partially or not vaccinated)."

Read more: How to manage vaccine certifications and COVID-19 passports for international travel

India was the first nation to be hit by a major COVID-19 surge driven by the Delta variant earlier this year, with the country recording more than 400,000 cases a day at its peak in spring. It's still the second worst-hit country for COVID-19 infections, after the US, but fortunately cases are steadily decreasing since the peak and vaccination rates are increasing.

On Monday, India celebrated a milestone in its vaccination campaign —the world's largest— with the Health Ministry announcing that 112.34 crore (around 1,123 million) doses have now been administered.

About 370 million people in India are now fully vaccinated, according to Oxford's Our World In Data—which represents 27% out of a population of 1.38 billion.

Read more: Five unforgettable first-time experiences in India

However, the end of the pandemic is not yet in sight. Domestic measures remain in effect across the country to curb the spread of COVID-19 and visitors are asked to adhere to them. People are currently required to wear masks in public and on public transport in some areas. Social distancing and capacity limits are in place throughout the country and several states are issuing fines for non-compliance. "All due protocols and norms relating to COVID-19 as notified by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare from time to time, shall be adhered to by the foreign tourists," officials said.

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If there’s one place that knows how to celebrate a festival, it’s India. From grand city events to simple village melas (fairs), India’s jam-packed festival calendar is as rich and diverse as its traditions and topography.

A star attraction on the Indian festival stage is Diwali – a joyous celebration that, broadly speaking, celebrates the triumph of good over evil. The festival’s name roughly translates to ‘row of lamps/lights’ – which is why Diwali is widely known as the Festival of Lights.

When is Diwali?

The festival takes place over a period of five days on auspicious dates during the end of Ashvin/start of Kartika – the Hindu lunar calendar months which equate to the Gregorian calendar months of October/November. This year Diwali will be celebrated from Thursday, November 4, 2021.

While the festival undeniably takes centre stage, there is a particularly distinct air of happiness – and preparation – in the lead up to Diwali. Houses and shops are given a rigorous spring clean before being decorated with fairy lights, patterned lanterns and colourful rangolis/kolams (propitious rice-paste/powder/chalk designs adorning thresholds). The streets in pre COVID times teemed with shoppers keenly stocking up on everything from new clothes and festive household decorations, to gifts for family, friends.

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The most popular gift, by a long shot, is mithai (Indian sweets), with ornately packaged dried fruits and nuts also a hot seller. Shops are filled with a spectacular array of mithai specially prepared for this festival, from thickly cut squares of barfi (fudgelike sweet, often coated with a thin film of edible silver leaf) – old favourites include pista (ground pistachio nut) and kaaju (cashewnut) – to soft syrupy gulab jamuns (deep-fried balls of dough) and spongy rasgullas (sweetened cream-cheese balls flavoured with rose-water). Indeed, if there’s ever a time to experience India at its sweet – and convivial – best, it’s during Diwali.

Diwali's religious significance

Diwali is a national Hindu festival that is also embraced by other religious denominations including the Sikhs and Jains. As such, it entails religious and regional variations in the way it is celebrated. For Jains, Diwali signifies the attainment of moksha (liberation from the cycle of life and death) by Mahavira (the 6th century BC founder of Jainism’s central tenets). For Sikhs, Diwali largely denotes the 1619 release of Guru Hargobind (the sixth of Sikhism’s 10 gurus), along with 52 others, who had been detained in the Gwalior Fort by the Mughal emperor Jehangir.

When it comes to India’s major religious community, the Hindus, Diwali commemorates the victory of Lord Rama (King of Ayodhya, according to sacred Hindu texts, and also a prominent deity) over Ravana (a powerful demon) and his triumphant return to the kingdom after a period of exile. Keen to make Lord Rama’s homecoming as swift and safe as possible, his jubilant subjects illuminated the way with masses of twinkling diyas (earthenware oil lamps). It is for this reason the lighting of diyas has become a key component of the Diwali festival.

It also symbolises the replacement of darkness (ignorance) with ‘inner’ light – garnered via the pursuit of knowledge and spiritual practices. Indeed, spirituality lies at the heart of Diwali, with devotees specifically seeking blessings from two prominent Hindu deities: Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and Ganesh, the elephant-headed god of good fortune and auspicious beginnings. Worshippers pray for prosperity and well-being for the year that lies ahead, with fireworks and crackers and lanterns.

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Delhi serves up an astounding cornucopia of history, culture, cuisine, commerce and street life, with countless sights and activities to keep visitors thoroughly engaged.

At first glance, the Indian capital can seem an overwhelming place to negotiate but give it time and you'll feel the chaos subside, revealing delicate vignettes of daily life and layer upon layer of ancient history, built up over 2000 years of settlement.

Here are 20 great things to do in India ’s fast-paced and frantic, but fun-filled capital.

1. Sample Delhi’s delectable street food

The street food in Delhi is legendary. Tangy delights such as chaat papdi (fried wafers loaded with potatoes, chickpeas, yogurt and chilli) or golgappas (fried hollow dough filled with chickpeas and spicy potatoes), are de rigueur in Old Delhi. Also seek out stuffed parathas (fried breads with vegetable fillings), sizzling kebabs and treacle-dripping jalebis (sweet swirls of fried dough).

2. Admire the grandeur of Humayun's Tomb

Humayun's Tomb combines Persian elegance with fine Indian craftsmanship, and its graceful lines are mirrored by the fiercely symmetrical Mughal Gardens that surround it. For the best photos, stroll here at dusk, or simply admire the architecture at any time of day. Believed to be the precursor of its more famous look-alike, the Taj Mahal, this Unesco-protected monument is well worth the relatively high entry fee.

3. Listen to qawwalis

The best place to hear qawwalis (devotional music) is at the dargah (tomb) of the Sufi saint Nizam-ud-din Auliya; resounding professions of faith ring out around sunset at one of Sufism’s most revered sites. Buried close to his spiritual master is Amir Khusro, a celebrated Sufi poet from the 13th century. The qawwalis take on a special hue during Basant, the festival of Spring, when both dargah and devotees are adorned with yellow robes and blooms.

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4. Explore the Red Fort

Explore the great sandstone carcass of the Red Fort, and you'll be whisked back to the last days of the Mughal empire. Though some areas are under restoration, the mixture of graceful Islamic structures and British-era additions still spins a tale of duelling empires. If possible, catch the Republic Day celebrations (January 26) here when the Prime Minister hoists the Tricolor from its resplendent ramparts, and browse the wares on sale in the Meena Bazar, once the exclusive domain of the ladies of the Mughal court.

5. Take the stress out of sight-seeing on a bus tour

You can catch an easy glimpse of Delhi on a Ho-Ho Bus tour for as little as Rs 500 a day. Except for Mondays, tourist buses run throughout the day at regular intervals, stopping at the biggest sights and giving visitors plenty of time to get familiar with the city's history and heritage. Choose from half-day, one-day or two-day tours depending on availability.

6. Go on a shopping spree

Some of the best shopping in the city can be found at Delhi's government emporiums, a string of temples to Indian craftsmanship lined up along Baba Kharak Singh Marg close to Connaught Place. For bargains, hit the flea market stalls nearby on Janpath and in Sarojini Nagar. For a one-stop shop for crafts from around India, look no further than Dilli Haat, near the INA metro stop, which also serves up great street food.

7. Lose yourself in Old Delhi

Get lost and confused in the narrow bazaars of Old Delhi, and feel like you've wandered into the medieval period. Every wrong turn springs a new surprise as you stumble upon such hidden delights as the home of the legendary Urdu poet, Mirza Ghalib, the towering Jama Masjid, India's largest mosque or Khari Baoli – Asia’s largest spice bazaar. On your explorations, keep an eye out for a series of well-preserved and colourfully painted Jain havelis (merchant's houses), built in the 18th century.

8. Explore the sprawling Sunder Nursery

To restore your inner equilibrium, step into the serenity of the 90-acre Sunder Nursery, a beautifully restored park dotted with Mughal monuments, water features and several hundred species of trees. Alive with birds and butterflies, the flowerbeds surround amphitheatres where you can see performances by talent from nearby Nizamuddin Basti.

9. People watch at Lodi Garden

To see Delhi at its most relaxed, wander around Lodi Garden on a Sunday afternoon, the perfect place for people watching. The gardens are dotted with ancient ruins from the Islamic Sayyid and Lodi dynasties so there's plenty to see; bring a picnic basket, relax with a book, or put its jogging tracks to good use.

10. Watch the Changing of the Guard

A relatively unknown Delhi attraction, the Changing of the Guard takes place on the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhavan every Saturday morning. The President’s Bodyguard, kitted out in their ceremonial regalia, put on an equestrian display for a gathering of no more than 200, against the backdrop of the imposing Presidential Palace.

11. Visit Indira Gandhi's former home

The ghosts of history swim through the former home of Indira Gandhi, Indira Gandhi Smriti, where she was shot dead by one of her bodyguards in 1984. There's a lot to learn about India's most powerful dynasty, and India's complex politics, as you wander through this period mansion.

12. Get acquainted with Indian art

Be flabbergasted by the wealth of Indian art at the National Museum, home to an astonishing collection of statues, woodcarvings, paintings and other treasures. Not far away, you can introduce yourself to India's avant-garde artists and their work, installations included, at the National Gallery of Modern Art.

13. Feast on fine Indian fare

Delhi is amply stocked with great places to eat. For a taste of the south, chow down on scrumptious masala dosas (rice and lentil flour pancakes) at the Janpath branch of Saravana Bhavan, and finish your meal with a deliciously nutty south Indian coffee. Alternatively, take things up a notch by booking a table at Indian Accent in the Lodhi Hotel to sample a tasting menu blending flavors from across the subcontinent, or try the cluster of Mughlai restaurants at Pandara Market; Pindi and Gulati are standout options.

14. See the city from a different angle

There are dozens of great books that bring Delhi's history to life. Use the map from William Dalrymple's City of Djinns for a novel way to explore the city, or grab Madhulika Liddle’s The Eighth Guest and Other Muzaffar Jang Mysteries and traipse around Shahjahanabad (Old Delhi) in the footsteps of her intrepid Mughal-era detective.

15. Put on your dancing shoes

One great way to feel the rhythms of the subcontinent is through a dance lesson at the Delhi Dance Academy. Their two-hour Namaste India Dance Workshop is an entertaining introduction to the Bollywood, Bhangra, and Garba styles you've probably already seen on the big screen. The cost includes costume hire and a video of the choreographed performance.

16. Take time out at the Qutab Minar

For a break from the centre, take a trip out to the historic Qutab Minar, with its towering minaret resembling an ornate factory chimney. This complex is studded with monuments straddling several centuries, and will be of immense interest to any history, architecture or calligraphy buffs. The ruins continue in the neighbouring Mehrauli Archaeological Park.

17. Go upmarket at Khan Market

Sample the refined lifestyle of middle-class Delhiites at laidback Khan Market. Browse the bookshops and homeware stores, then hang out for a chat at Café Turtle, fuelled by coffee and gooey cake. Alternatively, get the youthful vibe by ordering a shake at Big Chill or sushi at Yum Yum Cha, or mix coffee and carafes at Perch, the city’s first wine and coffee bar.

18. Escape the crush at the Raj Ghat Gandhi Memorial

For respite from the chaos of the city streets, visit Gandhi's simple memorial in its tranquil gardens at Raj Ghat, and consider the humble lifestyle of the great Independence leader and the tragedy of his departure – nowhere else in Delhi is as peaceful as this.

19. Feel the buzz of Hauz Khas

History meets BoHo in the district of Hauz Khas, with its crumbling Deli Sultanate-era tombs and enticing art, antique and fashion boutiques. Enjoy a quick bite or a long, leisurely meal in one of many hip eateries overlooking the lake, or stop in for coffee and conversation at Kunzum Travel Cafe.

20. Climb Jama Masjid's minaret

Wind up your explorations back in Old Delhi at the Jama Masjid, and climb the mosque's minaret in the late afternoon for epic views of stacked rooftops, soaring vultures and twirling kites, then reward yourself with a classic non-veg meal nearby at Karim's or Al-Jawahar, both famous for their rich, meaty kebabs.

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Rama Navami is a spring festival that celebrates the birth of the Prince of Ayodhya of the epic Ramayana.  Lord Rama is the seventh avatar of the Hindu deity Lord Vishnu. It is marked across India with much fervour. There are 108 temples and towns called Divya Desams or “mystical abodes” which are revered for Vishnu and his avatars. These are some of the temples famous for the worship of Rama across India.

Mythology, fables and legends mark the temples and pilgrim towns around India.  There are 108 Divya Desams or abodes of Vishnu. According to Vaishanavite beliefs, 105 temples are located all over India; one in the neighbouring nation of Nepal and two are not on Earth but in haloed space.

In South India eighty-four Divya Desams are located across Tamil Nadu, of which the island temple at Sri Rangam, is the most special. Two other temples are in Andhra Pradesh and there are eleven in Kerala. Eight Divya Desams are dotted across north India and one is in Nepal. Many of these temples are over 2000 years old with stunning architecture, fascinating legends and unique temple cuisine.

In South India, Rama Navami food offerings include a cool vegetable salad called kosumalli and two drinks – a sweet drink made of jaggery water flavoured with elaichi called panagam, and neer more or watery buttermilk. In North India kala channa, poori and sooji halwa and kheer is made in many homes and vrat or fasting food is made of sabudana or tapioca.

The epic Ramayana and its many regional versions across India continue to evoke passion and fervour among its faithful. The many temples and towns remain busy pilgrim places even today.

The writer is the author of Temple Tales – Secrets and Stories from India’s Sacred Places. She can be found on Instagram.

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India is so vast and offers so much to travellers that there’s no real bad time to visit. When the humidity becomes unbearable at sights around the popular Golden Triangle loop, it’s peak hiking season in the mountainous north. Likewise, when temperatures drop to below zero at altitude, it’s optimum beach weather for Goa and the beach resorts along the west coast. Picking when to go to India then, is all about what you plan to do.

Whether you’re dreaming of sunning yourself silly on the beach, sampling street food in bustling cities or trekking between hill stations, here’s our guide to the best time to visit India.

Editor's note: during COVID-19, please check the latest travel restrictions before planning any trip and always follow government health advice. Events may be subject to change.

High season: December-March

Best time to hit the beach

It’s no surprise peak tourist season coincides with the months where India’s popular beach resorts, namely Goa, receive the best weather. These hot, clear days are perfect for lazy afternoons on the sand and splashing in the calm waters.

It’s also generally pleasant weather across most of the country, with warm days and cool nights, even in big cities like Delhi and Mumbai. This wonderful weather does bring tourist crowds though, and hotel prices are at their highest during these months. That said, December to February is not a good time for hiking around the country’s various hill stations, with freezing temperatures at high altitudes. Following March, India gets really hot and then really wet.

Shoulder season: August-November

Best time for exploring the whole country

Shoulder season, coming after the main monsoon season, is a great time to visit India for those looking for a bit of everything (not just the best spot of sand on the beach), with fewer crowds and good bargains to be found on accommodation.

Though monsoon rains persist through to September, the rains will likely last only an hour or two each day, which will leave the air feeling fresher and the countryside looking greener. For hikers, passes to Ladakh and the high Himalaya are open from June to September.

Low season: April-July

Best time to avoid the crowds

Low season sees cities reaching unbearable levels of heat during May, before the arrival of the monsoon, which brings draining humidity and stunning downpours. Tourist crowds are thin on the ground (making visits to popular sights less hectic) and accommodation prices are low throughout most of the country, though beachside hotels in Goa tend to completely close from May to September.

This is, however, a great time to make for the hills in the north, which are cool and perfect for hiking – though you’ll find plenty of people doing the same thing.

January

Post-monsoon cool lingers throughout the country, though it’s downright cold in the mountains. This moderate weather and several major festivals make it a popular time to travel (book ahead!). Among the festivals taking place in January are Delhi’s Republic Day celebrations, involving vast military parades, and the Hindu festival of Sankranti, celebrated in different iterations across India, with gift-giving and cow decorating popular, along with mass kite-flying in Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.
Key events : Republic Day, Sankranti

February

This is a good time to be in India, with balmy weather in most non-mountainous areas. It’s still peak travel season, which means plenty of sunbathing, but also skiing – Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand have some fine skiing and snowboarding for all levels from Jan-March. An added bonus for those traveling between the sights of the so-called Golden Triangle during February is Taj Mahotsav, a 10-day carnival of culture, cuisine and crafts featuring 400 artisans from all over India (and enough regional food to induce a curry coma).
Key events : Taj Mahotsav

March

The last month of high season, March is full-on hot in most of India, with rains starting in the Northeast Region. Wildlife, including elephants, tigers and leopards, become easier to spot in the country’s national parks, as the animals emerge to find water ahead of the monsoon. March is also the month of India’s most colorful festival, Holi, where Hindus celebrate the beginning of spring by dousing anyone in range with water and colored gulal (powder). Celebrations are most vibrant in the north of the country.
Key events : Holi

April

The heat has officially arrived in most places, which means you can get deals on accommodation and avoid major tourist crowds at popular sights like the Taj Mahal. The Northeast, meanwhile, is wet, but it’s peak time for visiting Sikkim and highland West Bengal. Religious events this month include, Mahavir Jayanti, which commemorates the birth of Jainism’s 24th and most important tirthankar (teacher and enlightened being), and Rama Navami, where Hindus celebrate Rama's birth with processions, music, and enactments of scenes from the Ramayana (an epic religious Indian text). Ramadan also typically falls in April, which can see some Muslim-owned businesses close during the day.
Key events : Mahavir Jayanti, Rama Navami, Ramadan

May

It's hot almost everywhere – incendiary, in fact. Festivals take a back seat as humidity builds up, awaiting the release of the rain. Hill stations are hopping, though, and in the mountains, it’s pre-monsoon trekking season. Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan with three days of festivities. Prayers, shopping, gift-giving and, for women and girls, mehndi (henna designs) may all be part of the celebrations.
Key events : Eid al-Fitr

June

June is low season because of the heat, but it's a good time to trek up north, as the passes open to Ladakh. The rainy season starts just about everywhere else, making national park access tricky. Rath Yatra, the Chariot Festival, in June or July sees effigies of Lord Jagannath (Vishnu incarnated as Lord of the Universe) and his siblings carried on vast, colorful chariots, most famously in Puri, Odisha (Orissa). Millions come to see the festivities.
Key events : Rath Yatra

July

It should be raining almost everywhere now, but flooding causes problems in many regions. Consider visiting Ladakh, where the weather’s surprisingly dry and pleasant, or do a rainy-season meditation retreat, an ancient Indian tradition.

August

The monsoon should still be going strong in August. Tropical areas such as Kerala and Goa boast lush, green jungle, and it's often raining only a few hours a day, which keeps tourist crowds pleasantly thin and accommodation prices low. As an added incentive, Kerala’s exhilarating boat races take place on the second Sunday of August. Elsewhere, there are flag-hoisting ceremonies and parades on 15 August to celebrate India’s independence from Britain in 1947. The biggest celebrations are in Delhi, where the prime minister addresses the nation from the Red Fort, and there events such as pigeon racing and kite flying in Old Delhi.
Key events : Independence Day, Nehru Trophy Boat Race

September

The rain is petering out (but temperatures are still relatively high), and the monsoon is usually finished in places such as Rajasthan, which can be surprisingly green. Autumn trekking season begins mid-month in the Himalaya.

October

This is when the travel season starts to kick off in earnest. October is prime shoulder season, bringing mostly good weather, with reasonably comfy temperatures and lots of post-rain greenery. There’s also still comparatively little crowds with the incoming high season. Rivers are full up after the rains, making for spectacular, thundering white-water falls. This is also the season for rafting in some areas. As for festivals, colorful Dussehra celebrates the victory of Hindu god Rama over demon-king Ravana and the triumph of good over evil. It's big in Kullu : more than 200 deities are carried into the town on palanquins, and festivities last a week.
Key events : Dussehra

November

The climate is blissful in most places – still hot, but not uncomfortably so – but the southern monsoon sweeps through Tamil Nadu and Kerala. This is a good time for uncrowded beach bathing, and, at the opposite end of the scale, camel purchasing, as the famous Pushkar Camel Fair comes to town, a fair that attracts 200,000 people, who bring some 50,000 camels, horses and cattle. Two big festivals also take place in November, Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, with fireworks aplenty, and Nanak Jayanti, the birthday of Guru Nanak, founder of Sikhism. The latter is celebrated with prayer, kirtan (devotional singing) and processions for three days, especially in Punjab and Haryana.
Key events : Pushkar Camel Fair, Nanak Jayanti, Diwali (sometimes falls in October)

December

December is peak tourist season, and no wonder: you're guaranteed glorious weather (except in the chilly mountains), the humidity’s low, the mood's festive and the beaches are blissful. As a result, accommodation prices peak. Another thing that peaks in December is marriage ceremonies, and you may see many a baraat (bridegroom’s procession), featuring a white horse, nervous protagonist and fireworks, on your travels. Christian Goa, and parts of Kerala and the Northeast Region, come alive in the lead-up to Christmas, Mass is celebrated on December 24, and Christmas Day is celebrated with feasting and fireworks.
Key events : Christmas Day

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When to go to India

For mountain lovers and the vertically inclined the Himalayas represent nothing less than the crowning apex of nature's grandeur. Here dramatic forested gorges rise to skylines of snow-capped glaciated peaks through a landscape that ranges from high-altitude desert to dripping rhododendron forest.

Home to some 50 million people, this is no alpine wilderness, but rather a vibrant mosaic of peoples, cultures and communities, criss-crossed by ancient trading and pilgrimage routes that offer their own unique inspiration. Test your mettle against some of the world's most audacious and dangerous roads, or set a more measured pace on a trek through yak pastures to prayer flag-strewn passes haunted by snow leopards and red pandas. Stretching in a 1550 mile-long arc (2500km) across Asia from Kashmir to Kathmandu, Lhasa to Ladakh, the Himalayan range is a big place. Focus your pilgrimage on one of these dream trips.

Editor's note: during COVID-19 there are restrictions on travel. Check the latest guidance before departure, and always follow local health advice.

Ladakh – India's little Tibet

Hidden over high passes in an arid, largely treeless rain shadow, Ladakh is classic Trans Himalayan scenery: huge khaki-colored valleys and harsh rock walls brought alive by the occasional splash of irrigated green. Traditional Tibetan Buddhist culture remains intact here, with spectacularly located monasteries that burst into life during medieval masked dance festivals that have changed little in 500 years. Travelers should expect epic treks, sparkling high-altitude mountain lakes, and a well developed infrastructure with inexpensive guesthouses around the capital, Leh.

When to go: June to September.

Getting there: Daily flights from Delhi to Leh, or take the spectacular seasonal high roads over the Himalayas from Manali or Srinigar.

Suggested itinerary: Hire a jeep or an Enfield motorbike and drive out to ancient Hemis, Lamayuru and Thiksey monasteries, taking a side trip to the turquoise lake of Pangong Tso bordering Tibet; afterwards, do a five-day homestay trek through the Markha Valley.

Off the beaten track alternative: Spiti, in neighboring Himachal Pradesh, has the same dramatic mountain scenery and monasteries but without the crowds. Trek from village to village with a local organization and overnight at the incredible monasteries of Dhankar and Tabo.

Tibet – roof of the world

The high Tibetan plateau is the rooftop of Asia, hidden from the Indian subcontinent behind the ramparts of the Great Himalaya. Despite Chinese-led modernization, Tibet 's great monasteries still hum with murmured mantras and the flicker of yak butter lamps. Sublime landscapes, ranging from rolling grasslands to high-altitude turquoise lakes, a vibrant Buddhist culture and the friendly and resilient Tibetan people are the highlights here, as are the views of Everest's North Face – miles better than anything you'll see in Nepal.

When to go: Mid-May to September.

Getting there: Flights to Lhasa from Chengdu, Beijing and many other cities in China, or take the world's highest train from China to Lhasa.

Suggested itinerary: Join a tour for the seven- to ten-day overland trip from Lhasa to Kathmandu, stopping at the incredible multistory stupa (structure containing Buddhist relics) at Gyantse and the spectacular medieval monastery at Sakya.

Off the beaten track alternative: Complete a rugged three-day trek around Asia's most sacred peak, Mt Kailash, in remote Western Tibet, and then visit the incredible Kashmiri-influenced art of Tsaparang and the Guge Kingdom, hidden deep in the weirdly eroded desert gorges of the Sutlej Valley. Paved roads and an airport outside Ali make the two-week trip much less arduous than it used to be, though you still have to hire transport and a guide through an agency in Lhasa or Kathmandu.

Nepal – a trekker's paradise

The best way to experience the mountains is on foot, and Himalayan treks just don't get any more spectacular or convenient than in Nepal. Follow mountain paths past lines of spinning prayer wheels and charming stone Sherpa or Tamang villages to the foot of jaw-dropping 8000m peaks like Annapurna or Everest, safe in the knowledge that at the end of the day you’re guaranteed a cozy bed and hot dinner. Add on a visit to the medieval cities of the Kathmandu Valley, once a Himalayan artistic powerhouse.

When to go: March, April, October, November.

Getting there: Fly to Kathmandu and hop on a domestic flight to Lukla for the Everest region. Pokhara is the launch pad for treks in the Annapurna region.

Suggested itinerary: To trek to Everest Base Camp you need a minimum of 14 days, but we recommend adding on a four day side visit to the stunning mountain lakes of the Gokyo valley. Factor in ample time to acclimatize.

Off the beaten track alternative: The 17-day walk around Manaslu is possibly Nepal's greatest teahouse trek (you stay in lodges along the way), or go camping expedition-style on an epic three-week trip to the Dolpo or Kanchenjunga regions.

Bhutan – the last Shangri-la

As the last surviving great Himalayan kingdom, Bhutan has an otherworldly air that seems rooted in another age. Traditional dress is the norm everywhere, old-growth forest carpets the majority of the countryside and remote Himalayan peoples like the Layaps and Brokpas live a life largely untouched by the modern age. Simply put, Bhutan is like nowhere on earth. The catch? The fixed minimum daily rate of US$250 per person is mandatory, although this does include transport, meals, guide and accommodation.

When to go: March, April, September, October.

Getting there: Fly to Paro from Delhi or Bangkok, or drive overland from neighboring India.

Suggested itinerary: Explore the delightful Paro Valley and its iconic Tiger's Nest Hermitage (Taktshang Goemba) before driving to the little-visited Haa Valley, the tiny capital of Thimphu and the sensual fortress-monastery of Punakha. Schedule your visit around one of Bhutan's colorful tsechus (monastic festivals).

Off the beaten track alternative: The tiny Himalayan kingdom of Mustang in Nepal also comes with a hefty daily permit cost (US$500 per person), though you'll get a chance to explore centuries-old Tibetan architecture and may even gain an audience with the king.

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This article was first published in January 2013 and last updated in January 2021.

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How to plan your dream trip to the Himalayas

It is 2021! We survived the roller coaster of a year that 2020 was and the new year brings with it much cheer and hope. New year is also the time when lists are drawn, travel plans hatched, and when dreaming about those much anticipated holidays is at its peak. While the pandemic had applied brakes on travel plans across the world in 2020, it has in no way stopped our desire to explore and discover new places. We are all set to pack our bags once again.

So, what does travel look like in 2021? Here is what we predict.

Road tripping the country

Road trips saw a spurt as the lock down eased and it is a trend that is likely to continue even as air and train travel opens up. The flexibility and safety of road trips remain their the biggest draw. You can take off whenever the opportunity presents itself; the journey becomes as important as the destination and the experience lets you pack in more and savor the trip at your own pace. A road trip anywhere across India also means sampling local food, taking in varied landscapes, driving by quaint villages and towns, and enjoying the wide, open spaces—a much needed respite from our mundane city life.

Slow and mindful exploration of our own backyard

With foreign travel still on hold, exploring domestic destinations is becoming more enticing: be it places close to where we live or pockets of our towns and cities that we have not explored yet. With remote working options, staying longer at a destination as opposed to ticking off several places at a time is likely to become common. Longer stays and slower pace means conscious choices that result in helping local communities, small home stay owners, boutique properties, guides and niche operators which in turn will help the industry.

Learning a new skill in a new place

Indulging in a common activity is one of the best ways to bond as a family or with close friends. Already on the rise, the trend is sure to grow in the coming year. Signing up for a cooking class in the hills, learning how to paint or draw a local art form in Rajasthan, trying your hand at picking up a craft in Gujarat, or ticking off that bucket list adventure activity in Himalayas is something most of us are looking forward to in 2021. Craftspeople, adventure activity operators, hotels and homestays have been severely impacted by the pandemic and this can go a long way in helping them bring their lives back to normal.

Self care and wellness vacations

Wellness holidays are best for rejuvenation and with 2020 being the year it has been, we all need a little bit of that. Be it a wellness retreat in the hills or spa holiday by the sea, wellness breaks that come with the promise of self-care are set to get popular in 2021. Plan that Ayurvedic retreat you have always wanted to, take up that detox program you have been considering or sign up for a meditation course up in the mountains this year for never have we needed it more.

Traveling in 2021 - here's what to expect

Since the lockdown in March, many restaurants in India faced a hit that changed the food business forever. While most restaurants have since opened, many Indians are still unsure about dining out. And so, food delivery and premium dining in options, which saw a huge growth in 2020, are all set to to be the new normal in 2021.

New menus for home service

The last few months of 2020 saw the fanciest of restaurants move to the delivery model. Egged by customer response and loyal patrons many restaurants were able to sustain businesses with home deliveries across the country. Chefs and restaurateurs not only tweaked their existing menus but also introduced special ones only for delivery. Chef Jatin Mallick of Trés, Delhi, for instance, introduced a whole new range for his delivery model that was made of recipes that would not spoil in transit. “It is not practical to home deliver dishes that need a certain texture, temperature and presentation. It also spoils the whole experience of our guest,” says Malik, "which is why we brought in new items on the menu". Most other restaurants and hotels around the country followed a similar pattern.

Parties, weddings and more

Industry watchers predict that the whole new segment of home catering for weddings, celebrations, festivals and corporate events that came up in 2020 will continue to gain strength in 2021. “During the lockdown, when weddings and birthdays went online, we catered to many events where we home delivered elaborate festive meals to our clients and their guests,” informs Sameer Seth, founder and CEO of The Bombay Canteen, O Pedro & The Bombay Sweet Shop in Mumbai, who continues to cater to such functions.

A virtual wedding celebration in Chennai scored a viral hit on social media when a city-based catering company joined hands with wedding planners, Weddings and Marigolds, to deliver traditional south Indian wedding meals across the city. While the invitees watched the wedding proceedings over Zoom, the elaborate meals of the wedding were packed in colorful woven baskets, complete with large banana leaves on which food is usually eaten at weddings in Tamil Nadu.

Cloud kitchens come calling

Chefs and entrepreneurs who had been planning to launch restaurants brought the same quality of food through cloud kitchens this year. Chef Vikramjit Roy and Anurodh Samal’s Hello Panda in Gurgaon is one such example. While the duo had plans to open a sprawling Pan Asian restaurant, the lockdown put a break on it. This is when they redesigned the model and launched a premium delivery kitchen to cater to the same segment of diners. Their kitchen has since become a niche brand and the duo has expanded and launched Indian and Chinese specialty brands too.

Packaging and presentation

Packaging and presentation have become an important part of dine-at-home experiences in India. Corrugated paper boxes, ceramic handis, branded cases and unique presentation (on trays, in cloth bags, with cutlery, inside terracotta pots) have replaced plastic boxes. Being green, eco-friendly and tamper-proof have become the ultimate goal and attractive presentation has become an important way to catch the diners attention.

Do it yourself gourmet meals

While ordering a meal comes with its share of joy the year also saw people wanting to put together fancy gourmet meals. This niche segment developed during lockdown with do-it-yourself kits put together by the finest chefs, restaurants, chocolatiers and even bartenders. Burgers, pastas, pizzas, became DIY favorites and not only metros but smaller cities also took well to the concept. Chef Unnati Gupta, who runs her home kitchen in Lucknow found that her DIY kits had many takers, “because the technical part is taken care of and clients enjoy finishing the dishes and serving them at home," she says. With kits that contains even the smallest detail, DIY offerings have seen a growing demand.

A trend to stay

It may have seemed like a passing trend, but dining at home is not going anywhere. It may just get bigger in the year to come “With the pandemic not subsiding and vaccine availability to all being a time-consuming project, it may take up to the third quarter of 2021 for things to go back,” says Chef Vikramjit Roy. Like him, most chefs, restaurateurs, culinary experts, and even consumers feel home dining would continue to grow in 2021.

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When to go to India

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Traveling in 2021 - here's what to expect

How fine dining came home in 2020, and will continue to do so in 2021

Places in and around India

South India

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Rajasthan

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Tamil Nadu

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Himachal Pradesh

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